A Little About Me

Hey, I’m Alicia May

Singing teacher, gigging musician, DJ, music producer and session singer.

I never set out to be a teacher. I honestly thought that at the end of my Music/Law degree I would put all this ‘music stuff’ to bed and become a lawyer.

How wrong I was.

Halfway through my degree, a job in a small music school landed in my lap.

The current teacher at Tom’s Music School in Kyogal was moving away. She desperately needed a replacement. I desperately wanted to stop working at Subway to support myself while I studied. It was a match made in heaven.

In that school I found a lifelong calling. A deeply fulfilling career that I’m still grateful to wake up and explore every day. I eventually dropped studying law and completed a music degree majoring in vocal studies - fully embracing my love of teaching and my desire to pursue a life of music.

After graduating, I left the Northern Rivers region and moved to Sydney, teaching at Allens’s Music (now Manny’s in Alexandria) and the International School of Music in Leichhardt.

For the next few years I wore a lot of hats: private vocal coach, choir teacher, early childhood music teacher, gigging muso, eventually gaining the skills and confidence I needed to start my own music school, Next Level Vocals, in 2015.

Workshops

Running workshops began as a cheeky way to get free tickets to expensive festivals across Australia. But I see now what a wonderful, distinct medium it is for learning. I’ve felt and seen first hand the mental health benefits of group singing. The way it brings a group of individuals together, creating a sense of community and connectedness. It’s awesome.

Since getting the workshop bug, I’ve presented at music and arts festivals across Australia including Dragon Dreaming and Burning Seed.

I also have an ongoing relationship with the Inner West Council of Sydney, which allows me to give free workshops in libraries all over the city. The council has given me freedom to present on the topics close to my heart, which has allowed me to give free workshops to youth, queer, trans and non-binary singers.

Session Singing:

I’ve been a professional session singer for 7 years. It’s a fun, fast paced job that keeps my singing skills sharp. My voice has been used to sell everything from cars to tampons. I even provided backing vocals for an Australian entry into Eurovision a few years back! There’s never a dull day when you’re a session singer.

Original Music and Pursuits:

When I was younger, I was all about the singer-songwriter life - lugging my telecaster and huge fender amp to venues across Australia. In my mid twenties, I got really into electronic music - writing, recording and producing tunes on laptops, as well as featuring as a vocalist on other producer’s tracks.

These days, I write mostly dark, heavy electronic music. It sometimes surprises people because I’m so hardwired for optimism. But I think they’re related. I think feeding my angsty-inner-child through music provides an awesome, healthy outlet and this makes me happier as a result.

Curious about my original music? Click here for a taste

And the rest:

I’ve recently fallen love with DJing. (As a live musician who used to think DJs were the enemy of my local music scene, this new love affair has come as a huge surprise.)

It’s become a pretty huge part of my life and these days, I’m spinning bass heavy tunes at clubs, festivals and parties most weekends.

Outside of music, I’m super into Tabletop Roleplaying Games and will happily talk for hours with someone about their adventures playing Dungeons and Dragons.