I have always been a singer. As a young child, I would try to imitate my Swedish grandmother as she sang opera and accompanied herself on the piano. So they say. I don't really remember.
But I do have fond memories of my mom teaching me piano lessons at my grandmother's house. Eventually we got our own piano and I took lessons from a family friend.
In high school, I began singing in choir, performing in school musicals and also was recruited to play bells and mallets in marching and concert band. It was at this time, I was exposed to jazz. I sang in my school's jazz choir and also started playing vibraphone
in the jazz band, and even received special recognition at the
Reno Jazz Festival.
Valerie with jazz great,
Dizzy Gilespie |
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My love of jazz led me to Central Washington University, where I earned a Bachelor of Music degree cum laude with studies in Vocal Performance and Business Administration and Marketing.
I was determined to work with pioneering jazz educator, John Moawad and I was selected for his award-winning Vocal Jazz Ensemble as a freshman. In the four years that I sang lead soprano with the choir, we won 1st Place in the West Coast Collegiate Jazz Festival in Berkeley, CA, recorded the album, In a Mellow Tone and performed with jazz great, Dizzy Gillespie.
During my later years at CWU, my female vocal jazz quartet, Sudden Touch, performed regularly in the Northwest, received national attention by being chosen as one of six groups nationwide for the 1st Collegiate Jazz Festival at Epcott Center in Florida and was featured on the cover of the Jazz Educator's Journal.
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Sudden Touch
on the cover of the
Jazz Educator's Journal |
After graduation, I continued my quest to claim mastery of several diverse musical genres. As an opera singer, I have been acclaimed by reviewers as "dazzling" and a singer of "great skill" for my performance of The Queen of the Night from Mozart's
The Magic Flute. I have performed this role more than any other!
This famous role requires nerves of steel, lots of fast coloratura, high notes galore and five high F's!
I've performed in many diverse places and situations. Concert work I've done includes
Handel's Messiah,
Bachianas Brasileiras #5 and
Carmina Burana among others. As a jazz singer, I have performed with small vocal groups and as a soloist in such venues as
Tula's Nightclub in Seattle, the
Admiral Theatre in Bremerton and
Benaroya Nordstrom Recital Hall. My singing has been featured on numerous studio and live recordings and I have worked professionally as a keyboard player as well.
Besides singing and teaching, I am also a published writer as well as a public speaker, clinician and adjudicator.
Classical Singer Magazine called me a "Master Teacher" after my workshops at the 2005 Classical Singer Convention in New York City were enthusiastically received. Besides writing regularly for Classical Singer, I also contributed to the acclaimed book,
This Day in the Life: Diaries from Women Across America.
Valerie as Marie in The Daughter of the Regiment |
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I am passionate about teaching singers how to sing in different genres while maintaining vocal health and artistic integrity. Many of my students have gone on to performing and teaching careers and/or have attended prestigious schools like Berklee School of Music and New York University.
I also love working with innovative teachers so I can continue to improve and learn new techniques. My significant teachers include: Charles Peterson for vocal technique,
Williams Eddy for opera, Robert Edwin for belt voice technique and John Moawad and Greta Matassa for jazz styling. I have attended workshops and master classes from:
Cathrine Sadolin, Melissa Cross, Craig Carnilia, Jeannette LoVetri, Marvin Keenze, Neil Semer, Paul Kiesen,
Ann Baltz, Kurt-Alexander Zeller, Barbara Conable, Katherine Verdolini, Mary Saunders Barton and Jane Eaglen,
I am thankful for my many mentors and I feel blessed to be able to pass on their legacy to the next generation.
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Valerie sings with
Half Pack Live at Vino Bella
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About Vocal Splendor.com
Ten years ago, when my children were very young, I was living in a rural area with few performing opportunities. Teaching myself HTML and building this website was therapy for me and it gave me a much needed outlet for my creativity. I envisioned vocalsplendor.com as an information and resource site based on my love of the singing voice.
Right away, I began searching out articles and resources that would be helpful to singers and even began writing my own. Now
Vocalsplendor.com has expanded to include information about my teaching studio. Stay tuned for more developments!
