Finding Her Voice

If you had met Kaitlin when she was a little girl, your first thought probably would have been “She is so quiet!” In fact, Kaitlin was so shy, she barely ever opened her mouth to speak, never mind to sing.

That all changed when a friend motivated her to enter the school talent show. Kaitlin stood on a stage for the first time to sing Think of Me from The Phantom of the Opera. She was quivering and her knees were knocking. She does not remember much about singing that day, but what struck Kaitlin was the applause. Much to Kaitlin’s surprise, the audience seemed to really appreciate her singing. They told her mother she was gifted and should definitely pursue singing. That was when Kaitlin was enrolled in voice lessons.

Kaitlin owes much of her vocal ability to Brian Powers Smith, a man with over 40 years of singing, directing and teaching classical voice and a lifetime of musical experience under his belt. With Brian’s guidance, Kaitlin flourished as a singer. Her voice grew larger and more agile.

When Kaitlin was 14, she joined the McGill Youth Choir, under the direction of Erica Phare. During her time in the choir she sung many beautiful pieces such as Mozart’s Requiem and Bach’s Jesu bleibet meine Freude. She also performed the solo in Mozart’s Laudate Dominum among others. Kaitlin’s experience in the choir taught her the discipline and hard work required to perform classical music.

Later, Kaitlin joined the choir at her church, Union United (Ste Anne de Bellevue, Quebec) which is also directed by Brian Powers Smith. Kaitlin sung many beautiful solos for the services there, including Caccini’s Ave Maria, Andrew Lloyd Webber’s Pie Jesu and Malotte’s The Lord’s Prayer. She also performed many beautiful sacred pieces as part of the choir.

Kaitlin continues to learn and perform classical music.