SING It - Voice & Performance Lessons

☂️✨ Practically Perfect in Every Way is coming to Brantford! ✨☂️

We are so excited to invite you to a magical night of music, laughter, and a little bit of Mary Poppins charm!

The Grand River Community Health Centre, together with Brantford Cabaret, proudly presents:

🎭 Practically Perfect in Every Way – A Salute to Mary Poppins

📅 Thursday, June 4
🕖 Showtime: 7:00 PM (Doors open at 6:20 PM)
📍 Sydenham United Church (downstairs theatre)

🎟️ FREE admission
🪑 First come, first served seating
👨‍👩‍👧‍👦 All ages welcome

Directed by Joan Minnery and Brad Kidder, this heartwarming show is packed with beloved songs, wonderful performers, and that unmistakable Mary Poppins magic we all adore.

So grab a friend (or the whole family!) and come spend the evening with us—you just might leave humming all the way home. 🎶

💫 We can’t wait to see you there!

To our wonderful SiNG iT families, students, and community,

We are so proud and deeply honoured to share that SiNG iT Vocal Music Lessons, under the umbrella of Joan Minnery Enterprises, has been awarded PLATINUM for Best Youth Music Lessons in Community Votes Brantford. 🏆✨

This recognition means a great deal—because it reflects not just this year, but years of trust, growth, music, and connection shared together.

Over the years, we have been fortunate to place Gold, Platinum, and Top honours multiple times in both Community Votes Brantford and the Reader’s Choice Awards. Every single one has felt meaningful—but this one carries a special weight, because of how far the journey has come.

My path into music teaching didn’t begin in a planned way—it began in 2001.

I was sitting at the Ontario Conservatory of Music, waiting during my son’s guitar lesson, when I overheard that the vocal music teacher had just resigned. The studio was in a bit of disarray, and I remember the receptionist, Diane, sharing how unsettled things had become.

I went home that day, put together a resume, and I believe I dropped it off almost immediately. The very next day, I was called in—and hired on the spot.

I trained directly with the outgoing instructor, Jamie, who was deeply loved in this community and still is to this day. Stepping into that role was not easy. The trust was already built, the relationships already formed, and I had to begin from the ground up.

But I had one thing: I have sung my entire life, and music has always lived naturally in me.

The early days were tender. I still remember little girls coming into my studio in tears, unsure, hesitant, holding tightly to what they knew. Within a few weeks, those same students were running into the room smiling, laughing, and hugging me at the door. Many of those students are still part of my life today—weddings, bridal showers, baby showers, messages, memories, and ongoing friendship.

From that beginning, Starr Sensations was born—first as a choir, and then as my own independent vocal music studio, Starr Sensations (with two R’s), established here in Brantford. During COVID, we rebranded to something simpler and more streamlined, and SiNG iT became our new name.

But truthfully, many still know me and my students as “Starr Sensations,” and that legacy will always remain part of our story.

Over the years, I have had the privilege of teaching hundreds upon hundreds of vocal students, and seeing them grow, perform, compete, and shine has been one of the greatest joys of my life. The number of awards earned by students at festivals and competitions is far too many to list—but each one represents dedication, courage, and hard work.

I’ve also been fortunate to create and direct performances and community showcases where my students are always featured centre stage. That has never changed. It is something I have always believed in—and always will.

While my student roster is smaller now, by design, I am entering a gentler season of my teaching life. I am not retiring anytime soon, but I am consciously slowing down and focusing on what matters most: meaningful teaching, meaningful connection, and meaningful performance.

Even so, SiNG iT continues to be deeply active in community performances and events—and that will always remain part of who we are.

I know my methods are not always traditional. I have always done things a little differently, and I suppose I’ve never minded being considered a bit unconventional. But what matters most to me is simple:

my students grow, they gain confidence, and they love music.

That is enough.

To my students—past and present—thank you.
To the parents and families who continue to trust me with your children’s voices, hearts, and confidence—thank you.
To everyone who voted and supported us—you have no idea how much that means.

I don’t believe I am the “best” at anything.
But I do believe I have made a difference.

And that difference is reflected in every student who still messages me years later, every connection that continues, and every voice that once sat in my studio and found its confidence.

This award is not just mine.
It belongs to all of you.

With heartfelt gratitude,
Joan
Joan Minnery Enterprises / SiNG iT Vocal Music Lessons 🎶✨