MELINA
Melina Soochan has been performing regularly as a singer/songwriter, pianist and jazz musician since her teens and has developed rapidly into a soulful and sophisticated artist. Her unique blend of pop, rock, jazz and blues complements her classical training and pushes the envelope of contemporary music.
A graduate of McGill University's world-renowned music program
and with an ARCT from the RCM of
Toronto, this avid performer on the Montreal scene has been able to exercise
these skills and hone them into a show which is balanced from start to finish.
With her versatile and energetic band, Melina performs both private and public gigs throughout Montreal and Toronto, which are tailored to fit the event, including outdoor performances for Canada Day, festival performances such as Indie Week Toronto 2010, as well as prestigious venues like Upstairs Jazz Bar and Grill and The House of Jazz in Montreal. In each performance her love of the stage shines through, both engaging and enticing the audience.
In addition, Melina currently performs every Thursday night at the Queen Elizabeth Hotel in Montreal and was recently seen every Friday and Saturday night at the Fairmont Hotel in Mont Tremblant, where she showcases popular jazz and contemporary songs as well as her own music.
CREATIVITY
When
not performing, Melina is always busy in the studio and has produced two albums
and a collection of unreleased songs over the past five years. Her first six-song
EP entitled "City of Love" was released in 2009 and she
recently completed her first full album "Hold On" (2011),
both available through her website and at her shows. Produced by Montreal
rock artist SuLE, this
new album has given Melina the opportunity to spread her wings and explore
her fusion genre to the fullest, with retro influences giving the album a
buzz that's infectious.
Over the course of her musical career Melina has also had the opportunity to produce three music videos: "City of Love" and "X-Ray Eyes" from her first EP (currently on rotation on Bravo!Canada and CJNT) and now "The Mama Song" which is the lead single from her new album.
ACOUSTIC NIGHTS MONTREAL
Beyond
her individual ventures, however, Melina has endeavoured to give back to the
Montreal music community, with her organization Acoustic
Nights Montreal. Through a bimonthly series of showcases, ANM is designed to give exposure to up-and-coming
musicians of various genres, and promote fair pay and fair play in the industry.
Over the past year Acoustic Nights has expanded into the youth sector, encouraging teen musicians to develop their songwriting and performance skills in the new annual ANM Teen Songwriting Competition.
This city-wide event gives entrants the opportunity to learn from industry professionals as well as gain exposure through performance, culminating in a grand Gala for the winner. The success of this event can be easily measured by the widespread interest of the media as well as the numerous gift donations which led to some truly incredible prizes, including an eight-hour recording session and music video for the winner of the 2011 competition.
PERFORMANCE
Melina most often performs as a band of five (keys, guitar, sax, bass and drums) but she is equally comfortable performing as a soloist (voice and piano), or in a duo, trio or quartet. For updated information on Melina and her musical career, please visit this website often.
