Classical Crossover Magazine, Winter 2013

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Healthy Cross-Over Singing
By David Jones
There is an increasing interest in ‘crossover’ singing
today, or the ability to cross from one genre of
music to another. Perhaps it is because many opera
companies are feeling the need to incorporate more
musical theater into their seasons in order to survive
financially, attracting a larger audience.
Even though I started voice lessons at age 14 (too
young), I always had an
interest in popular music
‘crooners’ like Jack Jones,
Frank Sinatra, Andy
Williams, and Nat King
Cole. Of course I had no
awareness that they were
lyric baritones, which was
my true vocal fach. Many of
us are greatly influenced by
our early exposure musical
performances and/or
recordings. I loved the
sound of Kate Smith singing
big-voiced ballads with full
orchestra behind her. I loved
her voice and I loved her
interpretation. But perhaps I
was attracted to ballads
because I grew up in a
household filled with
classical music, having two sisters who played
classical piano and one sister (my sister Sarah
Sulka) who sang with a beautiful soprano voice. I
remember hearing her practicing her singing of
operetta arias and I loved her sound. I would sit in
my bedroom with the door open so I could hear her
practice. I think this early experience influenced my
later development as a singer and teacher.
My early training was more toward the tenor fach,
which came very close to ruining my voice. Choral
directors inherently needed tenors and if you were a
lyric baritone in those days and had a few good high
notes, then you were stuck in the tenor section. My
voice developed later and dropped later due to
singing a tessitura that was too high. My laryngeal
squeeze was almost 20 years old when I got to
Dixie Neill, who took me down to my true vocal
fach, lyric baritone. She had the tools that helped
me to release my laryngeal muscles and begin my
vocal recovery.
I had always had an interest in vocal technique after
graduation from university,
mainly because I got no
concrete concepts in my
training there. I never saw a
picture of a larynx, never
heard the word larynx, never
knew about jaw position or
tongue position or how to
breath and engage the body
properly. I basically just
learned repertoire, which
helped me to develop
musicianship but did not
teach me how to sing or use
my instrument properly. At
age 23, I was given a copy
of the Lindquest vocalises
from my friend Martha
Rosacker. At that time I was
teaching in the theater
department at Texas Christian University and my
students began to develop very quickly, winning
voice scholarships that assisted in paying their
tuition. It was a thrilling experience for me to help
these young singers develop in a way that I had not.
I got my first taste of what if felt like to help a
singer achieve a higher level of healthy vocalism
and THAT my friends is what drew me deeper and
deeper into teaching.
A few years later, I began to compose ballads as a
hobby, which turned into quite a side profession. I
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moved to New York in 1978, after having received
a letter of interest from a famous New York
composer of pop music. Singing ballads with a
gentle approach to singing was much easier than
approaching classical music with a high larynx. The
idea that I might be a baritone never entered my
mind until I met Dixie Neill in 1983. I always
wanted to enjoy classical vocal music, but it was
always hard on my throat.
My teacher Evelyn Reynolds started her career in
1936 singing with big bands in Birmingham,
Alabama. She would often describe to me how there
would be 3 or 4 soloists, usually young women,
who would wear evening gowns and sing the latest
popular love songs while people would dance on the
dance floor. It was a time when melody and beauty
of tone was still a part of our popular music culture.
Sadly much of this has been lost along the way and
hopefully it will come back into fashion. Once in a
while you will still hear a beautifully ballad, but not
so often as decades ago.
I remember Evelyn and I once had a discussion
about WHAT physically created the difference
between singing pop and Broadway music, lieder,
and operatic sound. What does a singer have to do
in order to change styles? I loved her explanation.
She said, “Pop or Broadway singing is more
conversational and uses the naso-pharynx or the soft
palate space. Lieder and a great deal of other recital
literature requires the opening of the naso and oro
pharyngeal space. Operatic sound requires that the
singer learn to fully release the larynx lower and
wider in order for maximum resonance to develop,
offering the singer the ability to carry over the
orchestra.” I loved her explanation. It gave a
physical explanation of what we do to change
styles.
When singers ask me, “Can I sing all styles?” My
answer is, “Yes, but you will always train full
classical operatic sound to fully protect your voice!”
Phoebe Snow was a student of mine until she died
about 2 years ago. We constantly worked on
classical arias to strengthen her pop voice. Elaine
Paige, the great British theater singer ALWAYS
warmed up in her head voice using a classical sound
before going onstage. Her teacher encouraged and
taught her to do this. So NO the throat is not as
open singing musical theater, pop, or rock music. It
is more open singing recital repertoire, because
some fuller music needs a near operatic sound. But
in my experience, every singer needs to develop
his/her full operatic sound in order to acquire what I
call ‘damage control’. I have a tenor who sang
“Phantom of the Opera” on Broadway for years. By
the time he came to my studio, he had developed a
loss of high range and a large vocal wobble. After
we trained him in his full operatic sound, he could
sing any musical theater he wanted without any
problems. I compare it to modern dancers who take
ballet class to keep their ‘chops up’. Singers need to
consider the same idea.
I remember I met Shirley Emmons years and years
ago. She once told me, “I ruined my voice going
from style to style, not knowing what I was doing
with my throat!”
Thank you Evelyn Reynolds for giving me a clear
physical explanation of the physical differences
between singing different styles of music.
To read more from David Jones please visit
voiceteacher.com and order his CD set “An
Introductory Voice Lesson with David
Jones” from cdbaby.com.
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INTERVIEW WITH TIFFANY DESROSIERS
According to your biography, you started out
doing dancing and acting before deciding to focus
on music. What was it about singing that captured
you?
When I was 8 years old, I took acting lessons and
was naturally envious of the other girls in the class
who sang because they received all of the roles and
attention. Around the same time, my grandma
encouraged my mom to enroll me in singing lessons
and I would bring Celine Dion songs to my teacher
to learn. As my teacher’s forte was teaching
classical singing, she never dappled in pop style of
songs with me as she wasn’t comfortable teaching
it, so I started to experiment with pop vocalization
myself. I was so fascinated with Celine Dion’s
voice that it was a real challenge for me to try to
learn how she produced her timbre. It was when I
attended an N’Sync concert at age 13 and was so
enthralled with the caliber of the production and
talent that I decided that performing was what I
wanted to do. So basically it was a combination of
these three events that catapulted me toward singing
as a career.
You have a beautiful warmth and depth to your
voice and most of your music centers in the
medium to low range of your voice, so I was quite
surprised to come across your version of Mozart’s
‘Queen of the Night’ aria! Have you always had
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such a wide range? Or was it something you
discovered with classical training?
Oh why thank you!! That is such a compliment. I’ve
always had a wider range but my range has
definitely stretched as I learned the proper
technique of how to sing coloratura notes. It was
actually something that I discovered with Seth
Riggs/Speech-Level-Singing technique which
crosses all genres of music, but my classical
teachers helped me
refine it and after
further exploring my
voice type, challenged
me to be able to sing a
high F live on stage,
which I never thought I
would have been
capable of.
One of your unique
qualities is that you
are able to sing both
classical arias and pop
vocals. Do you find it
an easy transition to
make? Also what do
you do to maintain a
healthy vocal function
in both of these
different styles?
I do find it a relatively
easy transition to make,
however, when I have
a classical concert or competition coming up, I try
to sing as little pop music as possible, because using
too much of a pop tone can add weight to my voice
when I need it to be as bright and light as possible. I
try not to overcompensate vocally if I can’t hear
myself properly, whether I’m using monitors or am
in a venue where it’s hard to hear myself, and also I
make sure that in sound check everything is
balanced so I don’t feel the need to push vocally.
Technically I also make sure to ‘cover’ and narrow
the back of my throat in both styles, but make sure
to give enough lift in the soft palate for classical,
whereas for pop my soft palate is still lifted but it
feels a lot more ‘straight out the mouth.’ I also try to
use my natural resonators so I don’t have to work so
hard vocally. I used to really monitor the foods I’d
eat before a show but I don’t worry too much about
it anymore, except for avoiding dairy in general.
arias?
You have done a bit of
experimentation with
dance music. What
other genres would
you like to explore?
Naturally I love adding
classical elements into
the pop songs I sing,
whether with an
infusion of strings or a
classical touch like at
the end of “Fearless.”
It would be interesting
to explore gospel
music more, and I’ve
been told my voice
could suit country so
I’d be open to trying
those styles out.
On the classical side,
which do you prefer
more; singing art
songs or operatic
Operatic arias! They are so vocally challenging and
emotionally driven.
Who has been your favorite artist, composer, or
producer you have collaborated with so far?
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I find value in everyone I work with and it’s so hard
to pick someone! One of my very favorites though I
think was the former Canadian Tenors who
transformed into Destino, because I was 18 and just
starting out professionally when I had a chance to
work with them. I really admired them and it was
such a compliment and a great confidence-booster
to be included in shows and go on tour with them.
You are a member of the new classical crossover
group Vivace. Tell us about how you became
involved and what you love most about singing in
an ensemble.
About three years ago, I was asked to be a part of a
new popera group that was being created and they
asked who I would recommend. I had met Marc on
Myspace about five years prior and he immediately
popped into my mind. DJ and I attended the
University of British Columbia together and
Melody and DJ were in the Vancouver Opera
together. We first performed together at the 2010
Vancouver Olympics. Eventually we re-branded as
Vivace and into the group we are now. What I love
most is touring and visiting new places and I really
enjoy sharing the stage with the other members and
interacting with them on stage. They are some of
my best friends and are very smart, talented
performers.
perfect figures. In classical music I have never felt
pressure about image, but more so pressure to be
perfect vocally.
Once you have established yourself as a singer, do
you think you’d like to try any crossover attempts
with acting and singing, like Glee or Smash?
I would absolutely LOVE to be involved in a show
like that. I don’t like to box myself in a particular
genre because I tend to get bored, so am always
open to experimenting with elements of different
styles.
Which elements move you more, melody or
rhythm?
I’ve always been drawn to melody. The hooks and
shape of a song can draw you in and keep you
coming back to hear it again.
Visuals are very important to popular music and
are starting to be much more important in
classical music. Do you feel any pressure to
maintain a certain image or do you think the work
should stand for itself?
I don’t feel a lot of pressure. I used to worry about it
but as soon as I stopped worrying, I became
comfortable with my figure. I definitely think it’s
important to take care of yourself, but I think in the
past there has been way too much emphasis on
image and am very happy that this has started to
transform in pop music and that artists can now
been seen as real people and not as inhuman with
To learn more about Tiffany please visit her
website tiffanydesrosiers.com
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A conversation with
Stefanie Rose
Your facebook page tells a cute story about
you being expelled twice in high school. Can
you share it with us?
I was suspended a few times in high school for not
being there - I did do a lot of traveling for singing
so some of the time was legitimately missed, but
mostly I just wanted to drink coffee in the music
room and write arrangements with the school
accompanist. I attended the Fine Arts program at
my particular school but would often sneak off to a
school downtown and attend their music history
classes with a few of my friends there. The teacher
praised my participation despite not being enrolled!
You obviously have a deep connection to
nature, and your voice itself has a very
'earthy' quality to it. Have you ever thought
of experimenting with nature sounds in
your music?
Science and nature are my spirituality, and yes I
suppose that I draw a lot from both in my
interpretations. I once used the sound of a rainstorm
in a recording I did of Faure's Automne, but I've
done more in the way of taking natural metaphors
into my lyrics writing.
Have you ever experienced any anxiety
about performing live? And if so, how did
you cope with it?
Very truthfully, I've never experienced stage fright.
Okay, my VERY first time singing publicly I was a
bit shaky, but never again since then. It's always
been such a great payoff for me, I know how
wonderful I feel stepping out onto the stage. In fact,
I feel that the energy of the audience and of the
venue elevate my performance tremendously - I'm
only ever able to get 50% of my best effort in
rehearsal. I've had worries about my voice
cooperating, especially when tackling difficult
operatic repertoire, but when I'm outside of such
rigidity my vocal interpretation just sort of takes
over and manages to work with whatever comes
out.
Your version of 'Poor Wayfuring Stranger' is
quite raw both vocally and emotionally, do
you feel like you have a personal connection
to the lyrics?
Poor wayfaring stranger was recorded for the
soundtrack of a very dark, violent and gritty film
about Philadelphia. I knew a number of the actors
and had seen the film a few times before I recorded
the track, which I wanted to infuse with that raw
quality of the story.
I remember seeing something about you
visiting Asia/Middle East, how have your
travels influenced your sound?
I've sung in Thailand, Korea and Oman and I
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absolutely adore the far east. I don't know that it's
influenced my sound a great deal, although I love
using the vocal breaking technique found in
traditional middle eastern singing. And, okay, I do
write arrangements of songs using eastern beats and
incorporating Asian instruments when I can. So I
guess it has influenced the sound that I aim to
create.
What has your vocal training experience
been like?
I've had the opportunity to work with a handful of
very famous teachers, all of whom had big careers
in opera or Broadway, and they've each influenced
my voice in their own way. However each seemed
to try and pigeon hole my voice in a way that
contradicted the last, and in the end I broke away.
At this stage I've taken the foundation of technique
that I was given and created something strange and
personal with it. My authentic sound is something
that I haven't had the opportunity to record yet, but I
hope to in the future. My love of classical music
and yet my attraction to the alternative created a
desire to experiment both in a performance sense
and in my own vocal delivery. I intend to tell stories
and create an atmosphere, and by using a deep
opera-esque timbre with a speech-like, casual
delivery, I feel I can accomplish that in an
unaffected way.
I'd sure love a big budget to produce them with!
What is the most important thing for you to
accomplish as an artist?
I don’t know what’s most important to me to
accomplish as an artist. I know that I want my son
to grow up and see that part of myself alongside
my real career, but I don’t really give being an
“Artist” much thought these days. I think being an
artist just means to play. It’s fulfilling and enjoyable
and makes life colorful. But family and friends
are the canvas. Art just fills in the pigment.
Give me your top 5 songs to perform.
Honestly I couldn't just rattle off 5 songs and call
them my favorite. My tastes change with my mood.
Sometimes I'm eager to reinvent Bach, sometimes I
want to run a show of coloratura arias next to gritty
Alt-J covers. There's so much excellent music out
there, and too much fun to be had with it for me to
choose 5 or even 50 top songs.
If you were given the chance to a) record an
album with an unlimited budget, b)
perform a live show at any venue you chose
or c) premiere a new work, classical or
Broadway, which would you choose?
Keep up to date with Stefanie via her facebook
facebook.com/stefanieairey
I think I’d definitely want to do a big live show. I
have a number of avant-garde productions up my
sleeve that I'll continue to work on in the future, but
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The Up and Comer
Caroline Braga, Soprano
school, I believe it is extremely, extremely important to
make sure you connect with a voice teacher teaching at
the school. I not only chose my school based on its
credentials and location, but a major part in the
decision process was also the voice studio I was placed
in. I love, love, love my teacher Marlena Malas and it
was a perfect fit vocally and personality wise.
What has been your favorite part of your educational
experience so far? One of my favorite parts of my
educational experience so far is getting to perform and
work with such talented, dedicated and passionate
people everyday. I get to work with highly talented
colleagues and world renowned teachers like Catherine
Malfitano.
Tell us a little bit about yourself! Where are you from
and when did you first become interested in opera?
I am originally from Rio de Janeiro, Brasil and moved
to the US when I was 3 years old. I now live in New
York City and attend the Manhattan School of Music
Conservatory. I first became interested in
opera/classical music when I was nine years old. My
choir teacher took interest in my voice and dedication
to choir and introduced me to this amazing genre of
music. I fell in love ever since.
You have undergone vocal studies at the Manhattan
School of Music. How did you choose this school and
what was the audition experience like? In choosing a
If you could perform at any venue in the future
where would you choose? There are so many dream
venues in my list of dream venues hahahah!!! But if I
were given the opportunity to perform in any venue in
the future it would definitely be the Metropolitan Opera
House in New York City. I have been going there for
years now and every time I go I can envision myself on
that amazing stage, singing with that extraordinary
orchestra. It would be a dream come true!
How important do you think movement (gestures,
choreography) is to music performance? I think every
performance should come naturally; every performance
should be different. We are not the same person every
day, so why should our characters be? On the other
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hand, you should always be prepared and know
everything about your character. Would my character
walk like this? Would he/she talk like this? Stand like
this? I don't think movement and gestures should be
overused and unintentional but if you have an intention
and direction, movement and gestures will become an
extension of your emotions.
Do you do anything special to keep your voice in
pristine condition? (tea, sprays, cough drops, etc?)
I try to stay healthy as much as I can. My body is my
instrument so I have to take good care of it. I drink a lot
of water every day and take my daily vitamins.
Do you sing any non-classical music? If not, is this
something you would like to do in the future? I do not
sing non-classical music. I prefer to stay in the classical
music direction but hey, if I were asked to sing
Christine in Phantom of the Opera on Broadway, I
wouldn't say no!
personal style off-stage? My style in general varies
from day to day. I dress based on how I feel. Some
day’s I feel like "Tosca" and some days I feel like
"Carmen"! In general my performance and everyday
style tend have a classic and timeless feel. I do think
that I tend to take more risks with my everyday wear
rather than with my performance wear. I am not afraid
to try something new or something that is "different".
When performing, I like to feel comfortable, classy and
elegant on stage and tend to choose the gowns that
have a timeless and elegant feel to them.
What’s the best bit of advice you’ve been given so far?
The best advice I have received in my career so far has
been to always give your all (emotionally and vocally)
in a performance. Singing is a great part of your
performance but acting is also a major part. You have
to not only act like your character but you have to BE
your character. You also never know who is watching
you, so whether you are performing in your local
church or at Lincoln Center, you have to always give
110%. I express myself through music and I pour my
heart and soul onto the stage; while remembering to
support of course!
What are your plans for the future? My plans for the
future is to go to grad school, join a young artist
program and start performing all over the world!
If you could have any great composer write an opera
based on any modern day novel or drama, what would
you want it to be? The composer would definitely
have to be Puccini. I LOVE Puccini. The story would
have to be "The Great Gatsby" by F. Scott Fitzgerald.
It's not very modern but I am fascinated by the 1920's
and the story line is just fabulous.
On your twitter you appear to be a bit of a fashionista.
How does your performance style compare to your
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COVER
STORY
An interview with
Yulia
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BY NATASHA POHOLKA
Russian artist Yulia Townsend was discovered
singing on a local television program by Gray
Bartlett and soon afterwards signed with Sony
music. Yulia’s sincere delivery and rich voice took
her straight to the top of the NZ charts with her
albums, “Into the West” and “Montage.” Yulia has
performed with classical crossover stars like
Russell Watson and Paul Potts and recently made
her US debut on the PBS special “Divinas.”
I found it very interesting that you have a
mission statement about your music. Can you tell
us about it and why this mission is so important
to you?
Our family mission statement is to inspire, encourage
and empower people to greater self love and the love
of others. We hold the practical view that as
Christians, the example of our lives may be the only
bible some people ever read. So we try to live with
grace, wherever possible adding something positive to
the people immediately around us. Our music label
'Oikos' has a name which is the Greek word for the
economy of the household. We originally had a vision
for a classical crossover Motown. Berry Gordy started
Motown with a simple vision too. We see artists as
messengers that are born to inspire the world. The
way we are manifesting our vision is to learn the kinds
of help that artists need to get their message out. We
have been doing this for some time now. And at one
time, Glyn owned New Zealand's largest privately
owned music school so we have always had an
interest in educating and helping others. We are using
state of the art 'cloud' technology to help artists
around the world through training and mentoring
sessions. We also coach artists in critically important
'soft skills' like project management, time
management, negotiation and how to apply emotional
intelligence to succeed in the music industry. We
think that it is important to be of practical help and to
live our mission statement. We want to help artists to
find their voice and to reach their audience to inspire,
encourage and empower through their own messages.
You have had an incredible vocal journey from
being told you sang ‘like a bear,’ to being
discovered on a local TV talent show by Gray
Bartlett and consequently signed to Sony. Instead
of resting on your laurels, you have chosen to
continue to develop your talent through rigorous
training. What motivates you to work so hard?
Philosophy can help us to understand mastery. Here
is a great quote from Bruce Lee about mastery, "If you
always put limits on everything you do, physical or anything
else, it will spread into your work and into your life. There are
no limits. There are only plateaus, and you must not stay there,
you must go beyond them." The beginning of mastery is to
understand and respect our incompetence and to
begin to learn how to learn. When I teach other
artists, the first step is to help the artist to understand
that the artist does not know, what they do not know.
Anyone with mastery goes through a cycle of
awareness in order to grow. This growth cycle
naturally includes the reinvention of self as we grow
over time. Artists must find their voice, not just for
the age they are, but throughout their ages. Who you
are as an artist now will vary from who you are at a
later stage, to some degree. And developing as a
musician is the natural fruit of being inherently
creative. If it's just a job, then it is hard work. If you
are creative, then you are simply being who you are,
which is not work. It is living deliberately as the
person you are.
Part of your development as a singer has been the
expansion of your range from contralto to
coloratura mezzo repertoire. Did you ever
imagine you would be singing in your current
range and were you at all nervous about the
change?
I call my singing training 'Find My Voice' and this is
because each artist has their own unique voice based
on their physiology, personality and spirituality. One
of the challenges that we face as singers is that people
immediately want to define who you are as a singer.
What genre you are. Are you classical or Pop. Are you
high or low. Then you are told "This is the kind of
singer you are and so this is what you must do." From
then on, you are caged into serving these limitations,
even if they are untrue. Bruce Lee faced the same
dilemma in martial arts. The classical styles wanted to
define and control him, eventually creating limitations
that in fact removed some of the beauty of the art
form. Bruce Lee took on and defeated all challengers.
To a degree I have done the same thing. The most
authentic recognition of my development as an artist
is to battle it out in front of audiences. In my last
concert in Wellington, NZ last month I received two
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standing ovations. If the audience validates my
performance, then my voice has all the recognition it
needs. Creating carbon copies that all sound like each
other is not the path to develop artistry, but it is
important to have a mastery of technique. We are
often being told to fit into the limitations of teachers
who want to direct us into a particular method for
their own simplicity. And while this might be an
authentic approach, this approach does tend to often
funnel singers into the wrong channel for their voice.
From a physical perspective, my voice has always
been broader than coloratura mezzo soprano. I have a
4.5 octave range. However there is a 'sweet spot' in
the voice where the voice sounds particularly more
resonant and beautiful and this is a physiological thing
as much as it is a training thing. This range from D3
to D5 is in the Contralto range. The sweetness of my
voice in this register is partly why Sony had chosen
ballads with melodies in this note range. I had always
been able to sing across the extended range but I had
never been trained. We invested in my total
immersion in Russian/Italian Opera methods to make
sure that I developed the richness of tone and the
perfection of technique to improve the beauty and
power of my voice for the enrichment of audiences.
My motivation has always been to be the best story
teller I can and vocal training is an extension of this
passion. If you are being authentic then you should
never be afraid of becoming who you really are.
Charity has been a very important part of your life
and so far you have raised over $1,400,000(NZ).
How did you choose which projects or
organizations to become involved with?
Many of us have suffered sadness’s of one kind or
another in our childhoods which become passions for
us later in life. The influences I had as a child have
become the passions of my adult life. As musicians
are messengers, we each have a story to tell. Once we
know our values and have identified our message, it
becomes clear who our audience is. I don't favor one
charity over another, but rather as we experience an
area where we can help, then we try to act out of
good stewardship and pay it forward.
Since your first album was released, you have
become a wife and mother. How do you think
these changes have affected you as an artist?
I have released several albums both before and
during motherhood. In fact we recorded Divinas Live
at Chambord Castle in Paris with baby Leon in the green
room hanging out with one of the managers for
Celine Dion and the video producer for Andre Rieu.
The most important thing is to put your family first,
have the support of your family and learn how to be a
family in the context of music industry. There are
some lovely people in the music industry but it's not
for the faint hearted. The major impact of
motherhood on me is that I have become completely
disinterested with the machinations of music industry
in favor of loving my family. This means we choose
how we engage in the music industry as a family and
we don’t let the music industry define our success.
We do it our own way.
You sing in a variety of different languages
(French, Italian, Maori, Russian), which is your
favorite and what was the most difficult to learn?
Being born in Russian I already spoke Russian and
Ukrainian fluently. However I have since studied
linguistics at university and have a teaching level of
capability and mastery of English. Being a linguist by
nature, I have applied the same learning techniques to
other languages. Glyn hired language coaches in each
of the languages I sing and we conducted a large
amount of research into the musicology and histology
of songs to discover their true story and meaning. I
sing in Russian, Ukrainian, English, French, German,
Hebrew, Maori, Italian, Portuguese and Spanish. I
don't have a favorite language. Because I am a story
teller, my aim is to bring authenticity to the story of
the song. So I will study the songwriter, the
performers, the culture, the language and then aim to
reinterpret the song so that I can share the beauty of
the culture and story of the song with the audience.
When I get it right, it doesn't matter what language I
sing in, audiences should hear the story in the emotive
expression in the subtle inflections of my voice.
Taking the time to master the language is also being
respectful to the culture and the people behind the
language.
Since you are so motivated to inspire others, do
you think there will come a time when you would
like to teach voice yourself?
Funny you should ask. I have been teaching and
mentoring singers for years!
findmyvoice.co.nz and onlinemusicmentors.com and
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the Yulia & Friends concerts have been running for a
long time. It's only recently that technology has
developed to the stage that I now give singing lessons
and regularly mentor singers around the world online.
Glyn has invested in state of the art technology so I
am set up to help singers worldwide. It's amazing
being able to prepare a singer in London for a local
concert or coach a singer in Wellington to prepare for
a Christmas show. I love it. Because my husband is a
brilliant trainer (he coached me!) and he is teaching
me to use the kinds of technology and training
methods that he has pioneered to transform the
accounting industry in NZ and Australia. My aim is to
further develop my training content so I can inspire,
encourage and empower a generation of artists. And
maybe we can sign a few to our label.
On the fashion side, what is your favorite type of
outfit to perform in?
I love French fashion and prefer youthful, creative
pieces. I don't so much go for ball gowns. When we
entertain audiences it's about putting on a costume
and inhabiting the role to present an authenticity to
the audience. Ultimately you wear the costume that
fits the message of the show and how you want to
express yourself as an artist.
You have performed with orchestras and in more
intimate settings with just a pianists or guitarist.
Which of these do you like more and you feel
better captures your essence?
Music these days is typically over produced, leaving
little room for the voice to be the star. This is because
most voices are recorded before they are well
developed. Producers then hide the deficiencies of the
voice in orchestration and in treatments like reverb
and overdubs. I am very old fashioned and believe
that an artist should be developed to their full
potential and only recorded once the voice is good
enough. Artists who push their music out too soon
and end up failing only have their impatience to
blame. For this reason, I develop myself through live
shows, often performing songs live for months or
even years before they are ever recorded. When I do
get into the studio, the voice is developed to such a
level that orchestration and production needs to be
minimal and the voice can be the star of the show.
Your husband Glynn Mclean is also your
manager. What’s that’s like?
On the commercial side Glyn is one of only a
handful of people in the world that has launched an
artist to an audience in the tens of millions.
51,000,000 people watched Divinas Live at Chambord
Castle in USA and Canada via PBS and PBT TV.
9,000,000 Russians have heard and seen me through
my win of the European Song Competition in Riga,
Latvia. Glyn produces all my live shows. He is an
exceptional live sound engineer, stage manager,
producer, negotiator and musician. On the family
side, Glyn is my soul mate, the great love of my life
and a wonderful husband and father. He has
dedicated years of his life, never taking any income
for his work on my career and has honored every
promise he ever made to me. It's like he is my gift
from God.
Looking forward artistically, what would you like
to accomplish in the next few years?
Over the next two years I am focusing on evolving
my artistry and music business around family. I have
established the relationships I need globally to create
and distribute my music to large audiences and I don't
need to rush getting albums out. I have complete
control of this. I aim to raise the money to invest in
owning my own rights holding and then partner with
record labels and producers globally. While I am
doing this, I want to develop other artists and channel
them through my networks. And I am going to
further develop myself as an author, inspirational
speaker and educator to help artists find their voice.
For the latest information about Yulia please visit her
website yulia.co.nz
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