We were lucky to catch up with Cheryl Bains recently and have shared our conversation below.

Cheryl, appreciate you joining us today. Did you always know you wanted to pursue a creative or artistic career? When did you first know?

I think there have been two distinct moments —

The first time someone asked me what I wanted to be when I grew up, my answer was clear – “singer”. I was around 5 years old then, and every subsequent time I was asked this question, my answer remained the same! I didn’t know what it was about music and singing that pulled me then, but just that it did and it felt natural.

I would only receive clarity on this a few years later, at the age of 10, as a rather inexperienced member of a professional children’s choir. You see, I had begun my training but had never experienced classical music firsthand. My very first concert with this choir, we performed Giovanni Battista Pergolesi’s “Stabat Mater”, which is a stunning and heavy baroque oratorio. I think it’s extremely interesting that this work was performed with a children’s chorus, given the serious nature of the music. Nevertheless, I remember a distinct moment of feeling myself ‘settle’ in the middle of the music during that concert. That’s when I knew classical music was for me.

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

I always say — Music chose me, and the best way to know me is to come watch me sing!

A little bit about my background; I was raised in Singapore, a country known for its diversity and ever-evolving cultural landscape, and belong originally to India, a country with thousands of years worth of traditional musical and artistic expression. I think these surroundings have everything to do with encouraging my path into music.
My parents understood exactly how singular I was about this, even though I wasn’t the best student at times, and they furnished my education with Hindustani Classical Music, Piano with the Associated Boards of the Royal School of Music (ABRSM), Dance and Musical Theatre, eventually leading me to discover that my main discipline would be Western Classical Music; Opera specifically. I formalized my training in New York with a degree in Classical Voice at the Manhattan School of Music, and have since been in Los Angeles, under the mentorship of acclaimed Jazz composer, arranger and orchestrator, Ladd McIntosh.

Having attended a top-level and rigorous conservatory, I of course realized the common issues classical musicians and composers are currently facing — given that there are so many art forms for audiences today to take in, with some definitely more popular than others, how does a classical artist maintain relevance?
I would say — this is exactly where I thrive, and a problem I gladly tackle and solve every time I present a program! I often perform to mixed audiences, and I’m proud to say that I make classical music palatable and appealing to even first-time listeners. I keep no expectations that an audience will know the music as intimately as I do, but instead make a promise that they will feel it personally by the end of the show! If you’d like to know how I weave this magic, do come and watch one of my shows!

Is there something you think non-creatives will struggle to understand about your journey as a creative?

Absolutely. The finest cheese doesn’t appear magically. It has to go through its process and time-period to mature. Similarly, good singers don’t just wake up one day ready to sing. Good singers, when invited to perform, also don’t just show up and sing. There is a mountain of preparation work involving self-study, working with musicians, rehearsals, curating wardrobe and much more that must be done for each and every appearance.
The audience just sees 3-4 minutes of a song and no doubt – they love my music! What I would like to point out is – the more flawless my performance and enjoyable their experience; this is the result of years of consistent work.

In your view, what can society to do to best support artists, creatives and a thriving creative ecosystem?

I would say – don’t skip the chance to hire someone great when you know you’d love them, but are more concerned about meeting quotas. And for audiences, don’t be afraid to experience something new for the first time.

I have seen venues lose their freshness, exciting atmosphere and chance to engage and re-engage fresh audiences because they don’t want to “risk” hiring a new artist, however brilliant they may be. I’d like to remind such places that it is quite the other way around – a talented fresh artist is like a breath of fresh air. And who doesn’t like fresh air?

And for heaven’s sake — we have lives too. Don’t over negotiate on payments, because we don’t like to say no. We like to practice our crafts and bring joy to the audience!

Contact Info:

• Website: https://cherylbains.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/cherylchanteuse/
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@CherylBains