Talk about making a huge career change! Of course, it’s good to follow a dream whenever you can:
[snip]"She’s not yet well known as a performer among Twin Cities jazz audiences but that’s beginning to change. Over a decade ago, Rhonda Laurie gave up a career as a full-time paralegal/part-time vocalist to become a fulltime music educator and performer, and ‘never looked back.’ Having performed recently at the Dakota and Rossi’s in the heart of Minneapolis, Rhonda now brings her savvy interpretation of jazz classics and less familiar repertoire to Excelsior at the 318 Café on April 10th, accompanied by one of the area’s most distinctive guitarists, Joel Shapira.
"After high school graduation, however, Rhonda was persuaded by her parents to pursue something more practical than show business. While completing her degree in pre-law at SUNY-Buffalo, however, she continued to take classes in art and dance, and even had some singing gigs in local bars. Still thinking about law school, Rhonda obtained training as a paralegal after graduation, and soon found herself working on Wall Street. Yet, ‘I knew something was missing.’ An ‘Open U’ class, ‘Discover Your Voice,’ led to classical voice lessons and ultimately a voice coach who involved Rhonda in cabaret."
The complete article found on Jazz Police is definitely worth reading…
You go, Rhonda!
