Today we’d like to introduce you to Corinne Bach.
Hi Corinne, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
I grew up on the beaches of Coney Island in NYC. Hot dogs, the Cyclone, Wonder Wheel, the boardwalk. Moved to a little community north of Tampa in Florida after my parent’s divorce. Culture shock! While we had very little money, working single mom, the choir was going strong in my high school. Like any teenager might be, I was devastated by the move, the divorce. And not knowing anyone, I turned to music. It was literally my lifeline in my angsty teenage years. My grades improved from the tune of a 1.9 GPA to a 3.4 GPA in my first semester of joining the choir. Imagine if schools today had that kind of outlet for wayward kids, kids who struggled. Back then, it was my creative outlet. Music kept me in school, kept me excited to go to school every day.
I didn’t know if I should stay in music or go into environmental engineering, so I took classes in both at the Community college. One conversation with an engineering professor sealed the deal. He said the first ten years would be a lot of paper pushing. I wanted to be out in the field, getting my hands dirty, making a difference, so that wasn’t going to fly with me! Knowing I could potentially travel the world singing, I decided to do that instead; maybe I could make a difference through music. I got a scholarship to music school at USF, studied opera and choral music, and sang in pop bands to earn a living. I didn’t realize how valuable that would be for stage experience. I got accepted into the Aspen Music Festival and School, and it was the most eye-opening experience of my life. I met my now former-husband there as well. In grad school at USF, I got to go to NYC for an audition for a touring production of the Music Man.
My first NYC audition and I got called to tour in my first professional Broadway touring musical. I dropped out of grad school with two classes to go! I came back to Tampa to teach, but NYC was calling me. I went up to take about two dozen auditions, and the very first one was a cruise ship that needed strong opera, musical theater, and pop singing, with some dancing. PLUS, they were going to Australia, Asia, Europe, Africa, and the Americas; I decided to go for it even though I was only up there for theater auditions. I got the gig, and there it was: traveling to more than 60 countries around the world. I did that for four years. On my last contract, I was taking two classes online and took my finals in some port restaurant with free WIFI and mango margaritas. Then I broke my foot on stage — a sign I needed to stay home, get married, finish my grad degree, and start a family. I ended up teaching music, still performing several nights a week around the south and southwest Florida, and in Tampa with The Master Chorale of Tampa Bay. I did this while getting another degree in Speech-Language Pathology. I was inspired to get this degree because of studying a series of 12 vocal exercises that I now teach at my school. These are what I call Heritage Vocal Exercises and they build vocal stamina and range while relaxing the jaw and supporting muscles of the vocal mechanism. I wanted to get these exercises out into the world for singers to develop better vocal habits while understanding A&P.
Then, I was having some marital problems, and I took a pilgrimage to NYC to find out where my father was buried. It took me a long time to find him — he died when I was 16. I came home, started the divorce process, and put all my energy into my music again. I dedicated my CD In Circles to the memory of my father. There are a lot of “coincidences” surrounding this — you’re welcome to ask me about A-440 or Hurricane Sandy and my music video, how it devastated my home town of Coney Island and I had several dreams about it for months beforehand. I remained a teacher until May of 2019, when I got offered a job as a cruise director on a fleet that required I performed my show every cruise. I loved it, got to get back into traveling… then covid! Covid-19 was honestly the best thing to happen to me because it made me look deeper into what I have wanted to build for years — a music school where I can get everything out of my head and into the world. It’s just launching now, starting with a series of interviews of industry pros and they are doing free Live Q&As. I have a 3-time Grammy nominee, a Broadway singer, a Casting director, and others. I’ll teach modules and masterclasses on My 10 Pillars of Successful Singing and have a membership that will include all of the courses, modules, and masterclasses.
So, here I am, here we are — the live performing industry may be slow and reflective at the moment. Still, it will come back with a renewed sense of vitality and people will be chomping at the bit to get back into theaters to watch a live show and I will certainly be ready to help people get where they need to be! Being a performer forges an unbreakable bond. So, back in my teens and 20s, I didn’t realize back then how my life would completely change; that it would forge this beautiful path of traveling, meeting amazing people, growing in spirit, helping others, giving back to my local community, and reaching out to our global community.
I’m sure you wouldn’t say it’s been obstacle free, but so far would you say the journey has been a fairly smooth road?
Always challenges, and there are moments after two or three weeks of the ramen noodle diet or feigning being on water cleanse that you want to take that corporate job. And then something rises in you that says, “keep going, you’re not done.”
As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar, what can you tell them about what you do?
Well, goodness, I think I said most of it in “My Story.” I’ll go more in-depth. I’m a trained opera singer, but I perform with a twist called Popera. I produce my own shows and perform them on ships and country clubs around Florida and the US. I love passing the torch to keep the performing arts in the hearts and minds of everyone. I’ve started a Facebook group for hobbyists and professionals called Secrets of Successful Singers, affiliated with TheBachSchool.com. It offers a ton of support for singers of any genre and lots of opportunities to meet notable professionals in the industry across genres from opera to Broadway, cruise ships, to pop and choral music. I’m starting with a series of interviews of industry pros, and they are doing free Live Q&As. I have a 3-time Grammy nominee, a Broadway singer, a Casting director, and others. I’ll be teaching modules and masterclasses on My 10 Pillars of Successful Singing and have a membership that will include all of the courses, modules, and masterclasses. I’ll be doing courses for kids, and the membership for emerging singers 16+ Annual Membership includes: 1. Weekly Live group voice lessons 2. Yoga for Successful Singers classes & streaming content 3. Successful Singers Interview Series and Live Q&A with professionals in the industry 4. Streaming vocal exercises 6. Multiple Modules and Masterclasses on my Ten Pillars of Successful Singing: – Pillar 1 Weekly Lessons – Pillar 2 Daily practice – Pillar 3 Repertoire – Pillar 4 Performing – Pillar 5 Musicianship for Singers – Pillar 6 Health and Wellness – Pillar 7 Anatomy & Physiology – Pillar 8 Interdisciplinary – Pillar 9 Business – Pillar 10 Pedagogy.
Do you have any advice for those looking to network or find a mentor?
I have traveled all over the world and have made friends with so many different kinds of people. I love to make friends and talk to others. In terms of finding a mentor, do your due diligence and research. Talk to many teachers. Ask for advice from friends who take lessons or are professionals in the industry. You always want to find out who the professionals take lessons with!
Pricing:
- Founding Members first year: $697 includes all courses and modules
- $100 per hour for voice lessons
- For live performances: $1000 minimum
- Merchandise, t-shirts, CDs, USB bracelets, etc $10-$20
Contact Info:
- Email: soprano.bach@gmail.com
- Website: www.CorinneBach.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/corinne.bach
- Facebook: www.facebook.com/groups/successfulsingers
- Twitter: @BachSoprano
- Youtube: Corinne Bach
- Other: www.TheBachSchool.com
Image Credits
Claudia Ariotti
