Today we’d like to introduce you to Alexandra Colaizzi.
Hi Alexandra, so excited to have you on the platform. So before we get into questions about your work-life, maybe you can bring our readers up to speed on your story and how you got to where you are today?
I feel really grateful and proud to say I am a born and raised South Floridian. I grew up around so much music, from all over the world. Both of my parents are musicians – my mom plays piano and guitar and dabbles in every other instrument you can think of (I grew up in a house with a harp, an antique pump organ, and she bought me a new instrument every Christmas), and my dad is a rock and roll drummer and a trained classical percussionist. They really pushed me to pursue music however I wanted, and I am so grateful for both of them.
I grew up singing and playing piano. I attended local theater summer programs at the Hollywood Art and Cultural Center for years, and I always found a way to make music a big part of my life.
I was a member of the Girl Choir of South Florida, a local community choir, from age 12-18. They taught me about choral singing, how to read vocal music, and how to make friends. Wallis Peterson and the entire Girl Choir of South Florida team really started my passion for choral singing and helped me cultivate the career I have today.
I attended University of Miami for undergrad and earned my Bachelor’s in Music Education. I felt called to teaching at a young age, and it is truly the core of everything I do.
I moved to Tennessee for my Maser’s degree at the University of Memphis, and moved back to South Florida during the pandemic in 2020. I also started my Doctoral study at the same time. Earning a doctorate during a global pandemic was definitely not on my bingo card, but it was one of the hardest and most rewarding decisions of my life.
My career now centers around teaching, singing, and administration. I taught for five years as an Adjunct Professor at Miami Dade College Kendall Campus teaching private classical voice lessons to many students over the years. I was fortunate to spend two years hired at University of Miami as a Lecturer in the voice department as well, teaching classes to undergraduate and graduate students as well as private lessons. I sing around the country with professional choral ensembles, am a core member and serve on the Education Outreach staff of Seraphic Fire (South Florida’s GRAMMY-nominated choral ensemble), and visit universities across the country as Artist in Residence, teaching students about the varied life of an artist and academic.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
There have definitely been speed bumps across my journey. The one that comes immediately to mind is the COVID pandemic, which severely affected the arts and education worlds. Singing was noted as a “super spreader” event, causing virtually all vocal ensembles to drastically pivot to virtual and masked models. Concerts were canceled, contracts were invalidated, and my entire community was basically put on pause as the world learned how to live with and battle the virus. Seeing the organizations I loved most struggle was hard for all of us. Out of this darkness came light: the world relied on the artists to get us through the pandemic, and many were able to come out on the other side stronger and more resilient than before. As for myself, I spent 2020-2023 in school earning my doctorate, and can say with utmost certainty that studying for a terminal degree during a global pandemic taught me life lessons that will stay with me forever.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
I am a teacher of voice, a freelance mezzo-soprano, and a fierce advocate in making quality vocal and musical education accessible for all. I am proud of the work I do with my students as they move through their degree requirements. In music school, a student’s applied lesson teacher is often the one teacher they have every year throughout their academic careers. I see my students grow as musicians and as people, and it is the greatest reward of my life. I am particularly proud of the work I do with the Seraphic Fire Youth Initiative, in which we supply Title 1 elementary schools with free music workshops, performance opportunities, and concert attendance. I feel I make the most difference when I am helping to bring music to the lives of those who need it most.
Can you talk to us a bit about the role of luck?
I feel very lucky, but I think this business requires a variety of skills that mask themselves as luck. In the arts, many opportunities arise based off of who you know. These connections are fostered by showing up prepared, being an excellent colleague, and always allowing space for learning rather than showing off. My performing career has been based in small part on auditions and skill, and largely based on fellow artists recommending me based on my skills and collegiality.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.alexandracolaizzi.com/
- Instagram: @acmezzo
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/alexandracolaizzimusic
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alexandracolaizzi/
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@acmezzo
