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Valerie White Williams has been teaching people to sing for almost
twenty years. Born into a musical family, Valerie was first inspired by
her Swedish grandmothers classical singing and was taught piano at age
five by her mother. Growing up, she discovered a passion for music so
she sang as much as possible in church, school choirs, theatre
productions and also played mallet percussion in marching and jazz band.
While earning a Bachelor of Music degree cum laude from Central
Washington University, Valerie worked and coached with pioneering jazz
educator, John Moawad. She sang lead soprano for his Vocal Jazz Ensemble
when the choir 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 her senior year at CWU, Valerie's
female vocal jazz quartet, Sudden Touch, received national attention and
was featured on the cover of the Jazz Educators Journal.
Valerie's performance background is as varied as it is deep. She is one
of the few vocalists who can claim mastery of several diverse musical
genres As an opera singer, Valerie has been acclaimed by reviewers as
"dazzling" and a singer of "great skill" for her performance of The
Queen of the Night from Mozart's The Magic Flute. Concert work includes
Handels Messiah, Bachianas Brasileiras #5 and Carmina Burana among
others. As a jazz singer, Valerie has performed with small vocal groups
and as a soloist in such venues as Epcott Center in Florida, Tulas
Nightclub in Seattle, the Admiral Theatre in Bremerton and Benaroya
Nordstrom Recital Hall. Valerie's singing has been featured on numerous
studio and live recordings and she has worked professionally as a
keyboard player as well.
A published writer, Valerie is in demand as a public speaker, clinician
and adjudicator. Classical Singer Magazine called her a master teacher
after her workshops at the 2005 Classical Singer Convention in New York
City were enthusiastically received. Besides writing regularly for
Classical Singer, Valerie also contributed to the acclaimed book, This
Day in the Life: Diaries from Women Across America.
Continuously learning new techniques and improving her craft, Valerie
White Williams has always sought out innovative teachers. Her notable
teachers include: Charles Peterson for vocal technique, Williams Eddy
for opera, Robert Edwin for belt voice technique and Greta Matassa for
jazz styling. She is passionate about teaching singers how to sing in
different genres while maintaining vocal health and artistic integrity.
Many of her students have gone on to performing careers and/or have
attended prestigious schools like Berklee School of Music and New York
University. Valerie is thankful for her many mentors and she feels
blessed to be able to pass on their legacy to the next generation.
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