Sophie came to me October 2007 when she was twelve years old. Her family had recently moved to Virginia from England, where she had attended a wonderful Theater school there. She brought me a note from the Dean, giving his critique of her last performance shortly before she moved. It was less than flattering and did not appropriately address the potential she had. Needless to say, she had become discouraged. After working together for about eight months, she had improved tremendously, especially in respect to her comfort level with her own voice. She had uncovered her natural tone and had grasped the foundations in control over her tone and flexibility in her range. She was beginning to bloom. After a few performances with this newly uncovered instrument, she was due for her jury with her school back in England. We selected three songs: I Could Have Danced All Night, from the musical My Fair Lady, by Frederick Loewe and Alan Jay Lerner, The Sound of Music, from the musical of the same name, by Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein II, and Berlington Bertie from Bow, made popular by the movie STAR! in 1968. She worked extremely hard. She was a bright, energetic girl who was truly enjoying this process. She traveled to New England, performed her heart out (complete with three costume changes) and earned a vocal distinction. As an instructor and as a friend, I was very proud. Around August 2009, almost two years from when we first met, she will be heading back to England, to a new school that she has earned a scholarship based on vocal performance. Her future is bright, filled with confidence and ability. There is no doubt in my mind, even at this young age, that if she wants to pursue a career using her voice, she will succeed.
Photo by: Joel A Prince www.joelprincephotography.com