Vol 28
Defying Expectations There are certain stereotypes that come with being a soprano, especially those performing classical music, performing in posh venues, and wearing ball gowns. However, when it comes to classical crossover the listener must expect the unexpected and a perfect example of one such performer is Mary-Jess. “My training was going to karaoke with mum and singing the rock and the pop songs of karaoke,” she tells us. Mary-Jess learned about how to deal with different audiences and also “versatility within the voice.” She gained her love of classical music from her grandmother and described it as, “My only way to rebel… because my mum was already doing all of the tattoos and the motorbike, riding and singing all the rock stuff.” Mary-Jess is candid about the difficulties she experienced growing up with her single mother supporting the family, “I had such marvelous examples set for me, especially by my mum, in this regard, because we didn’t have any money to do anything with. If anything needed doing around the house. She’d have to learn how to do it. So she learned plastering bricklaying, carpentry, and anything that needed doing, mum would have to learn how to do it… She never said this to me but I learned through her actions, that nothing is impossible.”
Her mother also encouraged MaryJess to take advantage of any opportunity that came her way. “She’d say, ‘Jessie, go for it. Just go for it, you never know what’s going to happen, take that opportunity.'” Another early lesson that has stuck with Mary-Jess came from her grandmother. “Make sure you always have more than one string to your bow.” These lessons would eventually lead to the biggest moment of her career. In searching for her “second string” Mary-Jess tried a number of different things including electronics, and French but she was met with a lot of doubt from her peers and even professors. One teacher, in particular, refused to allow her to study Spanish stating, “I don’t think you’re capable.” It was a devastating blow for the thenteenage Mary-Jess but she used it as further fuel for her ambitions. “I was aware that if I wanted to break out of what everybody assumed my life would be, I had to make the most of every single opportunity. And it didn’t even matter what it was. ” Mandarin Chinese was later offered as an extracurricular GCSE and she determined to study and master it. “I got the top grade in that exam. So I showed him,” what’s more the language itself resonated deeply with her, “I have completely fallen in love with. I absolutely love it.”
Later she received the chance to study in China and did so. While there she entered the Chinese version of the X-Factor and won the whole thing. The result was so unexpected that when the English newspapers began to pick up the story, multiple record labels became interested in signing her.
there’s no denying the incredible blow it would be for any artist. She remembers thinking, “that my dream career that I dreamed of since I was a child was over at the age of 21… it took a long time for me to pick myself up and feel like I was able to start being creative again.”
“I was lucky at the time to have two major labels that wanted to sign me,” Mary-Jess told me. “So I had Decca giving me contracts as well as Sony. And that meant that my music lawyer was able to sort of pitch them against each other to create a contract that was more flexible for me… I was able to negotiate a great deal of creative control.”
But being the tenacious woman she is, Mary-Jess did pick herself up again and released an independent Christmas offering, “Prayer to a Snowflake.” This time she included some traditional carols along with her original compositions. “As the first one as an independent artist, it was the steepest learning curve, but once again, so proud of that album.”
Unlike many artists who record from the Universal “standard” classical and crossover repertoire, Mary-Jess was able to create an original album, “Shine.” Looking back now, she’s not sure if going the more traditional route would have been easier for the label to promote by using their traditional channels but says she is proud of the record they created. “I’ve still got so many great stories and memories from Shine. Decca did give me the most incredible start to my career that I’m really grateful for. And the memories I’ve got like recording in Abbey Road. We recorded the strings from the Royal Philharmonic in Abbey Road for the album and to hear the songs that I’d written come to life in such an iconic place was I can’t even describe that feeling.”
Her next release “Inspire” was a special project intended to promote young talent. “I wanted to elevate these young musicians because I feel that their voices are so beautiful. They just deserve the world to hear them.”
Eventually, Decca released Mary-Jess from her contract which of course was agonizing for her. Now she can look and be self-deprecating saying, “That was a good six months of sulking in my pajamas, feeling sorry for myself,” but
Mary-Jess also has given many masterclasses and is a Patron of the Door Youth Project. She teaches them the lessons that brought her success, “language learning, having more than one string to your bow, making the most of every opportunity, how to make it in the music industry, how to be an independent artist” and more. She hopes to be the voice of support that she missed from educators hoping to help, “inspire the next generation so that they can have the voice that I didn’t have from a teacher so that they can have a voice that goes, you can do it, you can actually do anything if you set your mind to it because nothing is impossible. You just don’t know how to do it yet. And so I love being able to talk to young people and change their minds about
a few things. Because when we’re growing up, we see our family, we see our peers, we see the barriers that they’ve got, and normally it’s barriers that they’ve put on themselves. So as soon as you start asking questions that make them realize, ‘Oh, hang on a minute, this isn’t actually impossible for me. I just think it is but actually, it isn’t.’ It’s challenging their own thinking. And that’s when you really get those light bulb moments that are so fantastic to see you like see a switch flick in their head. And that realization like the smile come across their face where you go, ‘Oh, hang on a minute. Maybe my dreams are actually possible for me.'” Through the pandemic keeping the hope in a music career alive was difficult for many performers but MaryJess challenged herself to learn more about marketing and creating new ways to connect with her supporters.
She even created her own ‘Mary-Jess Club’ which she calls “My absolute favorite place in the whole of the internet.” Mary-Jess has been open in describing the costs artists face saying, “It’s just that level of transparency that gains understanding. And I feel like that’s very important, especially when it comes to people’s money.” She spent time researching the right platform and settled on Ko-Fi feeling it offered the most value to her supporters. ”I just couldn’t do it without my club now. I really couldn’t. There’s absolutely no way. And so I appreciate these people in ways that I can’t even articulate because they are so loving, they are so supportive, and they are there for me and whatever I do, and the fact that I’m able to bring them along on every single journey with me is amazing.”
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Lisa Swerdlow
Coming to America Composer Lisa Swerdlow released a homage to her Jewish ancestors entitled “Coming to America” which she hopes will inspire immigrants. She has also recently been nominated for the Hollywood music in media awards for her contemporary classical piece, “All is not lost.” CCM: How did your family influence your love for music? Lisa Swerdlow: My father was a musician himself and an avid audiophile. We had a big Zenith stereo in our living room and on the weekends he would play all kinds of music and so I was exposed to a variety of genres: Harry Belafonte, Henry Mancini, George Gershwin, French music, Classical music. My family also loved live theater and took
me to see such musicals as Auntie Mame, Fiddler on the Roof, My Fair Lady and others. My extended family was also full of musicians: I had an uncle who was an excellent violinist, an older cousin who loved to play Bach, and an aunt who sang beautifully. I was probably 8 years old before I ever entered a house that didn’t have a piano in it. I thought every house was a musical house.
CCM: Do you remember what inspired the first piece you ever composed? Lisa Swerdlow: My best friend and I started learning guitar at about 12 years of age and started writing songs. Our first collaboration was called “Dear Diary”. We actually thought we could be the next Lennon/McCartney! The first solo piece I wrote was inspired by a back-packing trip into the Sierra Nevada mountains at age 15 called “Minarets”. After that, I just kept on composing songs that were about my wishes and dreams. CCM: What are some of the different styles and influences you bring into your playing? Lisa Swerdlow: I’ve played many different styles of music over my life, but I tend to write in the Neo-classical realm more than any other. Lately I’ve been doing a hybridization of Classical and Jazz. I have always been drawn to melodic phrasing as if the piano is actually singing the parts. My classical background does influence the structure and cadence of my music. CCM: Researching family heritage is such an illuminating process. Tell us about your own discoveries and the inspiration of “Coming to America” concerto. Lisa Swerdlow: Researching my ancestry has been a real challenge and also very enlightening. I still don’t know much about my ancestry previous to my grandparents and I’m sad that I never asked them questions about their lives in Russia or who their parents and grandparents were. When I was composing Coming To America Concerto I felt very strongly that this story of the Immigrant diaspora needed to be told. I am a storyteller without words, using the
universal language of music to inform my listeners. Just imagining what it must have been like for my grandparents to leave their homeland of many generations, saying goodbye to family and friends forever, and venturing thousand of miles to find a new homeland really moved me. Even though my ancestors have been gone for many decades I felt them leaning over my shoulder encouraging me to tell their story. CCM: What has it been like to share your new concerto with audiences (both virtual and live)? Lisa Swerdlow: Absolutely fantastic! I have received amazing reception from everyone who has contacted me and who have listened to the whole concerto. This includes other descendants of Eastern European Jews, as well as people of Irish, Italian and Asian descent. Many people have resonated and told me that it is their ancestors’ story as well. When I played it live at a concert last November, I was stunned to receive a standing ovation that lasted quite a long time. I dream to be able to play the concerto with a live orchestra one of these days. CCM: Have you started writing anything new? Lisa Swerdlow: I have five new pieces that I will be recording in the near future, and I’m always working out some ideas on the piano. I’ve carved out some time without the pressure of performing or recording to just allow inspiration to come to me. It’s not something that one can chase after. It can be rather fleeting and I must have patience. My next concert isn’t until July so I have time to work on new projects.
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Saving Mozart This year on the birthday of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart while many classical music lovers celebrated the past, a young composer sought to bring his story forward to a new generation. Weaving Mozart’s beloved compositions in with her own original melodies, Charli Eglinton shines the light on the lesser-known story of the women in Mozart’s life and how they sought to protect him, in a brand-new musical “Saving Mozart.” Classical Crossover Magazine was delighted to speak to Charli about the musical and we will be eagerly watching her new projects and continued development in what is sure to be a remarkable career.
CCM: Growing up did you always have an active imagination, and were you putting on stories for family and friends? Charli Eglinton: Yes! For my first birthday, my grandma gave me a VHS of Disney’s Fantasia 2000 (which sets pieces of classical music to short animations) and that sparked a passion for both music and storytelling in me. Growing up hooked on Disney and anime, I would spend all
my time writing mad-cap comic / manga series, which eventually gave way to writing musicals! CCM: Did you receive any formal music training before you began composing? Charli Eglinton: I studied A Level Music at a fantastic sixth form college in London (where Mozart was part of our syllabus). My music teacher took us
to see the 2016 ENO production of Don Giovanni which was my first time experiencing an opera – I at once fell in love with both Mozart and opera! Composition-wise though, I’m completely self-taught. CCM: Undertaking a full musical is an enormous task. Tell us about your musical “Eternally Yours” and what you learned. Charli Eglinton: It really is – and I wish I could say it gets easier with practice! ‘Eternally Yours’ was originally a supernatural mystery manga series I’d written but decided could work well as a musical, so I (as an eager but very, very naive 17-year-old) set about adapting it…to say it was a learning curve would be an understatement! The sign of a great show is to not realize the complex dramaturgical mechanics that make it ‘great’, so I spent a lot of time unpacking other musicals I admired and why they worked, to then address my own. Eternally is really my ‘prototype’ project – it’s a kind of marker for me to look back on and see how far I’ve progressed with each new musical I write. I actually rethought and rewrote the piece completely last summer in a musical called ‘Dyseheart’ shifting the focus to one of the other characters from Eternally and was very lucky to engage Broadway star Telly Leung for the lead role in a remote concept album.
CCM: What was the response from your teachers and peers when you began creating these early works? Charli Eglinton: I was extremely lucky to have such a supportive network of teachers and peers all the way through this bizarre venture. Theatre is such a difficult industry to break into and musicals are surprisingly an extremely complex beast to get right – especially when you’re doing everything on your own! Without the encouragement and assurance I’ve had over the years, I’m not sure I’d still be doing what I’m doing. CCM: When did the idea for “Saving Mozart” come about? Charli Eglinton: After studying him at A Level, Mozart’s grown and grown on me – there’s just an out pour of raw emotion in his music that resonates deeply with me (as well as his 600 ear worms permanently lodged in my head!) And I do adore Peter Schaffer’s Amadeus, to the point where I wanted to write about Mozart myself – but needed to find an angle… CCM: The story delves into the women behind Mozart which are stories lesser known to the public. How much research did you do before starting to compose? Charli Eglinton: A bit of surface digging on the internet and I discovered he had an older sister – a prodigious, musical sister, Nannerl, who first inspired little Wolfgang to fall in love with music but was denied a career once she reached 18 (marriageable age). As a fellow female composer, I was enthralled yet devastated by her
story – and passionate to tell it. But her story stops after she turns 18, so I needed something else to make a show… Further internet digging uncovered the incredible truth about Mozart’s wife, Constanze, and the pivotal role she played, keeping his fragile ego afloat and his finances in check for their brief 9-year relationship (before his early death, age 35). But most amazing of all was to learn that, although the two women did not get along while Mozart was alive, after his death, they put all differences aside to compile his biography – without which, his legacy could have been lost to history! And like that – I had my angle. The two women who saved Mozart. I bought a whole raft of books to research Mozart – including John Suchet’s brilliant ‘Mozart: The Man Revealed’ to Penguin’s ‘Mozart: A Life in Letters’ which documented all written correspondence from him and his family across his lifetime. This was an invaluable insight into coloring the characters (and using snatches of verbatim throughout the script and songs). To cross-reference, I also relied on a brilliant four-part BBC Documentary ‘The Genius of Mozart’ (2004) shot in part like a mockumentary. Watching reconstructions of his life made him and the world he existed intangible – I could visualize it in my head and felt confident enough to write it. CCM: Throughout the album, you have woven your original music together with fragments from
Mozart’s famous compositions. Were these your personal favorites of his work? Charli Eglinton: From the off with this project, I wanted to showcase that Mozart was the pop-star of his day (and make classical music accessible and fun – particularly for a younger audience who are largely disenfranchised with the classical genre.) So I thought to weave a fragment of his work through every song might then spark an interest in people to listen to the original music (and hopefully fall in love as much as I did!) All the way through my research phase, I’d have Mozart playing in the background – and any pieces that particularly struck me, I’d drop them into a special playlist. So when it came to composing, I had a bank of over 80 pieces to choose from (that’s 80 narrowed down from a staggering 626!) I wanted to showcase a mix of his music: the hits everyone knows and loves, but also some more obscure pieces – which in my opinion, are some of his most beautiful work (i.e fragments from the Piano Concerto No. 25 (ii) which I used in the song ‘She Just Doesn’t Know It Yet’. Where possible, I tried to make my choices relevant to the story – i.e using the Marriage of Figaro overture for the song ‘I Say No’ which sees Wolfgang and Constanze’s parents trying to prevent their marriage. Equally, I lifted passages of the Requiem – Lacrimosa in the song ‘Because of You’ where little Wolfgang mourns the death of
Nannerl’s career (now she’s turned 18), and the Kyrie in the song ‘I Believed You’ marking the death of Wolfgang’s relationship with Constanze, who is outraged by his destructive, reckless tendencies. CCM: Tell us a little bit about your process (i.e story-boarding, or starting with a specific song, do you write with certain voices in mind?) Charli Eglinton: Call me old fashioned but whenever I start a new project, I map it out on cards so I can track the plot and look at song placements – it’s then easy to change things around if it doesn’t work. Once I’ve got a structure nailed, I tackle the book first, marking where songs will go. It sounds really pedantic but I can’t compose without knowing exactly what’s going on before and after a song! Then, I comb through chronologically to complete the music. I find it easier to set up motifs and weave them through as I go than a scatter-gun approach, backwards engineering things afterwards (and I always write lyrics first – let the words structure and shape the music.)
I’m very lucky to know a brilliant pool of singers who I often use to bring my work to life, so with this project, I had a few definite voices in mind that I was writing for. Work with singers long enough and you know by heart their range, their limitations but also what makes their voice sound its absolute best, which was really helpful to follow (though they’ll tell you that’s rubbish and that I always test them – but they certainly rose to the challenge on this album!) CCM: What project is next for you? Charli Eglinton: Next for me is…a very different show. I straddle writing two kinds of musicals – biopics / true stories and fantastical, larger-than-life original stories (where all my Disney / anime childhood comes into its own!) I’m now writing a new original idea. I’m also working on redrafts for one of my other original musicals ‘EI8HT’ (a 20s mafia story with a steampunk twist) which is now in development in New York. Incidentally, EI8HT began as a musical / opera fusion which had a sold-out premier at Andrew Lloyd Webber’s Other Palace Theatre in 2019, as part of the Tete A Tete Opera Festival.
CHARLIEGLINTON.COM
Careers in Music Laura Williams is an American Christian singer who has been sharing her message in song for several years. She has come a long way from the shy seven-year-old who was sure performance was not for her. “The first thing I did when I walked into my first lesson is very confidently tell my teacher, there’s nothing you can do to make me sing for you. And she just kind of shrugged. She was like, “Okay”, I guess she gets that a lot.” Not only did she convince Laura to sing for her but also in recitals, although after her first performance she was asked “Were you even singing? Because apparently no sound came out.” Laura eventually overcame her stage fright and was introduced to Josh Groban, Sarah Brightman, and Charlotte Church among others. “The more I listened to their music, the more I wanted to sing… I wanted to do what they were doing. And so I started doing more and more, and it was absolutely terrifying. But it got a little easier each time.” Laura attended Fountainview Academy which has a strong music program and began to realize the importance of sacred music. “During my time there I realized that it can be so much more satisfying to sing music that can have an impact on on a person’s life for eternity. And I realized that’s what I want to do. I want to completely focus on that.” After graduating, Laura began performing and touring full-time. At first it was exciting but eventually the travel
began to be difficult on her. “After a while it can start to get lonely, it can start to get really tiring. You’re always around strangers… So I started praying that God would send somebody that would bring to this ministry, things that I couldn’t myself… And also, you know, wouldn’t mind the lifestyle of traveling all the time living out of a suitcase, all of that.” Quality is very important to Laura especially when it comes to inspirational music. “It’s music for God, it should be the highest quality we can possibly do.” During a break from performing, Laura was working at her brother’s pizza shop when her future husband walked in. “He saw my CD's there on the counter and he says, hey, you know, I’m going to school for audio engineering. If you ever want help recording, just give me a call.” God was working on both their hearts and their meeting led not only to a friendship, but conversion. “I got to see him give his life to God. And he ended up being just the person that I needed. He’s an audio engineer, so he produces all my CD s. He took up videography so he makes all my music videos. He took up photography so he does a lot of the photos and all that just everything and Ernie loves traveling.” Each album that Laura and Ernie produce is put together with great thought. “We want all of our music to have a purpose and to have context.
So I don’t generally just like to record random songs, every CD has a theme. And if possible, I do like having things in between like… we put narrations between each song to tell the story and bring it together with both words and music.” Having heard Laura live in concert in December of 2021, the preparation is clear and there was a perfect balance between song and testimony. Laura’s soprano voice is clear and heartfelt and every bit as polished on her recordings. It’s also clear how well the team works together as they passed the mic back and forth during different parts of the show. Laura also performed songs from her latest completely original album entitled, “All That I Need.” Laura shares, “The way I write music, it’s definitely not conventional. And musicians that are highly trained are going to be like, “What is this girl doing?” But I don’t read music at all, so I can’t compose or write my music down… So a lot of those songs, what I
would do is just write the lyrics first and then I have like the general idea of what I want the melody to be like, but then I push record and I start playing and whatever happens, happens. And I’ll do it until it’s right.” Laura’s main focus is on live concerts but she continues to release videos and is planning additional albums soon. “We have two that are in the works, almost done. The first one that’s going to come out is called ‘Scripture Songs for the last days.’” It will be based on compositions by her mother. “Then the next one will be a CD called Never Alone. And that one is all focused on songs that bring comfort to people especially like right now, you know, people are at home, people aren’t getting the interaction as much as they used to and a lot of people are feeling lonely. I hope that the CD can encourage people that are feeling that way that they are never alone and God’s always there, no matter no matter how isolated they may feel.”
If you want to have a career as a music ministry (touring) artist you should: Enjoy Travel: “It’s so different all the time. And it’s so hard to keep a schedule, I wish we could be on a solid schedule even just as far when we eat. But sometimes we’re in a different state every other day.” Be Flexible: “Be open to change, for sure… we actually just take our equipment on the road and record everywhere. I honestly wish I would have taken a picture at every place that we recorded, how we’ve set up our studio, because sometimes it’s crazy just blankets everywhere, and pillows here and they’re falling on you while you’re trying to record.”
LAURAWILLIAMSMUSIC.COM
Song
BEHIND THE
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Jonathan Cilia Faro: For the first time in my career, the song chose me. Michael W. Smith: This song has such a great, universal message about being guided by a higher spirit. I think it applies to so much but especially what the world has been going through the past few years and is currently dealing with.
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Lizzie, Singer of the Lakes: This song is very special to me. I wrote it a number of years ago now, but have only recently had the means and confidence to release it and share it with the world. ‘What is the word’ is about the feeling of love and the journey it can take. If you have told someone you love them and that love grows, what is the word to describe that feeling? I want to transport the listener into thinking about their own feelings of love and what it means to them.
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Paul Ettore Tabone: This is a beautifully written song. When I first was able to hear this song during the film, I fell in love. I especially love everything that Lady Gaga stands for when it comes to equality and as a homage to teamed up with the wonderful Natalie May Paris to create something special. As I have said before, I am extremely passionate about inspiring young people to appreciate opera buy using popular music performed in an operatic way. This arrangement by Paulina Derska allows just this.
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I composed this piece of music, as I wanted to write a French tune in the form of a waltz. I love France, with its incredible cultural inheritance and well as the weather and food, and I felt that this piece somehow encompasses all of the above. I first heard it in my head and then wrote it on paper. Having said that, I did spend some time at the piano just ‘fooling’ around, getting in a mood. Then a theme just popped out.
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Eurielle Lady In Waiting and Beyond
By Natasha Barbieri
COVER STORY
Eurielle is one of the most successful independent classical crossover artists. With millions of streams and music video views, she has made a name combining her classical vocals with original compositions that take listeners into a world of myth and fantasy. I caught up with Eurielle for our ‘Connections’ series to discuss her career and latest album, “Lady in Waiting.” The first time I was introduced to Eurielle with her single “Carry Me” she already had a defined sound and image but her beginnings were very traditional. Eurielle studied classical voice and was accepted to the Royal Academy of Music. “I always sort of had this feeling that I wanted to do my own music, that I didn’t just want to be kind of constrained to always performing music that was written by other people,” she told me. She began searching for alternatives and eventually became connected with producer Ryan Louder. The duo had no firm direction but due to the popularity of Katherine Jenkins at the time, assumed it might be a similar path. “All the potential was there for us to go down that route.” It was here where experimentation played a crucial role. “We quickly discovered that if you layered my voice up, and you sort of pulled the vibrato back a bit, you know, that was a nice sound.” As Eurielle and Ryan continued to record and try new things they eventually came to realize the parallels with Enya. “We just looked at each other and were like, ‘Oh, this sounds a little bit like Enya, doesn’t it?’ That just happened completely by accident… we naturally found this sound of mine.” Eurielle shared that the journey in the music industry has not always been easy. “Like all things, you know, as an independent artist, there’s a journey. And along that journey, sometimes you make mistakes.” For her it
included managers who often led her the wrong direction, which included trying to market her to major labels. “Right at the beginning of my career, I really had no idea about the industry at that point, and certainly had no idea that being an independent artist was a thing.” Because at the time her sound was so unique most labels didn’t know what to do with her and the process was frustrating. From some offers that made her feel as though she had “dodged a bullet” and finally being ghosted by one of the top labels, Eurielle felt as though the writing was on the wall. “I was just like; I get the message. You know, I am just going to have to do this myself and hope for the best.” Although it felt like a major setback, she now describes it as “the best thing that ever happened to me.” Navigating the music business has been challenging but she says, “I was forced to kind of figure everything out for myself. I’ve learned so much now that I’m in a far, far stronger position, if I ever do get signed to a label in future… I’ve had to be so hands-on with absolutely every part of my career, I understand everything in great detail now. And that’s put me in a much stronger position than I would have ever been.” Eurielle is one of the few independent musicians to make a majority part of her income from streaming. She says that it was one of those happy accidents as at the time she was “too inexperienced” to push it herself. “At that time, when I released my debut album, independent artists had been around for a while, but it was still a relatively newish kind of concept. So, there was less music being released at that time, and therefore more opportunity for those albums being released by artists like me to be discovered, and to grow…. It was just again, pure luck in timing. The
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As I’ve gotten older, this feeling inside of me that I can only make music if a song has a deep personal meaning to me, has just got stronger and stronger and stronger, to the extent that I just have zero interest now in making any song unless it has some deep personal meaning to me.
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circumstances were right for an album like mine to be able to take root and grow organically. So, I was very lucky like that. And I’m also aware of the fact that for most independent artists, it’s very, very difficult to make a living from streaming. So that my music has achieved that is something I’m extremely grateful for.” As an artist Eurielle is also very focused on creating music that will last. “As I’ve gotten older, this feeling inside of me that I can only make music if a song has a deep personal meaning to me, has just got stronger and stronger and stronger, to the extent that I just have zero interest now in making any song unless it has some deep personal meaning to me. And I think that’s a core reason probably why the songs that I make, hopefully do sound timeless, because they’re based on real emotions, real experiences that, you know, everybody goes through. So, they’re universal themes, essentially, that I’m singing about and concepts that everybody can identify with.”
She admits to being out of touch with the latest trends. “I’ve never been cool. But I don’t care because I don’t want to make songs that will be popular today and nobody wants to listen to in two years’ time.” She’d rather make music that is steered by quality rather than popularity. “Hopefully, you know, they’ll sound as fresh in 10, 20 years’ time as they do now.” For her latest album, “Lady in Waiting” Eurielle has brought back producer Charlie Mole (who also co-produced her second album Goodbye Butterfly). The album was recorded in Air Studios in London with the Chamber Orchestra of London. “I think it was just a case of kind of taking what we’d done with the second album and elaborating on that with the next album and improving on that.” Eurielle can see the growth between her second and third albums and credits Charlie Mole who “kind of pushed me out of my comfort zone, because he got me to do things that I hadn’t done before, and I never thought that I
would do as somebody coming kind of from a classical background… it’s one of the reasons I wanted to work with him because I wanted to grow and develop as an artist not to just stay in that kind of very safe groove of just releasing album after album that all sound the same.” One of the more surprising songs on the album was “Your One and Only.” Eurielle tells us, “I had said to Charlie it would be nice to try and do a kind of vintage style song. I’ve been watching that TV series, the Queen’s Gambit on Netflix, which had a very 60s sort of soundtrack, and that was kind of what put the idea in my mind… I never expected to do a 60s style track. I love that one.” Of course, when discussing Eurielle’s career I simply had to bring up the various soundtracks she has been part of. She began the journey at a networking event – Games Music Connect. “I went there not having a clue really who anybody was.” She carefully observed and finally
approached Darrell Alexander, CEO of COOL Music who warmed up to her upon discovery that they had both attended the Royal Academy of Music. “A couple of weeks later, he sent me an email and said, you know, how would you like to record a song for Downton Abbey? And I was like ‘Yeah, go on. Yes, please!’ And then one song turned into two songs. And then after that, I just got the opportunity to record on various different soundtracks.” Other credits fans may recognize are Enola Holmes, Shazam, The Wonderful: Stories from the Space Station, Born in China, and Call the Midwife. She also recorded for video games like Dice Legacy and Cassock. As to what’s next, Eurielle says she has a whole list of things she’d like to accomplish this year and calls it a “mixed bag.” At the end of this month fans can enjoy a collaboration with Clamavi de Profundis; a group that specializes in recording fantasy songs and especially the works of J.R.R.
Tolkien. The video will be available exclusively on her YouTube channel. Eurielle is also currently collaborating with Ryan Louder to make an album of the singles they released after her first album Arcadia and adding a few new ones to the mix. “I’ve got scribbled on my list here things like Greek mythology album, opera album…” though she clarifies it’s opera “with my twist,” and
of course more soundtracks to come as well. “It’s going to be an interesting year. I’m actually quite excited about it because, when you’re doing a whole album there’s a lot of pressure but if you’re just doing a bit of this and a bit of that, more bite-sized projects with other people, and it’s all really different stuff, there’s less pressure.”
www.eurielle.com Photos used with thanks to Benjamin Ealovega.
CCM: How would you describe your sound for new fans? Ayenn Stark: I would say my music is Classical Crossover with a chamber orchestra feel. CCM: Tell us about your new album "Me and My piano"? Ayenn Stark: I had been wanting to create a Classical Crossover for a very long time, but didn’t have the musicians I needed to do so. Finally I decided to just do it. So I sat at my piano for two months everyday and just wrote. Except for two remakes, I wrote every song on that same piano. I had never done that before. I actually usually write in my studio, using my keyboard. I felt such an intimate bond with my piano after that. So I named the album “Me And My Piano”. Afterwards I was able to find wonderful and talented musicians from all the world to lend their talents to my songs. Producing this album was one of the best things that has ever happened to me.
I did get the idea to remake “Can’t Help Falling In Love” from Andrea Bocelli; he has a nice version. As a single, I also remade Per Te by Josh Groban. It is really great to remake known songs, because you can put your own spin on it, but I really felt the need to write my own material because I consider myself more of a song writer than a singer or performer. CCM: What is the one thing you'd want listeners to know about you Ayenn the person and the musician? Ayenn Stark: I love the simple things in life, like spending time with my wife, daughters, and my little poodle, Bisou, as well as with family and friends. I love writing music. Lyrics are very important to me, and being able to put them to music has been a great gift in my life. I’m an easy-going person who enjoys life and all the possibilities that it brings. When you lay attention to my lyrics, you will notice that I wrote about many different emotions and experiences. It’s real.
CCM: How did you find the balance between original and well-known tracks?
CCM: What are some of your goals for the future?
Ayenn Stark: I only have two wellknown tracks on the album, and ironically they aren’t even Classical Crossover songs. One is “Can’t Help Falling In Love” by Elvis Presley, and the other is “ Open Arms” by Journey.
Ayenn Stark: My dream is to write for other Classical Crossover artists to ask me to write a song for them. That’s really what I dream about. That would be such an honor. If not, I’ll just keep recording for myself. I do enjoy singing, but I believe my talent is writing.
The Creation of a Musical PART 1
The Short Story – What kind of person creates a musical? If you would like to keep this reading short, there is really no reason to read any further if you know what kind of person you are, compared to a person who creates a musical. In fact, the person I am talking about will create pretty much anything he or she sets their mind to, If… …they are a passionate person. …If they are the kind of person who will always be extremely passionate about their creation. …if their passion grows stronger with the progression of their creation. There is also a very important aspect you need to know about which is, protecting your creation at all costs. Although you are not an expert in every task you will undertake with your creation, you are the only one who really knows what it should or should not look like. Along your journey, you may meet some shady people who are just out to make a buck, and who are not otherwise interested in your creation. Know how to recognize them and weed them out, fast! Know that the people you will always work extremely well with are the people that will share
the same passion. In this case, this would be the passion to bring your creation to life. Do not worry, there are people in your surroundings who will be passionate about your creation, and who will want to be part of it. You will need to find them and choose wisely because you cannot do this alone, and the people you trust will make a difference in its success. Finally, in order to conserve energy throughout your creative process, be careful not to mistake your passion for commitment. Commitment is a form of dedication to your goal during both good and bad times, even when barriers get in the way. Passion and commitment will always maintain the heartfelt energy you need to succeed, regardless of the time you need to bring your creation to life. Remember this, only passion keeps a dream alive, like sunlight and water to a plant. Some say love is the strongest emotion of all, and maybe so…but, when you are in love, I would have to say there is nothing greater or stronger than being passionately involved. If you are still reading, you might be curious as to the amount of passion I had to generate in order to get this far. How far is this far? You will need to read the entire series to find out!
By Patrick Kimmell Edited by Vaughn Harbin.
Still reading, are you? A wise decision indeed! My story will show you exactly how passion redefined fate in the most amazing ways. Are you ready? Happy reading! Chapter one – In the beginning! I was born in Bedford, Quebec, Canada, and was 30 years old before becoming interested in music. This only happened because I was a bit bored with life and needed a new challenge. Playing the piano would become my new challenge in 1992. This challenge was quite exciting for me and very different from my own lifestyle. My profession at this time was Auto Technician and I was working in my own independent service center called, Autos Experts Inc. I had 16 years invested in the trade and already had my own shop. Quite the contrast indeed, never-the-less, I quickly became an accomplished pianist. While beginning to play the piano at 30 years old, I was able to finish my Preparatory within the first three weeks, then my First Grade within a couple of months, and played in the school’s
recital in June 1993. The owner of the music school, Mr. Paradis, recognized my outstanding progress and singled me out of all the students in his school for mention in the local newspapers. In his opinion, I was a person of interest to look out for at the recital. Never having felt like a prodigy before, I was humbled by his interest, but little knew that this fame would be short-lived. The day of the recital I was all fired up and ready to play. In the first half of the show, I would be playing Beethoven’s Moonlight Sonata, and in the second half, I had an amazing surprise for everyone! I would be playing my very own sonata called, “The Dream”. The title of my sonata would become very ironic to me after its performance. The recital went beautifully for the audience, and I played both pieces flawlessly. People presented me with flowers after I completed playing my sonata and everything seemed perfect. But it was not…I went along with the attention; I smiled and shook hands with everyone like I was playing a role, but I knew something was terribly wrong. I began playing Beethoven’s Moonlight Sonata, but after the fourth bar was played, I started shaking as if I
suffered from Parkinson’s Disease. I was playing this piece subconsciously while trying to stop myself from shaking so much, but the shaking continued. Much to my surprise, my sonata in the second half of the show was played in the same way and I just could not stop the shaking. I am not talking about a little tremble; this was major, and my pieces became extremely hard to perform. There came a time in both pieces when my right leg, using the sustain pedal, began shaking, too. The way the piano was exposed to the audience of 200 people, they could not see much of this. However, my teacher and her daughter saw this from the side of the stage and could not figure out how the piece was being played with all that shaking going on. Needless to say, everyone who had any experience in stage performances, chalked this up to stage fright and anxiety. At the time, I thought this made a lot of sense.
But…that was not actually what was happening. The next chapter will redefine me medically as well as musically. But to give you a hint about what happened next; after this, my one and only recital performance, I was no longer able to use a metronome while playing music. I was no longer able to count beats in my mind without feeling irritated and confused. Time signatures were out of bounds and there was no way for me to get back on track. I was really looking forward to going back to music school in September to fix this but, unfortunately, Mr. Paradis passed away and his wife closed the school and sold the building. As I mentioned earlier, my acclaim was short-lived and I had a new hurdle to conquer, beats and time signatures! But my story was not over yet, even though this seemed to spell out the end of my thoughts of becoming a pianist.
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Felicia Farerre Every great story needs a voice to elevate it beyond the page. For 40 years, Felicia Farerre has been using her pure soprano to do just that. Her voice has been featured in 300: Rise of an Empire, and promotion for Disney’s Maleficent. Through her work with the Taliesin Orchestra, Felicia’s vocals and lyrics have topped the Billboard charts sitting at No.1 for the longest time allowed. Recently Felicia has brought together an incredible team of musicians to form “Epic Women” an album known as “The Shero’s Journey.” Classical Crossover Magazine: When did you know music would be your life’s path? Felicia Farerre: My first awareness of music as my life’s path was at around the age of three. Even though I tried to find other paths, and explored other paths, the path of music stuck with me like a true and loyal friend. Classical Crossover Magazine: What were the musical soundtracks that inspired you as a young musician? Felicia Farerre: Thanks to my father, who had his PhD in music and education administration, and to my mother who was an accomplished pianist, I was exposed to a wide variety of wonderful music. Their tastes were eclectic and diverse. Our house was filled with the beauty of music from every genre. I am very grateful for this. It gave me a great love for music in general. It gave shape to not only my musical preferences but to my sound as a vocalist, producer, and composer.
As far as classical music goes, I was most inspired by Bach, Mozart, Debussy, Handel, Tchaikovsky, and Beethoven. I was very inspired by musical theater pieces by Rodgers and Hammerstein. As a child, I had the opportunity to audition for and participate in various musical theater productions. I was influenced and inspired by the soundtracks of many Disney movies, the original soundtrack for the movie A Star Is Born, and the soundtrack work of John Barry. Especially his soundtrack for Somewhere In Time that featured the work of Rachmaninoff. I love the work of Michael Convertino, the late James Horner, Rachel Portman, Danny Elfman, and many others. The list of those who have inspired me over the years is truly endless. Classical Crossover Magazine: You have been a featured voice on many film and television soundtracks. What have been some of your favorite and most challenging?
Felicia Farerre: My work with Joseph LoDuca on a handful of his TV and film score pieces stands out in the favorite category. He was very kind and pleasant to work with. He gave concrete directives based on the visuals of the film or television segment and what the music needed to portray. He described the scene and the overall feeling, and then he allowed me the freedom to interpret the song from there. It was a harmonious and positive process. The film trailer for Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon was recorded live, with an orchestra sitting behind me. Even though I was accustomed to high pressure, get it right the first time professional vocal work in the era of analog recordings; (tape and roll back in my early days of session work), being recorded with a live orchestra was even more demanding. It was certainly challenging but on the other side of the experience, I gained deeper confidence in my abilities. Such is life. We learn through each experience that challenges us. Classical Crossover Magazine: Among other musical endeavors, you were the vocalist, arranger, and songwriter for the Taliesin Orchestra. How did your participation with this group first begin? Felicia Farerre: My sister, Donna Gibbons was a friend to Trammell Starks, the creator of The Taliesin Orchestra. She introduced my younger brother, the late Rich Gibbons, to Trammell. They did several album projects together under the umbrella of a niche genre record label called Intersound. I was involved with several of those projects and eventually, Trammell Starks asked for my participation in The Taliesin Orchestra album projects specifically.
Classical Crossover Magazine: With the group, you experienced great Billboard chart success. What was it like the first time you made it to the No.1 spot? Felicia Farerre: There was a sense of accomplishment and I was honored to be a part of that success. At the same time, I felt quite removed from certain aspects of the success. The record label and the group name/ brand had the spotlight and the financial benefit. I was paid a flat fee for my work and while I was grateful for the remuneration I received, in the end, it wasn’t entirely equitable. Looking back, I can see that my lack of self-esteem and self-honor was the primary issue. I don’t put it on anyone else. I was unconsciously creating these types of situations and allowing or enabling inequitable terms. That was then. This is now. This experience and others like it definitely woke me up and gave me the inspiration to do something proactive; to be the change I wanted to see rather than waiting for the change to happen. Creating the Epic Women project has been a sort of alchemy for me; a way to transmute underwhelming experiences into positive possibilities. Classical Crossover Magazine: In addition to your own singing, you are also a teacher and technician. Can you tell us a little bit about your book and method for singers? Felicia Farerre: My book is a nononsense approach to discovering and developing your true voice. It was born out of my personal experience of vocal limitation and not being able to find the answers to those limitations. Even after working with some of the most renowned vocal coaches in America, I was still limited in my ability to sing full voice in my upper range. I
was able to transition into head voice seamlessly but I could not find my powerful middle voice, or ability to belt as some people call it. For years, it felt like I was crossing rough waters without anything to steady me regarding my voice. When all along, I just needed to find the bridge that would allow me to cross those waters with ease.
Thankfully, my professional work did not suffer but I was suffering in the background knowing that my voice was missing a puzzle piece. No matter what I did, what I read, or who I studied with, I couldn’t find that elusive missing piece.
After years of searching, I finally had my Eureka moment that changed everything for me vocally. I had been through and was going through significant life changes. My entire belief system was under construction. Perhaps this was the catalyst that shifted my auditory perception as well and allowed me to receive the answers I had been searching for regarding my voice for such a long time. It was on my drive from my former life in Utah to my future life in Tennessee that my Eureka moment happened. I was listening to Faith Hill’s album Breathe when a shift occurred in my ability to listen. Suddenly, what I once heard as singing, started to break down into very simple, concrete terms. For the first time ever, what I heard wasn’t someone singing at all. What I heard was someone speaking, whispering, yelling, laughing, and crying in various pitches. For the next several years, I retrained my voice based on my new understanding. As a result, I enjoyed unlimited vocal expression for the first time in my life. I also enjoyed the fruits of my labors
regarding the professional work I was asked to do and able to do with ease. I went on to teach a great number of vocal students with my new understanding about the voice and from a place of real-world professional experience. I was so pleased about the results I experienced in my own voice and in the voices of my students that I wanted to write it down and share it with others who may face similar vocal limitations as those that I had experienced. In writing down my experience, I developed my own unique vocal methodology which became my book, Real Singers Don’t Sing. This book is a powerful foundation for anyone in any genre of music who wishes to understand the technical aspects of the voice. It is a profound way to discover your true voice. My vocal awareness continues to evolve and has expanded to include the emotional, psychological, and spiritual aspects of the voice. I would love to write a second book about these aspects. Classical Crossover Magazine: You have been in the music industry for nearly 40 years which is incredible. What are some of the most valuable lessons you have learned? Felicia Farerre: Through the experience of using my ears as deep listening tools for so many years I have learned to lean on their wisdom. I say that my ears have eyes. This is what it feels like. I have learned that listening is a beautiful gift. It is one of the most important skills a vocalist can develop. I have learned that for me, success as a vocalist means being a pure conduit of light through sound; one that allows the listener to experience their own light or divinity. I have learned that if you want to be honored and respected in the music
industry or in any part of life, you must show your cards at the table, check your ego at the door, and keep your heart at the center of all you do. Look to serve the all, rather than just the self. I have learned to value my gifts and share them with those who value them as well. I have learned that reclaiming your voice, especially as a woman, is a life-long journey; a shero’s journey, of which I am still a curious traveler. I have learned that no matter what path you are here to walk, being true to yourself and your path is the most courageous thing you will ever do. It takes absolute bravery to discover who you are, why you are here, and whatever the path, to figure out what changes for good you can make right where you are. I have learned that you don’t have to be a person of great means or status in order to facilitate and support meaningful change. I have learned that How I do anything, is how I do everything. Classical Crossover Magazine: Tell us how the Epic Woman group/project came about? Felicia Farerre: Three years ago, I had the idea to gather a group of female composers, producers, and artists together from epic music, music for media, and soundtrack genres. I liked the idea but felt a bit resistant to go into action. My life situation, my career, my own set of unique circumstances as well as past pain with women in various situations put a real damper on my motivation to move forward with the concept. I frankly had to do some soul-searching and important inner healing in order to create the Epic Women project. My conviction is that if you want to create change, you must start with yourself. If you want to heal any situation, you must first heal yourself. For me, this
applies to the ongoing global challenge of inequality. If we can each explore our part in any dynamic and heal our part, it serves as a positive element in the alchemy that can effect lasting change. After a year of working on myself, I finally felt ready, albeit still nervous, to start sharing the idea of the Epic Women project with a few fellow female artists. To my heart’s ease, when I started sharing my idea, I was met with excitement, enthusiasm, and support. I initially shared the Epic Women project concept with my sister Donna and my friend Jennifer Thomas; two very talented musicians. They have been very supportive since the beginning of the Epic Women endeavor. At the end of 2019, right before the pandemic hit, the Epic Women group officially gathered and we began creating a collective album. The pandemic really slowed down the creative process but we continued to plug along. Finally, after much ado, the Epic Women group released The Shero’s Journey album in partnership with Warner Chappell Production Music, Germany on February 1st, 2022. The women’s charity aspect has been at the heart of the Epic Women project from the beginning. Part of the proceeds from The Shero’s Journey album goes to COEEF (Children of Ethiopia Education Fund). We are so honored to be working with this charity that provides education and help for young girls. Their conviction is, and we agree, that when you educate a girl, you empower her nation. When anyone buys or streams The Shero’s Journey album, they will be helping COEEF as well. Classical Crossover Magazine: Who are some of the ‘Epic Women’ who have encouraged you?
Felicia Farerre: I have looked to my ancestors for inspiration and encouragement on many occasions. My ancestral roots are from The House of Stuart (Mary Queen of Scots), The House of Tudor, and The Hamilton's of Arran. They were courageous, epic people. I also look to the women who raised me for encouragement. I was raised by powerful women, strong women with brave hearts and epic courage. My maternal grandmother, my mother, my aunts, and the mothers I have adopted over the years have shown me the north. They have encouraged me and empowered me. They showed me that real strength is gentleness and that love is the greatest weapon there is. I am blessed with three beautiful daughters and a granddaughter. They are my greatest joy! They encourage and inspire me to be a force for good in the world. I am also blessed with three beautiful, epic sisters. They have encouraged me and shown me what unwavering, unconditional love looks like. My sister, Donna, aka Emanate Music. composed one of the tracks for The Shero’s Journey album. She has seen me through thick and thin and has encouraged me with love and grace through the process of creating, managing, and sharing the Epic Women project. My sister, Tricia, and I are embarking on a new shero’s journey together in creating The Epic Women Podcast. We are very excited to share this aspect of the Epic Women project! While the music component will remain my primary focus regarding the Epic Women project, Tricia and I aim to create a more inclusive community with The Epic Women Podcast. We want to establish an environment where
women from every walk of life can connect, learn from one another, share stories, and encourage and empower each other. Classical Crossover Magazine: As you look to the future, what are some of the areas you’d like to explore? Felicia Farerre: Maybe I should look more to the future but I have a conviction that what I am doing today is my future; will become my future. I agree with the quote by Lao Tzu that says If you do not change direction, you may end up where you are heading. I will keep my eyes open and heart curious to new avenues of interest that may come into my view but for now, I see and honor what is right here and now.
FELICIAFARERRE.COM
Album Review
Sarah Class may be best known to the classical crossover community due to her collaboration with Hayley Westenra, and various composition credits for TV and film soundtracks including “War of the Roses” “Henry’s Palaces” “The Meerkats” and more. Given her incredible catalog, it is unsurprising that the first track on “Resonate” is one of her own compositions. “Rhythm of the Earth (Terra Carta Theme)” has been the soundtrack for the HRH Prince of Wales Recovery Plan and is evocative of nature and new beginnings. She has a gift for weaving movement and aching melody together as shown beautifully by the piano and cello in the title track “Resonate.” “Wolfgang & Constanze” takes listeners back to a
time of romance. With “Blackbird” Sarah moves into the modern, her soothing piano as the common thread tying the worlds together. Her voice is different than many in crossover; there is an earthiness and maturity to it, unmarred by operatic affectations. “I Am Ocean” shows off her range and on “Bright Eyes” unique vocal phrasing. “Resonate” as an album stands out in the variety it offers listeners as is contrasted by the beginning and end track. The first is fully orchestrated with added choir and the final, piano alone. The best albums keep listeners engaged from beginning to end and “Resonate” does just that.
8/10 ★★★★★★★★☆☆
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