TEACHERS AND STAFF MEMBERS

Josh Cruddas

VOICE, DRAMA

At age 6, Josh Cruddas was the youngest radio host in Canada. Now, slightly older than 6 years old, he works as an actor, film music composer and teacher. Josh is best known for his role as Alexei in Netflix’s POLAR, opposite Mads Mikkelsen, Vanessa Hudgens and Johnny Knoxville. He was nominated for the ACTRA Award for Best Actor for his starring role in the American Civil War epic COPPERHEAD for Warner Bros alongside the late Peter Fonda. He’s also appeared in various TV shows including CARDINAL, MURDOCH MYSTERIES, PRIVATE EYES and 11/22/63 with James Franco. He popped up alongside Forest Whitaker and Theo James in Netflix’s HOW IT ENDS, and has played leading roles in various musicals and plays across Nova Scotia and Ontario. Upcoming, he’ll be recurring on Hulu’s FUTURE MAN with The Hunger Games’ Josh Hutcherson, and he’ll be playing an iconic literary character in a new family TV show for a major streaming service.

Simon has studied with some of Canada’s top musical pedagogues, including David Gillham, William van der Sloot, and Axel Strauss (for violin), Alan Corbishley, John mac Master, and Jason Howard (for voice), and Patricia Greenfield (for piano). Having previously trained in the Suzuki and RCM methods, Simon now takes a student-specific approach to teaching, working to help the student find physical freedom in their music making through the reduction of tension and a focus on sound production. Simon also cares deeply about the performance psychology side of music making, and specifically how to work to find efficiency and effectiveness in the practice room.

Josh was extremely honoured to be nominated for Best Teacher at a major worldwide performing arts school’s awards in England in 2018, and is an honours graduate of Dalhousie University’s Acting Programme. He loves integrating theatre and music & balancing fun with a respect for the work and for fellow students. He hopes his students can know the same joy in performing and creating that he experienced as a young person.