John Chalmers Doane was born in
Truro, Nova Scotia in 1938. Doane earned his teaching certificate in 1961 from the
Nova Scotia Teachers College (NSTC) and then a bachelor of music education from
Boston University in 1967 studying the
trombone. While serving as supervisor of music for the
Halifax Regional School Board from 1967 to 1984, Doane changed the school music program when he began using the ukulele as a practical and economical method of teaching instruments and music for both children and adults. This unconventional approach was quickly proven through the success of Halifax school bands and orchestras in concerts and competitions across Canada. Doane created the
Guide to Classroom Ukulele in 1971. The British Columbia schools used Doane's system to teach music and as a result, the
Langley Ukulele Ensemble came into existence. He improved on the system and created the ''Teacher's Guide to Classroom Ukulele'' in 1977. After leaving the Halifax School Board in 1984, Doane served as a professor of music education at his alma mater, the
Nova Scotia Teachers College until his retirement in 1993. The best known student to come out of Doane's program is
James Hill, who plays the ukulele throughout the world and worked with Doane to revise the ukulele teaching system. His daughter
Melanie Doane is a noted Canadian pop singer and songwriter, and his son
Creighton Doane is a drummer and songwriter known as a collaborator with his sister and as a member of the rock band
Harem Scarem. Doane himself has recorded a number of albums since 1973, many featuring original compositions or arrangements, mainly featuring Halifax students, but also in the 2000s with his own group, the Chalmers Doane Trio. == Awards ==