Choral Director

In 2012, Tamara began directing her first choir at Mt Gravatt High School. From her very first rehearsal, she discovered the powerful impact choral music could have in inspiring and connecting students. Since then, Tamara has continued to develop her skills as a conductor, collaborating and training with a wide range of choral directors and music educators.

In rehearsals, students focus on foundational vocal techniques including breathing, alignment, pitch accuracy, harmony, and vocal stamina. Tamara also prioritizes the development of sight-reading skills, pitch awareness, and strong ensemble teamwork. Over the past decade, she has worked with choirs and chorales of varying sizes, ages, and ability levels, ranging from small ensembles of six students to large choirs of over one hundred.

Tamara continues to teach and direct choirs today and is currently employed at the Marymount School of New York, where she serves as Director of Music. Throughout the pandemic, she ensured that students maintained an active and meaningful choir experience despite challenging circumstances. Her work includes collaborations with high school ensembles and performances at public events, such as the annual Fifth Avenue Snowflake Lighting in New York City.

"I love to hear a choir. I love the humanity... to see the faces of real people devoting themselves to a piece of music. I like the teamwork. It makes me feel optimistic about the human race when I see them co-operating like that" - Paul McCartney

Educator in the Classroom

In addition to directing choirs, Tamara is passionate about classroom music education. She has taught courses in composition, music theory, and music history, and has written curriculum for Grades 6 through 10, as well as taught senior music classes in Grades 11 and 12. Tamara has delivered classroom units in keyboard, guitar, ukulele, and rock band, and has also worked using the Kodály method.

One of Tamara’s most meaningful classroom experiences was leading a Grade 10 recording project. Throughout the semester, students collaborated in small groups to compose, rehearse, and perform original works. At the conclusion of the unit, Tamara arranged for students to visit the nationally renowned Ghostgum Audio Studio, where their compositions were professionally recorded. Students completed the project with a CD featuring their recorded works.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, Tamara was committed to ensuring that the arts remained an essential part of her school’s curriculum. She designed and organized a comprehensive online music program, implemented by a team of four music educators, which provided continued music instruction to over 150 students during the 2020–2021 school year. The digital courses she created included Keyboard and Sing, Ukulele and Sing, Solo Singing Club, and Music Video Production Club.

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