Today we’d like to introduce you to Christine Olsen.
Christine, let’s start with your story. We’d love to hear how you got started and how the journey has been so far.
I really began taking singing and songwriting seriously around the age of 18. I competed and won many local vocal competitions in my hometown of Toronto, Canada. I had some residencies at local bars and frequented many a karaoke bar! Things didn’t seriously take off for me until I was 21 and auditioned for Canadian Idol Season 5.
I made it all the way to Top 11 Females and was in the first television voting round. Canada voted, and I went home. But I didn’t have too far to go since they filmed it all in Toronto. That experience taught me a lot about who I was at the time and who I wanted to be as a performer. I did some pretty serious damage to my vocal chords while competing on Idol. Being a raw natural talent, I never really learned how to use my voice properly and at that time in my life, I was terrified that I never would be able to sing again. I think it was a total of 11 months of pain and discomfort after the show. I was forced to seek professional coaching and through my search, I was led to my longtime coach, Falconer Abraham. He is a lifesaver, and although I don’t get to train with him as often as I like now that I live in LA, he is the reason why I have a voice today.
Living in Toronto had it’d perks. It is a breeding ground for talent and the live music scene at the time was booming. I played many venues around town and through networking, I was introduced to the wonderful world of sessions! I fell in love instantly. You mean I can sing in a booth for a few minutes and get paid that day?? More than 2 or 3 live shows combined? Hell yeah! This was great especially because I have such a broad range of vocal ability. I got in with the right crowd and my voice appeared in kid’s television shows on major Canadian networks such as Family, Nickelodeon, Disney Canada and TVO. I also did backups for many Canadian indie acts and I had a few original projects that got some local recognition. I made some friends south of the boarder and thought I’d take a stab at the US market.
The moment I touched ground at LAX, I knew this town was for me. I mixed and mingled and wasted no time at all and soon secured a management deal and was writing with some pretty big names in the Active Rock realm. Rock has always been my heart and favourite genre to listen to and perform. All of my connections ultimately led to me meeting my then future husband. We were set up to do a writing session and, well, the rest is history. Together we have an electro-industrial pop project called The Nine. I’ve learned so much from him, including new sides of my talent and ability and now have a love for Pink Floyd and Hall and Oats and other bands I really never gave the time of day to. All of which are a part of my sound today.
It’s been a pretty exciting eight years since first moving to Los Angeles with its share of career ups and downs. I’ve had the opportunity to play at some of the most dreamed about venues you read about when you were a kid… and also discovered that although super cool, they weren’t what I had imagined them to be. The greatest takeaway I have from the gigs out here have been the people I have met at the shows I’ve played. Fellow singers and musicians and faithful fans alike just thirsty for the music. I’ve continued my session work out here have been a part of many awesome projects. I have performed and recorded with some pretty heavy hitters. Every contact is a potential lead. Even the not so good band experiences have proven to be invaluable to my career.
Through sessions, I was presented with the opportunity to act and was cast as one of the leads in an independent web series called “Starman” where I played a new age pop star. I’ve been in music equipment commercials, print ads and short films. I had always loved acting but never really seriously pursued it until moving here. And it was almost by accident. But when opportunity presents itself, one must take action! I relate well to comedy and as a kid, I would watch SCTV, Saturday Night Live and Mad TV and fantasize about being on one of those shows. I had taken a couple of drop in improv classes at The Second City, so I was familiar with their method and decided to enroll in classes at the Hollywood location. I have successfully completed Improv 1 & 2 and although I can attend Zoom classes, I intend on going further with my training once this pandemic is over.
Speaking of this pandemic, I have had the time to submit to casting calls and have booked two major gigs since being in lockdown. Most recently, I was part of an audition process to be the newest host for A Horror film festival, Shockfest… and I won! I am now known as Dr. DoGood! Also, I was able to secure the lead Mezzo Soprano position in a 40’s jazz swing Andrews Sisters tribute band called The Swingtonettes. I’ve never danced before in my life, but I successfully learned all of the choreographed swing moves and now I can add that to my resume! We just played a Drive In show this past weekend and it was a success! The first live show I’ve played since February. I love how the uncertainty of these times really forced me to do some soul searching and pushed me to audition for things outside of my comfort zone.
Great, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
I think any artist would be lying if they said that it’s been a ride down easy street.
I feel that I struggled the most with who I was, who I thought I was, who I wanted to be, who others saw me as and what others wanted to hear or see from me. I guess I’m a people pleaser in a way. Also, the ego is a big part of that. Once I understood that I create best when I don’t think too much, things became a bit easier. But it’s often an uphill battle. I always want to be true to myself. And when creating something that has an outside pressure put on it such as an expectation from a client or a deadline, it can be challenging to stay true to my artist self. Prioritizing my beliefs has been useful. I mean if I have to write or perform something out of my wheelhouse then I need to often set aside my emotional attachment to it and deliver a quality product regardless of if I like it or not. Oftentimes, I find out something new about myself and my abilities that I never knew before and I am a better, more well-rounded artist because of it. You need to push yourself in order to grow. You need to fail in order to succeed. Once you stop learning, you stop living.
Can you give our readers some background on your music?
I am a vocalist first and foremost. You need a singer, I’m your girl. The “One Take Wonder” as some producers have referred to me. I love manipulating the sound of my voice to whatever I want it to be. It’s the most fun part of my job and it’s allowed me to do some very interesting gigs.
I also enjoy comedy and writing comedy songs and skits. I’m silly and never take myself too seriously. I love coming up with catchy jingles that you just can’t help but sing along to.
I can also get real deep and serious. My comfort zone lies within the sad song. Writing and singing them. Something about that emotion that no one can truly escape. Some songs just make you cry. And that’s ok.
My versatility and broad vocal range really set me apart from other singers. My vocal demo reel has so many examples of such different genres that sometimes it’s hard to recognize if it’s even me singing. I like that. I like to surprise people.
What moment in your career do you look back most fondly on?
Wow! That’s quite the question.
After having over a decade to think about it and truly reflect on the whole experience, I’d have to say my time on Canadian Idol. I used to be somewhat embarrassed when people would recognize me and gush over the accomplishment. There is a lot of shame involved in being on shows like that. Especially when you are voted off. I put my whole self into that. I had such high hopes and expectations. I even lost my voice for a year after the show. I was young and inexperienced and I didn’t truly appreciate it until I grew up. Now I see it as a huge launching pad for my career. The people I met. The stages I performed on. The friends and connections I still have to this very day. Nothing can replace that. It really says something to have auditioned and to have stood out among hundreds of thousands of other hopeful singers and to have made it as far as I did. Everyone I knew was proud of me. My whole town was proud of me. People even told me that I inspired them to sing and pursue a musical career. It means so much to me that I touched people with my voice. And for that, I am proud.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.christineolsenmusic.com
- Email: christineolsenmusic@gmail.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/iamchrissyo/
- Other: https://www.soundcloud.com/christineolsenmusic
Image Credit:
Ricardo Herrera, Juan Carlos Arvelo
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