Meet Noel Wentworth

Noel Wentworth is a Kelowna music educator and professional musician with more than 25 years of teaching experience and over 40 years as a musician. He teaches guitar, bass , ukulele and songwriting at Upbeat Music Academy Kelowna in Glenmore, working with students from age 7 through adults.

Noel’s experience extends far beyond the private lesson studio. Over the course of his career, he has performed professionally across Canada and internationally, founded and directed a large music education organization, created performance opportunities for thousands of students, developed contemporary music education programs, and organized community events that have raised significant funds for local causes.

His teaching philosophy is simple:

Help students become confident musicians who can play the music they love.

Noel holds a Diploma in Music Performance from Selkirk College and a Licentiate in Music Teaching from RSL Awards. He has completed Grade 6 Bass and continued his studies through Grade 7.

Noel is also the British Columbia Representative for RSL Awards/Rockschool, helping promote contemporary music education and examination programs for students and teachers throughout the province.

His combination of formal music education, professional performance experience and more than two decades of teaching gives him a practical perspective on what it takes to develop as a musician.

Noel teaches guitar, bass and ukulele, from beginners through advanced players, including adults.

He teaches guitar and bass beginning at approximately age 9 and ukulele beginning at age 7.

His experience includes acoustic guitar, electric guitar, electric bass and ukulele. His broad musical background allows him to teach both the technical and creative sides of playing, including songwriting, improvisation, ear training and musical expression.

Noel’s interest in music began when he was a child.

He first learned piano at about six years old, although it didn’t immediately become a lifelong passion. Around age 12, everything changed when he heard RATT’s “Round and Round” and decided he had to learn electric guitar.

AC/DC and Iron Maiden were among his early influences.

Before YouTube, streaming services and online tutorials existed, Noel learned songs by listening to cassette tapes. He would rewind recordings, find individual notes and chords on his guitar and gradually piece together entire songs.

He naturally listened to music differently from many people. Instead of hearing only the finished song, he focused on the individual instruments and parts — guitar, bass, drums, vocals and other sounds within the recording.

That process helped Noel develop a strong musical ear, something that remains an important part of his approach to teaching today.

Eventually, he wanted to do more than reproduce his favourite songs. He wanted to hear something on the radio and figure out how to play it himself.

That curiosity became the foundation for his lifelong approach to learning and teaching music.

Noel began playing with other musicians at approximately age 16.

His first band was called Runaway, a name inspired by Monty Python and the Holy Grail. The group played a variety of music, with Noel singing and playing guitar on songs including AC/DC’s “Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap.”

He also performed an original instrumental he had written.

Runaway went on to win Noel’s Grade 12 talent show.

That early experience sparked Noel’s love of performing with other musicians and eventually led to a career as a professional guitarist, singer and entertainer.

Noel spent more than 10 years performing professionally while also teaching music.

He performed in bars, nightclubs, wineries, weddings and public events throughout British Columbia, including large public performances with audiences of thousands at venues such as Prospera Place in Kelowna.

His performance experience covers a wide range of musical styles, including:

• Pop
• Rock
• Metal
• Celtic music
• Reggae
• Dance music
• Polka

In 1998, Noel formed The Wentworth Brothers with his brother. The duo performed three to six nights a week using realistic backing tracks that Noel programmed himself, including drums and keyboards.

In 2000, Noel travelled to Delhi, India, for a three-month performance contract at the Hyatt Hotel, where he performed disco and dance music.

He later travelled to Nagoya, Japan, where he performed for 10 days during Expo 2005.

Throughout his career, Noel has also had opportunities to perform with and get to know musicians from Canadian bands and artists he grew up listening to, including members of Prism, Glass Tiger, Darby MIlls of The Headpins and Boulevard, along with other professional musicians.

Noel believes students learn best when they are genuinely interested in the music they are playing.

He enjoys learning new songs and teaching students the music they already listen to. A student’s favourite song can become the starting point for developing a wide range of musical skills, including:

• Music theory
• Technique
• Rhythm
• Harmony
• Ear training
• Chords
• Song structure
• Improvisation
• Musical expression

Because Noel developed his own musical ear by learning songs from recordings, he can often learn new music quickly. That experience helps him understand the challenges students face when they are trying to learn music by ear.

He also recognizes that students have different goals.

Some want to play music simply for enjoyment. Others want to perform, join a band, write songs, prepare for examinations or pursue music professionally.

Noel doesn’t believe every student needs to follow the same path.

His goal is to help each student become more confident and capable while giving them the skills to play the music they enjoy.

In 2004, Noel founded the Wentworth Music Education Centre.

He initially taught guitar and bass and eventually helped grow the school to more than 2,000 weekly students.

Noel served as Director and Vice President of Education until 2022.

During this time, he helped develop programs that allowed students to do more than take private lessons. Students could rehearse together, perform concerts and gain practical experience playing music with other people.

That philosophy continues to influence Noel’s teaching at Upbeat Music Academy today.

Noel believes students should have opportunities to experience music beyond the private lesson.

Throughout his career, he has created programs that brought together vocalists, guitarists, bass players, keyboard players, drummers and saxophone players to form working student bands.

Some groups performed almost 40 weekend shows in a single year at venues and events throughout Kelowna.

He also organized international performance opportunities for students in Singapore, New York and Australia.

Students performed at Rockwood Music Hall in New York and completed a two-week Australian tour with performances in Melbourne and Sydney.

During the Australian trip, students even had the opportunity to meet Mark Evans, the original bassist for AC/DC, at the Hard Rock Cafe in Sydney.

Noel also organized a student trip to Nelson where participants received first-year, first-semester credit at Selkirk College for their involvement in the program.

For Noel, these experiences demonstrate why performance can be such an important part of music education.

Students learn music, but they also develop confidence, teamwork, communication skills and a better understanding of what they are capable of accomplishing.

One of the most meaningful teaching experiences of Noel’s career involved a student with cerebral palsy who desperately wanted to learn guitar.

The student was born with a hand and arm that were curled inward, making it difficult to hold a guitar pick.

Rather than allowing that physical challenge to prevent the student from playing, Noel looked for a practical solution.

He suggested modifying a golf glove with Velcro attached to the thumb and index finger, with matching Velcro attached to the pick.

It worked.

The student was able to hold the pick and strum the guitar. After two years, he was able to play without the glove.

Sadly, the student passed away in his 30s. His parents asked friends and family to donate to a music bursary in his memory instead of sending flowers.

Those donations helped provide a new guitar for one student and an electronic drum kit for a family with autistic children.

For Noel, the experience remains a powerful reminder that music education is about more than teaching an instrument.

Sometimes a teacher simply needs to find a way to help someone participate.

Read the article here

Noel has also spent nearly 20 years bringing hands-on music experiences into the Kelowna community through Musical Petting Zoos.

At these special events, children and adults can pick up and try instruments including guitar, bass, ukulele, keyboard and other instruments in a fun and welcoming environment.

For many people, it is their first opportunity to actually hold and experiment with an instrument.

At their most active, Noel organized Musical Petting Zoos twice a year for more than a decade. He continues to occasionally put them on today.

Rather than simply watching a musician perform, participants get to experience what it feels like to make music themselves.

For Noel, these events reflect an important part of his philosophy as an educator: music should be accessible, interactive and fun.

Noel wanted students to have a way to earn recognized qualifications and high school credit while studying contemporary music such as pop, rock, metal, blues, reggae and hip-hop.

After spending more than a year looking for an appropriate program, he began developing his own guitar syllabus.

He then discovered Rockschool, a contemporary music education and examination program developed by RSL Awards.

After researching the program and communicating with its leadership, an unexpected opportunity helped bring Rockschool to Canada.

While Noel’s wife, Lora, was in Singapore with two student bands, she was unexpectedly introduced to Rockschool’s director.

After hearing about Noel’s work in music education and his efforts to develop contemporary music programs, the director travelled to Kelowna to visit the school.

He subsequently offered Noel the opportunity to become Rockschool’s representative in Canada.

Noel later became the British Columbia Representative for RSL Awards/Rockschool, a role he continues today.

He promotes Rockschool’s contemporary music education programs and examination resources and helps connect students and teachers in British Columbia with contemporary music qualifications.

Noel has helped expand access to structured contemporary music education for students and teachers in British Columbia.

When RSL Awards introduced its Licentiate in Music Teaching qualification, 12 teachers from the music school where Noel was Director and Vice President of Education pursued the certification.

Noel also holds the Licentiate in Music Teaching himself.

Through his ongoing work as the British Columbia Representative for RSL Awards/Rockschool, Noel continues to promote contemporary music education, examinations and resources for students and teachers.

Noel is responsible for getting Rockschool grade 4, 5 and 6 accredited with the BC Ministry of Education. Students who pass their exams for these grades get 4 additional credits per grade on their high school transcripts.

Long before opening Upbeat Music Academy, Noel Wentworth built his career as a performing musician. Over the years, he has performed in a wide range of settings, including bars, nightclubs, weddings, wineries, special events, and concert venues. He has also toured and performed internationally, gaining experience playing with different musicians, audiences, and musical styles.

Noel’s experience as a working musician continues to influence the way he teaches today. Rather than learning music only from exercises and textbooks, students can learn how the skills they develop in lessons translate into real musical situations—playing with other musicians, keeping time, learning songs, understanding arrangements, improvising, and performing with confidence.

As a guitarist, bassist, songwriter, and performer, Noel has also released original music, including the albums Motion and Change. His years of performing and creating music have given him a practical understanding of what it means to develop as a musician, not simply how to pass a lesson or examination.

That real-world experience is something Noel brings into his lessons. Whether a student is picking up a guitar or bass for the first time, preparing for an exam, writing their own songs, or hoping to become a more confident performer, lessons can draw on more than three decades of teaching and a lifetime of making music.

Learn more about Noel’s professional music background and experience on his professional profile.

Noel has received recognition for his contributions to music education, student development and community involvement.

His recognition includes:

• Kelowna Civic Award
• Recognition from the Province of British Columbia
• Recognition from the Government of Canada through his Member of Parliament
• Named one of the Top 50 Canadians Helping Children
• Named one of Kelowna’s Top 40 Over 40
• International recognition from NAMM among the Top 100 Music Schools in the World for his work in music education
• Featured on the cover of Music Inc. magazine
• Featured in numerous newspaper and magazine articles covering his work in music education and the community

Noel teaches guitar, bass and ukulele at Upbeat Music Academy Kelowna, located in Glenmore, Kelowna, BC.

He teaches guitar and bass beginning at approximately age 9 and ukulele beginning at age 7, working with students from beginners through advanced levels.

Students come from throughout Kelowna and the surrounding Okanagan, including Glenmore, Wilden, Dilworth, Lake Country, Lower Mission and Rutland.

Noel also teaches students online, allowing him to work with musicians outside the Okanagan, including students as far away as Jamaica.

Noel was born and raised in Kelowna and has deep roots in the local music community.

Although his career has taken him across Canada and internationally, Kelowna has always been home.

He enjoys the city’s natural beauty, mild climate and strong sense of community. Today, Noel is proud to continue teaching music in the city where he grew up.

Outside of music, Noel enjoys growing food during the summer and playing music with his family whenever the opportunity arises.

After more than 25 years of teaching, Noel hopes his students remember more than the songs they learned or the techniques they practiced.

He hopes they remember that music was something they could enjoy, explore and make their own.

Whether a student plays guitar, bass or ukulele for fun, joins a band, performs on stage, writes songs or builds a career in music, Noel believes the most important thing is that they enjoy making music.

Music has been a lifelong journey for Noel Wentworth.

His goal is to help his students begin their own musical journey with confidence.