Healthy Crossover Singing
Transcript of Healthy Crossover Singing
Healthy Crossover SingingBy 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 a 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 breathe 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 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
nasopharynx or the soft palate space.
Lieder and a great deal of other recital
literature requires the opening of the
naso and oropharyngeal 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 a 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.
David Jones is a Vocal Pedagogue. “An Introductory Voice Lesson with David Jones” is out now
voiceteacher.com
An Interview with
Tiffany Desrosiers By Natasha Barbieri
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
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.
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 arias?
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?
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.
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 be seen as real people and
not as inhuman with 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 the
melody. The hooks and shape of a
song can draw you in and keep you
coming back to hear it again.
Learn more about Tiffany at
tiffanydesrosiers.com
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 Wayfaring
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 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
pigeonhole 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.
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?
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 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.
Keep up to date with Stefanie facebook.com/stefanieairey
The Up and comer
Caroline Braga
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 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 every day. I get to work with
highly talented colleagues and world-
renowned teachers like Catherine
Malfitano.
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 hahaha!!! 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 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!
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 1920s and the storyline is just
fabulous.
On your twitter, you appear to be a
bit of a fashionista. How does your
performance style compare to your
personal style off-stage?
My style, in general, varies from day
to day. I dress based on how I feel.
Some days I feel like “Tosca” and
some days I feel like “Carmen”! In
general, my performance and
everyday style tend to 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 are to go to
grad school, join a young artist
program and start performing all over
the world!
Follow Caroline on Tumblr Carolinesoprano.tumblr.com
Cover Story
Yulia
Russian artist Yulia Townsend was discovered singing on a local television
program by Gray Bartlett and soon afterward 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
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 storyteller 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 the
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 the 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
storyteller, 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 onlinemusicm
entors.com and
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 pianist or guitarist. Which of these
do you like more and you feel better
captures your essence?
Music these days is typically
overproduced, 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 visit
yulia.co.nz