...And the day came when the risk it took to remain tight inside the bud was more painful than the risk it took to blossom
~Anais Nin~ I escaped from the DC suburbs twice. Each time I've returned, I reconnected with the music around the place.The first time was to the Caribbean right after highschool. When I returned I started voice lessons and studied music. Learned heaps. Twas my first real introduction to jazz. But they werent training jazz singers ~only classical~ so thats what I did. My teachers were wonderful and it was just what I needed to get started. I had some wonderful opportunities. Mark Cook was my mentor and Bill Potts arranged big band tunes for me. It wasnt until recently that I realized how truly big that was. I also got to sing with the St Matthews Cathedral Choir. Went on tour to Rome with them and sang for Pope John Paul II. Bigger still.
~ The bud started to openbut it started to rain, so it closed again ~And then I escaped to Australia. I always say I was born and raised in DC but I grew up in Australia. So many lessons learned. One of the biggest eye-openers was the musical freedom. Music wasnt confined to those with perfection, it was open and free, and the rest of the world had a lot to offer. Joining the acapella group Woyaya offered new singing and songs and the energy it game me was dramatic. And there were lots of opportunities to learn more especially from people like Tony Backhouse, Jean Paul Wabotai, Sue and Lisa from Coco's Lunch, and the Gyoto Monks - among many others. I also got to play with music as an ensemble member of Kabaret Kamikazi and while recording a soundtrack for a short film. Life altering experience that one was.~The bud started to open just a little bit more but then shut back in~Life brought me back to DC in 2002. Straight away, I found the Elliston Music Studio for Jazz Studies. Ronnie Wells and Ron Elliston and their whole crew of jazz musicians just appeared at the door and held it wide open. So Ive been growing and working with top class musicians at cool venues all around the place.
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Thanks to Wayne and B, Mark, Joey and PC, Kathy, Ann and Cheryl, and with lots of encouragement from my pals, I now have an album. Like a dream come true.
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I have been lots of other things: writer, designer, photographer, teacher, student. I think singer suits me best. With a bit of luck, I'll get to stay on this path for a while.
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Looks like that bud is finally going to come into flower.
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