SARAH COLLYER - BIOGRAPHY
Sarah Collyer is an accomplished singer and musician who has performed throughout Australia and Malaysia. Holding a Bachelor of music, with honours in Jazz Voice and a Master of Music Studies in Jazz voice and Vocal Pedagogy, Sarah also runs her own voice teaching business, performs regularly with her jazz trio and duo and regularly works as a session vocalist.
Sarah began her music life early, creating and singing her own songs since childhood, singing in choirs and playing saxophone and piano. Beginning her voice training in contemporary voice with Robert Simpson and later Antonia Breen, Sarah then studied classical technique with Margaret Nickson, before moving on to explore Jazz voice with Australia’s jazz diva Katrina Ryan (E Type Jazz). At the Queensland conservatorium, Sarah studied under the expert guidance of Contemporary voice guru Irene Bartlet, jazz and gospel singer Sharny Russell and Classical Voice pedagogue Adele Nisbet.
Over the past ten years, Sarah has performed and recorded with a wide variety of musicians throughout Australia. Sarah was a founding member of North Queensland jazz group “Ulysses Blue” and a coordinator for the festival of the first flag choir, which brought together over fifty choirs from the region. Sarah has also been featured soloist with the popular 1RAR band, held residencies at Melbourne’s Jet Lounge and Idibidi Café and performed throughout Victoria as a member of a cappella group “The Harrison Street Quartet”. With this group Sarah also featured on Melbourne band “Wagons” ’ critically acclaimed album Draw Blood. Also in Melbourne, Sarah recorded an early EP, featuring three Collyer originals, with Jazz Guitarist Craig Fermanis (The band who knew too much), Bassist Rodrigo Aravena and Drummer Rajiv Jayaweera.
In 2005, Sarah’s work as a singer/songwriter was rewarded when she won the Gilhooley’s singer/songwriter competition. Throughout this time Sarah also became a regular on the indie music scene, performing frequently on the acoustic stage at the Indie Temple and also at the Troubadour and Verve Café. Sarah performed on the same bill as Indie pop princess Emma Dean, Blues siren Lana Martino Smith and jazz legend Vince Jones, amongst others, at the 2High festival, the Valley Jazz Festival and Maggie Blacks. During 2006 /2007 Sarah also hosted her own radio show on 4mbs Classic fm.
In 2007 Sarah was delighted to be a finalist in the ABC 612 Jazz Singers competition and also a recipient of an ANATS internship for the 2007 Musical theatre Forum, with Master teacher Dr Scott Harrison. |
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