05/28/2018
Brandon Brophy - the unlikely entrepreneur.
When we think of entrepreneurs we often envision serious business people Seldom do we say “artist “and “entrepreneur”, in describing the same person. Yet Brandon is exactly that; an artist and an entrepreneur, a coach and a creator, a teacher and a student. This is what makes him so unique.
Brandon Brophy is the owner and the creative force behind Singer’s Edge Academy and Toronto Arts Academy music schools. These are not your ordinary music schools, they are trailblazing establishments especially when it comes to voice coaching or in simple terms singing. He is the author of the book “The singer’s instinct” and has created new curriculum for voice coaching “Singer’s Edge” that is taught around the world.
He started Singer’s Edge Academy in 2012 at the downtown location at 8 Clarence Square and in 2016 he opened a second location – in Midtown - Toronto Arts Academy.
Brandon started as an aspiring singer in high school, but after school he shifted gears and was accepted at the acting program at Ryerson University. That’s where he was introduced to a technique called Speech Level Singing (SLS) that changed his destiny forever…
Speech Level Singing is a vocal technique developed by Seth Riggs a vocal coach boasting over 200 Grammy winners among his students including Michael Jackson, Steve Wonder, Ray Charles, Madonna, Barbra Streisand and many more. Brandon to move to LA and immersed himself in learning, practicing and coaching students in SLS. He spent several years teaching pop/rock singing in Colchester Institute of University of Essex and Academy of Contemporary Music (ACM) in London UK. Based on his mastery of Speech Level Singing the ACM changed its curriculum to cover SLS in depth.
All of this inspired Brandon to bring his skills to contemporary vocalists so he wrote the book “The singer’s instinct”, which became an immediate success and is currently taught internationally. He was personally coaching as many students as he could, so he had the idea to open a music school in order to be able to reach more performers. And, so the Singer’s Edge Academy was born in 2012!
Since its inception, the Academy has won the Consumers Choice Award for best Toronto music school every year. Why? Because it is truly a paradise for Singer’s and young musicians. The coaches that Brandon selects are absolutely the best in the business. He goes through hundreds of applications to select the right teachers.
In his own words: “ It is very hard to find the right people – with the right talent, with the right “heart”, with strong supportive and collaborative side, who are experts in the industry, who appreciate what we are trying to do and how we are happy to do it, too”
In 2016 he expanded into midtown, opening Toronto Arts Academy.
The schools offers singing, guitar, piano and drums lessons from beginner to advanced level. In addition they offer group classes in performance, harmony and songwriting, FREE for all students to attend every week. Two or three times a year all students can perform at the Singer’s Edge Concerts, which take place in amazing high–end venues and include professional sound engineers, lighting and stage, plush, comfy seats for the audience, professional photography and most importantly a RED CARPET event. Every student can truly experience the glory of walking the red carpet, the stress of stepping onto a stage and performing in front of a real audience, with the bright lights of the projectors on them.
This is one of the many ways Brandon accomplishes his dream to create the most nurturing and supportive environment for artists and musicians. And testaments of his success are the many, loyal and successful students that he has. He has coached The Weekend, Majid Jordan and many others
If you ever dreamt of learning to sing or play a musical instrument, you only need to try one of the classes at the Singer’s Edge Academy or Toronto Arts Academy to be hooked on the joy that music and music mastery can bring.
