Singing with Avery B.

I’ve always had affinity for music, and like many singers, I started my musical training in the church. My parents would drag me to choir rehearsal every thursday evening, and I, of course, would dread these moments. As time went on, singing in church choir, leading hymns, and leading songs have become some of my fondest childhood memories. The foundation of my musical background is firmly planted in the Black-American, musical tradition. At a young age I’d begun touring the east coast, singing gospel and soul music, which I kept up for many years. It was during that time that I had the opportunity to work with some of the most amazing artists of my young career. Although these moments were among the best, they were not without trial. I eventually developed serious difficulty singing, for one reason or another, and began taking classical voice lessons because…that was what you did. The lessons turned out to be the best thing that happened to me as a singer and performer. It was through those lessons that I was allowed to hone my craft and learn to sing in ways that I had only imagined. Classical voice lessons saved my voice. I was sold, but I know this model does not work for everyone. There began my interest in CCM voice Pedagogy, and a smooth transition into singing “contemporary-commercial” styles like gospel, jazz, R&B, and soul, while also singing classical ones such as art song, oratorio, and opera.