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Caligiuri ('14) Owns Voice Studio in St. Charles

Sonorous Voice offers Voice Lessons, Audition Preparation, College Essay Editing
Sara Caligiuri (’14) is a private voice teacher in Kane County, based out of St. Charles. “I teach students ages 10 to adulthood how to sing, properly take care of their voice, succeed in auditions, and develop acting skills.” In addition, Sara offers services for College Prep that include essay editing/drafting, pre-screen audition assistance, and full college application assistance. 

She holds degrees in Opera Performance and English Literature from Illinois Wesleyan University. “Post grad, I never had plans to teach, but when a friend from Rosary asked me to take over their students when they returned to college in the fall, I said yes," she says. "One of my core beliefs is that you should try anything once, so as to facilitate your growth and forge new experiences. My students call this 'adding to your lore.' Thus on my quest to add to my personal history, I fell into a love of directing musicals and teaching private voice, and Sonorous Voice was born.”

“Sonorous is synonymous with rich, full, and ringing,” she says. “At Sonorous, our mission is to cultivate the growing voice for long-term singing and overall success. We strive to instill best practices for self-expression, fun, growth, and vocal health. The foundation of our instruction lies in the promise that artistic instruction enhances overall cognitive skills, critical thinking, problem solving skills, motor skills, social skills, and self-esteem.”

In addition to vocal instruction, students are also coached in foreign language, acting, literature, and movement for a well-rounded approach. “This past year, I had nine seniors graduate and helping them all with their college applications was both taxing and exciting,” she says. “From this experience, I noticed a need for college application assistance which I now provide through Sonorous as well. As an English Major, I am well-prepared to facilitate essay drafting and editing.”

“Teaching has become extremely rewarding for me. I love going to see my students' shows and sharing in their successes as they earn solos, new roles, and branch out into different creative areas,” Sara says. “They in turn have come to see me in my own shows. It is important to have community, and if I can help even a little in bringing together students who love to perform, then I know I have succeeded. Each day, I look forward to my lessons and find joy in celebrating each victory with my students, whether it be in life or in music. I truly did not know this was my calling, but I'm glad that I listened when God shouted it at me.”

"I truly did not know this was my calling, but I'm glad that I listened when God shouted it at me."

As a Rosary student, Sara was involved in the musicals, choir, Senior Retreat Team, and the Dominican Preachers. Her favorite Rosary Memory is Walk-A-Thon. “’Back in my day,’ we walked [the Gilman Trail from Blackberry Farm] and it was an extremely long, involved event. As we walked, we sang songs, shared stories, and complained about how much farther we had to walk. It was a great bonding experience and I remember us laughing as we were lapped by the Cross Country girls,” she says. 

How did Rosary prepare you for college and/or life after graduation?

“There is a work ethic that you develop at Rosary that kicks in like a muscle you forgot you exercised the second you graduate. I find myself overly prepared to execute tasks efficiently and know that should any problem arise, I can fix it without stress,” she says.

"Any Rosary student should be relieved to know that she will be excellently prepared for whatever path she chooses."

“I was far ahead of my peers in regards to writing and critical thinking during college. Any Rosary student should be relieved to know that she will be excellently prepared for whatever path she chooses. The immense discipline you learn from balancing course loads, extracurricular activities, faith, and social life truly allows you to prioritize and manage the weight of post-grad life. My students are constantly asking me how I seem to have an answer for everything and usually my response is ‘It's because I went to Rosary.’”

For more information about Sonorous Voice , visit https://svlessons22.wixsite.com/my-site
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Rosary High School is a Catholic, college-prep high school for young women sponsored by the Dominican Sisters of Springfield, Illinois. Rosary creates a sisterhood of truth, faith and strength.