Michelle's musings about music

MANILA, Philippines - Her passion for singing is as intense as her interest in educating the young minds.

That’s why Michelle went straight to the US after the launch of her debut album Back in Time with the carrier single Ocean Deep. The singer-educator is always on the lookout for learning new things about music she can share with her students at Stardev Music School in BF Homes, Parañaque. This has been Michelle’s musings about music.

“First, I went to Chicago and attended the classes in a big university,” recalls Michelle of her recent educational trip. “We had training and demo classes there. We were taught music courses for the babies. There were around 20 participants. Most of them were from the US. We woke up early and had assignments at night. It was exciting because the babies were cute. It was like United Colors of Benetton.”

Then, she flew in to L.A. to be trained under Seth Riggs, most sought after vocal coach in the US. Riggs was the mentor of the late Michael Jackson, Anita Baker, Barbra Streisand and Natalie Cole, among others.

“We talked about belting because it became an issue during the training,” shares Michelle. “He told me that in the US, it’s not always about belting. It’s about vocal timbre and quality and the soul of the song. As a singer, you have to work on your vocal range and you have to keep within your range as possible.”

To appreciate what Riggs wanted to teach her, Michelle had vocal exercises, learned new techniques and realized the importance of song studies to know one’s vocal range.

“It’s a fact that we have different sizes of vocal folds or vocal cords,” says Michelle. “You can’t say that this singer is better than this one because he can reach higher notes.”

This is one lesson and a possible advocacy Michelle willingly shares with those who see a career in performing or recording. After all, singing is knowing what genre complements your voice and is never about vocal calisthenics.

Meantime, Michelle is also busy promoting the music video of Ocean Deep. It is aired on music channels. The MTV shows two persons (Michelle and model Luke Jickain) who often cross each other’s paths and their side glances tell the special bond between them. The painting perfectly wraps up the song and answers the question: Who has the love as deep as the ocean?

Asked if acting on music video is more difficult than singing, Michelle says she didn’t have a hard time adjusting because when she sings, the singer tries to understand the emotions that come with the song’s story. However, it took a while for Michelle to play her part in the dancing and chasing scenes.    

Again, if you wish to go down memory lane with Cliff Richard, Elvis Presley and Doris Day hits, listen to Michelle’s engaging interpretation and Kettle Mata’s conservative yet updated arrangements in Back in Time. They will never disappoint you.