My parents, My grandmother Marion, My dearest friends, Renee Fleming, Maria Callas, Maureen Forrester, Victoria De Los Angeles, Marilyn Horne, Carol Vaness, Joni Mitchell, Mercedes Sosa, Frida Kalho, Patsy Cline, Emmylou Harris, Alison Krauss, Harry Connick Jr., Agnes Jaoui, Mariza, Amalia Rodrigues, Dixie Chicks, Stan Rogers, Gordon Lightfoot, Laura Smith
I come from the small town of Simcoe in south-western Ontario. I grew up on rock, folk, country and bluegrass.
In the summer after grade nine my parents took my sister, Mandy and I on a 2-month backpacking trip of southeast Asia. The entire trip I gravitated toward all of the amazing music and languages I heard. I was hooked.
Two years later I declared to my parents that I wanted to go on an exchange. With the help of the Rotary Club of Simcoe, I spent my grade 12 year in Cordoba, Argentina.
The next year I headed to the University of Toronto and to the studio of Lorna MacDonald. By my 4th year recital I was well into my discovery of the art song of Spain and Latin America. Non-music studies had me learning the poetry and literature of Latin America with a professor who has become a very important part of my life, Keith Ellis. During my undergrad I also felt the need to use my Spanish to learn the basics of Portuguese. Knowing that I wanted to focus on Latin American music and with a specific teacher in mind, in 1999 I headed to Houston, Texas to begin my Master of Music degree at Rice University with Kathleen Kaun.
What an amazing school! I had many opportunities to perform in concert and recital in the beautiful facilities of the Shepherd School of Music. Still desiring more schooling and performance opportunity, especially on the opera stage, I decided to do some post-graduate work at the University of Texas at Austin with a great American baritone, David Small. In the two years I spent in Austin, I performed in 3 operas, highlighted by the role of Magda Sorel in Menotti’s “The Consul”. What a great experience. I took full advantage of the vast Benson Latin American Collection at UT and performed an entire recital of 20th Century Argentine song.
In Austin I found time to play mandolin and sing in a band called “Fingerpistol”. As my first formal band experience, these guys were the best. Fun times with serious musicianship. A nice combination.
Finally feeling ready to hit the music scene, I returned to Toronto. In the four years that I have been back in Canada I have sung with the Nathaniel Dett Chorale and The Toronto Mendelssohn Choir. Joanne Chapin, Cissy Goodridge and I formed an a cappella trio called “wayward sister” and successfully hit the Toronto club scene. In 2005 I sang the role of Jo in Adamo’s opera version of “Little Women” with TrypTych Productions. Over the last two and a half years I have performed on numerous occasions with Tapestry New Opera Works and am now a member of their Studio Company.
I never would have envisioned myself as a performer of new music, but here I am and I love it. Working with all the composers, librettists and fellow singers associated with Tapestry has made me a much better singer and even better musician.
In much the same manner I have been collaborating with multi-instrumentalist and composer, Louis Simao. We perform together frequently as a duo and I am often a guest with his band, FAIA. We are currently working on a song cycle based on the poetry of Cuban, Nicolas Guillen.
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we sing our heart-dreams loudly into moonlit skies, wishing upon flickers of light, skipping our smooth hope-pebbles along the wide ways of promise.
ripple, they do, these echoed promises, in thousands of shimmering circles resonating our life’s expectancy as we cast silken spun web-nets trying to capture the elusive understanding;
you, your grace wanders each subtle life-note each word each gentle phrase in rise and fall as morning song windows open your soul each breathless call reaches higher praise your life emerges as starlit diamonds from fiery coal anvil struck forged in trials with faith and hope you spark you soar
The morning garden is still. Softly, the growing dawn wakens bird-song. The long grasses, flowing - a gentle breeze blending with roses, hyacinth and lavender; wind chimes singing quietly melodic notes. The garden center; a cobalt blue vase fountain, almost silent ripples of water cascade over the rim to mirror-black, smooth, glistening pebbles. My eyes, steady, fixed, focus above. The clear sky, warm air wafting, this morning yields, peacefully to the slow heat of day. Shadows shorten and hide from the sun while we wait for the coolness of evening to carry us home.
Love your tone, phrasing and diction, wonderful pipes, Im a vocalist as well, guitar is more my instrument, I see we both play mandolin!
you are clearly an inspiration and an education, I am in awe of your work..Carnegie Hall here you come
may all your notes be bel canto.
Veronica ;)
Hey Jessica! Great to hear from you, I hope things are going well. I'm looking forward to finishing up in San Diego in the next few months. Are you singing anything with Tapestry at the moment? Are you doing the liblab this summer?
