Shawn Spicer is originally from Nova Scotia. In 1987 Shawn went to McGill University to study with James Thompson, celebrated principal trumpet of the Montreal Symphony. After completing his studies Shawn moved to Toronto to participate in the Orchestral Training Program at the Royal Conservatory. Shawn continued his studies at Yale University where he received his masters. After getting his masters Shawn went on to positions in the Thunder Bay Symphony and the Calgary based Foothills Brass Quintet.

Shawn returned to Toronto and worked as a freelance musician playing with all the major southern Ontario orchestras including the Canadian Opera Company, the National Ballet and the orchestras of Kitchener, London, Hamilton and Windsor. In 1999 Shawn was appointed principal trumpet of Orchestra London Canada. Shawn performs regularly as a musician at the Stratford Shakespearean Festival. He now lives in London with his wife Barb, daughter Abby and son Owen.

Shawn is also active in the early music community playing baroque trumpet and cornetto. Performances on these instruments have taken him as far away as Japan and Brazil. He has played with Taffelmusik, Studio de Musique Ancienne de Montreal, the Toronto Consort, the Toronto Masque Theatre and the Sante Fe Early Music Society.

Shawn has also been active as a teacher. He was trumpet instructor at the Canadian Forces School of Music from 1991-1998 and taught privately in Toronto for seven years. For the last 6 years Shawn has taught trumpet at the University of Western Ontario.