A Showcase Is Not A Recital

How adult individuality and creativity has found a home at KLVS

Performers at a recent Showcase Experience

This weekend, the first of three cohorts of students at KLVS will take the stage with their solo Showcase performances. As the name implies, each solo set showcases their individual vocal strengths and storytelling abilities - from funny to heart wrenching, and everything in between.

Showcases are more than a traditional independent studio recital, where students get up and sing one or two pieces.

They are also not a solo recital (as is common in the classical music industry), where songs are grouped together into sets, typically shaped around a shared composer, musical style, or less commonly, a shared topic or theme. In a Showcase at KLVS, students bring together songs in as many genres and styles as they like, coherently themed, to showcase their vocal abilities, and to tell a story - whether that story is of their own vocal journey, a tribute to an artist whose work they admire, or a platform to share their own views and self expression with the world. Just take a look inside this weekend’s upcoming Showcase, where four singers will perform sets as varied and unique as they are:

Poster for this week's Showcase

A veteran of the Showcase Experience, Betty D’Angelo will take us through a narrative journey in her Showcase entitled “Looking for Love.” Her third Showcase with KLVS consists of tunes that were originated or covered by Linda Ronstadt. As Ronstadt was a prolific and stylistically diverse performer, so is this set. And Betty’s scripted narration weaves the pieces together to tell a story of love and loss.

In their first Showcase Experience, high school senior Norah McCullough is honoring and acknowledging the friends and family that have shaped them in their journey thus far through a Showcase entitled Paying Tribute. Each song selected holds a special memory or association with a special person in their life - and the genres are as varied as the individuals, ranging from pop to grunge rock to classical crossover and more. It’s a whole vibe.

Alison Hardy is taking a world-weary look at the current state of affairs (even more relevant than when she first started crafting the set) in Mon Dieu! Du Monde. Each song tackles a different aspect of life and the world as we know it - from levity to ennui to desolation - all while leaning into the indomitable human spirit.

Last up, Emily Pazos’ Sirens of Rock is a vocal tour de force, highlighting music performed by soprano vocalists of the symphonic rock genre. Clocking in at over thirty minutes in length, her set is a testament to the vocal flexibility and stamina she has built, and is edgy, powerful, and moving.

These Showcase events have become the highlight of our work together in the Studio, moving participants right up to the edge of their comfort zone…and paying big dividends on the other side.I have seen increased confidence, ownership, exploration, stamina, artistic self realization, self trust, and more, all as a direct result of their Showcase Experiences.

So, as we kick off the third season of Showcase performances, I have a twofold invitation for you.

First, come and join us this Saturday!

These performances are unlike anything else happening in the area. The venue (JamSpot in Wakefield) is a cozy, funky little performance hall with a fabulous sound system. Admission is free, so what have you got to lose? Come and be uplifted and inspired!

My second invitation is if you have an inkling that you, too, have something to share with the world, and that now just might be your time to shine onstage.

Enrollment is rolling, and I’m currently accepting new clients.

So, if you’ve been considering revisiting your voice, or trying it out for the first time, I’ve got something to offer you. Reach out to see how KLVS is helping adults like you express their creativity and find their voice.