In 7th grade my daughter researched her own search for a voice teacher. She had her top 3 and Sonia Aviva Voice was one of them. My daughter is extraordinarily sensitive in areas she doesn't excel and she's very very particular about what she wants. Her main concern was that she loved singing and wanted to explore it without judgement so group lessons or a chorus type situation was out of the question. Additionally, she wanted a coach who was focused on helping her improve her range etc in a way that was both interesting, fun, and not all technical or at least didn't feel ALL technical. What she LOVED, LOVES, and still continues to LOVE about Sonia is that she gets something out of EVERY single lesson. She has built up her confidence so much so that when she auditioned for a music scholarship singing a mandatory operatic song that was WAY out of her comfort zone she did it confidently and with ease. Consequently being offered a place in the music program. For me, as a parent, what sets Sonia apart from others is this, prepping for auditions is nerve wracking to say the least, Sonia consistently reassured my daughter when frustrated, checked in on her and made herself available outside of lessons for questions & concerns, she checked in with me to give me her candid assessment and followed up each lesson during that time with concise instruction and suggestions for practice routines we had EVERYTHING we needed to have a successful audition and the headspace to do it with joy. read more

I took Sonia's Advanced Harmony Workshop. There were four of us. None of us knew each other and had never sung together before. We each chose a song and worked on harmonies that were different from the way the songs were originally presented. The goal was a final performance at a venue where Sonia has access. We had four classes in which to complete our task. We met our goal, performed all four songs and had a great time. We did cheat a little, with Sonia's blessing and got together a couple of times on our own. I point that out because the atmosphere that Sonia created in class led to us getting together and trusting each and having fun! That is Sonia's gift, beyond technique, she creates an atmosphere of trust. I highly recommend that anyone considering singing and is looking for a place to learn, come to one of Sonia's open workshops. Sing with her. Sing with the people that she works with. That's how I got involved and I'm so happy I did. Steve M read more

I 100% recommend Sonia. There are many reasons why. One, her teaching style is very reassuring (I can't stress this enough). Singing makes me nervous, but she creates such a calm and supportive environment that it helps me feel a lot less anxious. Two, she offers a variety of techniques to help you find the sound you're trying to make. If one approach doesn't work right away, she will try another method or exercise until something clicks. Three, she is great at interpreting the questions I ask and explaining things in a way that is easy to understand. Sometimes I feel like my questions don't make sense, but she's really good at figuring out what I mean and breaking it down clearly. So if you're thinking about taking voice lessons, I definitely recommend Sonia. read more

I've been studying voice with Sonia for 5 months. From our very first conversation, I've trusted in Sonia to help me sing more healthily and develop more confidence in my voice. I've already noticed that I'm more comfortable singing at home - I'm applying the tools that Sonia and I work on in our lessons, and I hear and feel a difference! As someone who has taught private music lessons, I appreciate Sonia's responsive approach. Each lesson she listens and reacts based on how my voice is that day and how I'm responding to the exercises. Plus she's full of energy, and offers much-needed reminders for me to reconnect to the joy of singing. I very much feel heard, understood, and encouraged. I highly recommend Sonia! read more

I studied voice with Sonia for about a year, both in person and virtually during quarantine. Sonia took the time to learn about my goals for my lessons and my interests as a singer. When I first started my training I wanted to improve my vocal range as well as my control over my voice. Through specific exercises and techniques Sonia helped me develop better clarity in my voice and smoother transitions between vocal registers. She taught me effective vocal warm-up techniques and helped me undo some unhelpful habits I had developed over the years. Sonia is a warm and supportive instructor and a very knowledgeable singer. I greatly enjoyed working with her and would highly recommend her to any singer! read more

Sonia is the kindest most patient teacher! I began working her about 7 months ago, when I first spoke to her I knew right away that she understood what I was looking for in a teacher. She is very professional and extremely knowledgeable. Sonia has helped me from technique to stage fright. I have worked with other vocal coaches before and she has been the most helpful as far as helping me understand technique and mindset I need to develop in order to go in the direction I am after. I really can't thank her enough for helping me change my entire outlook and understanding of how my own voice works in such a short amount of time. I am very glad to be/continue working with her! read more

Sonia is an amazing teacher. I've been taking lessons with her for years, and during this time I've drastically improved in my vocal abilities, technique, strength, range, and gained a lot of confidence in singing. In addition to this, I've learned countless songs, performed in workshops/shows she's put on, learned a great amount of music theory, and picked up on the piano. It's been quite the journey, and I still always look forward to my lessons with her. It's one thing to be incredibly skilled and talented, but it's another to be able to teach that to others and be supportive and encouraging along the way. Sonia checks it all off. I highly recommend her! read more

I've been studying voice with Sonia on and off for 3 years now. She opened my world up to the possibilities of expressing myself through singing. She is patient, encouraging, and never critical or negative. I find her to be an absolute joy to work with and now, looking back at the long list of songs I have worked on, I realize just how much I accomplished through her guidance. I don't read music and she goes the extra mile to facilitate my learning new songs with recordings of piano accompaniment and chord charts. This is truly the best thing I do just for me, it connects me to my creative spirit and boosts my confidence. -Francesca Messina read more

I've been taking classes with Sonia since January and the experience has been wonderful. I feel like I've had a mental shift, thanks to Sonia's method, about how I approach singing in general. Besides teaching techniques and expanding my vocal range, Sonia spends time to explain how to think about singing. The lessons were very low pressure and highly enjoyable. Usually we would spend the first part of the lesson warming up and vocalizing and the other part would be dedicated working on the material of my choosing, which was very helpful. Overall, Sonia is a great teacher and a pleasure to work with. read more

Sonia is an incredibly talented, encouraging teacher. She began working with my daughter when she was in middle school to help her prepare for her auditions for performing arts high schools. After my daughter was accepted to the LaGuardia of Music and Art and Performing Arts, she has continued to work with Sonia throughout her time in high school (she is now a senior). Sonia has helped her with various auditions and solo performances - she has done so much for my daughter's confidence and has been a wonderful teacher and encouraging presence. I couldn't recommend her highly enough as a teacher. read more

I absolutely love working with Sonia. I've been singing for years but haven't taken class in a long time and I'm always a bit weary about vocal coaching. I feel like I've made more progress with Sonia in the past year than I have before. She is encouraging, insightful and knowledgeable, and her studio is comfortable and welcoming. Sonia has been great at meeting me where I am and I can tell she cares deeply about helping me achieve my goals. If you're looking for a place to really work on your vocal instrument whether for fun or professionally, look no further! read more

I started working with Sonia a few years ago, when I thought I had zero singing ability and was only hoping to be passable at karaoke. She was incredibly helpful and supportive with me as an adult beginner. Sonia has a great ear, deep technical expertise, and an approachable style. Feeling passable at karaoke came and went; I'm now a confident karaoke queen and have moved forward onto other singing goals. Switching to virtual classes during the pandemic was super smooth, and I'm glad we can still work together across settings. Highly recommend! read more

I have been taking lessons from Sonia for the past 3 years. I have had some good voice teachers along the way, but Sonia is by far the best. She has given me the gift of discovering my own unique sound, as well as how to nurture and sustain it. Her lessons are fun and thoughtful and her own vocal mastery and understanding of music theory provide a solid foundation on which to build. She is both humble and wise for her years, and she is a fantastic singer/songwriter too. A rare find. read more

I've been taking Vocal Lessons with Sonia for about a month and a half now and let me tell you, she is incredible! She is so sweet, passionate, and all-around knowledgeable. In the course of these ample amount of weeks, I have learned SO much about my voice. I have also learned so much about my posture, and my breathing as well! I am already much more confident in regards to my singing voice, and I am very excited to see how much I improve throughout my duration of working with her! read more

I've been singing pretty much all my life but was always kind of afraid of taking voice lessons. I've only been working with Sonia for a few sessions at this point, but it's already obvious that she knows what she's doing, and I almost immediately got over the nervousness I had around the whole idea of vocal lessons. Each lesson has been fun and informative, and I can already feel some of the improvement in my vocal technique when singing with my choir. Looking forward to more! read more

I had five wonderful lessons with Sonia. I am a complete beginner; never had any voice training before. With Sonia's clear and creative guidance, I made some really incredible progress on basics such as Solfege and ear training. My goal was to hear better in general and to be able to vocalize during piano practice. Sonia really helped me with those goals and more. She is a warm, supportive and enthusiastic teacher. I hope to work with her more in the future! read more

My shy 17 year old daughter has been training with Sonia for six months now and loves her! Although she still won't let me hear her sing :), it's obvious that her confidence in her abilities has shot up during this time. Sonia uses my daughter's preferred music to teach the techniques that my daughter now loves to talk about, and has helped her to better understand her own voice. Out of everything in her schedule, this is one thing she never wants to miss. read more

Sonia's vocal knowledge, creativity, and encouraging presence makes her a dream to work with. Under her guidance, I am learning so much about how to keep my voice healthy, warming up and caring for my voice in new ways, and exploring the edges of my abilities. I thought I wouldn't like doing voice lessons over zoom, but the convenience along with Sonia's professionalism has made it really nice. I highly recommend taking voice lessons with Sonia! read more

Sonia is the best vocal teacher and coach I've worked with. She provided me with the confidence and technique necessary to be a successful singer. She's extremely encouraging and really knows her stuff. I've worked with Sonia for over 2 years now and I can literally feel and hear the transformation in my voice. If you're looking for a high quality vocal teacher or coach, Sonia's the one! I highly recommend her. read more