Djarts Students

News

Djarts Students

Djarts Students

We are really proud of our fabulous student body - both current and past. Please feel free to read what a few of our students have to say about themselves, learning to sing with Djarts and what the future holds as their voices develop. Check out our students in action - View the ShowCase 2007 Gallery here.

Duane Parkinson: At the age of 35, I've always loved to sing.....anywhere really. I am keen however to develop what ever ability God has given me to do the best with my voice that I can. A few years back, Daniel did some singing at a church event of ours. When he came back recently I decided that the time was right to have lessons. I felt very comfortable that Daniel would be able to guide my vocal development and that he would understand some of my vocal goals. We share a love of similar music and for that reason I knew that I'd relate to him as a teacher as well as a friend. This is my first year of formal lessons and I love that sense that is both humility at the thrill of making a (hopefully) good sound and the personal satisfaction of doing something well. I love seeing the sense of enjoyment in the face of someone listening to a song. I love it when I have it in my mind to achieve a particular sound and it "comes off" exactly how I'd planned. My singing is mostly in a church setting these days. Previously I've done some band work and occasionally have a bit of a sing at work, much to the amusement of my staff. I guess that you could say that my immediate goals are to develop more strength in my voice and to solidify the abilities that hopefully are already there. In the future I'd like to do some recording. Not so much for CD sales or anything like that, more for personal satisfaction. I expect to continue being heavily involved in the music team of my church and making ongoing vocal contributions there.

Rochelle Cotgrove: Hi my name is Rochelle Cotgrove and I am 35 years young. I have been attending lessons with Djarts since September last year. I was highly recommended to Djarts by my sister who also attended lessons with Daniel. I started lessons because I wanted to improve on my tone, technique and vocal control. I have found my lessons to be a fabulous help in my position as Worship Leader at COC Bridgeman Downs. It has increased my vocal ability and has been an awesome help in my confidence. My goal this year is to work toward a solo performance at our end of year Christmas Concert and I feel I am well on my way to achieving that thanks to Daniel! See you next lesson!!

Mellissa Baker: Hi! My name is Mellissa Baker and I’m 22years old. I started singing lessons at a young age because I wanted to become a “rock star”! I heard about Djarts from a University teacher here in Brisbane. I chose Djarts for vocal coaching because Daniel was highly recommended as being one of the best teachers in Brisbane. I have now been receiving vocal lessons with Daniel for the last four years. I love that my singing can be challenging and being able to perform to audiences regularly is the best feeling. I do most of my singing at country music festivals, as I am pursuing a career in contemporary country music. However I’m also manage and perform in a five piece funk/rock covers band that performs at clubs and pubs though-out Brisbane and the Gold Coast. My immediate technical and performance goals are to develop a larger range vocally and to perform even more challenging songs so that I can stand out from the crowd, and have a unique style/product. I have found Daniel to be a very inspirational teacher, friend and mentor. I have learnt a lot about the music industry from Daniel.

Jason Guy: The main reason I started singing lessons to learn how to preserve my voice. I'd been eating a lot of jam and marmalade but that didn't seem to be having the desired effect. At the time, my (indie rock genre) band had just released an EP and was planning an east-coast tour. My singing style in the band called for the occasional bit of "screaming" and, although I could do this comfortably at rehearsals 2-3 times a week, I needed to be confident that I could sing for multiple nights in a row and not lose my voice. Of course I realise now that most other bands use microphones and a PA to avoid this problem in the first place. Although the tour went well, the band ultimately folded soon after due to lack of funding. I have continued lessons to generally improve my singing technique in preparation for my next project. Although I don’t have any definite plans at the moment, I am keen to do further recording.

Tamar James: Now at the age of 28, I have been singing for as long as I can remember, but had never taken the time to have lessons. I used to be almost a little bit proud about the fact that I had never had a lesson, but deep down I knew that my voice was pretty limited by the little knowledge that I had. I eventually got to the point where I knew that [if] I didn't invest in my gift I would be forever frustrated! It's been great being taken out of my comfort zone and facing some of my vocal 'fears' head on. I heard about Djarts when Daniel came to do a workshop with our creative ministries vocalists. He mentioned the fact that they were enrolling new students, and I had been thinking about getting some tuition, so I put my name down. I have now been with Djarts for about six months. I really love being able to convey an emotion just by altering my sound, in Church mainly, although I've done some studio work and backup for musical friends over the years. I also have had the honour of singing with Youth Alive and Planet Shakers for the last 3 years. Currently, my biggest goal is to improve my range, as well as to be able to get more consistency and strength out of my voice.

Jason Maynard: Jason who is 30 something started singing lessons with Djarts because he wanted to improve longevity and durability of his vocals, and hopefully increase upper range and strengthen what top end range he did have. Jason chose Djarts because he was recommended by Shelley Evans (old Djarts Student). When asked what he loves about his singing Jason writes, “I think the one thing I actually like about my voice is that I have a distinct sound/tone (or so I’ve been told), and I think it records really well, and when it is on the money, I am happy with it - is that vain? On the downside, my voice is fickle, and can misbehave at times - mostly mental I’ve come to learn, and I really wish I had another 5 useable frets of top end range...no fun being a baritone trying to sing top 40 tenor stuff...” At the moment Jason does most of his singing in pubs and clubs. You can visit Jason’s myspace at www.myspace.com/jasonmaynardmusic.

Martina Cross: Hi my name is Martina. I'm 20 years of age and have found a passion for singing. I started training with Djarts at the beginning of the year and have already started to hear a great improvement in my voice. I started singing because I love to perform and want to be on the stage involved in musicals. Since I started at Djarts, I have been in a musical 'Narnia' and am now involved in another musical at Brisbane arts theatre. I chose to train with Djarts because of its professionalism, its success with other students and Daniel’s easy going and friendly attitude. I love now that I can have the confidence to go to auditions, be on the stage and sing my heart out. I hope to develop my voice and breathing techniques more to get into professional theatre and maybe even one day be in front of the camera. Keep singing guys! Thanks.

Aerlyn James: My name is Aerlyn James and I’m 22 years young and studying BA Applied Theatre at Griffith University. I started singing lessons to improve the quality and strength of my voice after seeing a speech pathologist. She referred me to DJarts to continue my vocal training. I have been receiving lessons with Daniel since July this year and I have already seen a marked improvement. I do most of my singing in the shows and choir at Ignatians Musical Society. My immediate goals are to get rid of the breathiness in my singing voice to produce a strong clear sound.

Aerlyn James

This is Phil Lassig at our Showcase (left) in early in November 06—Phil enthralled the audience with a beautiful rendition of Josh Groban’s ’Broken Vow’; Phil has been one of those clients who we have watched go from strength to strength with his voice. Phil started with us more than two and a half years ago, initially to improve his voice as a worship leader; he achieved that and has since been working with progressively more difficult repertoire towards further vocal goals, as Phil says he would like to ‘use voice in some performance environment’, such as duo work of some kind. Phil is a testament to getting ‘more than you bargain for’ from voice lessons, sometimes clients find a capacity in their voice they didn’t realise before. We wish Phil all the best with his vocal pursuits.

Phil Lassig

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Matty Bateson: Hi! I am aged 30 (and I believe that 1977 was a very good vintage, (ha) I am currently managing & performing as a guitarist and backing vocalist in a Cover Band called Punchline working 3 - 5 nights per week. Last year I developed nodules which really effected my singing. I did some speech therapy with Patricia Baldock who was very good and she also recommended I get singing lessons from Daniel who I was told is the best. And rightly so. I have been receiving singing lessons fortnightly since January and also had a couple late last year. I am certainly improving a great deal but am aware I have a long way to go. Still the results so far are very motivating. My range is so much better already. I love singing anything melodic and hope eventually I'll be able to do the occasional solo gig. My short term goals are mainly to improve the way I sing so I never develop nodules again and to keep improving my range and tone. You can check out more details on www.punchline.net.au and www.myspace.com/punchlineband.

Matty Bateson

Jason Maynard

Hi, I’m Kristie. I’m 34 years young and have been having lessons with Clancy fortnightly since February. I have always enjoyed singing and thought it was about time I looked into improving the quality of my voice, building my repertoire and I guess even build my confidence. I researched teachers and schools on the internet and found Djarts; they sounded professional, were not too far from where I live and offered competitive pricing. I really wanted a contemporary voice school so my choice of music was not limited and I really like the studio; access to many backing tracks and also having the ability to practice with PA facilities. Music makes me feel great (especially when I do it well) and is a way I can express myself, I like to sing everywhere – at my lessons, in the car, in the shower, mostly I guess in a room at home that I have set up as a music room. My short term goals are to increase my range and the quality of my tone/dynamics and to gain confidence when singing in front of an audience. I just really enjoy music and would love to find people to jam with also. Long term, who knows.

Kristie Weaver

Everyone Can Sing

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Contemporary Singing Lessons

'I’m Anna Parton and I’m 21 yrs old. I started lessons with Daniel this year and haven’t looked back! I attended a workshop of Daniel’s a few years back, and ever since have been hanging out to get lessons! So finally I decided to take the plunge and its so worth it! I love how music encourages people to express themselves and bring others joy and inspiration.

I’m involved in a group with my older brothers and sister… music with an acoustic feel and a bit of a Capella. We sing at various functions and Christian concerts. I help out leading the worship at my church, I play guitar and love writing songs. I hope to record an original CD one day. With djarts I can’t wait to gain more vocal strength, quality, uniqueness and a broader range. I love Daniel’s humour, quality, honesty & encouragement in keeping on bettering myself. I thought my voice was forever small, but I am gaining more volume and quality than I never imagined was within me! ‘Woohoo for djarts!' :) View Anna’s Music MySpace here.

Anna Parton

ABN: 20 194 810 709

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Emma-Kate Knezevic: I have been singing with Daniel for the past two terms after a referral from another singing teacher. I feel very comfortable and supported at Djarts. I have had quite a few singing teachers in the past and was relieved to gel with Daniel instantly.

It had been years since I had sung properly having studied music previously and enjoyed performing lots when I was younger. (I am currently 26) My main focus was just to reestablish a connection to my voice…a longing I just couldn’t let go of! I also wanted to expand my repertoire. Since singing with Daniel I would now really like to get my act together...pardon the pun! I am setting a goal to start gigging by mid 2009. How exciting!

Emma-Kate Knezevic

Rachael Sheffield: At the tender age of 33, I'm currently taking singing lessons to gain more confidence vocally; to enhance my volume and delivery; to understand the best way to take care of my voice and to improve microphone techniques. I was recommended Djarts by a classical singing teacher whom I contacted initially for singing lessons and she thought Djarts would be better able to meet my needs. I have been impressed with the quality of teaching - practical tips that work with solid theory underpinning it. I love singing! I find it very therapeutic - a great release - fun - and have found that it is a very important part of who I am. I'm currently in an original pop/folk outfit called "Ragu". My husband and I write the songs for the band. We have performed in many Brisbane bars/pubs and have recently completed a tour of Melbourne and Sydney. You can listen to some of our tunes at www.myspace.com/raguband.

Rachael Sheffield

Martin Gibbons: As of last Saturday I'm 35 years old. I heard about Djarts from speech therapist Patricia Baldock. I know she is well respected and she spoke highly of Daniel and the way he works. I've been having lessons at Djarts for one term and I'm really enjoying it. It's hard to say what I love about singing but its something I think I'll always do. I run a website (www.behindthenotes.com) where we interview great musicians about how they do their thing. I find the whole process a fascinating and rewarding journey.

I play guitar as well as singing and I perform at a range of venues around Brisbane. My immediate goals with singing are to improve my versatility and the quality of my tone. The better it feels and sounds to me, the more positive I feel within the performance and I think that really comes across to people.

Martin Gibbons

It’s great to hear what past students are doing...here’s a recent email from a proud mum…

“Back in 2004 our family had the pleasure of spending a year in Brisbane while my husband did a teaching exchange. For part of that year my daughter Amber had singing lessons with you (Daniel). Because of your ability to keep her interest in music she checked out post secondary options & applied to study music at one of our local universities that had just started a jazz studies program. (She was actually accepted into 2 programs & had to choose which area to focus on. Her options were classical piano or vocal jazz. She went the vocal route). Amber pursued vocal studies, worked on her piano chops & trained as a percussionist as well. She graduated this past June as the University Gold Medalist (highest award they give out). She has a busy performance schedule as well as teaching privately. She has a great love of Latino music & plans to study in Cuba starting in January. If curious here are a couple links of the music she has been recorded doing. http://www.cbc.ca/radio2/cod/concerts/20090117mambo See track 3, 8 & 11 for music that highlights Amber. (#8 Sabor a Mi is my favourite). http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KyFtkx6x_O4 (below) for a Brazilian sound and a few sound bites at http://ca.myspace.com/ambereppjazz & more if you type in Amber Epp in a youtube search.”

Amber Epp

Nikki deBruyn: At the age of 34, I decided that I had hit a glass ceiling with my vocal technique. I realised it had been a while since I’d had lessons and felt I had probably fallen into some “survival” habits that needed ironing out. I also knew that I needed a ‘technician” to help me identify them and create better habits. I had heard that Daniel Kay was a brilliant coach and technician, and upon researching the website was excited to know that djarts engage Adult Learning theories (with Jodie’s help!) to engage the student and help them to learn to their fullest potential. I have been with djarts over a year now and have seen so much improvement in the way I prepare and perform. I’m really blessed to be able to sing at my local church regularly and I love encouraging other vocalists to reach their potential. I have just commenced the “Student Teacher” course that is now offered and am enjoying it thoroughly (even the assignments!) I am learning many skills to help me become a Vocal teacher and am constantly challenged to be a better vocalist myself. The best part about singing is that your instrument is always with you! As a mum of young children, I love that I can develop my children’s gift of singing and show them how it can uplift their spirits anytime because they always have their voice with them! We have lots of fun with singing and they enjoy it just as much as I do!

Nikki deBruyn

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At the age of 28 I decided it was time to hone my vocal craft the best I could, but I had never taken vocal lessons before. Nick Hatch, The drummer in my band (Benjamin Hooper Trio), is a colleague of Daniel Kay and he highly recommended I try lessons at Djarts! It’s the best decision I ever made! I currently do most of my singing at live music venues and bars, I also spend a lot of time singing gospel/praise songs at St Andrews Anglican Church evening service (also known as Goodwill Christian Fellowship). I want to be able to sing with a clear, articulate tone as well as develop a greater vocal range and sense of phrasing. Ideally this will help me connect better with my audience!

I have recently returned from New York City, NY where I performed at the Redeemer Church InterArts showcase. It was a great time of listening to many talented artists from NYC. I have just released a new album called “Free Your Mind”. To listen to this and find out about all other things Benjamin Hooper go to www.benjaminhooper.com.au or Ben’s Myspace. You can also download Ben’s music on iTunes.

Ben Hooper