The Making of Malena

I came from a very musical family. I grew up learning show tunes and going to musicals both high school and Broadway. Ha! Anytime the entire family would get together, we'd gather around the piano and sing. Everyone played an instrument and knew all the vocal parts. We’d even sing on road trips to pass the time. My Mother taught me to sing harmony when I was about 5. The first song where I learned to sing harmony was, You are my Sunshine. I thank my mother for my musical background. She always made sure I had every opportunity to explore my talents.
The violin was such a beautiful feminine instrument. I fell in love with it in fourth grade. Its sound was so sensual and calming. I'll bet I drove my mother nuts because I wanted to do everything: Sing, Dance, Act, and Play the Violin. I gave them all my best shot. By middle school, I was getting up at 5 a.m. to make it to dance class before school. Then after school I had Orchestra practice for 3 hours.
On weekends, I took voice lessons from a woman named Shirla Sullivan. She introduced me to Opera. (Hey, getting to sing in a fancy corseted dress sounded good to me and I was already in love with Sarah Brightman.) With all these lessons to go to, I didn’t have time to date and I liked it that way. I was in love with art and fashion.
I could never decide what talent was my favorite. I always believed I could do it all, but when I grew up reality told me I must choose. At 15, my modeling career took off and I quit the Orchestra. Anytime I had a modeling/acting audition, I would sing in my car to calm myself down. (I still do)I sang in bars from New York to Milan to St. Tropez. One thing I didn’t like about being a vocalist was, I didn’t have a band. I was always told what to sing. So and so would want me to sing like Bonnie Raitt, while others would ask for Sara Brightman. I allowed my voice to get shaped and molded until I didn’t know what my own style was. I didn’t know how to tone down my Opera Background and just sing from the heart. I never found my own creative voice with music. I always wanted to sing songs that touched my soul. I wanted to sing from the heart and show my voice. But I didn’t know how. I’m the type of girl that if I can’t do something, “all the way” I won’t do it. I’ll just pick up one of my other talents until I can do something good with what I’m working on. I prayed for the opportunity to be in a band and musically bloom. Then, I put my voice away and just sang for my own pleasure, patiently waiting for God to show me a way to express myself. Years and years..........and years past. I still didn't have the opportunity to sing songs that touched my heart....until now.

In May 2004, I was hired to be Neil Gaiman’s undead Goth assistant for 13 Nights of Fright on FOX Movie Channel. When they told me about the part, I knew I wouldn’t be acting much. It was like the part was made for me. After all, in real life I wear corsets and live in a haunted house with a famous artist too! One thing I didn’t know was, I would be playing my future best friend on TV! Ha.

We finished filming 13 Nights in May. It aired in October. Then sometime in December Lorraine emailed me and asked for a reading. She sent me a gift box full of Neil’s Books for Christmas. I was so excited!! I had a great time with Neil, so I knew I would like Lorraine. I did her reading, and then we talked for another 2 hours. Haaa. When we talked it was like talking to my sister. There was no “getting to know” Lorraine, whom I now call Qwitchie. That started when she told me her friends calls her Quiche, like Quiche Lorraine. So we made up Qwitchie and Witchy. My nickname needs no explanation. Hee hee One day she said, “I’m you with a Q.” and I said, “Without you I’m just Itchy”

This divine friendship is sure to produce wonderful, enchanting music. Miles says we’re like, Goth Heart..you know the two singing sisters thing.
We’re rather connected intuitively as well. There have been so many days she will be thinking of me and I will call her. Then we both scream at how good we are at telepathy and we haven’t even met yet. Although I know I have known her before.