Teaching Experience

Virna is a passionate and highly skilled singing teacher, vocal coach and music educator. She has over 25 years experience teaching both privately and in a variety of other contexts, including tertiary and secondary institutions, television broadcast settings, and in the corporate sector. She has worked with people of all ages and levels, from absolute beginners, through to household names seeking to fine-tune their skills or prepare for recordings or key performances.

Virna has been the jazz voice specialist at the Sydney Conservatorium of Music since 2014, and as Vocal Lecturer and Unit of Study Coordinator, has played a pivotal role in course development and in enriching the student experience over this period. She has also taught extensively for other tertiary institutions such as UNSW, Macquarie University, EORA Centre for Aboriginal Studies and the Australian Institute of Music. 

Beyond the academic sphere, Virna was the vocal coach for television show, The Voice working behind the scenes for its first three seasons. She has frequently been a guest lecturer / tutor for programs such as the SIMA Young Women’s Jazz Workshops, and also spent some years as a CPM examiner for the AMEB.

She maintains a busy private teaching practice working with students from all walks of life in a wide variety of contemporary musical styles. 

“Virna is a phenomenal singing teacher! Her combination of techniques, encouragement, humour and knowledge work together to create a learning environment that would make even the most self-conscious student relaxed and enthusiastic. I can't recommend Virna highly enough - an outstanding talent and an outstanding teacher.” - Jacqui B

Teaching Approach

Virna takes a holistic approach to teaching, drawing on a range of skills in various disciplines as required. Having studied Vocal Pedagogy at post-graduate level, she has a thorough scientific understanding of vocal anatomy and function, and remains current in her knowledge by participating regularly in professional development events. Virna also has an in-depth knowledge of musicianship in jazz and contemporary styles, refined over a long career as both performer and educator.  

Some of the areas that can be covered where appropriate include:

  • building a healthy vocal technique
  • understanding vocal anatomy
  • preparing students for exams, auditions, recordings, key performances etc.
  • refining technique in the more experienced singer
  • identifying and addressing physical and cognitive habits that contribute to tension and inhibit free vocalisation
  • overall tone development
  • ear training, sight reading, musicianship and theory, specific to the needs of a singer
  • chart writing, transposition and transcription
  • phrasing and understanding rhythmic feels or grooves
  • personalising a song, interpretation and improvisation
  • coaching in almost any genre of contemporary music including jazz, funk, R&B, pop, soul, folk etc.
  • harmony singing and arrangement of vocal harmonies
  • specialised techniques such as “belting” as well as other forms of tone modification
  • basic stage presence, performance and microphone technique
  • learning to manage the demands of professional vocal use
  • learning how to avoid or recover from injury
  • guiding classically trained singers who would like to sing jazz and contemporary music in finding stylistically appropriate approaches to all elements of vocal delivery
  

“Virna is an excellent teacher. She's able to adapt her teaching style for anyone…She's fun, incredibly knowledgable and happy to spend time explaining things. I'm so happy learning from her, intend to continue doing so, and I couldn't recommend her enough.” - Jonathan P.
“Thank you so much for all your amazing help and support. I honestly couldn't have done this without you. You had such wonderful guidance...I have learnt so much!!!” - M.E. (HSC Music student)
“Just wanted to thank you for all the vocal lessons you gave me, I am singing lead on songs in my band in some big venues now and getting confidence. Your holistic lesson methodology also helped me teach better. So thanks for your patience and dedication to your students, you really are enriching lives.” ” - Josh Hindmarsh

My Values

     
  • I value and respect the uniqueness of each student - all lessons are tailored to the individual. I work with students to identify the most important areas of focus based on their needs, preferences and goals.
  • I consistently aim to create a safe, non-judgmental environment where students' confidentiality is respected and where they have the space to develop technically, musically, expressively and often personally.
  • Transparent communication is key to my teaching. I always seek to demystify jargon and offer clear explanations in all areas., fostering an environment in which students can feel comfortable to ask any question.
  • My teaching is geared towards gradually building autonomy in students, equipping them with the knowledge and tools to continue their learning journey in their own time. 
  • Sharing my knowledge is an important part of my calling and I treat it with the same value and respect as my performing work. They are two sides of the same coin, and one elevates the other. 
  • I believe music has the potential to make the world a better place and have witnessed its profound, transformational power in action many times. As an educator, I see myself as a facilitator in this process. 
      

FAQs