We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Skye Dumont a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Alright, Skye thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. When did you first know you wanted to pursue a creative/artistic path professionally?

When I was 3 years old, I heard a Chopin nocturne for the first time and I remember vividly that’s when I knew I loved music and wanted to create it forever, in which I have been unwavering. I had one of those mini keyboards with music built in, and one of the pieces was Chopin’s Op. 9: No. 2 in E-Flat Major. I remember playing it over and over again because it had such a profound impact on me, even at that incredibly young age of 3 years old. I was deeply moved by it and absolutely fell in love with classical music in particular. Another moment I remember is being 5 years old and my grandma was playing Beethoven’s 5th symphony before dinner (she would always play Mozart, Beethoven, Tchaikovsky, etc.) and I remember running around her house and pretending to “conduct” it. I felt that energy and passion flowing through me and I couldn’t help myself. What’s more is, it wasn’t just a child “playing around” it was a genuine connection, raw emotion and deep understanding that transcended age and everything else that was day to day “real” life. For me it felt like becoming one with the music.

At first when I was that young I actually thought I wanted to be a pianist because I would hear melodies and be able to match pitch and figure out how to play them by ear on the piano, so I just instinctively thought “that’s my instrument”. I started taking piano lessons around 4 or 5 years old, but around 7 years old I realized that I could sing, and I could sing well. I could do these runs and riffs and belt these high notes that the pop stars at the time were doing, but I also had an affinity for accents, linguistics, acting and operatic style singing. So, I started taking classical voice lessons around 11 years old. This led to doing opera camps, being in school musicals, winning talent shows and singing competitions, going to college at a music conservatory in New York City and getting my masters degree in vocal performance and vocal pedagogy and doing this for a living full time across several genres and spaces.

It was really a series of moments that led up to me coming to the realization that this was the gift that I was given and music isn’t just what I do, it’s who I am. I couldn’t escape it if I tried. I knew from a very young age that I had a responsibility to steward this gift, grow in and hone my skills and at least give it my best shot. I knew if I didn’t take a risk and invest everything into this gift and passion I would regret it forever. It always comes back to being able to share that gift of authentic connection and raw emotion with others. When I think of the way this particular form of art has the ability to heal, change and authentically connect people; how in a moment a melody, lyric, chord or interpretation can stir the soul and touch the heart of the listener, take us to places emotionally that we can’t get to any other way and how in that instant we feel as close to God or magic as humanly possible it’s confirmed for me all over again. Since I was 3 years old I instinctively “knew” I was born to facilitate that.

Skye , love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?

I’m Skye, I am an opera singer, worship leader, session vocalist, concert vocalist, vocal coach and content creator. I currently live in Florida with James, my wonderful husband of 2 years and our 2 cats Wallee and Evie. I am passionate about wellness (physical, emotional, mental, spiritual), not only because I believe health is wealth but also because singing is a very holistic thing and we are holistic beings: body, soul and spirit.

I got into my industry in several different ways. I started singing with a band when I was 17 that did galas, weddings, luxury events, music at NFL games, etc. I also started contracting at churches as a worship leader. Going to college in Boston and NYC really helped to be able to make connections with colleagues there. While I was in Nashville I got to be a session vocalist for other people while working on my own music, and everything kind of snowballed from there just one thing leading to another. There are alot of self-starting things involved like networking, reaching out to do auditions or signing up for auditions, recording the music, building your social media, etc. nobody is going to practice for you so having the discipline to do that as well. It’s a lot.

I think what makes me “special” or “more marketable” is that I am a versatile, multifaceted artist. Though extensively trained in opera and classical singing, I also sing pop, jazz and contemporary worship music as well. I believe that the core foundation of classical training has allowed me to be able to have health and longevity vocally across all genres, and anyone that comes to me for vocal coaching I always incorporate/encourage at the very least classical vocal warmups into their practice. It really does stretch, build and free the entire voice.

A little snippet from my bio and what I have to offer is this: “Having completed a comprehensive in depth program at Berklee College of Music, Skye further honed her skills at the renowned Manhattan School of Music under the tutelage of esteemed mezzo-soprano Mignon Dunn. Following a life-altering car accident, she pursued and completed her Master’s Degree in Vocal Performance and Vocal Pedagogy. Inspired by her own injuries, she focused her graduate research on healthy singing following musculoskeletal trauma and injury. Skye’s unique blend of medicine, psychology, vocal health, and musicianship fuels her dedication and desire to help other vocalists who are experiencing chronic and/or acute pain.

Beyond her classical training, Skye’s vocal abilities have been showcased in diverse settings such as recording opera arias for NBC/Peacock and pop vocals for indie films. She has shared her talents as a recording artist and performer in the realm of pop music as well, singing at luxury events across the country.

She previously served as a full-time worship leader on staff at Life.Church, one of America’s largest churches. Skye’s worship leadership extends to college organizations, other churches, conferences and retreats nationwide. Skye has a passion for vocal health and teaching worship leaders how to steward their gift well and has been a vocal coach to worship pastors. She has also been featured on several faith based podcasts.

Throughout her career, Skye has graced prestigious venues such as Lincoln Center, Cipriani 42nd Street, the Cathedral of St. John the Divine, and various Manhattan concert halls. She has collaborated with renowned orchestras, including the New York Philharmonic and the Disney orchestra. She has performed at galas, NFL games, Mardi Gras balls, and was a semifinalist in the southwest vocal competition and the Charleston music competition. She has sung with the Phoenix opera and at numerous well known New Orleans venues. Skye’s prior involvement during her college years in outreach projects, teaching jazz voice and music theory at NYC schools demonstrates her commitment to her community.

Regardless of the musical style she’s performing, whether sharing her research, teaching, coaching, or recording, Skye’s ultimate goal is to inspire and connect with her audience, conveying a message of hope, healing and confidence.

Most recently this year Skye was a vocalist with the Vienna Light Orchestra for their 2024 season where she performed everything from opera arias to broadway classics to powerhouse pop songs.

Skye is also a social media content creator and influencer focusing on faith, singing and lifestyle. For session vocalist/recording artist opportunities, guest worship leading, pop vocal performances, podcast appearances, speaking engagements (faith-based or vocal health/research-based), oratorio soloist roles, concert works, opera performances, or content creation/influencer collaborations, please contact Skye via email for rates.”

Any insights you can share with us about how you built up your social media presence?

Absolutely! I have always loved social media and how it can connect people from across the world, build community, inspire, etc. How I built and am still building my audience and the advice I am going to give are one in the same. We always hear consistency, and of course that matters, but it must be paired with posting with a purpose and a strategy. Strategy looking like: You know what to post to get in front of your IDEAL audience and how to build trust and connect with them. Defining your personal brand/brand identity is a big thing so I got really clear on my vision and my why.

These are some questions I asked myself to clarify purpose and strategy, and would encourage you to ask yourself if you are just starting to build your social media: “what is my why? Why do I want to do this?” “What is my purpose for creating?” “Why do I post what I post?” “What do I stand for?” “What am I trying to achieve on social media?” “What do I want to be known for?” Who am I talking to? Who is my target audience? What problems do I solve for my audience? How do I solve them? What special value can I add to my audience’s day? Am I aiming to be educational, entertaining, or a combination of the two? How am I set apart to uniquely serve others? Create a clear content strategy that aligns with what you stand for as a person and your real life ethics, values, passions, problems and interests so that your audience can connect with YOU. tie those things back to everything you post so that your content has impact and resonance.

I also believe having a niche is still important because if you are speaking to everyone you’re speaking to no one. The unique value that you add and what is going to make you stand out as an expert and go to authority in your niche even when there are a ton of other creators in that specific niche is sharing your stories, experiences, struggles, passions, interests, problems, your insights, your raw unfiltered opinions and your unique perspective and POV through the lens of your niche that feeds into your content pillars and translate them into your content in a consistent way that talks to the same person over and over and provides them value. Show the core of who you are as a person while sharing value.

Also posting things like reels with strong hooks, sharable carousels, and quick tips related to your niche that will help with shareability, visibility and watch time. Another thing is while building your community – never forget to nurture the community you already have. You can do so through these three things: being authentic (I know this is said all the time, but it’s for a reason!), consistently adding value, and not creating selfish content. You also build relationships and community by responding to comments, starting conversations, etc.

Let’s talk about resilience next – do you have a story you can share with us?

In 2021 I was on my way to lead worship at a church in Alabama and my car broke down on the side of the highway. While I was waiting on AAA, a guy fell asleep at the wheel and hit me going 80 mph. My T8 vertebrae in my spine was fractured (right behind the lungs – NOT ideal for anyone, but not especially a vocalist). I also tore my left rotator cuff, had a concussion, had shards of glass in my skin, broke my right collarbone and tore a ton of ligaments in my neck causing my C2 vertebrae to be permanently rotated and for me to have a reverse curve in my neck.

I feel like the luckiest woman alive not to be paralyzed because of how the compression fracture shattered the vertebrae in my spine, and part of it is pressing against my spinal cord but never severed it. However, as you can imagine because a singer’s entire body is their instrument, I couldn’t sing well anymore. I felt like in an instant my gift had been taken away and all of the years of hard work and dedication had just been completely extinguished. I had certain muscles overcompensating for the broken parts of my body causing tons of tension and it felt like singing in a completely different body. In the worst way possible. All of my accessory breathing muscles weren’t working like they used to, I developed TMJ because of my neck tension, and grinding my teeth from PTSD, not to mention I was and (and still am a lot of the time) in a constant state of pain.

I felt completely defeated – BUT I wasn’t about to give up my dream and passion so easily. I am stubborn and tenacious and I knew there had to be a way back. So essentially after years of training and singing professionally, I had to go back to the very beginning and relearn to sing again. It was incredibly humbling and tested and built my resilience like never before. I ended up going back to school as a “disabled” student and getting my Master’s degree. I did my graduate research in healthy singing and teaching of singing following musculoskeletal trauma and injury and even applying it to other types of chronic pain as well because I also have lupus which is an autoimmune disease that causes chronic pain.

I did so not only for myself but for other vocalists who are dealing with similar things, I wanted them to have resources that really aren’t out there for us. I found maybe one other dissertation that touched on similar things. Athletes have all kinds of resources when they are in “recovery” for injuries. We have things like ENT’s who look directly at the vocal folds but what about everything else?? We are “vocal athletes”, and singing is such a holistic thing, our entire body is our instrument too. With the patience of my professors, slowly but surely I found my voice again and along the way I learned that I am not the only vocalist who has dealt with setbacks like mine.

In my eyes, God literally took this awful situation and turned a broken back into a masters degree for me. A dream that I always had, but didn’t know would ever be able to come to fruition. Sometimes things have to fall apart so better things can come together and your foundation can be stronger. My accident, relearning how to sing and the culmination of my masters degree were the epitome of blood sweat, and tears (and a few broken bones) – covered with God’s grace and favor. Getting up and trying again when something seems broken, lost and impossible and finding out that maybe it’s not when we refuse to give up paired with some healing, and a whole lot of practice. Whether you are a musician or not, I hope my story serves as a reminder to each of us to never give up on the fire, creativity and God given dreams that are inside each one of us. They are ingrained in you for a reason, and are WORTH going after and fighting for.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.skyedumont.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/skyedumont/
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@skyedumont
• Other: https://www.tiktok.com/@skyedumont?lang=en