About - Sonya Visser

About Sonya Visser

Qualifications

Sonya Visser has been a music educator, composer, adjudicator and music performer for over 35-years, and has been a music examiner for over 20 years.

She holds a Master of Music Studies degree, majoring in piano pedagogy from the Queensland Conservatorium of Music, Griffith University. Sonya also holds a licentiate diploma in piano performance from the Trinity College of London, a licentiate diploma in piano performance from the Australian Guild of Music Education as well as an AMusA in piano performance from the Australian Music Examinations Board.

Career & Awards

Sonya spends the majority of her teaching time between her home teaching studio in North Lakes Queensland and St Pauls School in Bald Hills, where she has enjoyed teaching for over 20 years. She has a proven track record in the preparation of students for examinations from beginner to advanced diploma level, both in traditional classical and contemporary genres. She prides herself in 100 % pass rates with the majority of candidates receiving honours or high distinction results. Sonya has also successfully prepared a number of students over the years for university auditions, eisteddfodau and piano competitions

Some of her students have even been successful in winning awards in prestigious competitions such as:

Yamaha Youth Piano Competition
Queensland Piano Competition,
Keys National Piano Competition
The Petrof National Piano Competition
The Qld Youth Music Awards Solo sections

The AGMED awarded her a music teachers award for excellence in 2015 and 2016. Sonya also has a piano course publication to her credit entitled Time Travellers.

Sonya herself was an award-winning student, which led to being offered a position with Yamaha Music Australian, as a keyboard clinician in Victoria, South Australia and Tasmania. Sonya was also employed as an artist for Petrof Pianos at the Australian Music Industry Trade fair (AMAC) on the Gold coast. More recently, Sonya performed the Rhapsody in Blue, as Guest artist at the Victorian State Gala of the Yamaha Festival held at Melbourne City Hall.

Student Honours

Benefits of learning the piano

The piano is a wonderful instrument to learn. It enriches your life with culture, musical diversity and creativity, as well as promotes a range of mental and physical health benefits.

Neuroplasticity

Learning piano and other musical instruments have been shown to drive brain plasticity. Neuroplasticity is the ability of your brain to form and reorganise synaptic connections. Playing music at a young age can make positive structural changes in the brain that stays with you for the rest of your life.

Stress relief

Studies have shown that playing the piano can reduce stress more than other creative art activities. The studies showed that cortisol, the primary stress hormone, decreased significantly after playing the piano in comparison to activities like sculpture, painting, and even other musical instruments.

Split concentration

Split concentration, also known as divided attention, is integral to play the piano successfully. This helps sharpen concentration skills, which can aid in the ability to multitask more effectively in other areas of your life.

Improved school performance and test scores

Students who take piano lessons have been shown to have better general and spatial cognitive development. One study suggests that children who study piano for more than two years can remember 20% more vocabulary words than their peers.

Playing the piano will also enrich your life with musical culture and history while providing you with valuable discipline skills and a real sense of accomplishment.

Performance Opportunities

Sonya Visser offers numerous optional performance opportunities for all ages and abilities. These include:

Piano Lessons For Learners of All Levels

Sonya Visser is an enthusiastic teacher with experience, enabling her to customise her piano lessons to the individual technical ability, ages and musical tastes of every student in a fun, friendly environment.

Beginner piano lessons

In Sonya’s beginner piano lessons, she covers concepts such as:

Piano Keyboard Geography
Piano note reading or sight-reading
Posture
Development of performance skills and numerous performance opportunities
Ensemble playing/group performance
Different Styles of piano repertoire
Encouragement of music creativity
Music Theory

Intermediate and advanced piano

Sonya is passionate about staying up to date with the new pedagogical methods and ideas. This, combined with her enthusiasm and experience, enables her to cater to the individual students technical abilities, goals and tastes in music, customising the lesson plans.

In Sonya’s intermediate to advanced level classes, she caters to the individual, covering elements such as:

Numerous performance opportunities
Development of performance skills and on-stage etiquette
Development of finger technique and advanced keyboard skills
Encouragement in learning a broad range of piano styles, both Classical and Contemporary
Aural Work
Sight Reading
Music Theory
On request; creative skills such as arranging, composition and improvisation

Sonya Visser’s passion for all genres of music and teaching is infectious and is passed on to many of her students. This passion, combined with her extensive knowledge and experience as a music educator, is evident in her proven track record of student successes, which is a testimonial to her teaching abilities.

Sonya provides numerous performance opportunities, which assist in self-confidence, improved performance skills, as well as assisting in exam preparation.

For all enquiries, contact Sonya today

You can also contact Sonya directly via the contact page.