A lifelong musician, Calpernia Addams found herself facing a problem that many musical transitioners encounter: transitioning her voice. Well known for the speaking voice training materials she produced with business partner Andrea James ("Finding Your Female Voice"), she quickly realized that transitioning one's speaking voice was almost entirely separate from transitioning one's singing voice.
"I was always afraid to even try singing live, but when I was asked to write a song for my television show ("Transamerican Love Story") I decided to just give it a go and have fun."
"I'll never be able to do the American Idol style singing, but I can write songs and communicate them in my own voice, imperfect as it is, and that communication is what I really value."
The title track of her upcoming album, "Stunning", first appeared on episode five of her show. It's a fun critique of the Hollywood excess and vanity which she has encountered in her entertainment career. With outrageous lyrics like "I turn down three-ways with Brad and Angelina" and a humorously primitive music video, the song has become an underground hit with alternative clubs in LA and sells on iTunes and Calpernia's website. It has been remixed by Lucian Piane, Jer Ber Jones and Matthew McPeck in addition to Calpernia's own original mix.
"Stunning" was followed up with a dancey cover of the classic "True Colors". Remaining true to her past notoriety as an edgy performance artist, she followed these club-friendly tracks with Goth versions of Disney classics "Some Day My Prince will Come" and "Once Upon a Nightmare (Dream)", then a haunting version of "One I Love", an ancient Medieval love song
featuring Calpernia's fiddle playing intended to recall her childhood
roots as a Bluegrass and folk musician.
She has written a new single, "Next!", for the upcoming Deep Stealth short comedy "Transproofed". "Transproofed" was directed by Andrea James, who co-wrote and co-starred with Calpernia.
"I do all the initial recording, singing, instruments, mixing, mastering and promotion myself. I'm learning as I go, so the most polished tracks are the ones remixed by the professionals like Lucian, Jer Ber and Matthew. But I've learned that if you sit around and wait for people to do things for you, they may never get done. I like learning and doing myself. And I hope people can enjoy my work."
Calpernia's music can be heard at myspace.com/calperniamusic and calpernia.com/music
Get Calpernia's "Stunning" for 99¢
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