Jessica Berwick

Jess graduated from UniSQ with a Bachelor of Creative Arts (Music) in 2018, and started her professional work as a vocal tutor in only her second year of study. Having majored in ‘contemporary voice’, Jess quickly realized teaching was her passion, and commenced voice tutoring directly to put the skills she had been learning through her studies to an immediate start! Throughout her years at UniSQ, a multitude of doors opened up for her professional career in music, from being a backing vocalist for Wendy Matthews in 2017, to becoming a lead vocalist for Cool Nights Big Band, and also performing on stage at the Empire Theatre in musicals such as Hairspray, Legally Blonde and Evita (just to name a few).

Jess also spends most of her weekends gigging and singing her way around the Darling Downs at weddings, functions and events. Post study, she completed all levels of Somatic Voicework with the world renowned Jeanie LoVetri, and is still currently tutoring voice today after 10 years of doing so!

Apart from teaching and performing, you’ll also find Jess in the musical theatre industry working as a vocal consultant. After vocal coaching Mamma Mia through the Empire Theatre and Avenue Q through Shoebox Theatre Company, Jess is always looking for the next musical she can sink her creative teeth into!

Studying music at UniSQ provided Jess with opportunities she couldn’t have ever dreamed up. She credits the course and lecturers to shaping her into the successful musician she is today, and cannot wait for many more years working in the music industry!

Leah Lever began her Bachelor of Creative Arts (Music) at school through Head Start and graduated With Distinction. She found the USQ degree directly relevant to the real world and that it helped progress her music career to the next level.

“The degree does not limit music studies to a particular genre so gave me the freedom to explore and broaden my own style musically,” Leah said. “I tackled songs I would never even have considered previously because my voice and style had always been defined as a particular style and boxed into a corner. After graduation I even wrote a song about that which is another skill which I honed at USQ.

The real-world skills I learnt, such as chart writing, song writing, recording, collaboration, scriptwriting, and project management were exactly what I needed to start getting paid work in the industry after graduation.

One of the great benefits of USQ is that it covers the whole gamut of the music industry, so I learned to widen my understanding of not only the industry, but myself as a musician. I realised I had capabilities I had never even imaged and here I could test my new skills with like-minded, supportive teachers and students.

Even better, I got to step onto a stage each week with my cohort to test out my new skills and we even presented our show material to paying audiences on a regular basis.

After graduating, I produced and successfully performed my own ticketed cabaret shows at significant venues, including performing arts centres, and I now also sing as part of a well-known company.

Achieving my degree gives me that credibility edge that I needed. It signifies that I am dedicated to music, can collaborate with other musicians and am able to work with live bands.

I am now at the stage where my phone rings with paid work offers and I have the confidence to negotiate fees and repertoire with industry leaders and then of course step onto that stage.”