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Performers' Diploma in Opera Cum Laude from University of Cape Town
2002 - Old Mutual Jazz Encounters Best Jazz Vocalist 2010 - Standard Bank Young Artist for Jazz Award 2012 - All three prizes at The Jazz Revelations Competition in Nice, France
Music and singing for me has always been like air. I love music and singing and sharing experiences through music. I am extremely passionate about the voice and love to help people to discover theirs to the fullest and most authentic potential. The voice is a very personal instrument, a fingerprint and I am passionate about protecting it and helping it soar to it's full beauty. I am a Cum Laude Opera graduate and an International multi award winning jazz singer and songwriter. I have 5 albums under my name and have jammed with Bobby Mcferrrin and Kurt Elling and toured all over the world performing at concerts and festivals.
I taught at The University of Cape Town as a lecture in Jazz vocal studies from 2004. I was involved in The Artscape Youth Jazz Program as a mentor for several years as well as a performer and lecturer for several years at The National Arts Festival/ Grahamstown Jazz festival in South Africa. I have also taught at the summer jazz camp program in Prague for the past 5 years. I am currently employed as an on the go teacher at The 92 Y School of music and have taught students of all ages and walks of life :)
I use the basic classical warm ups , fundaments of classical singing , strengthening the diaphragm and voice placement. Building range slowly and carefully while building stamina through exercises and pieces that will help the individual voice grow. For Jazz , I use The Michele Weir Jazz Improvisation as a starting point. For students who want to build their technique but don't want operatic training per say, I work a lot with musical theatre pieces as well as pop or disney. This way they are getting the range and technique but through a more modern medium.
I believe that singing should sound and feel natural. I work to find out how the students voice naturally wants to go , so that we aren't putting on a technique that doesn't fit. Like a finger print , each case is different and individual. I love to teach the student that the whole voice needs to function as one and not divide things into registers. We work on making a holistic sound that is true and expressive. I also spend lots of time on diction , intonation and interpretation coming from the lyrics.