OPERA singer Tania de Jong has managed to combine her passions for singing and entrepreneurship to develop business interests around music.

De Jong's business mix is the ensemble Pot-Pourri, "the first group to do opera with a touch of musical comedy", and Music Theatre Australia, a one-stop entertainment and event production company representing more than 2000 acts, from classical musicians to stand-up comedians.

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The Joy of Finding Your Voice by Tania de Jong AM, Founder Creativity Australia

Singing is food to the body and soul. Each and every one of us has a voice and we all have the ability to sing. It is part of our DNA. In more primitive cultures singing and harmonising with others is part of life. And children sing with such joy and freedom.

We just need to connect back to our human instrument and be in tune with our bodies, minds and souls. So many of us have been told to be quiet by our parents, friends or children when we sing around the place, in the shower or in the car for the sheer joy of being alive. We carry those messages that have silenced our voices and self expression through our lives, believing that somehow our voice is not good enough to sing. Sometimes that can also constrain our creativity and ability to unlock our full potential as human beings.

When I was fourteen I desperately wanted to have singing lessons and my best friend started sessions. One night after school I went to her place and asked her to teach me one of the songs she had learnt. After a while of learning the tune, I sang it to her as she accompanied me on piano. She told me that I should never bother having singing lessons as I was not good enough! I believed her, but finally in Year 11 I got up the courage to audition for the Chorus of the school musical, “Oklahoma”. I received the lead role and my friend did not make the Chorus! Singing has been the greatest joy, passion and sustenance to me ever since.

It is never too late to start to sing, and singing will bring you greater joy and wellbeing than you thought possible. Start to sing just because, join a choir and share your voice with others, take some lessons… Start today!

Never give up on your dreams to allow your voice to be heard. We all have important messages to share through our voices.

“Sing, Sing a song, Sing out loud, Sing out strong
Sing of good things, not bad
Sing of happy, not sad.
Sing, Sing a song, Make it simple to last your whole life long,
Don’t worry that it’s not good enough,
For anyone else to hear,
Just Sing, Sing a song.” Joe Raposo

JOIN one of our choirs today and find your joy!