Interview with Toni Gibson
Interview with
Toni Gi b son By Natasha Barbieri What inspires you to make music? There isn’t any particular ‘thing’ that inspired me to sing. I Just love to sing and always have ever since I was little. It just comes naturally to me, it is part of me. Your debut album, “Echo in my Soul” is out now. What was the song selection process like? We started working on my album over a couple of years ago. I had a big input with what songs I wanted to have on the album because the album started out as our own project. I have been working with Gray Bartlett (he started Hayley Westenra’s career) over the last 3-4 years, and he also suggested some songs that would be suitable for the album and I really liked his suggestions. Later down the track when we were close to finishing recording for the songs, Robert Rigby (who owns Ambition Entertainment Record Label in Australia) was invited by Gray to see me in Concert in New Zealand. Robert must have been
impressed because he asked me if I would want to sign to his Fanfare Record Label. Fanfare record Label is another part of the Ambition Entertainment label. Once I was signed to the Label, Robert suggested some more songs for the album and possibly replacing the new songs with some previous ones. I really liked his suggestions and was happy to scratch a few songs that didn’t quite work and flow alongside the rest of the songs on the album. I wanted to create something that hasn’t really been done in the classicalcrossover world before. I wanted to add not just light elements to the music, but also darker elements. To mix them together in such a way and create a spiritual atmosphere within the music. I also like lots of different styles of music and wanted to bring some of these elements into the album to. You will find traces of Rock, Celtic, gothic, classical, musical and even a bit of country throughout the journey. Yet I feel all these elements work together and flow and this has been a challenge over the last 2-3 years. We didn’t want the
different elements to be confusing and make it unclear on ‘the type of artists that I am’. I am a classical-crossover artist with a bit of an edge, that is the best way I can explain what I am trying to do :). The music is honest. I like to think that the album is an expression of my soul.
Growing up you took part in a lot of competitions. How do you think those experiences impacted you as a performer?
Your first music video for the album is “She’s like the swallow.” What made you pick that song and how much influence did you have on the video itself?
I used to be so scared to perform on stage but after forcing myself past all the nerves I eventually learnt to control them. I still get nervous all the time but I am in my ‘happy place’ when I am performing on stage and I can feel the energies from the audience and I feel like I am doing a good performance. No doubt the road ahead is scary but it is because all of my years growing up and performing through many different situations, I feel that I am ready for what is ahead. I am also very excited and blessed to be in a position now where I am heading down the right path to achieving many of my dreams that I have had ever since I was little. It is quite surreal.
During a singing lesson with my singing teacher Ellen Barrett, she found the sheet music to ‘She’s like the swallow’. I learnt the song and decided I really liked it because the music has a beautiful melody and yet the lyrics paint a vivid picture of a loss of a loved one. There is so much love in the lyrics and yet so much sadness, I felt I could express these feelings through my voice. Even though this song has quite an eerie feeling to it, it also has beauty and I thought this would be the perfect song for my first music video. Throughout the video process I was lucky to have a big say in how I envisioned the video and how I wanted it to be. I first emailed the 90 seconds video crew and painted an outline for them of how I wanted the video to be. When it came to recording for the video, they followed the outline of what I had asked for and with their professional eye created something that I couldn’t be more happier with?
All the performances I have done over the years have helped me to feel more confident in my ability today.
Which artists or composers would you like to collaborate with in the future? I love many different types of artists. To name a few Michael Bubble, Adam Lambert, Pink, Hayley Westenra, Sarah Brightman, Michael Crawford and one day I would love to sing for Andrew Lloyd Webber! And so many more. Social media is obviously a very important medium for the singer these
days. How did you use it to launch your own career? Social Media is very important. I was not really into all the social media stuff, it’s not really my cup of tea but one day when I had some free time I recorded myself singing and then decided to put it up on YouTube. Not to long after that, my Dad was looking through the internet and came across classicalcrossover.co.uk website. After looking through it, he decided to contact Nicola Jarvis (owner of the site) regarding my singing. She replied shortly after and said ‘is this your daughter singing on YouTube?”, and dad said ‘yes’. Nicola then said she wanted to make a profile on her site for me! We couldn’t believe it because we often contacted people trying to get them to listen to my music and they didn’t always reply let alone want to make a profile for me. My profile is a long side all the famous classicalcrossover singers- It was very exciting for us! That incident helped with gaining heaps of fans around the world. I then started using Facebook and started up a twitter account. Social media is definitely helpful when you are trying to get recognized with your music. You have been mentored by Gray Bartlett. What has that experience been like? We first contacted Gray when I was around 12 yrs old. I had won a competition and the prize included studio time in Capital E in Wellington. I was lucky enough to make an E.P CD with 3
songs on it. Shortly after I had finished my E.P CD, the family and I went to a Hayley Westenra concert. Dad noticed in the back of the program that Gray Bartlett’s contact details were there. Dad decided to contact him and give him a copy of my CD. Gray replied and said ‘come back in a few years, she is a bit young at the moment’. So that is what we did. A couple of years passed and I made another E.P CD at Capital E. We sent it to Gray and he replied with the same thing ‘come back in a couple of years, she is to young’. Obviously, we were disappointed but we tried again… We contacted him when I was about age 16 and he recommended for us to come up to Auckland and record in Manuka Studios with Mike McCarthy. I recorded ‘A bit of Earth’ and ‘Wild Horses’ and then we sent that E.P CD to him. He then finally said ‘I want to take Toni on!’? I have really enjoyed working with Gray, he has taught me a lot and he really believes in me. He has opened many doors for me due to many contacts he has within the music industry. Gray and Trish (Gray’s wife) are both so lovely to me. They make me feel welcome at their house and Gray drives me around to meetings and gigs and Trish makes me yummy food :). I am so thankful that I have had the opportunity to work with Gray and get to know Gray and Trish. It has been great for my music but I also feel that they are part of my family now. You played Joanna in a production of Sweeney Todd. Are musicals something
you would like to pursue further in the future? One of the best times in my life was playing the part of Johanna in the production of Sweeney Todd. I just loved it so much and I would really love to play that part on the big stage one day! I love the musical Sweeney Todd because the music is so fantastic and unusual and the story line fascinates me. I loved playing the part of Johanna cause she was the little bit of light in the darkness? My ultimate dream is to play Christine in the Phantom of the Opera in Westend or Broadway!!! On a non-musical side, I heard you really like self-defense? What else do you like to do when you’re not singing? I love martial arts. I like the discipline and I like how it makes me feel strong. I like to challenge my mind. I do
Taekwondo and I am currently on Blue Belt, Red Stripe. In my free time I love to spend time with my animals, go for walks or bike rides. Hang out with my friends and Family and my partner and I like to watch TV and eat? Where would you like to see yourself 5 years from now artistically? In 5 years’, time I would like to be overseas, hopefully making a name for myself. I would like to be travelling and performing in my own concerts and selling many CD’s and opening more doors for my career. My mind is set on achieving my dream of becoming a wellknown successful recording artist, performing in my own concerts around the world and one day playing the part of Christine in Phantom of the Opera on Broadway and/or Westend. With such an amazing group of beautiful people supporting me and my dreams I believe I will achieve all my dreams one day?
Facbook.com/tonigibsonmusic
Interview with
Christina Piccardi What inspired you to become an opera singer? I grew up listening to classical music. My parents put me to study piano when I was 11 years old. Since I was a little child I knew I wanted to be a musician. When I turned 14 I decided to join a local choir in the little town I grew up in the south of Brazil. Singing was such a natural thing for me that I fell in love with it immediately. At age 15 I auditioned for the Opera Chorus of the capital city of my state, about one and a half hours away from our house. I was blessed to be accepted since the minimum age required was 18. My first opera was “Die Zauberflote” (The magic flute) by Mozart. When I first heard Tamino’s aria: “Dies Bildnis ist bezaubernd schoen” I immediately fell in love with opera. I remember my thoughts as tears rolled down my cheeks: “I want to do this for the rest of my life…” I was only 15! While I respect many genres, I think of opera as the Olympics of singing. Do you believe that singing this music takes more commitment than other genres? Absolutely. I have sung other genres and can speak from experience. Opera demands great body and mental
conditioning. We not only have to master a great vocal technique in order to sustain demanding singing for long periods of time but we also have to act and move on the stage while doing that. I am not saying that other genres do not require training and conditioning. However, as you already said, Opera requires total devotion from us as if we were training athletes. How important do you think a formal music education is to those who wish to pursue a career in opera? Since formal education has been my only experience in pursuing my craft, it is difficult for me speak about other forms of training. There have been cases of singers who had great careers and did not have formal education in a university or conservatory. However, it is important to keep in mind the fact that formal education is not only expected these days, but in many cases it is even mandatory. Several competitions, young artist programs and also singer’s management agencies do not even listen to you if you do not have a background of formal education in your resume. Therefore, I do believe it is a very important factor to consider when wishing to enter the opera field.
I’ve watched you completely transform into your character when you sing onstage. How do you prepare for a role? As you already know I am still in the very early stages of my career. With five fully staged operas on my belt all I can say at the moment is that the most important thing is to know your text and the overall story very well. Then, I try to picture myself “Cristina Piccardi” (not the role I am playing) in such situations, and from there I try to imitate reality. Once I know how I feel about the story and the scene, I then make sure I speak the words and don’t just go through the motions. It is very easy to get caught up in the music or the technique. One must focus on the words and really MEAN them while singing. What is your favorite role you’ve performed so far, and which one would you most like to perform in the future? So far Gilda from Rigoletto by Verdi. My dream role is Amina from La Sonnambula by Bellini. I love the music, the story and her character as well. What are your favorite languages to sing in? ITALIANO, of course. What are your thoughts about modern staging of operas? Do you approve? Honestly, I don’t feel like I have to approve it or not. It is the times we are living in. If we want opera to survive, it
has to reach the younger generation. The stories have to make sense in the world we are living now. Most plots could actually happen today, right here. There is nothing wrong with modernizing the stage and the costumes. The only problem is when it deviates so much from what the author wanted that the meaning gets lost. It is a fine line and we have to be careful to find the right balance. Also, lowering the cost of massive expensive productions would help opera companies to continue in business. Which singers do you listen to? So many… Pavarotti is my favorite at all times. From the older generation I listen to Maria Callas, Joan Sutherland, Edita Gruberova. Renata Scotto, etc. Of this generation, Diana Damrau, Jonas Kaufmann and many others. Your first CD “Rejoice in the Lord” came out in 2008. What was that experience like and can we expect more recordings from you in the future? The experience was great. Expensive and tiring, but great! After inverting so much time and effort in preparation it is always a good thing to listen to an older recording of my singing and be able to enjoy it and at the same time measure the progress as I compare it with how I am singing at the moment. I definitely hope to record more. Every artist should. It is wonderful to be able to capture great moments of our lives and art which would have been forever lost if
not recorded. It is also a great gift to others, especially future generations. Also, it is a rewarding thing to hear from local people many years later: “I was just listening to your singing on my cd player the other day and I was so blessed!” Competitions are an important part of getting noticed for an emerging artist such as yourself. How do you prepare yourself mentally for that kind of pressure? Competitions are very important for those planning to embrace this career. It does not only force you to strive for vocal excellence but it also helps in preparing for the actual role auditions. Competitions are always tough… Actually, singing in a production with colleagues, a stage, props, and specially without the pressure of being analyzed in every aspect by a panel of judges who may or may not pick you (talk about pressure), is always easier and definitely more enjoyable. I believe most singers do much better when performing than when auditioning. It is just an enormous amount of pressure that one has to go through. In my preparation I try to avoid thinking of all I have just mentioned above. Focus on the music, interpretation and try to forget the panel in front of you. I like the idea of singing to God to bless the ones hearing, as if offering them a gift. Or, as my voice teacher Charles Reid says: “Do
not put all your eggs in one basket; remember…it is just another audition, that is all”. What challenges have presented themselves to you as a woman of faith in the music business? I have not found any challenge in the opera field that I have experienced in my other circles of interaction. Our faith is challenged and we are faced with temptations everywhere we go. The difference is how spiritually prepared I am when facing them and not where I am. So far, my greatest challenge has been being away from my husband. I miss him a lot when I am away and wish I could always have him by my side. However, it is part of the package/deal. All I can do is to make sure I keep nurturing the relationship every day, as much as I can, so that we don’t grow apart from each other. As a voice teacher yourself, what advice would you give aspiring singers? If this is really what you think you were born to do and that God has given you a unique gift to share with the world, go for it, dive in full force. Don’t waist you time; work hard and be diligent. As long as you are not sinning God will be with you and will use you mightily to bless many people whom your life example may be the only bible they will ever read in their lives.
Getting to Know
Chloe Lewis
I met Chloe Daniel Lewis in 2009 when I transferred to Andrews University. Although not a music major, Chloe shared her lovely soprano voice with the community through recitals every semester. Her programs were not the traditional classical variety but, in the words of a mutual friend, were ‘through-composed’ with a clear vision and theme. I was amazed at their complexity and emotional significance to her and her type of programming has been an inspiration to me.
How old were you when you began singing? Oh mercy… From what I’ve been told, before I started choir when I was 6 years old, my babysitter was crying when she picked me up from daycare because she’d had a bad day and I sang to her and patted her arm. I don’t remember it, but it sounds like me and I’ve been told that story several times. My mother – since I was homeschooled & free to come along – brought me with her to University Chorale on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 12:30-1:45p when I was 6 years old and I just never left. It truly was a staple while I grew up. You have been involved in choral singing for a long time. How do you think this has helped you develop as an artist? Hmm… Stephen Zork was a huge part of my choral experience. If I had been in just any choir for a long time I don’t think I’d know how to answer this. Being in choir almost all my life under Stephen Zork influenced me as an artist in that I learned singing as a disciplined, exacting
art. Many criticize vocal performance as being a lesser skill than expertise on a hands-on instrument, but I strongly dispute that. If anything, I think singing is more challenging, because emotions and immune system impact the ability to sing, making it require MORE finesse and MORE upkeep than a wind or stringed instrument. And because I have learned to get more acquainted with the parts of my body that help me sing, this special self-knowledge has helped me teach myself to sing genres besides classical. I can’t sing all the genres I want to, but I can sound like a more “approachable” singer and not just a serious classical soprano. Also, being in a choir taught me teamwork. I enjoy solo performing, but I greatly enjoy being part of a group, and I don’t need to be the center of attention or in the spotlight, even, to have a deeply satisfying musical experience. When did you first begin programming? When I was seventeen. I was finishing homeschooled high school, if I’d had a “graduation ceremony,” it would have
been me walking down an aisle all by myself with a cap & gown, and that was a retarded mental image for me. I wanted to feel like I had something to show for graduating, so I made a playlist out of my diverse and beloved vocal & violin repertoire. It was right as I was winding down on violin/before I “lost my touch,” so I collage-programmed classical, jazz & fiddling music on violin with opera arias, pop, one African-American spiritual, once jazz song, and Broadway solos. I entitled it “The Sound of Sentiments,” since each song I had picked for a relevant, personal reason, which I enclosed in the modest, openshut program we printed. What inspires you to create a program? It’s inescapably personal. From the beginning it’s been personal and since then it grew less and less about being a performer and more about being a communicator. The recitals became more spiritual (my interpretation was made clear by the personal commentary in my written programs, which accompanied the performances) and more about sharing my personal walk with God (even though most of my music was still secular & classical) in a way I hoped and still do believe encourages people to see a relationship with Jesus as something attractive, edifying and illuminating. I use my recitals to show how beautiful God’s heart is. Not enough people see God that way, as a Person unlike any other with an incredible & loving heart.
Singing is a very vulnerable thing and your added touches, especially your poetry readings, must make it even more so. Do you find that the vulnerability makes it more rewarding? Absolutely yes. Like I said, I grew from being just a performer to a communicator. I crave that vulnerability. In every moment of life in every relationship that would be disastrous, but in a moment of art and heightened senses, it’s cathartic to give and helps convey truth with greater clarity and beauty. It feels amazing to me to be transparent in the brief hour of a vulnerable recital, and it touches hearts. Artists who don’t let themselves be vulnerable may entertain, they may shock & create awe, but they don’t foster connections and personal breakthroughs. You showcase a lot of other talent in your programs in a very generous way. How important do you think it is for musicians to be supportive of each other? Oh man. I think it’s wildly important, and not just important, but I think it’s incredibly beautiful. It’s important because we need to affirm each other and support each other’s’ creativity & unique talents. There’s a lot of criticism amongst artists and not enough affirmation. Artists and art should have more appreciation than analysis. Art feeds the soul – how can the soul be fed if analysis is never turned off, if you never just let yourself take it in? How can you ever
discover new things to enjoy or a new way to see an issue if you never turn off the criticism or tell your opinions to take an occasional back seat? How will you ever grow? I’m all about growth because I think it heightens artistic pleasure – growth isn’t all about growing pains. And while a particular artist can be appreciated in a certain way if you’re attending a solo recital where it is only them singing – so you can really get to know their voice & isms – you can get to know artists in different ways when you hear their talents compared & contrasted with a collage of other artists. A pearl ring is beautiful, but you appreciate its smoothness even more when there are diamonds set around it. And I could go on from there with all sorts of metaphors – every singer is a kind of jewel and a unique soul. They’re great alone and they’re equally beautiful mixed together; it depends on what sort of program you want to make, what kind of a message you want to send, how you want to set off a person’s talent – solo recital or sparkling collage where everyone has a moment to uniquely shine? What is it like to have perfect pitch? Hahaha. Good and bad. I’ve always had a good ear but I didn’t get perfect pitch till I transcribed a violin piece off a recording onto sheet music – listening to all the notes over and over, playing them on my violin to make sure I was right; that forever imprinted what an “A” sounds like; it’s the easiest note to produce when asked to give a note. But I can sing any note on the scale (in my range) because having taken violin and
piano lessons, my brain feels kind of like a piano sometimes – I picture the keyboard and hear the individual keys’ tones, but it all takes much longer to write than it takes to happen in my head. So… I’d say having perfect pitch is like having a piano in my head that I can play for the note I’m asked for or need myself, but violin is what taught me perfect pitch, and haha it’s with my voice that I give that note or else I wouldn’t need perfect pitch; I could just play the note on an instrument. When something is out of tune, I can hear it for sure – it’s painful sometimes in a funny way, though sometimes it really does make me squirm. I’ve grown to be able to adjust more if I’m in a choir that’s going offkey without a piano; if I insisted on singing “on pitch” while the whole group is going off-pitch, they’d aurally have the discomfort of dissonance that I have mentally and of course the audience wouldn’t like the sound… Also, I can hear when recorded artists on iTunes weren’t tuned quite properly or if pressing with throat muscles not quite hard enough caused them to sing just under pitch; I’ve flinched a few times hearing a song on its first round when one of those flat notes is sung. I don’t often hear people sing sharp; if/when I do, it’s in a real-life situation; not on iTunes. And all this being said, just because I have perfect pitch doesn’t mean I always sing in tune. I try, but if I’m having an emotional day and can’t get a handle on my feelings, if I’m getting over a truly bad cold (because I’ll sing until I’m forced to stop/sound like Yoda; I’m not one who rushes into “sick bay” because I get a cold), and if I’m
simply out of shape/rusty/haven’t had lessons in a while, I’m not as “athletic” about good technique, like if you quit going to the gym & put on weight, you’re not as flexible & motivated as before. So…having perfect pitch doesn’t mean perfect singer. Definitely not. It just means my brain has extra training. I think any musician could learn perfect pitch if they wanted to. It just takes time & focus. I got mine by accident; I was just trying to transcribe a violin piece, and it happened because of what I was doing. So if someone picked a project like that or developed exercises that had them constantly listening & confirming different notes, I think they could learn it like I did. And then the musical world would be a better place! Haha You have been trained classically but recently have done a lot of singing in more popular styles. Would you consider yourself a classical crossover musician? And what do you think the crossover genre as a whole? Hmm… Well, to me classical crossover musician implies (from what I’ve seen in the media) that the artist never returns to classical; that they were classical, crossover and “start a new colony” of musical style. I still love classical. I think I could perform others’ “classical crossover” songs quite well, but I’d rather be known – myself – as a creative artist. Not classical or crossover. That’s why I dropped my music major (apart from wanting to go into ministry) – I feel as though music is too often boxed in, and I don’t want to be boxed in. But I’m not normal, and some people really want
a box that already exists, or they want to make their own “music box” and have it recognized & celebrated. I am ALL for supporting those artists; I just feel like my musical style & abilities and repertoire will be evolving and expanding till the day I die. I also know that there will be some kinds of things I will always love: staples. Creative individuals mix together the liberal and traditional into something new – they appreciate both what is radical and what is “old”. I think there’s an equal amount of transcendent beauty in the newest music these days as there is in classical music. And I think there’s just as much soul and honesty in classical music as there is in today’s musical world where there are pretty much no boundaries for stopping an artist from expressing his or herself in whatever way they want. I am not always and cannot always be creating new playlists and coming up with new ideas; most of the time, actually, I’m not dreaming up new stuff & making it happen (though I know that when I do it creates a mild ruckus, so people may think it’s what I’m always doing), I’m soaking up what other artists have done. I think that classical pop and classical crossover artists are misjudged and underappreciated because they’re not either-or. I think they’re creative, because they’ve mixed two into a new one, like a marriage. Musical purists might call it blasphemy but I think crossover music is beautiful and eloquent for the right audience. And just like anyone could learn perfect pitch, I’ve taught Myself to learn appreciation for new genres – if I spend money on a song from iTunes, I make myself listen to it
until I like it, until I see what IT has to offer ME, rather than expecting it to magically know what I think I want in that moment or else I’m going to hate it. Someone else in the world created that song and its style and they did it for a reason that was unique to them (or whoever was paying their bills) – either way, I think it’s a sign of respect to not demand music instantly please me or else I reject it. And honestly, I’ve never had to make myself like crossover music. I think it’s legitimate musical art. Only musical snobs seem to have trouble with it. And as a retired, older photographer friend once told me, “the worst thing art can do is not move you either to positive or negative.” So even though some snobs may never like crossover music, at least it moves them somehow, even if to dislike. Crossover music is legitimate art that moves people for better or for worse and, from what I’ve seen, mostly for the better. Who are some of the artists that inspire you?
Petersen, Alison Brook, Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin, Diana Ross, Chaka Khan, Kiri Te Kanawa, Celine Dion, Barbra Streisand, Gene Kelly, Debbie Reynolds, Kurt Elling, Diana Krall, Demi Lovato, All Sons & Daughters, Lisa Gungor, The Brilliance, Pink, Churchill, Megan Hilty, Robin McKelle, Indie.Arie, Lady Antebellum, The Welcome Wagon, Shane & Shane, Bryan & Katie Torwalt, Tiago Arrais, Relient K, Maroon 5, Chris Rice, Kate Havnevik, The Civil Wars, Adele, Bon Iver, Lindsay McCaul, Natalie Grant, Coldplay, Sleeping At Last, Sara Bareilles, Audra McDonald, Miranda Lambert, Bridgit Mendler, Snow Patrol, Missy Higgins, and more I’m sure I’m forgetting. I’ve picked up all kinds of new songs and artists thanks to Grey’s Anatomy, which is about to start its 10th season this fall; lots of new artists have – I think (unconfirmed) become famous because Grey’s Anatomy debuted their song(s), and the audience that loves Grey’s have enough emotional overlap with the soundtrack’s artists that their music becomes hot.
Kelly Clarkson, Claire Bowen (the whole show “Nashville” on ABC), Ingrid Michaelson, Hayley Westenra, Charlotte Church, Josh Groban, Dawn Upshaw, Joan Sutherland, Christina Aguilera, Aretha Franklin, Ella Fitzgerald, John Legend, Sean Kingston, The Rescues, Tegan & Sara, Phil Wickham, Melissa Otto, Colbie Caillat, Jason Mraz, Taylor Swift, Martina McBride, Carrie Underwood, Jordin Sparks, Jennifer Hudson, Beyonce, Owl City, Mandisa, Kirk Franklin, Marvin Sapp, Jamie Cullum, Michael Buble, Andrew
These ^ are all artists I respect and like fistfuls of songs by, but it’s more than just artists that inspire me. I find new music by listening to songs sung & created by artists I don’t know. So an important part of this answer, though you didn’t really ask for it, is that I’m inspired by whatever my intuition picks up on. If a song I’ve never heard before from a genre I’m not used to triggers an emotional response in me (and I have a very vivid inner life I know well enough to articulate pretty clearly and pretty easily, regardless of the situation), I like
it. Period. I’m constantly sound-tracking my life and storing memories in music. I literally – these past few years, since the fall of 2010 – have been making playlists by the month. Whatever new songs I came across (or old ones that came back to me), went into a playlist for that month, which makes the playlists more like folders full of memories than playlists full of songs. I love it. I also – random – love hearing an artist come out with a new album that sounds like he or she is exploring, creatively. Sara Bareilles’ newest album, “The Blessed Unrest” is a marvel when I compare it to her first album that had the hit, “Love Song.” All her songs sounded like her (I sense the same spirit in them, which I guess is Sara Bareilles’), but each new album she made sounded more mature and more expanded. The songs I bought from “The Blessed Unrest” I spent money on because – just from the sample – they sounded like she was setting herself free to be completely unique and it made her points and emotions come across in a more individual, enjoyable way that I could really revel in, aurally. What would you like to accomplish musically in the future?
I would like to accomplish never ceasing to make and enjoy music, as well as continuing to discover new music. My tastes and the programs I keep putting together aren’t just indebted to the talents of people who sing with me and play for me, but they’re indebted to the creative individuals who make the songs I hear on TV shows, in movies & find randomly when I surf iTunes late at night. If I were no longer able to make music or hear music, it would kill my quality of life. Music is a window on heaven, it’s an exotic hobby (which you can only have if you’ve suffered music lessons – thank you Mom & Dad for paying & making me practice and not give up!), it’s therapy, catharsis, soul food and sanity. My father says I have music coming out of my pores; it’s more than a potential career; it’s a need. Even religious authors – not just artistic authorities and psychologists – recognize that music plays a special role in our personhood, development, quality of life and intimacy with God. The world needs music; music needs to never stop being explored. And since I’m a committed music lover, I will always have a love affair with music happening somehow in my life, and it will grow as I grow.
Chloe Lewis studies Religion at Andrews University.
Meet our team member
Chantelle Constable First of all congratulations on your marriage! I think it’s so important for singer’s to have lives outside of their music as it really gives them more perspective on the things that matter. Do you agree? Thank-you! I am a very happy “Sadie Sadie married lady.” For myself, I don’t know if it’s so much having a life outside of music, because being dedicated and invested in your art is never a bad thing, but I absolutely think it’s vital for human beings to have a life “outside of” themselves. And it doesn’t have to be a life of wild intrigue and excitement, although I love travel and adventure, but having your eyes open to the world and events and other people and their lives and their stories… I think as the priviledged Western World and especially as artists we can very easily become too self-centered, and I think we can get stuck in our thought habits without ever stopping to consider, “Is there any new information I could have
gleaned about life that would change my outlook and opinions?” I am always stunned when I encounter deliberate closed-mindedness; I cannot imagine living my life without a constant attitude of exploration and discovery. And that includes sometimes “discovering” that I was wrong in my past assumptions! My husband helps my live “outside” myself by helping me work through my foibles of second-guessing myself and my ever-present achilles heel of, “If I can’t do it perfectly the first time, I’m not going to try at all!” He is always encouraging me to try, and praising my efforts no matter how insignificant I feel they are. I’m very blessed to have such a strong supporter by my side! And of course, every day is an adventure. He introduces me to new music, experiences, and opinions that I would not have discovered on my own. What inspired you to begin your classical training and how old were you?
Who else? Charlotte Church. Just kidding… sort of… Apparently, I displayed enough fondness for singing as a child that my parents let me join a children’s choir (The Columbian Youth Choir in Wamego, KS) when I was ten. I had begun playing piano when I was five, so the music bug was already in my system. I learned some excellent singing basics in choir that allowed me to make a sort of “party trick” of imitating some of the music I was listening to at the time, which included Charlotte, as well as Sandi Patty. It was a laugh for me, because I could mimic the sounds and it made the “grownups” pay attention and applaud me. Always looking for the spotlight, apparently! Well, I guess things snowballed and I started taking voice lessons when I was twelve, although I didn’t have a proper teacher until I was fourteen — mostly sweet ladies who could read music, you know. Classical music became my “counter rebellion,” especially as a young person who was homeschooled, lived in the country, and didn’t have access to the usual venues of teenage exploration. My few friends obviously thought I was nuts for not listening to Britney Spears, but I liked being the perverse (and yes, snobbish!) one who retorted, “Oh yea? Well you don’t even listen to opera, but I can sing it!” (Ah, youthful boasts…) Because I grew up with more adults as my peers than young people my own age, it also gave me a sense of connection. I was already into the music of an older generation — Bing Crosby was my first music crush — so classical music and opera was just another notch in my belt of “grown up” things that I felt set me
apart and made me a Special Someone. I liked getting pats on the head for being an “old soul.” Obviously, with age, the novelty wears off, and you wake up one morning and realize, “Oh. I can’t get by on precocious talent any more — it’s strictly hard work from here on out!” You’ve always had a fondness for the standards and opera. Do you think it’s important for musicians to be open to other genres of music? I think it’s important for EVERYONE to be open to other genres of music! I’m severely irritated when I begin to discuss a certain artist or another and the reaction of the person I’m speaking to is, “Never heard of them!” and they cut me off. Please at least say, “I’m not familiar with that artist, would you tell me more about them?” Listening to a variety of genres can teach you a lot about culture and history; it’s not just about the technique and theory, it’s about how music affects people’s lives, and knowing that can in turn make you a better musician. For myself, I believe it brings a vital wellroundedness and intelligence to creation and performance. What I learn from the emotion of Judy Garland I can apply to the delivery of an aria, and what I learn from the technique of Leontyne Price I can apply to letting my voice be heard over an amplified rock band without screaming myself hoarse. Also, being well versed in a variety of music and music history prevents you from looking really dumb to an audience that may be more informed. There are young artists who declare they are doing something “for the first time!” and that’s not the
case at all. If they would have done their research they would see it had been done in the 1940s, and again in the 60s, etc. You played Fanny Brice in a production of ‘Funny Girl’. What was it like to prepare for a role that one of your idols had originated? It was comforting, in a way. I felt like I stepped into the role knowing 90% of it, and that was the best way for me to make my foray into performing a lead role. I had great cast mates so I wasn’t too terrified about not “living up to” Barbra Streisand’s standard, although the dancing did throw me for a loop! I don’t think I went one night without stepping on my leading man’s feet. But the biggest aid to me was that I connected so much with the character of Fanny Brice, which is the reason I loved the musical so much in the first place. Now, of course, only a year later I can already see so much depth and complexity I wish I would have brought to the character, but that fundamental idea of a stage-struck kid who just wants to be in the spotlight (sound familiar?) and who is always cracking jokes to hide her self-doubt, to the point where she starts believing her own facade and misplacing her values, resonated so deeply with me that I almost didn’t feel like I was acting. I just had to sink back into the character. She was right there, waiting for me. Which do you think you prefer concerts or musicals/operas?
I think I prefer concerts — because as I mentioned earlier, I’m not such a great actress. I’m just a great big ham! Fanny Brice was a dream role to play, and one of the reasons I love singing showtunes is because it’s fun to put on the mask of another character for a minute or two, but in general I think I prefer just singing and being on stage with my friends. All of that learning lines and choreography business is pretty intimidating! Was there a moment when you realized you needed to go beyond classical to fully express what was going on in your life? Looking back — at least from this point in my life — I’m almost not sure how I got so “stuck” on classical in the first place. Don’t get me wrong, I still love it! I’m just not sure how it happened. As I’ve said, I think the whole thing sortof snowballed out of misplaced vanity and a youthful desire to stand out. I could make my voice sound big and “angelic” and people liked it so I kept doing it. But I was already in love with Judy Garland when I was fourteen, so I think simultaneously I’ve always been trying to get to a place where people took me seriously singing those songs. It was really a matter of waiting for my voice to mature from a girl’s into a woman’s, and the same for my emotional maturity and ability to sell the song. I was always trying to write my own songs — oh, I should burn those early notebooks! — but never really satisfied with anything. I suppose the willingness
to identify myself as a Songwriter came gradually, along with the rest of the girlto-woman process. I tried to study music as a part time college student and daily became more frustrated with the whole college system. I was out in the world, meeting people, travelling, adventuring, losing people from my life… Finally gaining a little more depth than my life had held thus far. It just… happened. Suddenly I had to sing it all. How did you begin writing original music? And what inspires you to write now? Oops, I got ahead of myself with this question! I have always loved to write, and I spent hours at my piano inventing melodies, but it was and still is a struggle to create something I feel is “as good as it can be.” In other words, I’m a Perfectionist Artist, and that’s the worst combination. I thwart myself from both sides; I often fear beginning a song because I won’t be able to accurately convey the vague concept I have in mind, but I also get “stuck” on a detail and don’t like to make changes to a song I’ve deemed finished, even though that change would be for the better! I tend to be a very literal writer, and am more at home in prose. I have an active imagination, but it doesn’t lend itself to verbal flights of fancy. So, I’m trying to open my mind and realize that there aren’t rules, and I don’t have to limit myself to certain subjects or even styles of lyric writing. Hotel Gypsies has fun just writing about our daily lives; I don’t know how many little “Ode to Whiskey” ditties we’ve jokingly started writing…!
Fundamentally, I think strong emotion is what tends to ignite my creative spark; I have a lot of angry songs, but also a lot of sappy happy newlywed songs. Either way, my default is definitely not to write from a detached point of view. A specific thing that has been inspiring me recently is feminism. And in the loosest sense, to me that means celebrating and uplifting women, and not being content to accept the limits that have been placed on women throughout society and history. Finally, I would say that I am inspired by the non-musical arts — a story, painting, photo, film, even architecture can create a “scenario” in my imagination that I want to write about. Sometimes it’s just a gorgeous day and my heart wants to sing. (And I’m not afraid to be cheesy, apparently.) How would you describe your sound? Which sound? I still love singing showtunes and ballads and jazz — but I don’t think I could ever be considered a true jazz singer. I sound too “trained,” I’ve been told, which has been a source of frustration for me but I am reconciling myself to being a semi-legit (a la Barbara Cook) pop standards vocalist. In my own “solo” music, I wouldn’t know where to begin. I’m inspired by lots of lovely lady songwriters. Jennifer Knapp and Sarah Slean have always been favorites and recently I’ve developed a music-crush on Fiona Apple. But I think you can hear some of the “drama” of theatre or opera in my compositions. They are very… complex, so I’ve been
told! Too many chords, when four would do just fine. Hotel Gypsies’ official description is “plainsbilly sophisticate & hobo folk noir.” I think our one official press writeup compared us to the Oh Brother Where Are Thou? Soundtrack. But we don’t insist on being stuck in one genre. We have an assortment of instruments from guitar to banjo to accordion, we do silly stuff, we do old-timey church stuff where I break out the “big guns,” vocally speaking, we do Muppet songs and murder ballads and sappy love-song originals (I can’t tell you how much fun it is to sing a love song to my husband on stage!). Right now, the rock band I’m playing in calls ourselves ECHOPOD, and we are drums, bass, and keyboard. I’m not sure how I would describe us! My first band, Lithus, drew comparisons to Nightwish and Evanescence, and I suppose that’s still there simply in the “classical girl vocals” element. We’ve decided our genre is “synth rock;” I use a TC-Helicon VoiceLive Touch on almost every song and we rework a lot of familiar concepts into unexpected combinations. This is the band I write a lot of my “angry feminist” songs for. Stay tuned, I guess! You got involved with a rock band! What was that like coming from your classical/choral background? And did you learn anything you think classical musicians could pick up on?
Being a classically trained singer is what got me invited to join the band, actually. The bass player of Lithus was a friend from college, and it was his mom that brought my name up when she knew the guys were looking for a “soprano girl singer.” It wasn’t such a switch-up as a singer, since they wanted me to do what I’d always done, but it was definitely not the way I was used to creating music… and it was very loud! Ear protection isn’t just for old folks! I don’t know that I learned anything pertaining to “playing rock music as a classical musician” aside from — you’re not invincible, don’t hurt yourself! But it was and still is a challenge for me to create music in a “jam” mentality where you just throw stuff out there, almost like an idea vomiting session, and you’re willing to have ideas thrown away or shredded apart and put back together… That’s very foreign for me; I much prefer to hole up and create something by myself and only bring it to the table when it’s “complete.” So, I guess my advice would be: loosen up, trust the people you’re playing with (hopefully they are your friends already), and remember that unlike classical music where you have a “perfect” final product that has specific instructions on how to perfectly reproduce a performance, original music created in a group is always in a state of flux, both in writing and performance. Here’s a little triva for the readers: I ended up marrying the drummer of that rock band I joined. So — there’s the moral of the story for you. Trying new things may lead to even greater adventures than you imagined!
Popular music audiences are generally less rigid than classical audiences. Is this something you enjoy while performing your new music? I hadn’t really thought about it before, but yes, having a more informal audience is definitely fun. Of course, there’s something thrilling about holding a formal audience spellbound, but you never know when that rapt silence might just be boredom, and the applause may just be polite, not genuine. Hotel Gypsies performs at a local open mic about once a month, and when that crowd applauds and whistles you know they mean it! We played at a church ice cream social last month and got the folks singing along with our closing song, “I’ll Fly Away.” Goosebump inducing! However, I will say this: For goodness’ sake, don’t clap along if you can’t keep the rhythm or even find the offbeat. Thank you! What artists inspire you to experiment? Well, there are several artists I admire whose sound I am tempted to try to emulate (I’m smitten with a lot of old swampy-swing jazz and French jazz manouche right now), but as far as inspiring me to be completely experimental on my own… Fiona Apple, as I mentioned. Her most recent album is very minimal: almost solely piano, drums, and voice, but you’d never think so because it has such a big sound! My husband’s favorite band is They Might Be Giants and they are great to listen to because they really do break all of the
rules — it goes to show you don’t have to write a big sweeping Diane Warren ballad every time. Write what you want! Have fun with it! Joseph Arthur is a prolific songwriter whose flow-ofthought writing style, almost like Jack Kerouac, I admire very much. This is ironically coming full circle, but Charlotte Church’s new material — her EPs “One” and “Two” so far — is some of the most fantastic new music I’ve heard in a long time. The vocal effects she uses are a lot like what I do with my VoiceLive. Definitely inspirational stuff there. As someone who dabbles in popular genres, while still keeping your foot in classical, what do you think of 21st century classical music and the crossover phenomena? 21st century classical music is… incredible. I follow a lot of modern art song and choral composers on Twitter and Facebook, and it’s thrilling to me to see them posting about, “Working on a new piece! Rehearsing a new piece! Debut performance of a new piece…!” It’s like watching history being made, and of course in the melting pot that is music, 21st century classical is drawing from the wealth of everything that preceded it, both in classical and popular genres. As far as the “classical crossover” genre itself goes, I think it has a lot of potential and I’m always excited when I see a talented new artist arrive on the scene with innovative and original ideas.
Obviously, I myself enjoy singing the “easy listening” standards and showtunes that are a mainstay of the classical crossover repertoire. However, I think the genre is somewhat… how shall I say it… inbred? And unfortunately, there are NOT a lot of new ideas being generated; just the next pretty young novelty singing the same songs and following in the exact footsteps of those who came before, because it made money for the guys at the top. I get easily frustrated with formulaic music. While there’s nothing wrong with using a pop star marketing approach to lure people into their first classical vocal experience, and I applaud the concept of “making classical music accessible,” I fear that people are simply stopping there and becoming lazy listeners. To be fair, though, I think today’s music industry can lead to lazy listeners in any genre. Also, the older I get the less enchanted I am with the child star phenomenon… and that’s all I’m going to say about that! Vocally, how do you change your voice to adapt to different styles? You know something… I really don’t. Others may have different methods that work for them, but the biggest “secret” of all, to me, was finally realizing that trying to deliberately adapt my voice to a myriad of styles was actually very straining. These days, I try to just open my mouth and produce a healthy and natural sound. I am Chantelle, and this is how I sing. Of course, it may vary songby-song… this song is sassy and gets a little bit of a snarl, this song is more delicate so I use more of a thin head
voice, this song is a free for all and so I just sing and belt it out there… Using the VoiceLive Touch while singing with ECHOPOD has been a great help because I can get all sorts of effects: reverb, echo, layers, harmony, and even special effects like a megaphone, all without having to push my voice beyond its capability. I will say the one exception is that if I’m doing a legit classical performance, like when I was the soprano soloist in PDQ Bach’s “The Seasonings” with the Flint Hills Masterworks Chorale this past spring, I go back to my full, properlytrained classical voice. No “pop” inflections sneaking in there! What are some of your musical goals? Lately, my goal has simply been to “not give up.” Sometimes the monotony of a day job can drain my creative motivation, and it often seems like there isn’t an audience for the type of music I want to create. Thankfully, my life partner is also my music partner, and he is very good at motivating me (sometimes that means dragging me along!) to keep working day by day by day. Short term, writing songs is high on the list — solo, Hotel Gypsies, and ECHOPOD — as well as playing live gigs whenever we get a chance. Hotel Gypsies in particular is not ashamed to bust out the ukulele and kazzoo just at any ol’ backyard barbeque! I would like to keep recording and releasing EPs of my original songs, like I did with “The Mad ones vol I.” I also
have some ideas for a couple full-length concept albums of standards and showtunes, but we’ll see. Recording someone else’s music is more expensive than recording your own! In a long term, big dream sort of scale, I would like to develop a sort of cabaret one-woman concert type show combining some of my favorite genres (standards, 1970s “Laurel Canyon” material, maybe some of my own originals) to perform with a pianist in the
local area, and maybe someday it could develop into a larger-scale concert involving an orchestra, or a big band, on some more renowned stages. I’d love to perform at Carnegie Hall, at least once! A couple big “bucket list” items that come to mind are: To be a guest on Prairie Home Companion, and to someday, somewhere, somehow be part of a performance of Mahler’s 2nd Symphony. It is my all-time favorite piece of music!
www.chantellesings.com
Runaway Soprano By Jennie Johanson
Maria Callas. Anne Frank. Adolf Hitler. Mel Torme. Winston Churchill. What did all of these people have in common? They were all ardent fans of Deanna Durbin. Who is this person who could awaken admiration from such diverse people? Born in Winnipeg, Canada to English parents on December 4th, 1921 “Edna Mae” Durbin was the youngest child of two girls. From an early age, Edna possessed a naturally beautiful voice, sometimes performing at church or singing for the neighbors. However, it wasn’t until she was ten years old that her sister Edith, who was eleven years older, recognized her unbelievable gift. It happened one night while the two girls were left at home together. Edith listened attentively as her little sister sang the traditional English song, “Drink To Me Only With Thine Eyes.” “That was lovely Edna,” she said, “Why don’t you sing it again and I’ll accompany you on the piano?” The two girls sat together for
an hour, Edith playing, Edna singing. When their parents returned later that night after Edna was in bed, Edith told her father very seriously, “I think Edna has a great future as an opera singer.” She knew that he could not afford the kind of education Edna would need to go into such a profession, so she said, “I’m so sure of Edna’s talent, that I’ll pay for her singing lessons with the money I get from teaching.” The truth is, the Durbin family had fallen on hard times, as had many other people in America at the time. They had moved from Canada to California several years prior, because the weather was better for Mr. Durbin’s health. He worked very hard as a welder and took whatever other manual labor jobs he could find. “His clever hands, combined with my mother’s intelligent housekeeping got us all through the Depression,” Edna would later reminisce. However, he still struggled with health problems. Her parents never expected that their youngest daughter would soon be
providing an income for them, but soon the door to an incredible opportunity opened for them. MGM prided itself as being the studio that had “more stars than there are in the heavens,” and they were always on the lookout for new talent. One day, an agent named Jack Sherill visited Edna’s school, which was only seven miles away from the studio. MGM was going to make a bio-pic about the famous contralto, Ernestine Schumann-Heink, and they needed a little girl with a remarkable voice to portray the diva’s early years. Sherill was very impressed by Edna’s part in the recital and told the little girl and her mother that she should audition at MGM. The day arrived, and Edna and her mother entered the gates of MGM with great anticipation. The young songstress had already tried out at Disney for the singing voice of Snow White, only to be told that her voice was “too mature” for the part. Deanna would later say of her MGM audition, “I sang for one executive who went out and got another executive and I sang again, and I sang again. Each time I sang there was a lot of whispered consultation and someone else was sent for. I must have sung about ten times in all.” Louis B. Mayer himself was away in New York at the time, but his executives called him up and the twelveyear-old sang “Il Bacio” to him over the phone. He made her an offer right then and there.
The deciding moment came later, however. “I remember when [my father] came to pick up mother and me from the studio. Dad looked pale and sick. He had fainted twice and the doctor had told him that he had to stop working for quite a while. He was desperate. ‘Would it help Dad,’ I asked, ‘if I brought home a hundred dollars a week? The studio wants you to come back tomorrow and sign a contract for me.’ I’ll never forget the look on his face, the happy tears in his eyes.” After becoming the newest MGM property, Edna started going to school with other young MGM employees, including Mickey Rooney, Judy Garland and Freddie Bartholomew. However, the studio decided against making the movie about opera singer Schumann-Heink, and from that point, they were unsure of what to do with her. Another talented adolescent, Judy Garland, posed the same problems. Judy would go on to say: “They didn’t know what to do with thirteen-year-old girls…I mean, you either had to be a munchkin, or you had to be…well…eighteen or something.” Finally, they put the two prodigies together in a movie short called Every Sunday. To cut costs, the studio had decided to keep only one of the girls under contract, so after watching the eleven-minute film, Mayer told one of his staffers to “drop the fat one.” He was referring to Judy Garland, but there was a misunderstanding and Edna’s contract was cancelled instead. “For me this was the end,” the star would later recall, “My dog Tippy and I went for a long walk. I
was crying bitterly and decided that I’d kill myself-I couldn’t go back to school a failure.” Providentially, a talent scout from Universal Studios also saw Every Sunday, and decided that she was just the person they were looking for to play the youngest sister in their new picture, Three Smart Girls. Universal didn’t like the name “Edna” and asked the girl to change her name. She chose “Deanna” because it reminded her of a nickname her sister used to call her: “Dee Dee.” Deanna found the experience of making movies very new and exciting. “I liked the people with whom I worked and after the nervousness of the first day, I felt completely at ease in front of the camera.” Three Smart Girls was a huge success; everyone left the theatre talking about the little girl with the lovely lyric soprano voice, brilliant blue eyes, and charming and vivacious personality. Because business was so poor due to the depression, Universal studios had been about to file bankruptcy and shut down. However, the profits from Deanna’s first two films were so great, that the studio was saved. It irritated MGM head Louis B. Mayer to see a such a remarkable talent, which he let slip through his fingers, making so much money for his rival. “Deanna Durbin” became a huge star all at once. Dolls were made of her. She won an Academy Award. Her face graced the cover of dozens of magazines. She had her own perfume and line of clothing. Her first screen kiss made the headlines. In the late 1930s, Deanna’s movies accounted for 17 percent of
Universal’s total profits, which is an amazing amount for one performer making approximately two movies a year. There was a price for fame, though. “I hated being in a goldfish bowl. If I went to New York, I had to stay in my hotel room or go everywhere under guard, whisked away in a big black limousine, terrified that the fans running alongside would get hurt in the traffic. My mother and I were once mobbed in Texas: the police lost control of the crowd and my mother suffered two broken ribs from people trying to reach me. I have never been so frightened. They put me in the town jail for safety and to avoid the mob still waiting at the station, they flagged the train down in the middle of nowhere, where I got on safely.” Another difficulty was that the studio wanted to keep her movie persona the same, even as she grew older. Deanna felt more mature than the characters she was playing. While making the sequel to her first film, she and a young man who worked at the studio began seriously dating. She had met Vaughn Paul prior to this, but only casually. They started going to dances, movies, football games and races together. In December of 1940, the couple announced their engagement. Deanna was just nineteen years old. Initially she wanted a simple wedding held at her parent’s house, but instead the marriage ceremony became a highly publicized affair with many famous people from the movie industry in attendance. Thousands of fans flocked
outside the church, and the 45 policemen were stationed around the building to keep the peace. Vaughn Paul had recently become an associate producer at Universal, but the movie he had been assigned to work on was not doing well. Vaughn grew bitter as Deanna’s success only increased. His humiliation at being outdone by his wife became a divisive issue in their marriage. Deanna would go on to say, “I work very hard; very hard trying to make good pictures. But no matter how good the critics thought they were, Vaughn would always find fault with them. It was very discouraging.” Over time, their love ebbed away, and soon living together became unbearable. Her husband would often stay out late nights without any explanation, and when he was around, it seemed like all they did was fight. Sadly, they filed for divorce in 1943, only two years after they had so optimistically wed. This was difficult for the studio to accept, especially since divorce was so scandalous at the time. “When my first marriage failed everyone said that I could never divorce. It would ruin the ‘image’. How could anyone really think I was going to spend the rest of my life with a man I didn’t love, just for the sake ‘of an image’?!” Deanna questioned. She continued to work, and when possible, spent time with her sister’s family. She adored her young niece and nephew, and being a good aunt to them helped her not to feel quite so alone. Of course, her work as an actress and singer kept her
busy, as she continued to star in movies and make live appearances. Since America was in the midst of the Second World War, Deanna had the opportunity to entertain the troops. Not only would she sing for them, but to break the ice she would visit their service clubs, eat with them in the mess hall, and even serve meals. To keep her performances light and friendly, Deanna chose less operatic material in favor of popular selections such as George Gershwin’s “Embraceable You.” In turn, the soldiers would get such a thrill out of hearing her live, and go crazy stomping and cheering after her each song. Afterwards, she would cry because it was such an emotional experience. “They seemed so happy, and I felt just the opposite. You do so little and they think it’s wonderful, and the whole thing’s out of proportion.” One touching story involving the war years didn’t come to Deanna’s attention until quite a while afterwards. There was a group of Americans were imprisoned by the Japanese and kept under horrific conditions. Their captors tried every method of humiliation they could to break their spirits, including telling them that Deanna Durbin had died a horrible death while giving birth to her first child. The prisoners were heartbroken and even decided to hold a small memorial service for her. One day, about a year later, one of them made a makeshift radio which was able to receive news from San Francisco.
While listening to it, Deanna’s voice came on the air announcing her next song, and she began singing! The good news spread, and while the prisoners secretly rejoiced, they had to be very careful not to show it. The camp was liberated in 1945, and years later, Deanna received a letter explaining how hearing her voice had brought them so much joy. She wrote back by saying: “Your letter told me so beautifully of your feelings…now, I shall try and tell you mine. To start with, there were tears. Then a sort of overwhelmed happiness that you managed to contact me and that after all these many years I am able to keep and cherish your letter with its fabulous happy ending!” After the war ended, Deanna married her second husband, Felix Jackson, a man who had worked on several of her movies. At this point, the star was genuinely frustrated about being cast in the same type of role. It wasn’t that she was disliked her movies, but she longed to branch out and have more creative input about which parts she was to play. In 1944, Felix gave her the chance to do something completely different, and cast her in a dark dramatic role in the film, Christmas Holiday. “I was scared to death to do it,” said Deanna “But I wanted to do it more than any picture I have ever made. I’ve done romantic comedies so long that I just didn’t know whether or not I’d be capable of playing a dramatic part.” Deanna poured her heart and soul into her character Jackie, a fallen woman whose descent is brought on by her husband’s shocking crime. However, nobody liked seeing their
favorite girl next door clad in a sultry black dress as the broken-hearted torch singer. Christmas Holiday, which also starred Gene Kelly, was her first financial loss for the studio. Deanna went back to making sunny musicals, but her scripts kept getting worse. Although she was the highest paid female actress of her time, she still did not have any say in her career because Universal made the choices for her. Even more disappointing was the way her second marriage was souring. The much older, and already thrice divorced, Jackson expressed his dissatisfaction with his life as a married man about a year and a half after their wedding, and a short few months later he deserted his wife and their new baby. “The second divorce was traumatic, for there was a child involved.” Deanna admitted, “Being the child of a movie star can mean a life even more unreal than that of the parent, and at that point I knew that I didn’t want my daughter to grow up in Hollywood.” They separated in 1947, and Deanna was granted full custody of her daughter when the divorce was finalized. After director Charles David asked her to marry him in 1950, Deanna consented under one condition: that she would be allowed to retire from show business, and never be pressured into performing again. He agreed, and even suggested that they move to his homeland of France after her retirement. Before leaving, Deanna had to reject many offers from people who hoped she’d postpone her departure. “Just once was I
seriously tempted, by the prospect of My Fair Lady on Broadway. It was still in an embryonic state just a few songs completed when Alan Jay Lerner came to my home to play them for me. I loved them…but I had my ticket to Paris in my pocket and anyway, Julie Andrews was great and so was Audrey Hepburn in the film.” The move to France to start her life over was a happy one. She always enjoyed the prospect of being a full-time homemaker, even when she would visit her sister’s home and “putter around the house.” In an earlier interview she admitted that she liked doing housework for people that she loved. However, for a while, Hollywood tried to entice her to make a comeback. One of her producers, Joe Pasternak, would telephone whenever he was in Paris. “Are you still happy?” he’d ask. “Yes” she would reply. “Damn, well I’ll try again next time,” he’d say before hanging up. Deanna did not miss fame and fortune. “The idea of being recognized wherever I go holds no enjoyment. I would like to be able to shop in a store or go to the theatre without people saying ‘That’s Deanna Durbin.’ I would like to have people like me because I was just Edna, not Deanna.” Upon leaving Hollywood, she went back to her original name, and friends came to know her as “Edna David” instead of “Deanna.” After moving to the village of Neauphle-leChateauhe, Edna gave birth to a second child, Peter David. When her children grew up, she and her husband passed their final years together traveling around
the world, going to concerts, operas and museums. They enjoyed a long and happy marriage for nearly fifty years until his death in 1999. Although Edna disliked intruding reporters and other “blood sucking insects” as she dubbed them, there is a story about one recording executive who proved to be more of an amusement to her than a nuisance. This particular young man happened to be driving through the French countryside where he stopped at a local tavern. While sipping his drink, a sweet but strong soprano voice wafted in from outdoors. “Listen,” he asked the bartender, “who is that singing?” The man turned to him and explained, “That’s Madame David who lives in a farmhouse just a few minutes’ walk from here.” After hastily paying for his drink, the executive started towards the farmhouse. An attractive woman in her 30s answered the door and asked if she could help him. He told her who he was, and insisted that she should audition because his record company was on the lookout for talented newcomers like her. Surprisingly, she politely declined, looking amused as if she knew some kind of inside joke. He assured her that if she would only come tryout he could make her rich and famous. “I’m sorry,” she smiled, “but I don’t want to leave my husband and family.” Noticing her subtle American accent, he continued with his pitch. “You’ll remember American singers like Deanna Durbin, Jane Powell, Kathryn Grayson, and Jeannette MacDonald. I can guarantee that my
company can make you as big an international star as they used to be!” Madame David shook her head, and he finally realized that pressing his point further would be futile. Walking back to the main road from her farmhouse, her voice haunted him like
the memory of an angel. Once again, he asked the bartender about her. “It’s a shame she turned down my offer. She’s beautiful and quite talented; I really could make something of her,” he grumbled. “Yes, she has a lovely voice,” the barman grinned, “Actually, she used to sing professionally and make movies. They called her Deanna Durbin.”