testimonials
Angela Rougas shares her daughter Maria’s experience with Faith:
Actress Julia Ormond says about her private work with Faith (former Panayota):
private lessons
In my studio, we explore together how to connect deeply with the Voice of Your Dreams: that voice that rises from within and carries your innermost emotions, visions, thoughts, and perspective on life.
I offer guidance and practical tools in voice function, improvisation, composition, and musicianship. My teaching is intuitive and personalized: I adapt my approach to each student’s individual needs, style, and learning process. Drawing inspiration from the Estill Voice Training System, my mentors, and the world of energy, I aim to cultivate awareness of both the vocal instrument and the energy body.
Through compassionate and dynamic guidance, I help students expand their vocal palette, strengthen their musical ear, build confidence, and shape their artistry. I have worked with singers and musicians across jazz, pop, experimental, and folk, as well as songwriters and actors, always focusing on helping each artist express their authentic voice.
I teach in person and through Zoom.
Faith holds a BM from Ionian University in Greece and a MM from New England Conservatory.
She is a Fulbright Scholar.
"Faith changed my life. When I began taking lessons with her, I was just thinking of enhancing my life by developing my singing skills to go with my jazz piano lessons with her husband. I didn't realize only after a couple of lessons, it would change my life!
Just after several lessons, Faith encouraged me one day by saying "You have a jazz voice", and then told me that I could pursue this professionally. I was flabbergasted. I never aspired to become a jazz singer, but I have always loved jazz. This was the best thing that could happen in my life as I was going through a life crisis and severe depression, where I felt hopeless. I began falling in love with the whole art form of singing jazz, and soon after began creating shows […]. Faith helped me every step of the way, teaching me all the aspects of the craft; from technique, interpretation, form, arranging, mindset, etc. What is extraordinary is that throughout this whole process, I was not at my optimum self; my depression made me unfocused, distracted, and often unprepared for her lessons. But whatever state I was in, Faith would tune into where I was, and "meet" me there and make the best out of every situation. Looking back, it's a miracle, that I even did those shows, since I had such a hard time practicing!! But with Faith's teaching and mentorship, I was able to start from my first lessons in Jazz, to where I am today, as an independent professional vocalist, where I now know how to prepare, and create shows with my own band. I cannot thank Faith enough for welcoming me in the state I was in back then, for so selflessly and exceptionally finding, recognizing the good in me, and then nurturing, mentoring me to become the jazz vocalist I am today. Thank you, Faith, for being the greatest teacher, friend, and extraordinary artist who inspires me in such a profound way. My life is so much more enriched, and joyful because I learned to sing jazz with you.”
~ Sarah Infini Takagi, professional music artist, stand-up comedian, educator
“I was referred to Faith about a year ago by a musician friend. I have been an amateur guitarist for over 50 years. I always was self-conscious when I chose to sing. - and was even told by someone - "Stick to guitar playing - you are great at that, but DO NOT SING!" I had put off meeting with a vocal coach, figuring I could save the money by reading books on singing. That worked only a little. But from the start with Faith, I came to understand the mechanics of what produces a good singing voice. With her positive and insightful guidance (which was not available by reading books), my singing voice has been transformed from where it was painful for me to hear recordings of my singing, to where others are telling me I sound great! Now I am finding joy in singing and playing guitar. I am able to approach my performances anxiety-free and have gotten great audience feedback. My pitch accuracy is good now, while before I wasn't even sure when I was hitting a note or not. My tone has improved to the point where I look forward to hearing my voice while singing over a mic. Faith knows how to get the best from her students by teaching them relaxation and posture techniques in preparation to sing. Rather than using negative feedback as some teachers and coaches do, she is always so positive. When the skills she teaches me take hold she is joyous in her reactions, and when they don't sink in, she is very flexible, adjusting what she needs to teach me so that I do acquire the skill. Her teaching technique is second to none (I used to be a professional in the public school system and know what a good teacher is.) I cannot say enough about Faith. My vocal training with her has given me not only a pleasing singing voice, but an improved speaking voice too. Working with Faith has brought me great satisfaction.
~ Rod Malden, guitarist/singer
chrysalis collective
Do you have a love for Greek music?
Do you find yourself often singing along to your favorite Greek songs?
Do you enjoy singing in a choir?
Would you like to participate in rehearsals, concerts, recording sessions, and YouTube releases?
If you answered yes to at least one of the above questions, the Chrysalis Collective may be a good fit for you.
You do not need to have prior experience as a solo singer or choir member.
The Chrysalis is open to Greek and non-Greek women who share a passion for Greek music and language, and who love to sing.
OUR MOTTO
Everyone’s voice is unique.
We learn from each other.
We are part of a strong community.
Greek culture connects us.
OUR VALUES
Community, Curiosity, Learning, Compassion, Friendship, Fun, and LOVE
For what we DO and who we ARE.
testimonials
“I have enjoyed singing in Faith’s choral groups, both mixed (men and women) and women-only for the last six years. Faith is amazing! Full of life, joy, energy, patience with each one of us and attention to the nuances of the songs. She knows each singer’s strengths and hesitations and tries to instill is us a sense of inner calm and confidence and to sing with ease and full awareness of our fellow singers voices. She introduces us to a wide variety of genres of Greek songs: art and folk songs, rembetika, smyrneika, laika, nisiotika … The result is harmony, beautiful choral melodies, a sense of accomplishment and pure joy in the process.”
- Mary Delichatsios, current member of Chrysalis Collective
“Faith is an accomplished musician and vocalist who creates beautiful original arrangements for the choir. She is flexible to adjust her teaching style for each song depending on its complexity and works with individual members of the group to address any personal needs. For example, non-native speakers might focus on pronunciation, breathing, and rhythm while more advanced singers work on expression and dynamics. For the more musically inclined members of the group, Faith provides sheet music for her arrangements while for others she prepares audio clips and backing tracks so that individuals can practice on their own.”
- Ioannis Baltopoulos, former member of the Greek Chorale Boston
"After 10 years of playing the organ and singing in my Greek church choir, I knew I needed a new venue to become musically creative, so I joined the Greek Chorale of Boston and met an inspirational talent in Faith who has transformed my abilities to sing with passion and precision. This has been a personal journey involving true mind and body training that Faith has developed and expertly shares joyously as an extraordinary mentor and coach to myself and all the members of the Greek Chorale.
Faith, a brilliant vocalist herself, has taught me the importance of preparing your whole body, to relax, to warm up with new vocal sounds, to learn how to breathe, and how to sustain various sounds and notes. She created personal recordings for me and all the members to listen to, to train us by moving from spoken word in rhythm, to carefully singing a phrase, and then singing a whole line. This level of personalized training helps offer us concrete skills to capture the rich details of tempo and styles of new and old Greek folk music pieces.
It has been a magical experience to "learn how to sing alto and master harmony," for the first time in my life thanks to my amazing coach Faith. How did she do this?
Faith encouraged us as an alto team at 6:30 PM weekly working over zoom, to record ourselves singing a piece using voice memos on our phones. This is an amazing teaching tool, which she uses as an exercise in modeling how to individually "improve our own sound and voice modulation." It works incredibly because it takes hard work to listen to her voice and then try to imitate it, and then share our best recordings with her to get feedback.
How did this work, well it taught me to have patience and keep trying to improve the crackly sounds I was producing. I learned that I have to practice daily, keep trying to sing softly, to listen deeply, and with repetition and practice strive to create my best efforts at each song. This was not easy I admit. After 10 tries recording my voice, trying to sing the song louder, slower, changing tones, I finally began to create a version I could dare to share with Faith as " terrified as I was in the beginning". Faith offered incredibly encouraging "personalized feedback" which guided me to memorizing lyrics and melodies that I am now proud to sing for others.
Faith is a " vocal teacher" who provides the amazing gift of sharing her expertise in singing with those of us who aspire to lift our voices to new heights. I am still at the beginning of my journey as an alto, but I am truly inspired to continue growing as a vocalist with the help of Faith and all the members of the Greek Chorale Boston.
Please come to our next performance and see for yourself."
- Evangeline Harris, former member of the Greek Chorale Boston