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