What is your greatest passion or joy as a singer, voice teacher, or vocal professional?
My greatest passion as a singer is the ability to be a storyteller and utilise my voice to move and inspire others. Nothing beats the feeling of providing an audience with the opportunity to either; escape their day to day, empathise or entertain them. It’s a connection like no other.
As a voice teacher, it is such a privilege to be a part of someone’s life. For a moment in time, I am blessed to be a part of a vocalist’s life journey, facilitating and assisting them in uncovering their full potential, and providing an understanding for all the ups and downs that come with vocal growth. It’s a team effort and together we get through it!
Finally, being a vocal professional provides me with the ability to experiment with my own voice and musicality whilst having the tools to share my knowledge with anyone who wants to learn. In turn, being a vocal professional means having the mentality of being just a really good student, always seeking to learn more.
Tell us the latest news about you, your studio, and your work!
Based in Sydney, Australia, I am the proud and blessed founder of Rise Academy of Music. Since opening in 2020, we have developed a culture amongst our students and staff that fosters a growth mindset, positivity and unity in difference. In just two years, our academy has; been selected as finalists in our local business awards two years running, provided two amazing students with scholarships, selected nine of our students to head in the studio to record a song called “Never Break Me Down” which received over ten thousand views in just one week, proudly partnered with RODE Microphones, ASUS and local businesses, just to name a few, to supply our students with only the best in equipment, have a growing online family exceeding twenty-two thousand music lovers and singers, expanded lessons online and internationally, and welcomed some amazing teachers to join our academy. It has been such a rollercoaster and wouldn’t have it any other way. As I write this in July 2021, we just celebrated our first performance showcase and we are currently preparing our September Performance Workshop & Masterclass and December Showcase. The students are the essence of the academy and truly would not be the same without each and every one of them.
What is an interesting or funny fact about you?
Aside from the quirks that my eyebrows can dance and I am told I can do a very good Effie Stephanidis impersonation, at the age of 16, my first job was as a vocalist on Australian Idol. That became the springboard to working on every TV talent show you can name.
What led you to the NYVC Voice Teacher Training & Certification Program?
The desire to learn more about the voice. I have always expanded my knowledge of the voice by learning from well-known teachers, but wanted to find a course that would provide direct answers to my questions. I first found Justin Stoney on YouTube and after a bit of research, I was ecstatic to hear he had this course. Justin’s vast understanding of the voice was evident and I was so excited to learn more from him and ‘pick his brain’ as such. It is by far one of the best courses I ever enrolled into.
What was your experience in the NYVC Voice Teacher Training & Certification Program?
It was such a rewarding experience. I had the opportunity to meet teachers from all over the world, learn more about the scientific and anatomical function of the voice with Justin, a passionate, knowledgeable and humble individual, at the forefront. His enthusiasm and passion for the voice provided me with the motivation and excitement to wake up at 5:45am every morning! One of the disadvantages of living in Australia. Ha!
What advice would you give to future participants of the Program?
My advice to future participants is to go in the course with no expectations. Enrol with an open-mind and be ready to soak up all the knowledge the course has to offer. It is a refreshing, rewarding and reinvigorating experience that you will not want to miss.
What is the biggest challenge you’ve faced as an artist, teacher, or vocal professional?
As an academy, I strive to be different in my approach to teaching and student opportunity. These goals come with its challenges and it can be difficult when something you want to achieve hasn’t been done before in your area. My biggest challenge as an artist and vocal professional is rejection, rejection, rejection. It is a bummer to go through but in turn builds resilience and I believe inevitably a positive redirection. If I had listened to the nay-sayers I wouldn’t be a teacher, I wouldn’t be a singer and in my profession, wouldn’t be on the adjudication panel of the TV and local talent competitions.
What was your greatest victory ever an artist, teacher, or vocal professional?
The best thing I ever done as a teacher was the establishment of Rise Academy of Music. It truly is a life I never imagined I would live and I wouldn’t have it any other way. My most recent highlight as an artist is the release of Never Break Me Down, a song I wrote but wouldn’t have been recorded or released without the reminder and encouragement from my students. As a vocal professional, having the opportunity to be on the adjudication panel of Channel 7’s All Together Now TV Show was definitely a recent highlight!
What is one piece of advice that you would love all singers to know?
Don’t be afraid to fail forward. Failure tends to have a negative connotation but in truth, is the secret to growth and success. I encourage you to purposefully and deliberately use those failures to find your success and your path moving forward. Embrace them time and time again until your ultimate path to success is found in anything you do. After all, “a diamond cannot be polished without friction”. Keep rising singers!
What is something you've learned on your journey that you would love other vocal professionals to know?
Being a vocal professional is admitting that you do not know everything, but have the will and drive to find out. We always do whatever we can for our students and remind them that failure is a part of the process. As a vocal professional, remember to be just as kind to yourself and realise that we are also on our path to vocal growth and mastery.
How can we find out more about you and your work?
To visit Rise Academy of Music and see what we have been up to: www.riseacademyofmusic.com
