Music

Hi, my name is Jackie and I am from Miami, Florida.  I was born in Brazil and my family moved to the U.S. when I was young. I was actively involved in my church and school choirs from an early age, and it was clear that music was my passion.  In high school I became the student conductor of our prestigious Camelot Choir for mixed voices, conducting a variety of styles and participating in music festivals in the state of Florida.

I completed my high school diploma and started intensive Musical Theatre training at New World School of the Arts.  The highlight of my two years there was being the assistant conductor for the main stage production of Steven Sondheim’s Company.  I then transferred to the Florida International University, where I received my Bachelors of Arts in Music Vocal Performance.

Since then I have performed in many opera productions, including Purcell’s Dido and Aeneas, Norma by Vincenzo Bellini and Cricketina, a new children’s opera by Kristine Burns.  In 2003 I sang with Seraphic Fire, Miami’s first professional vocal ensemble, performing in various venues around South Florida. I have helped prepare musical numbers and conducted church choirs in various religious festivities throughout the years.  In 2005 I moved to Florence, Italy, where I continued to develop my musical abilities with world-renowned children’s choir director Joan Yakkey.  I sang with her professional vocal ensemble Tempus Floridum for five years, performing concerts throughout Tuscany and Europe.

I am very happy to start this new chapter in my life here in Phuket and am delighted to be a part of HeadStart’s Arts and Music Department and I hope to bring something new and exciting to the school.  I also hope that my students will enjoy our music lessons and that their talents and creativity can flow freely in and out of our music room.