Choir Director
In 2012, Tamara began directing her first choir at Mt Gravatt High School. After her first rehearsal, she was excited to discover that she could reach and inspire so many students in just one rehearsal. Since then, Tamara has worked hard to build her skills and has collaborated and trained with many other conductors since.
During rehearsals students work on basic vocal technique including, breathing, alignment, pitch, harmony and vocal stamina. Tamara also takes the opportunity during class to build students sight reading skills, pitch awareness, and team morale. Over the past ten years, Tamara has worked with many choir and chorales which have ranged in size, age, ability; the largest being over a hundred students and the smallest just six.
"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
This is a sample choir website created by Tamara. The image to the left is a homepage with rehearsal listing for each choir and general updates. The bottom image is a page where students can find sheet music and practice tracks to rehearse their parts
These are sample displays of how homework is assigned for choir. Vocal tracks are always recorded by Tamara for each vocal part and are accessible through the Blackbaud website.
Classroom Music Teacher
As well as teaching voice, Tamara loves to teach the classroom music subject. She has taught classes in composition, music theory and music history. In previous years, Tamara has written courses and created new curriculum for grades 8, 9 and 10 and has also taught both grade 11 and 12 music classes. She has delivered units in keyboard, guitar, ukulele and rock band in a classroom setting and has worked previously with the Kodály method. Tamara's favorite classroom music experience was working with a grade 10 class on a recording project. During the semester, students collaborated in small groups to write and perform their own compositions. At the end of the unit, Tamara arranged for the students to be taken to the nationally renowned Ghostgum Audio studio where they had their work professionally recorded. Students completed the unit with a CD containing of the students recordings.
During the COVID-19 pandemic Tamara would not let the arts be cut from her school's curriculum. She wrote and organize an online music program which was rolled out by four music staff and allowed over 150 students to attend music classes for the 2020-21 school year. Some of the new courses she designed for the digital classroom included Keyboard and Sing, Ukulele and Sing, Solo Singing Club and Music Video Production Club.
"I would teach children music, physics and philosophy; but most importantly music, for the patterns in music and all the arts are the keys to learning" - Plato
Private Voice Studio
Tamara began teaching private voice lessons in 2018 and has coached and trained students ever since. By understanding the importance in building a strong personal connection with students she guides and works with her students to become the best singers and performers they possibly can be. Individual vocal lessons vary in time length, depending on the ability, age and interest of the student.
Many of Tamara's students have had great success in the performing arts industry. Some of her studio alumnae have been accepted into prestigious university music programs, performed professionally, worked in national musical theater tours, and a number have even become music educators themselves. Although these successes are wonderful, what is most important to Tamara is that each student gains confidence, improves their vocal skill and develops an everlasting love for music, regardless of whether they pursue a musical career.
All students are encouraged to be organized, practice regularly, and come to each lesson ready to sing. Tamara helps guide students to choose appropriate repertoire for their age, ability and interests, as well as helping them to find performance opportunities. Classes can be held in-person at Tamara's home studio in NYC or be conducted online via Zoom.
