So you want to be a singer...

Audition Day! Look how happy we
were and didn't even have the job yet.

If you had asked me 10 years ago where I would see myself working in 2015, I never would have guessed I would find my dream job by pure chance.  The truth is I put an ad up on Kijiji with a hunch that if I went fishing I may get lucky. One day I received an email from The Hilton Hotel looking for weekend entertainment who could perform Latin and Brazilian music.  So we learned The Girl from Ipanema for the audition and got hired on the spot.  At that time The Rio Trio had been playing a fusion of pop, jazz, blues with a splash of world music flair.  We then turned our focus to developing a repertoire suitable for a venue where guests can choose to eat or dance.  Not an easy undertaking, but one that pushed our creative boundaries. Dream job, check.

To say that my parents trained me to be an entertainer is an understatement. I grew up submerged in a music culture similar to that of the Von Trapp's from The Sound of Music.  My little sister and I would perform shows for family and friends, in full wardrobe and makeup.  I had memorized the entire score to the musical Cats by the age of 12.   Both my parents sang as well.  We grew up singing together in church choir. Music was my childhood, and music is now my career.  

People always ask me "well it's not really like a job is it?”. I am always diplomatic with how I respond to that because I know most do not want to hear that my job could be even considered work. But when a woman vomits two feet from you while your in the middle of singing Guantanamera and shaking maracas, sometimes you ask yourself "why am I here?”.  

All sarcasm aside, five years singing in a band that specializes in the music that moves me the most is a gift from God.  While I never thought I would have to sing La Bamba or The Girl from Ipanema 1000 times a year, there are some songs I never tire of.  A certain note strikes my heart every time I sing it.  I also try to remind myself that the monotony of having to play some songs whether you feel like it or not is not all that bad.  Because that one night you decide to not play that old classic, is the night someone requests it for sure.  And then thanks you with a tear in their eye on their way out.  I am extremely fortunate to be able to say my life’s passion is my job. The special moments are just an added bonus.

On that note, here is our cover of 
Evil Ways by Carlos Santana