Canadian soprano Amy Wallace has been largely self-taught but she remembers taking advantage of any master classes or programs she could be part of. “When I was meeting a vocal coach, I’d do my best in that hour I had with him or her to say, ‘Okay, how much information can I write down and get from you, so I can take that home, adapt it, and you know, keep going’.” A trip to Italy was a defining moment in her development, she told me. “I’m so, so happy, I was able to be part of that… it was an amazing experience to be surrounded by all these beautiful peers and people that you’ve looked up to, and for them to hear your voice, and then get the feedback and say, yes, you’re on the right track! There’s something so beautiful in those moments, like, okay, you know, I’m doing this right.”
Amy sang in various productions including Aida, Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, Peter and the Wolf, Jesus Christ Superstar, Godspell, and more. Much of her success has come from forging connections with other musicians. Her enthusiasm and eagerness to learn from others has made her an ideal collaborator. “I think that’s the great thing about being a musician, whether you’re a composer, or a vocalist, anything in music, you should just constantly learn. It’s never ending and I think that’s exciting… there’s never that, ‘okay, you’re done’. No, always keep going, like, what’s next, what’s around the corner? I think that’s what drives us as musicians to just see what is around that corner? And then what’s going to be around that corner? And where is that going to lead? You might be on one path, and then something happens and then that makes a fork in the road and then you get to choose which way am I gonna go? I find it so exciting to be part of this community.”
Amy’s first single “Red Rose” was an original composition. “The melody of it, I had for a long time, and I had a rough idea of the lyrics. It was actually going to be a love song and I kept putting it off and putting it off, because I just didn’t know what I wanted to do with it.” The loss of two of her dear friends changed the perspective of the piece. “In that came these new lyrics that have a dedication to them. It’s almost like it was meant for them. I was waiting for the moment to get to share the love that they gave me through the lyrics and express what their friendship meant to me through the music. So it became a very loving dedication to these beautiful people.”
The song made an impression on fans and colleagues alike. “Everything just kind of catapulted in this amazing direction. It’s almost been nonstop.”
Amy’s incredible haunting vocals can be heard on “Sink,” an original album collaboration with Reyjuliand. “Bless his heart, he approached me and said, ‘You know, I’d love to do an album.’” The concept was for a more ambient sound and Amy was down to try. “We kind of brainstormed the ideas and the tracks and he wrote all the beautiful music on the album… He just gave me the freedom to express, to listen to the track and then just express myself how I was feeling the track … Rey is definitely one of those up-and-coming composers that is gonna go far. Very far.”
Original music has been important to Amy but she also has a love for covers, telling us she would write down lists of her favorite songs while gaming but originally felt worried to put them out. It wasn’t until she discussed these concerns with another singer that she received some freeing advice, “everything has been said or sung but not by you.” The words impacted Amy deeply. “It’s so beautiful because no matter what you are or what you do, or bring to the table in this musical field, you are unique. No one is going to be like you, you know, you could have two composers in the room, and they could listen to the same track, but they’re going to think differently. They’re going to hear things differently.”
Amy plans to continue pushing her boundaries and experimenting. “I don’t know, if I really have a pinpoint of what I want to keep moving forward with. Let’s see what keeps coming towards me and let’s keep trying it and seeing where it leads.” Amy is actively supportive of other artists and creating a community of like-minded souls. “I think really, in my heart, I love the soundtrack side of it… I see myself wanting to maybe eventually move back towards that a bit more or explore it more and kind of see where that might lead me. But for now, it’s just kind of open, let’s see who walks in and welcome them, and let’s chat and see if, we can work something out.”
She admits that it can be a trial-and-error process. “Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn’t. You’ve just got to be grateful that at least you had the opportunity and just keep moving forward.”
Connect with Amy on social media:
Facebook @amywallacesoprano
Instagram @amywallaceofficial
