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Melissa Batalles: This one's for the Boys and Girls Clubs

by BILL BULEY
Staff Writer | August 18, 2021 1:00 AM

Opera singer Melissa Batalles will be performing at the sold-out "A Summer Concert" for the Boys and Girls Clubs of Kootenai County presented by Jerry and Ellen Jaeger on Thursday at the Hagadone Event Center.

She took some time beforehand to field a few questions from The Press.

Why did you want to come to CDA to perform?

When Mr. Jerry and Dr. Ellen Jaeger invited me to give a concert at the Hagadone Event Center after hearing me perform with pianist Constance Gordy in April, I was already there in my mind. Who would have trouble accepting an opportunity to sing for an audience in beautiful Coeur d’Alene and help raise funds for the youth of Kootenai County through the Boys and Girls Clubs? It’s a total win-win. I’ve sung in places like Florida, South Carolina, New York, San Francisco, all over California, and Austria, but this is my first time singing in Idaho!

What do you love about what you do?

In the performing arts it’s easy to get in an endless cycle of the pursuit of perfection. That’s why I love when I’m able to get beyond myself and my perfectionism and remember that art is a gift to present for the heart of the listener, not for excellence in itself. Most people want to see, hear, meet and know a real person, not a robot, because it reminds us that we don’t have to be perfect to be full of value.

I love what music can do for people. If people are open to receiving a moment outside of their circumstances, music can jump out of the context in which it was written and transfer directly into the context of each individual life, sparking strength, hope, courage, reflection, re-evaluation, and passion. Our intelligent brains have the capacity to automatically personalize lyrics so that they speak to the details of our life. It’s amazingly rewarding for me when the music I sing moves people.

Where does your love for music/singing come from? Who are some of your influences?

Like most everyone else, my love for music comes from how it makes me feel, how it zings me in my current mental or emotional state.

I want people to feel loved through my singing the way I feel loved by Jesus.

When we moved from Argentina in the middle of my high school years we lived with my grandfather and he used to play music I had never heard; music by the great Ella Fitzgerald, Etta James, Kathryn Grayson and others. At first I disliked the sound of their voices, the style of the singing, and their vibratos; I mimicked their voices until one day I found myself loving that style of singing. Because of that I began loving the music of that generation and incorporating it into my concerts. Many artists have influenced my musicianship, but especially Kelli O’Hara, Kathryn Grayson, Nat King Cole, Audra McDonald, Anna Moffo, Beverly Sills and Joan Sutherland.

When people see/hear you, what do you hope they come away with?

Joy! The best thing that can happen from my performance is that people leave with greater joy, encouragement, passion reignited, and love rekindled in their hearts. One, or all of the above.

What inspires you?

The one thing that inspires me regardless of the craziness around me is that God loves me no matter what. In addition to that, it’s a gift to know that the people I love are waiting for me at home and cheering me on when I perform — my husband and four daughters as well as my mother and brothers and friends who have championed me all along the way in my musical career over these past 15 years. There’s something so beautiful about stepping on stage and seeing the faces of the individuals in the audience who are living their own story and have their own challenges, who come expecting to receive something of value, whether it be an escape or an experience.

What is your favorite musical moment?

There are so many memorable musical moments to love. Shortly before the pandemic I got to write and produce a 60-minute solo show with pianist Denis Moreen about my family’s crazy life adventure (Life, Love, and Lullabies). It was so rewarding to share our family story, beginning with my mother and father’s lives as individuals, and ending with me serenading my children. The musical combination of Opera, Broadway, Great American Standards, Patriotic tunes, and Lullabies with brief and truthful narration between songs is simply … powerful. The true story is incredible to retell. Seeing people wiping the tears from their eyes, hearing them say “you sang my story!”, and those who have seen thousands of shows over their lifetime saying “this was the best show I have ever been to!”, a seasoned performer saying she has never seen anything like it and that it was the best show she has ever seen, and the director saying it was the best of all the shows they have ever put on in over 20 years … it was just incredible. And then we went and repeated the show at a different venue, and the feedback was the same! There is something truly special about this particular show, and it seems we need to share it with more people!

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Connect with Melissa at Melissa.Batalles@gmail.com