Vocal Coach • Voice Artist • Director
Accomplished, inspired and passionate – I have spent three decades working in various creative mediums including voice over, live theatre & event performance, vocal coaching, singing & performance development, musical direction, and directing. Tirelessly driven to examine story, I am fascinated by human dynamics and the complicated scope, authenticity and purpose every story, regardless of medium, aims to tell. I am an ambitious and curious, life-long learner and am dedicated to all my creative endeavours.
Vocal Coach
“The voice is the muscle of the soul” – Roy Hart
I have a deep respect and love for many styles of music. As a Voice Artist with decades of performance experience under my belt, and former School of Performing Arts instructor and faculty member at Capilano University, I work within and have a strong practical and pedagogical understanding and approach to a variety of musical and vocal styles, including Musical Theatre, Jazz, Rock/Pop, Folk, Operetta and World music.
Whether coaching someone for a singing audition, an MP3 voice over submission, a live or recorded session, I believe in a tailored and personalized approach as each person and voiceprint is unique. I have coached hundreds of dancers, singers, voice actors and triple-threat talent of all ages and levels and have developed a technically mindful approach rooted in the foundations of breath/body/sound, and how ‘singing as a feeling’ is connected to authenticity of sound and emotional openness.
My current and former roster of students enjoy busy careers as working professionals in Rock/Pop and Country music, Musical Theatre, Acting for Film/TV, Theatre, Composition, Voice Over, cruise ship performance work and more. They are spread out all over the globe in New York, LA, Toronto, Montreal, Paris and right here at home in Vancouver, BC.
I offer coaching sessions out of my home studio in East Vancouver, BC. Zoom sessions can also be made available. Contact me to set up a lesson!
“Sylvia's hard working approach made me so comfortable, because I felt like I was garnering the skills to accomplish anything! Her skills as a vocal coach and pianist are top notch. She gave me the confidence and flare, and knew how to work with me to get the best performance out of me! I felt ready for anything! I highly recommend Sylvia. She rocks!”
- France Perras, Actor/Voice Actor
“Since seeing her, my vocal range has broadened and my vocal stamina has strengthened. Sylvia teaches excellent, healthy technique and encourages her students to bring out their best vocal work, fine-tuning the voice. She is great for audition coaching, offering helpful acting advice, digging into the mindset and history of the character. "I continue to see her because she gets results.”
- Michelle Bardach, Singer/Actor
Voice Artist
My background in and love of theatrical acting, improvising and music naturally lead me to the vivaciously spirited and diverse world of voice over. My voice over career started in the late 90’s booking various roles in Anime cartoons, including: Matilta Arjan (Mobile Suit Gundam), Major Mary (Galaxy Angel), Kudachi Kuno (Ranma ½), Sora (Vision of Escaflowne) and the Water Goddess in Inuyasha. Since then my roster of characters has proliferated to include memorable performances as ‘Ocean Breeze’ in Being Ian, ‘Dr. Ratfinger’ in Geronimo Stilton, ‘Cherry Jubilee’ in My Little Pony as well as a veritable host of other wacky and wonderful characters!
“Sylvia is a tremendous voice talent. She can play a wide range of characters and takes direction like a champion.”
- Max Bard, Pray Inc.
“She is effortless to direct and the text just seems to sing; she is always my first choice!”
- Shel Piercy, Infinity Films
Demos:
Animation
Corporate
Audiobook
Soundbites - AI + TTS
Director
My wide-ranging experience as a voice artist and theatre performer has allowed me to shift smoothly into directing for live theatre. In 2016, I embarked on a theatre directing intensive with Karen Kohlhaas of The Atlantic Theatre School in NYC, in an effort to learn more about the practical application and process of directing live theatre. Some shows I’ve directed include: 7 Stories (Morris Panych), It’s A Wonderful Life: A Live Radio Play (Joe Landry) and 9 to 5: The Musical (Dolly Parton/ Patricia Resnick). I am fascinated by the complex nature of human relationship dynamics and how these are navigated and play out through script and song.
“It is always a pleasure to have Sylvia directing the loop group in our studio. No matter the needs of the production, she always comes prepared with well-suited talent, organized and efficient notes, and an infectious smile. Her direction ensures every scene we record hits the precise notes of energy and mood needed. There’s no one we’d recommend more highly!”
- DBC Sound Inc.
My Clients
