AT MULTIPLAY MUSIC CENTRE
OUR TEACHERS
Jodie-Joy
PROGRAM DIRECTOR & VOCAL COACH
With over a decade of experience in the entertainment industry Jodie-Joy is a singer, songwriter and teacher with a powerful Soprano voice and impressive vocal range. Jodie commenced her formal training in music and classical vocals studying with Donald Sydney Smith O.B.E, privately at the Queensland Conservatorium of Music. She undertook further musical and contemporary vocal studies with recognized teachers, Timothy Collins (Sydney McDonald College) and Lee Mc Crae training in the internationally recognized ‘Seth Riggs’ style of singing.
Jodie –Joy has eleven years of formal dance training from jazz to ballet and has also trained in acting through various workshops and live performance, which underpins Jodie’s rhythm, style and presence on stage as a teacher and performer. Add to this traditional training, years of contemporary practice and experience, and the result is Jodie’s confident and dynamic vocal teachings, which impacts and gets results. As a third generation singer (renowned operatic tenors father Robin Smith and grandfather Donald Smith OBE), Jodie has grown to fulfill her passion, her ambition….. her destiny.
As a business woman and performer Jodie’s background is broad and accomplished and includes being the A & R (Artist & Repertoire) Manager for independent record label and music publishing company Multiplay Music, AusWrite and Excalibur Productions. Event Entertainment producer on large scale events such as AusWrite, Earthhour, Gold Coast City & Redcliffe council events, corporate functions for over a decade. Her performance work has brought her, numerous radio, television, musical theatre roles and performance director of various festivals, opera concerts and cabaret stage productions. Well known for her regular television appearances on Channel 10 Good News week with the all-girl group ‘Poptarts’, with whom she appeared as the opening act at the Australian Logie Awards. During this time she collaborated with Paul McDermott (Good News week host), Paul Mac (Eleven/Emi) and Phil Burton of Human Nature (Sony). She has created expressive and powerful music, working with some of Australia’s most popular and notable artists and songwriters including Daniel Jones and Hayden Bell (Savage Garden), Thomas Who (Shannon Noll), Audius (Delta Goodrem), Dead Mono (Ronan Keating).
Jodie released her Debut album through Columbia Records and worked alongside many high profile acts and has toured as a entertainer and songwriter worldwide. Jodie has continues to pursue her love of music, and shares it by teaching others, which has placed her in demand as voice coach at Australia’s Wonderland (ages 18 and up), for young talent at the (A.C.E) Australian College of Entertainment in Sydney (ages 5 and up), Bright stars Academy teaching ages 6 – 16 and now programe director/founder at Multiplay Music Centre, specialising in artist development, voice and performance coaching (all ages). Jodie is a sought-after teacher and performer within the music industry, combining an engaging personality and encouraging spirit with her knowledge of voice mechanics and classical/pop styling. Her approach is to help vocalists free themselves mechanically and vocally to discover more passion, power, emotion and flexibility in their vocal expressions. With a professional approach and versatile musical, songwriting and artist recording talents, Jodie-Joy’s abilities enable her to perform and teach and train her teachers across a variety of mediums. Jodie’s invaluable experience as a entertainer, teacher, songwriter and show producer, adds for a very successful link for the business.
Taylor
VOCAL COACH, DRAMA, BRASS & PIANO TEACHER
Taylor is a passionate Multiplay vocal, piano, brass instrument teacher, Musical Director, Acting/Drama teacher, Trombonist and stage performer and completed her Bachelor of Arts, for music and drama at the Queensland University.
A passionate singing, beginner piano and drama teacher with a friendly, open and engaging style. Her enthusiastic flair is contagious and her added skills as musical director compliment her theoretical skills whilst students are under her careful eye.
Taylor’s talent and experience has been commended early on at John Paul College where she was awarded a performing arts scholarship, captain of wind orchestra and college musical, as well as receiving numerous academic honours and Deans Commendation award at University of Queensland. She has also completed a Certificate of continuing education in Musical theatre from the Griffith University Conservatorium of Music.
As a musical director she has worked for many local theatre companies. Combined with also being a voice / instrument teacher she has honed her craft in teaching harmonies, pitch, rhythm, incorporating acting techniques and characters within songs, vocal performance coaching and technique, ensemble singing, managing and conducting orchestras and bands.
​
Her more recent productions as MD include Addams Family - Gold Coast Little theatre, Avenue Q - Brisbane Arts Theatre, A little Princess - Beenleigh Theatre, Blood Brothers - Javeenbah, Ladies in black - Brisbane Arts Theatre and Heathers ADMT
Upon joining Multiplay, Taylor is also Assistant Drama teacher to both the senior and intermediate students at Spotlight Theatre Company. Previously she has tutored at Trinity Lutheran College and Belcanto Music camps.
Taylor is a teacher whose excellent communication and listening leaves her students feeling comfortable instantly and her enthusiastic caring approach, along with her extensive skills set makes for a great teacher for you. Whether you are wanting to sing for first time or an experienced professional, Taylor is your pick.
Zachary
VOCAL COACH, DRAMA, BRASS & PIANO TEACHER
​
As a musician, Zachary has always valued the sense of emotion or narrative that provides a piece of music with meaning. He thrives on the unique story or emotional reaction that provides both the audience and performer with a sense of interest and entertainment that is almost impossible to recreate exactly the same way twice. It is this exciting sense of storytelling and entertainment that he consistently incorporates into all his musical endeavours of performing, teaching, and conducting.
Having nurtured his passion for music from a young age, Zachary has grown into a well-rounded musician who relishes any opportunity to make beautiful music, be it alone or with others. He completed his Bachelor Music (Hons) degree at the University of Queensland, graduating with an Extended Major in Music Performance and First-Class Honours.
Zachary proved that he is an incredibly emotive classical vocalist in some of his most notable performances as member of UQ’s choirs and Soloists Groups, as
Aeneas in Dido and Aeneas, as Judas in Bach’s St Mathews Passion, and as the Bass Soloist in Greats of the Baroque: Charpentier and Bach. He also consistently looks to improve his versatility as a performer by participating in various Musicals and Theatre projects across Brisbane.
​
He further shares his passion for storytelling through choral music as the proud conductor of the Sound wave Community Choir, and as a member of various vocal groups such as the St John’s Cathedral Choir. As a vocal coach, Zachary has always been enthusiastic about helping students of all ages and experience levels across Brisbane hone their vocal technique and musicality. He hopes to pass on his passion for storytelling and vocal music to all his students at Multiplay Music Centre, and help them achieve greatness in their musical endeavours.
Victor
GUITAR TEACHER
Victor is a guitarist hailing from Melbourne, graduated in Bachelor of Business Administration, Major in Music Business, Minor in Music, Belmont University Nashville TN.
Victor's experience is as diverse as his musical tastes, Victor has performed in various bands and recorded albums with stream of artists like teaching at other respected well known music education establishments throughout Queensland and interstate.
​
Victor continues to play as a soloist and in corporate bands throughout south east Queensland like radiosouls.com Victor offers his students a wonderful grounding in jazz and contemporary guitar technique, as well as down to earth comfortable teaching environment.
Enquire today and come play with a pro!
Robin Donald Smith
OPERATIC COACH
Opportunity of a lifetime to learn from esteemed operatic professional. Robin has not only performed all over the world but with some of the biggest names in the opera world! With a long list of credits and over 30 professional years singing and teaching classical music – Robin is a dream come true teacher for all aspiring singers.
For over 25 years he sung as leading tenor roles throughout Britain, the Continent and his own country Australia. During this period he worked overseas as a principal tenor with the Sadler's Wells Opera Company, The English National Opera and the Welsh National Opera, performing throughout England Scotland and Wales.
He also performed opera on the Continent in Germany, Belgium, Holland and Greece. Many of his major tenor roles repertoire encompassed a wide range of operatic composers including Verdi, Puccini, Wagner, Massenet, Donizetti and Mozart. Some of his roles included Rodolpho from La Boheme, Pinkerton from Madam Butterfly, The Duke from Rigoletto, Des Grieux from Manon, Nemorino, E'Lisir D'Amore, the Steersman and Eric from The Flying Dutchman to name a few.
During this period Robin established himself with an operatic repertoire of over fifty leading principal tenor roles. Robin Donald returned to Australia in 1974 for the opening of the Sydney Opera House and remained a principal tenor with The Australian Opera for over ten years.
Throughout his time as a well known professional tenor Robin has been teaching students and is highly regarded for his legacy of experience and has developed over the years his own strategy for bringing out the best in every student no matter what stage in their career they may be at. All Multiplay teachers follow a set programme which offers every student the opportunity to progress and gain valuable learnings from each teacher individually.
Queenie Van de Zandt
MUSICAL THEATRE AUDITION WORKSHOPS
Queenie runs independent audition and performance workshops which have been invaluable to aspiring and professional artists throughout Australia. Queenie is well known for her incredible versatility as a performer having worked extensively in musical theatre, plays, cabaret, on television and film, and as a recording artist, comedienne and writer. She is considered to be one of the country's best musical theatre performers and Australia's leading teacher of audition technique for musical theatre. Queenie has played leading roles in hit musicals such as: Smoke & Mirrors; Oliver!; The Full Monty; Anything Goes; Cabaret; The Boy From Oz; Eureka – The Musical; I Love You, You’re Perfect, Now Change and Hair; along with performing in such classic musicals as Les Misérables and The Threepenny Opera.
Over the past 23 years of her career, she has been fortunate enough to work with some of Broadway and the West End’s greatest directors, musical directors and choreographers, and also some of Australia’s best performers such as Todd McKenney, John Waters, Paul Mecurio, Judi Connelli, Chrissy Amphlett, Georgie Parker, Magda Szubanski, Gina Riley, Michael Veitch and Nancey Hayes and she is a well known and highly regarded artist within the musical theatre industry.
She has held teaching positions in numerous performing arts schools, has been invited to conduct master classes and seminars throughout Australia and has been approached to write musical theatre courses for several leading institutions. She has taught in the music department at NIDA, and has held teaching positions in the music theatre courses at VCA and BAAPA. She teaches both adults and children, professionals and amateurs, and many of the people who have studied with Queenie, have gained entry to acting schools and been cast in musicals. Her workshops have a very high success rate with recently 3 out of the 10 children in the Sydney cast of Mary Poppins and 7 out of a cast of 24 children in the Brisbane season of Annie, having attended her show-specific audition preparation workshops.
She also currently has former adult students in every professional musical in Australia, with 2 of her former students having recently played the lead roles in Rock of Ages and Hairspray! Queenie brings to her work, not only this wealth of experience but also her fine communication skills, her passion for theatre, her warm and positive nature and her wonderful sense of humour.