This episode is all about the talent, knowledge, and expertise from Vocal Coach Aziza Poggi. She also shares a few tips on where to get started if you want to get into your own singing career! To learn more about Aziza Poggi and to work with her visit: www.azizaworld.com For more about your host; Sam Prince, check out his website: www.samber.productions and follow along on Instagram: www.instagram.com/samberproductions
Sam Prince 0:05 Have you ever wondered what it would be like to be a great actor on stage or television? Do you wish you had an acting coach to help you get to the next level? Or maybe you just have a great idea for a movie series are played but aren't quite sure where to start? Well, you are in the right place my friend. My name is Sam Prince and I am the director of a production company here in Grand Rapids, Michigan, and have been an actor for over 30 years. I've directed and written plays, and screenplays and taught many acting classes. This podcast is your place to learn how to move forward with your career in acting, theater, film, playwriting, screenwriting, and much more. There will be inspiring conversations with special guests as well. So welcome to the creative torium podcast and action Welcome to the creative a Tory. And I'm here with my good friend, Cesar Posey. How are you? Aziza Poggi 1:26 Good. Are you good? Sam Prince 1:28 So excited to be here with you? Aziza Poggi 1:30 Yeah, it's been a while. Sam Prince 1:31 It's been way too long, way too long. I was trying to think we met on a commercial right? Aziza Poggi 1:38 It was the Alltel commercial. Sam Prince 1:41 Whereas Alltel now, Aziza Poggi 1:43 I have no idea. Sam Prince 1:45 I know. I know. That was crazy. Yeah, that's right. Yep. And that was, man. I don't want to age ourselves. But I was like, what? 1012 Aziza Poggi 1:56 years? It had to be. Yeah, yeah. Yeah. Sam Prince 1:59 That was fun, though. I mean, we sat around a lot. Yeah, we Aziza Poggi 2:02 should. Yeah, yeah. Yeah, that was funny. Sam Prince 2:06 Yeah. So toe. I mean, I know about you, but tell those who don't know about you. Who you are, and how you got started. We are now Oh, good stuff. Okay. All right. Wow. Aziza Poggi 2:22 Yeah. My name is Aziza Polje. I am a singer, a voice coach, and talent coach. I do. I used to do acting, but I do educate actors and people who are interested in the entertainment field, business, and how to get through the business because it's it's a wholly totally different thing than being talented. Yeah. So I do that I used to work on film sets. i That's how I met you through the commercial world. And but honestly, I really was very, very determined to be a good singer. And so I had to put my whole brain and mind into that, and just get my 10th Our 10,000 hours then so I could get on with my career and move that pushing forward. So I put acting on the backside and pursued this whole time. Sam Prince 3:20 Okay. All right. So when two toes when you said, You know what? I'm a good singer. Like, how are you? What was that moment? Where you're like, Huh? I can say Aziza Poggi 3:41 I was a late bloomer, honestly. Yeah, it was about 2002. I wouldn't say I was great or good. I had hidden talent, I would say, if I was gonna, you know, research and, you know, analyze my old self. But I was very insecure at the time. So my voice showcased that it had a lot of that wobbling field, because I was so nervous all the time. When I saying I dealt with anxiety pretty much all my life. So I've had to learn to become a really good breeder, honestly, to prevent those episodes from happening when I was performing. So I, I'd say 2002 is when I got really serious about it, but I wouldn't say I got really good at it till I'm gonna say 2000 2007. Okay, is when I'd say okay, that was my mark where I needed to really indulge in everything. I quit with us. Sam Prince 4:41 Okay. Okay. 2000 Wow. All right. So what did you do in 2007? Aziza Poggi 4:48 I started training with metal rock opera singer named Melissa for lock and she lives in Minneapolis. And so I met her and my life kind of Just started shifting into that rock, female fronted rock world and as a golfer on classical music all the time, and I really fell in love with those two things. Sam Prince 5:12 Wow. Yeah. So when you got into the rock thing, you formed some bands in Yeah. Aziza Poggi 5:22 Yeah, I did. I had Dendera. I started that in 2004. And then that ended in 2010. Okay. So, basically, yeah, yeah, that was my first serious span. I had a couple other ones before that, but dender was like the the one that really started moving upward for me. Yeah, Sam Prince 5:48 yeah. See you being modest. seiza give him minus. Like you toured. Like around the world, didn't you? Aziza Poggi 5:57 Yeah, yeah. Yeah. With with Tinder. More so with REO flam with my current band, but Dendera did set the pavement for REO flame. Yeah, no doubt. Yeah. So we started dender I got on Comedy Central. We had a little really, yeah, we had a little song on there that we remade in the hall and Mountain King. We remade that. And for Comedy Central, they paid for all the rights and everything. And, you know, it was awesome. It was really cool. And then we got a lot of press because of that. And then that just escalated and with Dendera we opened for quite a bit of national bands in the US. We didn't ever go to Europe, but we were invited to okay to perform it metal female voices festival in Belgium. Okay, but we disbanded. The year we were going to do that. Or we lost our lead guitarist. He just was he wanted to really focus on family and we still stay in touch. He's awesome guy. But when we lost him, we're like, yeah, I just I didn't see us keep moving forward with his he's one of our main songwriters. So then our flame came into fruition. Sam Prince 7:11 Okay. Yeah, that is so cool. So you guys would like to open up for big bands or? Aziza Poggi 7:19 Both of us both bands have Dendera opened for Durrell Pash she's from Germany I believe the agonist which now she's the singer of the agonist is an arch enemy. Okay. Big Metal band out in Europe. Let's see who else applica Camelot wow there's symmetry fuel even fuel feel we didn't really fit on that. Sam Prince 7:49 But yeah, Aziza Poggi 7:51 that's fun are you flame opened for oh gosh, a leaves eyes. Lacuna Coil cache sometimes my main my brain goes blank because I have to go which band open for him right but there's so many yeah there's a few yeah for sure. And that but but the biggest thing I flame is done as we went to Europe three times. So that's that's the nice thing there. Yeah. Wow. Yeah. Which was amazing. The fans there eat up symphonic rock they eat it up. They love it. Do they really? Yeah, they love it. They were lining up with pictures with us they had pictures they found on the internet and blew them up. And then they're having a Sinem we're like wow Sam Prince 8:41 man Yeah. Is it bigger there? Yeah, Aziza Poggi 8:47 it's way way bigger there. Sam Prince 8:48 Wow. Why do you think that is? Aziza Poggi 8:52 I have my own theories. I think a lot of it is the USA really pushes pop. And you know I don't want to name names but like when you turn on the radio right now it's it's pop it's all pop there's some good pop there's some a lot of bad pop. And when you hear that that's what you think is good music. And then you open a magazine like Billboard magazine What do you got all these you know pop again, I had to learn who all these people were because I actually didn't pay attention to pop artists a lot until I started getting these students in here I want to sing not going to name names this song I'm like we are going to have you sing that song better than that person. So you know there's a lot of that technique going on that you know breathy technique and instead of using your actual diaphragm and your up, you know as you got Italy, Germany and France that are really big on opera, and I personally think because they educate music also in their kids, young Yeah, it's like a requirement that they're exposed to better music because of that. That's my theory. Sam Prince 10:06 All right. Yep. That makes sense. I believe it. I believe it. Well, cool. Well, thank you for catching us up. Yeah. And you're still with a rhino. ARIA? ARIA? ARIA flame? Yeah. You're still doing that now. Aziza Poggi 10:21 Yeah. We're working on our second album. We took a little break because of the vaccine or vaccine. Frank because the COVID Sometimes I get dyslexia brain, too. And so, you know, we're hoping because of things, you know, dwindling down a little bit. We're hoping 2022 We can, you know, spring summer really start pushing out there again, with shows we kind of have to play it by ear, though with everything going on. Yeah. So no matter what we're gonna pump that album out called Sunrise her and we're working on it now behind closed doors. Sam Prince 10:57 All right. All right. When's the potential? date of release? Aziza Poggi 11:02 Probably not till spring or summer. Okay. Yeah. Okay. Hopefully, spring, hopefully sooner. But still, I'm not gonna say I would say spring is more realistic. Sam Prince 11:12 All right. Very cool. Cool. So let's just help listeners who, you know, think they can sing or, you know, want to try singing in brand new to it, you know, but they have no idea where to start? What would be some advice to them to have? What is he's done? Aziza Poggi 11:33 Well, when I decided I put myself back where I was because I was that person at one time. And it depends how serious you are about it. If you want to just do it for fun and a hobby, I would go on YouTube and start watching as much as you can. vocal warm ups and understand diaphragmatic breathing, and facial armature, which is your mouth shape, because a lot of that portray it, you know, the sound you make with your voice? A lot of it depends on the shape of your mouth. Okay, your ambition, okay. Sure. So I would say watch that and actually watch them. Don't just listen, watch, okay, because you have to actually see what the teachers doing. So I would watch a lot of tutorials first that way, especially from good people. But if you really want to get real serious about it, the best thing to do is get into a lesson. Because you're going to see and get that individual feedback that you can't get from just you know, YouTube alone. So then you can get that credit, you know, the criticism you need the education you need the tips you need for you because everyone's different. Sam Prince 12:42 Yeah. All right. Great advice. Yeah. All right. Cool. All right. So we'll take a quick break. We'll come back and ask Aziza some more questions. And we'll play a little game. Yeah, we'll talk more singing. I am looking for two types of creative cats looking for people who want to learn how to act or want to improve their acting skills. I provide acting, audition coaching for every level. But I'm also looking for all those creative cats out there who have a play or screenplay idea. Or maybe you're just stuck and need help writing your masterpiece. I can help you with that too. Just go to Sambre dot productions. That's sa m b e r dot productions and click coaching. All your options are right there and we will achieve your goals together. It's never too late. Alright, let's go. Welcome back, that was Aziza Posey singing Yes. So now we're back. And we just wanted to ask you one Well, it's like a two part question, sir. Really? So if those who do have talent, what would you advise will be your advice to them? And then the second part is kinda like, where can they showcase it? No. Aziza Poggi 15:14 Yeah. Well, it really depends what kind of music and their age age range. So like, it depends what their, what their goals are to, like, if you want to be in a rock band, you know, and you're over 21. Okay, you got a lot of opportunities out there. I would say get in some open mics. Try to get a band established or, you know, what, are you going to be a soloist? What are you going to do? You know, have that known? Yeah. And then the best way to do is to do some open mic nights, and then try to get into some clubs. Okay, yeah. And of course, record an album because it's extremely important. Especially with COVID. You don't know if your show is gonna get canceled right now you don't know what's gonna arise. So having recorded music is more important than anything. So I would say if you don't, first and foremost, record your album before you start doing a bunch of shows. Okay, that would be my number one advice for someone pursuing rock. Yeah. And then as you you know, advance your career you don't maybe get a booking agent get you know, it just hone in on your on your talent and make sure you're always keeping your pipes up or your musicality. Always progress because people get bored with the past. Okay. Yeah. And if you're going to be like a musical theater artist, totally different field. So the best thing to do I have a girl right now who's very musical theater style, very classical. And she's right now up for getting into Interlochen school. Okay, so we've been prepping her for the last four months. We've been getting her auditions, videotaped her music nicely recorded, she has to do it all live. So there's no, you know, fixing it. It's all one takers. And getting that all set up on our, you know, YouTube channel, everything else. So I do a lot of coaching as well. I don't just teach singing. So we're, we're pushing and educating her and also talking to our parents about the business of musical theater. And where are they have to go with that as well? Because she does want to do it as a career. Okay, so totally different. Totally different advice. Minus, you know, make sure using your diaphragm the same kind of standard logistics with singing. That goes with anybody, but completely different career. Okay, so it varies unless you want. Sam Prince 17:46 Sure. Okay. That's awesome, man. She's, she's probably gonna. Aziza Poggi 17:52 She's gonna go somewhere. Absolutely. Yeah, absolutely. I've had her since she was eight. Wow. Is almost 16 out. So I was starting out when she came in my door. Okay. Yeah. So it's really cool to see her. Yeah, so it's, it's I've seen her when she's this little pipsqueak, you know, how she's this, you know, very professional, charming young lady. And it's, it's outstanding, and she's got really, it's just brilliantly talented. Yeah, and I have a few like that. So it's really nice to get them like that. Because a lot of times they all have, you won't believe us have self esteem issues or, you know, insecure about their voices. Because you're it's not like dance class where you have 10 Other kids with you in class. Right? It's not like acting class where usually you're acting with other people. Yeah, like a workshop. It is by yourself. So you're way more vulnerable out there. Yeah. Than what you are with a group. Sam Prince 18:49 Right? Right. For sure. For sure. So how does someone get ahold of Aziza if they want some vocal lessons? What's the best way? Aziza Poggi 18:59 Yep, you can go on my website, Aziza world.com. Az. ICA world. And then there's a perfume sign and a music site and you just click the music side. Okay. Yeah. Sam Prince 19:11 All right. Sweet. Because you're awesome. Yeah. So Oh, yeah, that's what I want to ask. You virtually. Can. Can you do lessons virtual? Yes, Aziza Poggi 19:24 you can. Yes. I do that a lot. I do have. I've had people from all around the world. But I have a couple kids, young ladies that are. Gosh, I think once in France and the other ones in the UK. So yeah, Sam Prince 19:41 all right. Yeah. Because this podcast is worldwide. It's worldwide. Aziza Poggi 19:46 Awesome. Yeah. Sam Prince 19:48 Call Aziza wherever you are zoom goes worldwide. Aziza Poggi 19:52 Yes, it does. Awesome. I love it. Yeah, yeah. Sam Prince 19:56 All right. So want to play a quick game and Most. For most guests, this is not fun because, um, you got to rank your favorite singers. Oh boy. Yeah. And some of these, honestly Aziza, like I had never heard before. But I looked him up and I was like, wow. Okay, well, yeah, like, Aziza Poggi 20:20 were the ones I told you about. Yeah. Okay. Sam Prince 20:22 Yeah. All right. So here's the first so that's gonna be a bracket and we're gonna break them down. So you have like your favorite. Today? Change tomorrow? Yeah. Yeah. Okay. All right. So we got I'm gonna probably pronounce this wrong. Tarja. Korea, Korea. Turunen. Aziza Poggi 20:43 I think that a Turunen. She's finished. Yes. Sam Prince 20:46 Korea. Yeah. Against Renee Fleming. Aziza Poggi 20:51 Oh my gosh, you can't compare that actually. Sam Prince 20:55 Really? It's a totally different. Yeah, you're right. Because one like opera? Aziza Poggi 20:59 Well, they both do opera. But Renee Fleming is pure opera. Classical. Okay. And but, you know, I could give you a little insight just Yeah, so Taria is opera classically trained and a rock singer. Right. So she mixes it up like like, I kind of do what she does a little this classical. A little of this rock. Yeah. And she intermingles it. Yeah, I'm in a lot of symphonic rock singers do that. It's a style. So it's kind of hard because they're equally as talented. Just I'm gonna say, with rock, because you have a microphone, you can get away with a lot more than you can in the opera world, right? Because you don't usually have a microphone. You might have a microphone hanging above you. You might have one in front. You know, I noticed that. You do not have one like this. You have to use completely your voice. Sam Prince 21:53 Yeah. I've noticed that in the videos I watched. Yeah. So I'm Aziza Poggi 21:57 going to say it takes more discipline to be Renee Fleming. Sam Prince 22:01 Alright. I will buy that. All right. So now we got Mike Peyton Patton against Bruce Dickinson. Oh, wow. Oh, god. Yeah. Oh, gosh. Aziza Poggi 22:21 I love them both. Okay. Sam Prince 22:24 This is Iron Maiden, right? Yes. Yeah. Aziza Poggi 22:27 Okay. That's hard because they're, again, totally different styles. Yeah, Mike can do a ton of different styles, but he doesn't have the massive long support that Bruce does. Bruce has some pipes. You know, some people just have that. They just have bigger voices. Yeah. And Bruce just has that he has a bigger voice than Mike. I love Mike. I adore him. I don't want anyone to think I you know, I'm saying one's better than the other. But I'm going to say it takes more disciplines to be Bruce. That's what I'm gonna say. I'm not gonna say one's more talent than the other because they are but yeah, Sam Prince 23:07 yeah. See, that's that's the biggest game. I like the explanations. Yeah, you know, yeah, right. Alright, so another side we got Whitney Houston. against it. Maria Callas. Aziza Poggi 23:25 Maria, Calla, and Whitney. Oh, gosh, yeah, that's kind of like Target and right. And Renee again, nut. Oh, Whitney and her prime. Okay, Whitney, and her prime was just there hasn't been anybody like that know to exist since Whitney Houston. Um, but again, you know, that one, I'm going to say they're actually equal because Whitney was raised and I believe gospel, and that does take a lot of discipline. And she's been raised in it and I believe she's just naturally gifted and talented. And Maria callus her career kind of ended short to like, Whitney's they both had a short life. Really? Yeah. She died in her 50s Okay. Okay. Mid 50s Technically, I broken her. I read her autobiography. Sam Prince 24:18 Yeah, yeah. Aziza Poggi 24:20 Yeah. Sam Prince 24:22 I think you kind of look like her a little bit. Aziza Poggi 24:24 Maria. Yeah. Oh, I love Maria. Sam Prince 24:26 She's beautiful. She's Aziza Poggi 24:27 one of my favorites. She is definitely Sam Prince 24:30 I watched I watched this one video was black and white. And the band was playing for a while and she just came in like you said no mic and it just little skinny little woman belting out some Oh yeah, Aziza Poggi 24:49 she's she's Oh my gosh. See, that's the thing that's interesting. You put them two because they both are extremely emotional singers. Okay in their own right. Yeah, very like Maria can make me cry. In two seconds yeah, the right song. Yeah, I Sam Prince 25:02 was booked Crona video. Aziza Poggi 25:05 Yeah, I think that's that's very rare, very rare talent. Actually, you don't get that out of you. Yeah, it's a hard that's a hard one because again, Whitney and her equally talented, like all the other ones that we're talking about, but oh gosh, it's hard to say cuz I was trying to look at what requires more out of you. And always opere really does require more out of you out of your body. You got, you know, you physically have to stay, you know, decently in shape there. I mean, we all heard those stupid lines of fit till the fat lady sings or, you know, what's that other line that oh, you know, if you're too big opera, big ladies. They can sing that good. Because there's that big. That's not true. They might have bigger lungs, but you know, it's all about your diaphragm. Yeah, some people just have bigger voices than others. But gosh, that's hard. Because again, they're both equally as talented. Yeah. And they both have, you know, a lot of discipline back in the day. And unfortunately, they both died young. Yeah, but so that's that's a hard one. Yeah. Yeah. It's a tiebreaker, I'd Sam Prince 26:13 say. Yeah. Okay, so you gotta pick one. I'm sorry. Aziza Poggi 26:20 I'm gonna go for opera then. Maria. Alright, just because it takes more. A lot more out of you. Alright, Sam Prince 26:25 but we still love you. Love you. Love you. Oh Aziza Poggi 26:28 my gosh. Yes. Yeah. Sam Prince 26:31 Okay, now these are these are bands you gave me two bands. Faith No More. I remain. Aziza Poggi 26:39 Oh, gosh. Honestly, I listened to Faith No More more. Yeah, yeah, cuz there's a little bit more versatility to their music. Their albums. Sam Prince 26:48 Yeah. Yeah. Aziza Poggi 26:53 Like as a band as a whole who's better? I'm gonna say yeah oh gosh, do I want to go I say I got run to the hills in my head right now. Um, as a band as a band as a band. I guess I'm gonna say Iron Maiden. Okay, impeccable. Vocals impeccable guitar solos all around. Every musician is outstanding. Yeah, man. Oh, that's hard, though. It's very hard because their styles are so different. Yeah, Sam Prince 27:31 yeah, they definitely are. Definitely. Right. They're still going. I mean, one airplane, right. Yeah. Okay, so now down to the final four. We got Renee Fleming against Bruce Dickinson. Aziza Poggi 27:58 Renee Fleming. Sam Prince 28:00 All right. That was easy. Aziza Poggi 28:03 I just Yeah, again, I'm going because I know what it takes what you know. Yeah, what your body has to go through to actually do that. And there's no microphone. No. Yeah, that's why I'm, you're gonna hear me do that. Sam Prince 28:17 Yeah. Yeah. And she. What I saw her was impressive, too. Yeah. Yeah. Okay, so now we got Maria Callas against Iron Maiden Aziza Poggi 28:37 you got actually, um, I think Maria could still sing over that band, except for their loud drums. So, I mean, yeah, yeah, I'm in Samaria. Sam Prince 28:48 Right. Alright, so then we get the epic showdown. Maria, against Rene. Aziza Poggi 28:58 Maria. Wow, hands down. She makes you cry. Okay. They're both again. I love Renee. But nobody has ever made me tear up. And can you know, give me that kind of emotion? Right in a matter of seconds. And I've heard other friends of mine when I introduce some number Maria Callas who like classical music the same thing happens. Yeah. Oh my gosh, made me cry. Yeah, she does that. Yeah, she's in a ton of movies. Like in the background. You can hear her music. Oh, really? You can hear her singing is beautiful operatic arias. And yeah, she's hands down. She's outstanding. Outstanding. Sam Prince 29:32 It's, it's it's ironic that she won this little contest because she impressed me too. I mean, thank you for all those. I love hearing new music and seeing new music and thank you for those new people and of all those. She was way the most impressive. Aziza Poggi 29:52 Yeah, she is. Yeah, she was. Yeah. Sam Prince 29:55 Yeah. All right. All right, Maria. Hi. Aziza Poggi 30:00 Yeah, myelin in her great. Sam Prince 30:03 Great. Well, then the last question to close this out was just what are your plans? Now? What are your creative plans to? What's the future hold for Aziza? Aziza Poggi 30:17 Well, I'm super excited to announce, middle of December, my studio will be moving to bigger place. Yeah, I will have a recital room. I will have my own private voice studio room as well. So I have two rooms. And I won't be having to rent a room from like this, like I'm doing right now. Yeah. So it's going to open a lot more doors for myself and my students, because we're going to be able to hold mock auditions with all this excess room that we didn't have before. And like film, their auditions, if they have something coming up Film, film, their live videos, if they need a song that they need to audition for, and show it off. We can make little mini biographies and documentaries on them now, you know, so thankfully, you know, that's one thing they're going to be able to add on to my voice studio and that we're doing so basically, I'm a voice teacher, singer, talent coach. And, you know, I can educate them on where to go next. And refer them out to places as well like agencies and whatnot. But aside from that, the band is gonna get that sunrise or album out sweet. And hopefully, we'll be able to get some shows going and I'm trying to work on a little solo thing on the side when I'm done with Ari aflame album, start kind of doing a little EP a little solo album on the side that's like, oh, gosh, softer music than this more showing off my classical voice a little more. Wow. Okay. Um, yeah, there's, there's things on the plants for sure. Yeah. Sam Prince 32:03 Sounds exciting. Thank you. Well, thanks for doing this with me. Aziza. You bet. Thanks for having me. Awesome. You, too. You too. Yeah. And thanks for joining us, everybody. I'll see you next time on The Creativity podcast. And I was I always like to end on the world stage. Hey, thank you for listening to the creativity Korean podcast. Again, my name is Sam Prince. And it is my honor to be your host and thank you so much for listening. I would also be honored if you could leave a review on Apple podcasts and say some nice things about what you just heard. And definitely please listen every week. We come out every Tuesday. Also, for more information about coaching classes, workshops, and upcoming productions, please check out our website Sambre dot productions, that's sh m b e r dot productions. And you can also subscribe to our newsletter. And remember all the world