Adam Prudhomme
Editor
Michelle Kasaboski will showcase her musical versatility when she performs as part of the Lennox and Addington County’s Live at the Museum series, Feb. 27 at 7 p.m.
Having begun her professional singing career at age nine, Kasaboski says she once struggled to find just one musical genre to focus on whether it be country, classical or jazz. As she got older, she began to embrace her range and celebrate the fact her voice wasn’t limited to just one style.
“I think part of it has come with age and just going through life in general,” said Kasaboski. “You start to learn more about yourself and you start to understand your strengths and weaknesses then you can hopefully realize things to take advantage of and really work on. I was so concerned about doing so many genres from a commercial side and being worried about other people understanding what I was doing, but I just loved singing. When I stopped worrying about whether other people understood what I was doing, I realized I was actually just a good singer and that was something I could market.”
Now embracing her full range, she lists herself as an easy listening, adult contemporary, pop music singer, drawing similarities to Tony Bennett or Michael Bublé.
“All those genres very much have an impact on how I’ve gotten to this place and the stories that have led me here and also in my own songwriting,” she added.
To further add to her diverse background, she has also taken part in live musical theatre at Queen’s University where she is currently completing her second bachelor degree, a Bachelor of Music to go with the Bachelor of Arts and Business diploma.
Her latest turn on stage saw her take part in a modern adaptation of ancient Greek playwright Aristophanes’ The Birds.
“Everyone in the show dressed up as birds,” explains Kasaboski. “It was so far out of my comfort zone but I really wanted to push myself. The funny thing is after you pretend for hours and hours over a couple of months to be a bird, it sounds ridiculous, but I really felt so much more open and free after because I felt like if I can do that I can definitely go on stage and tell someone about a breakup that I had.”
For her Feb. 27 show in Napanee she’ll be joined by Lester Malihan (guitar/piano), Zak Colbert (bass) and Chris Alfano (saxophone/clarinet/flute). Her setlist will include covers from her female influences such as Nora Jones, k.d. lang and Ella Fitzgerald as well as a collection of her own originals.
While mainly focused on school at the moment, Kasaboski is also working on a release of all original music that she hopes to put out later this year to go with her 2007 release For You At Christmas and 2009’s Only One.
Tickets for the Feb. 27 show are $3 at the door. The museum is located at 97 Thomas Street E in Napanee.