We were lucky to catch up with Anna Wallace recently and have shared our conversation below.

Anna, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. Looking back on your career, have you ever worked with a great leader or boss? We’d love to hear about the experience and what you think made them such a great leader.

Over the years I have been so fortunate to have amazing wonderful mentors in my life…

Priscilla Bagley was my longtime voice teacher who introduced me to singing opera and made me realize that my life path was to be an artist. She shaped my voice and helped make me into the person, teacher and musician I am today.

Matt Gorney, was my boss when I was a music history instructor at Full Sail University in Winter Park, Fl. He was a longtime record store employee, DJ, tour manager & concert promoter who eventually taught music history and decided to take a chance on me and hire me. I was inspired and intrigued by his life choices and it was always really fun picking his brain and talking about dance-hall music & free jazz, among a million other genres.

DJ Natalie Weiss, who is based out of New York and the founder of Baby DJ School was also a huge mentor for me. It expanded me emotionally and professionally to see how she combined her love of electronic music and DJing to teach children. She is who taught me how to DJ and continues to show me that all things are possible.

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

Anna Wallace (DJ Annie Wonder) is a mezzo soprano, experimental artist, and educator based in Los Angeles, California who has been privately teaching music lessons since 2008 out of her home studio and via zoom.

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I am a vocal instructor who teaches all ages and levels, with special experience with early childhood education and helping children find their artistic voice and tap into their natural and innate creativity. With adults, I love focusing on breath-work, releasing trapped emotions through the voice, nervous system regulation and empowerment. What is important to me first off, is to create a safe and comfortable place for my students to experiment, explore and be curious.

I have led large classes where I teach kids to DJ and have also done adult workshops about connection through vocal empowerment. I also actively DJ around the LA area, and love spinning and studying psychedelic music from all over the world, as well as early electronic music, kosmische, and all things 1960’s. Previously, I taught a music history course at Full Sail University based on popular music, where I lectured about the Beach Boys & the Beatles, etc.

Personally, I have a solo musical project where I combine operatic singing, space echo, moog, samples and vocoder & I’m currently writing my first experimental opera. I also sing & dance in psych rock band Hooveriii, which has been a blast!

What do you think is the goal or mission that drives your creative journey?

What is more exciting to me than anything else is to help people unlock the hidden creativity in themselves they didn’t even know existed! I truly believe everyone can sing and find their inner voice, we sometimes just have to quiet down and listen hard to find it. :) The voice is quite a vulnerable instrument, it is our actual bodies – so in some ways and for some people, learning how to sing is learning how to use our bodies in a whole new way and that can be beautiful but very emotional!

“I work in between the cracks, where the voice starts dancing, where the body starts singing, where theater becomes cinema.”—Meredith Monk

What do you think helped you build your reputation within your market?

Authenticity is number one! When it comes to something so personal, like creativity and singing, there is nothing more important than just spreading authenticity and trying to teach (especially to small children) what that looks like. There is so much embodiment in resonance. I try to always live & teach from that place and my goal is to help others sing & feel from that place.

I feel blessed and fortunate to have never paid for advertising and to have sustained having this small business for years all by myself through word of mouth. My teaching style continues to morph and grow and I am constantly learning so much from my students.

What do you think is the goal or mission that drives your creative journey?

What is more exciting to me than anything else is to help people unlock the hidden creativity in themselves they didn’t even know existed! I truly believe everyone can sing and find their inner voice, we sometimes just have to quiet down and listen hard to find it. :) The voice is quite a vulnerable instrument, it is our actual bodies – so in some ways and for some people, learning how to sing is learning how to use our bodies in a whole new way and that can be beautiful but very emotional!

“I work in between the cracks, where the voice starts dancing, where the body starts singing, where theater becomes cinema.”—Meredith Monk

What do you think helped you build your reputation within your market?

Authenticity is number one! When it comes to something so personal, like creativity and singing, there is nothing more important than just spreading authenticity and trying to teach (especially to small children) what that looks like. There is so much embodiment in resonance. I try to always live & teach from that place and my goal is to help others sing & feel from that place.

I feel blessed and fortunate to have never paid for advertising and to have sustained having this small business for years all by myself through word of mouth. My teaching style continues to morph and grow and I am constantly learning so much from my students.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.djanniewonder.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/anniewonders/
• Other: https://hooveriii.bandcamp.com/album/pointe

Image Credits
Photos by Paul Meacham, Alex Bulli, Jamie Johnson (Birdee), Howl & Rose Photography