Dr. Sonya Franklin Burney was born and reared in Detroit, Michigan. She studied both instrumental and vocal music eventually acquiring summer camp scholarships to attend The Blue Lake Fine Arts Camp and Interlochen Fine Arts Camp.

 

     While attending Cass Technical High School, Sonya was a music major and performed in numerous bands and vocal ensembles: Symphony Band, The Madrigals, along with the  prestigious and nationally-known Harp and Vocal Ensemble. She also made history in the existence of the school when she became one of two first drum majors of Cass Tech's first-ever marching band. During this time, she studied under the premiere instruction of Mrs. Patricia Terry-Ross, Mr. Dalos Grobe, and the late band maestro, Mr. Benjamin L. Pruitt. In her senior year, Sonya earned a four-year merit scholarship to The University of Michigan's School of Music. 

     Sonya studied voice with Professor Emeritus George Shirley, former tenor with the New York Metropolitan Opera, and recent Presidential Medal of Freedom Award from President Obama in 2016. She also studied chorus and conducting under the baton of Dr. Jerry Blackstone. She also sang with Mr. Brazeal Dennard, founder of The Brazeal Dennard Chorale of Detroit,  who gave her opportunity to sing for the late opera great Mr. William Warfield and famed pianist, the late Ms. Sylvia Olden Lee. 

     After graduating with two undergraduate degrees in English and Voice Performance, from The University of Michigan, Sonya moved to California to perform with Dr. Albert McNeil and the world-renowned Albert McNeil Jubilee Singers of Los Angeles. She was able to hone her soloing and performing skills in the United States, Canada, Europe and South America as a featured soloist and traveling member singing in prestigious halls such as, Carnegie Hall in New York City. During her time in California, she also worked with Wynton Marsalis for the Warner Bros. movie, "Rosewood." Other operatic roles include the late Marian Anderson at Middle Tennessee State University, Virginia Creeper with The Nashville Opera, and as a featured soloist while performing with The Nashville Symphony Chorus and the Grammy-award winning Nashville Symphony Orchestra. 

     As an editor, copyeditor, writer, speaker, and company trainer of publications nationwide, Sonya has served with worldwide companies such as Alfred Music Publishing Inc., as well as The Sunday School Publishing Board of the National Baptist Convention, USA, Inc. Because of her many accomplishments, Sonya was recommended by her Alpha Kappa Alpha sorority chapter members to be an ATHENA nominee for women in service and leadership to the Nashville, Tennessee community in 2011.

     As a published author, Sonya published her first book Young Warren Sings!  in 2004. This book later premiered as a stage play. She has written other various publications and books for nationwide publishers. Her latest, "Living Beneath" premiered in 2019 addressing caregiver roles, family relationships and wealth when family members are impacted with dementia and Alzheimer diseases. 

     As an educator since 2011, Sonya has been a trained and certified teacher in the classroom at the secondary and collegiate levels. While teaching and performing numerous leadership roles in school organizations, she completed her doctorate in Educational Leadership in 2017. Sonya currently resides in a north suburb of Atlanta, Georgia and  continues to move in her gifts. Contact her today!