A few weeks ago, I was in the Gilroy Center For The Arts with a few local art supporters admiring the unique works of local artisans. “There are an amazing number of very fine artists in Gilroy,” said one supporter. “Yes, and just about every genre of art is represented locally,” said another. “It’s like a well kept secret.”
I agreed and then some.
Karen McConachie is one of these fine artists, but unless your child is in choir at one of Gilroy’s high schools, you may never have heard of her. For eight years she has worked behind the scenes teaching, coaching, encouraging and inspiring young singers. She demands excellence and accepts nothing less. Both Gilroy and Christopher High schools’ chamber choirs are testimony to the best kept secret of Karen McConachie.
“The quality of the program has improved with her input and expertise in rehearsals,” said Phil Robb. “We are better because of her.”
The oldest of four siblings, Karen was born in Detroit, Mich. and was schooled in the Detroit area. At 5 years old, she began lessons in piano and ballet, continuing through college, but had no formal voice lessons until college. In 10th grade she made her only stage appearance as Marion the Librarian in her high school’s production of “The Music Man” and continued after that as a choreographer. After graduation, thinking that she wasn’t good enough to pursue music as a career, she worked as an in-house model for a women’s retail store at Somerset Mall in Detroit.
The job was not satisfying so she began to prepare for a college audition. Although dance felt the most natural to her, being more than six feet tall on pointe made her rule out ballet as a career. Voice was the second most natural for her, but having no training, she chose to major in piano and practiced two to four hours a day preparing for the audition. When asked what she was going to do at the initial interview with her counselor, Karen surprised even herself when she answered, “Study voice.”
She did just that at Oakland University in Rochester Hill, Mich. Determined to have excellent grades, she excelled as a student. Music classes were small and her professors were tenured Ph.D’s. From Lyle Nordstrom in the school’s Early Music Department, she learned performance practices and the history and evolution of music, knowledge she still relies on. She finally landed in the Baroque Period because it suited her voice. What stuck with her the most from her Baroque studies was how important dance – her first love – was during the early period of music.
Enthralled with all the music program had to offer, Karen received permission to pursue a custom degree requiring only music classes and languages. She found that works by Mozart, her favorite composer, are well suited to her lyric soprano voice.
“My voice isn’t suited to 20th century music,” she said. “It isn’t in my bones.”
Always wanting more knowledge, she studied voice off campus with a teacher who taught her breathing and placement.
After graduation, Karen became the first voice teacher of the newly established Rochester Conservatory of Music. The job forced her to learn the repertory, which is a strong point today. She continued to study with Eugene Bossart (he taught Ezio Pinza the role in “South Pacific”) who opened her eyes to the role of vocal coach. She never worked so hard in her life.
Unfortunately, the young woman could not support herself as a musician and took a second full-time job as a bookkeeper. A coworker asked her to sing at her wedding and it was there she encountered Curt Gamm, brother of the bride, who played an original piano piece, so lovely it made her cry. A year or two later Curt came to town again and his sister wanted Karen to meet him to hear an original musical he had written. Busy with work, Karen didn’t have time but offered to take the music and script home. So impressed with the music, she obtained the composer’s address and wrote to thank him. He wrote back, they talked on the phone and a year and a half later they finally met and fell in love.
In 2002, Karen moved to Gilroy resolving that she probably wouldn’t sing anymore. Curt’s children told her that if she wanted to break into music in Gilroy she had to meet Phil Robb. Karen met Robb in his classroom prepared to sing, with a resume and recordings in hand. Robb played her recording for his chamber choir saying, “Do you hear the section? She’s doing it on one breath.”
She was invited to coach the choir on technique and pronunciation and coach Robb’s voice class. The following year she was hired as a vocal teacher. Prior to this Karen had only worked as a soloist. She credits her time with the choirs with making her a better musician, learning to listen and reading rhythm faster. She also gained a wealth of private students.
“Without them I wouldn’t have the rich experience of knowing so many teenagers, seeing them grow and blossom,” she said. “It is inspirational.”
Karen continued, “Singing is a God-given gift that lives within you. As a teacher, I am very demanding but only ask for what I know a student is capable of. All students are unique. I never thought I would be a teacher. It is inspiring, otherwise I wouldn’t do it. I always hope that all adults who teach will touch students enough to make music a permanent part of their lives.
“I sing because it is everything to me. I worked hard to get a pretty good voice and I know what I am capable of. It is personal. It is inside of me. But, if I could be granted a wish it would be to play the guitar, oboe, cello and violin.”
No doubt, Karen will continue to sing. She says her voice has at least 10 more good years. Perhaps Curt will finish the musical and she will be the star.
