Rella Jr., Richard. “Reflection, Revival, and Renewal…and a Wedding Singer.” Backstage 5-11 Aug. 2010: Vol. 51, No. 26

Finding creative things to do in between acting jobs has always been a challenge for me,  especially in the summer where work tends to slow down. This year though, I began laying the ground work early with an entertainment company called Platinum Entertainment. Primarily handling entertainment for weddings, this company was founded in 2003 by Kevin Chester and Sal Basile. I met the owners two years ago when I was hired by a couple who saw me perform as the wedding singer in Tony N Tina’s Wedding and hired me to sing at their own wedding. Initially, I was only booked sporadically as brides and grooms were hesitant to hire an unknown live singer with no demo. Knowing the caliber of my work, Kevin and Sal decided to invite me to the weddings that they were playing and surprise the bride and groom with my performance. This July has been an amazing month as I have crashed and performed at six different weddings and one bridal showcase.

During the week, as these weddings have been primarily on the weekends, I am forced to rehearse my material, take voice lessons on a regular basis, work on choreography, and find stronger pieces to perform. I have been given a rare opportunity to craft my own performance from my choice of song to the suits that I wear. As I rehearse in my one bedroom apartment, I am constantly asking myself the question, “What kind of an artist are you?”Just like my initial audition book, a three inch binder that was bursting at the seams with every song that I had sung or wanted to sing from my church choir to the tenor arias I learned in my first voice class, so too has my itunes playlist ballooned like a wood tick. The process of sifting through the plethora of songs at my disposal is quite a lengthy one. Finding material that not only showcases my vocal ability but that I can also connect to on an emotional level is painstaking. I also know that every choice I am making is defining who I am as an artist and the words that I am singing are shaping the responses that I am getting from the audiences.

This strange wedding singing process has really helped me to create my “brand.” How do I want to be perceived and what do I want to be known for? The incredible trust and confidence that Platinum Entertainment has shown continues to inspire me. They have given me a wonderful opportunity to network and perform but, more than that, they are giving me the platform to focus and create. I am ever so grateful to them as I continue to build a fan base for my work in between acting opportunities.