Training

Mélissa Lavergne has always been a music lover. At the age of 15, a visit to a Latin
percussion shop had a real impact on her; it was the beginning of her life as a musician.
She then took private lessons with Martin Bonin and participated in his band activities
(Zuruba Brazilian Negro). During the following five years or so, she studied Latin
and African percussion with Marc, Michel Junior and Michel Séguin, Hans Longpré
and Robert Dethier. She then decided to complete her studies in “Technique of Jazz
Arrangement and Latin Percussion Interpretation” at CEGEP St-Laurent. Her teachers
were Jean-Guy Plante (traditional percussion), Philippe Keyser (drums), Luc Boivin and
André Martin (Latin percussion). Having graduated, she pursued her studies at UQAM
in classical percussion and in drums with Jean-Guy Plante and Pierre Hébert.

She also multiplies study trips where she can really concentrate on the various
styles related to percussion and study with the best interpreters. Mélissa has indeed
studied Cuban percussion with Klimax in Cayo Coco (Kosa Cuba), in Havana with
Afro Cuban All Stars and Rumbero from Cuba, and in San Francisco with Jesus Diaz
and Michael Spiro; African percussion in Guinea with the Ballets Djoliba (Ousmane
Sila), Balandougoukan (Sékou Keïta) and Amazones (Aly Sila) as well as percussion
and flamenco in Seville with, among others, Pilar Ortega (Juan Polvillo School) and
Carmen Ledesma (Academia Arte Flamenco of Sevilla), in addition to the intensive
Kosa drum and percussion program she participated to in Vermont (Greg Bissonnette,
Memo Acevedo, Michael Wimberly, Carmine Apice). And last spring, she studied frame
drumming in New York with the great Glen Velez.

Besides her music studies, Mélissa Lavergne was also a dance student. After
graduating from Pierre-Laporte Secondary School with a major in classical ballet, she
continued dancing as a member of the Sortilèges, a national folk dance group, danced in
the Nutcracker of Les Grands Ballets Canadiens de Montréal and in several professional
events and shows (Star Académie, Line 1, the Movie Song Show, L’Oreal). She stopped
dancing professionally, but dance remains one of her greatest passions.

Professional Activities

Mélissa Lavergne has performed in several shows and events in addition to
accompanying many artists for the last 10 years (Coke, Beat, Insolita, J’tam, Zuruba, the
Refuge, Kevin Parent, Célébration, Star Académie, Yé trop d’bonne heure, Ima, Mauvais
Sort, Aikya, Angélique Kidjo, Roch Voisine, Murray Head, Line 1, la Fête Nationale,
le Grand Rire, Juste pour rire). One can see her perform every week on the the TV
show “Belle & Bum” as she is a member of the houseband as percussionist.

In addition to her on-stage performances, Mélissa teaches too. Afrique en mouvements,
Samajam, Haute-Gamme, Centre artistique Le Gardeur et and the Centres Jeunesse de
Montréal are some of the establishments where she gave percussion lessons for the last
five years. She also teaches a group of advanced students (Bélébélé) with whom she
frequently performs on stage.

Acting as the spokesperson for La Grande Guignolée des Médias (2008), Pacifest
(2008-09) and La Colonie Sainte-Jeanne-d’Arc, she is also involved in the Centres
Jeunesse de Montréal Foundation, where she helps give free access to art (music,
dance, theatre) to youngsters. She has been selected as the multidisciplinary artist
who represented the province at La Maison du Québec in Vancouver within the context
of the 2010 Olympic Games, where she presented the “Around Mélissa Lavergne”
show, inspired by her various study trips. She presented this same show at the 2010
edition of the International Percussion Festival of Longueuil for which she is also the
spokesperson.

Projects

Besides her contracts as accompanying percussionist, Mélissa also has some personal
projects which are dear to her heart: Duende Con Fusion (flamenco show written
following her trip to Seville with Joannie Labelle, Dominic Dagenais and Barbara
Requesens), Africana Soul Sisters (with J.F. Lemieux and Marie-Josée Frigon),
Bélébélé and the “Around Mélissa Lavergne” show.

Attracted by communications, she likes to host: Sucré Salé (daily summer TV show),
opening of the Tohu Bohu shop, ACPC 2010 Conference, and hopes to continue
exploiting this interest in the months and years to come.

Please note that Mélissa Lavergne plays the following instruments : LP percussions,
Sabian cymbals and Vic Firth rods.