I received My Her Business Magazine today
It is a nice article,But theres a mistake right at the beginning.
There is the cover then on the first page it says
HAYLEY WESTENRAAt only 19, this New Zealand-born star is making her mark in the music industry around the world.Jacki Jeanmonod gives a glimpse into this humble and giving singer's life.
Entering Aucklands magical St Mathews-In-The-City cathedral,I was a little disconcerted to join the hardened media crowd swigging bubbles in this most hallowed of venues, The eclectic mix of musos, media-types and those who pass as celebs in this city, exchanged banter between the gothic arched columns of the nave.
Hush fell over the congregation as Gerhard Simanke, head of promotions at Westenra's New Zealand record company, Universal Music, introduced Hayley to the crowd. An angelic figure in an emerald green evening dress, MS Westenra was dwarfed by a huge banner of Kevin Westenberg's photo of her looking wistfully out to sea. Obtaining the 'wistful' effect was no mean feat. It was shot in freezing conditions in Portugal with Hayley shivering away on the rocks, trying to look like she was enjoying herself.the pressure was on; Westenberg was used to working with the likes of Coldplay and U2 ; Despite her inexperience, Hayley's professionalism saw her through.
Only candelabra lit the cavernous space, which soon filled with the crystal clear notes of Hayley's voice as she treated her audience to a very special experience. Songs from her new album Odyssey demonstrated a new maturity to her work.
Produced by Giles Martin, son of Beatles producer Sir George Martin, this album is a diverse mix of classical, traditional and a contemporary acoustic sound. ' Never saw Blue ' is already a hit.
her own composition,'What You Never Know(Won't Hurt You)was lovingly delivered; its insightful lyrics belying the writers age and innocence. 'I Say Grace' left the audience on such a high they demanded more and were rewarded with probably the best performance of Pokarekare Ana ever delivered.
Hayley was jettisoned from her life as a schoolgirl living at home with her family in Christchurch onto the international stage. Her parents, Gerald and Jill Westenra, encouraged all three of their children to explore their musical talents. By the age of 11 hayley had mastered the violin and piano and appeared in 40 amateur musicals in the local area. At the age of 12, she recorded some of her favourite songs in a professional studio as a memento. her first album, Pure was recorded at 15.
Its overwhelming success opened up duet opportunities with Andrea Bocelli, Jos'e Carreras, Bryn Terfel and Russell Watson.
suddenly Hayley was the muse of presidents, prime ministers and royalty accompanied by orchestras or sometimes only by acoustic guitar; she sang live at major sporting events in the Uk,US,Australia, and at home in New Zealand.
All of this exposure bought with it a new confidence, which became embodied in a richer, more rounded quality to that crystal clear voice. Inspired by her grandmother, who was a singer and her grandfather, who played the piano and piano accordian,Hayley grew up with music. Her Welsh and Irish ancestry ensured a fondness of a good tune and, to be sure,
hers is an intuitive talent, naturally born. She was told she had 'perfect pitch'at the age of six. this is not a voice coached into perfection, but a gift she was given and has chosen to share.
To help her focus, Hayley says she pictures the scene described in the song lyrics, totally immersing herself in the music. 'May it Be', the haunting ballad from The lord of the Rings movie, brought her home to New Zealand in her mind,surrounded by its stunning landscape.
Back on stage, Hayley infused enthusiasum and love for what she does, punctuating the free flowing narrative with infectious laughter. She demonstrates an obvious delight for introducing new material, which is equally met by the joy of putting her individual stamp on old favourites, such as Joni Mitchells
'Both Sides Now'. a couple of hours in her company proved to be an uplifting experience.
Pure has sold over two million copies worldwide. In New Zealand Pure is the biggest selling home grown album of all time and is certified eleven times Platinum with sales in excess of 175,000 units. Odyssey was released in New Zealand on 8th Augustt
and at the time of writing, is already double platinum.
Other countries enjoying the latest offering are Australia,Japan,Hongkong,,Singapore and Korea. In the UK.,where she now lives, Odyssey entered the album charts at number 10 on the pop charts and at the time of going to print, sits at number one on the classical charts. Historically the hardest marketplace to conquer is the U.S. and Canada. fans there had to wait until 18 October to Buy Odyssey at the record store.
Next page was this picture
Page 3
Is her international success the result of a good business sense as well as well-honed raw talent ?
The downfall of of many talented artists has been a failure to surround themselves with the 'right people'. at the tender age of 19, much of Hayley's life to date has been managed by her parents, who travelled with her and helped her to purchase her London apartment. One of the main changes Hayley noted when becoming professional was the number of people who were suddenly around her. She has a manager, Steve Abbot), an accountant, a business manager, a lawyer and all the people at her record company, decca: marketing, promotion, press people, etc. As their professional guidance takes takes over some of the role her parents initially played, Hayley takes on a new independance.
But is she ready? vocally , yes, her voice has become more versatile and able to adapt to the different styles featured in her second album. It is lends itself better to the 'pop' genre whereas previously, her high pitch was more classical. This gains her a wider appeal but also exposes her to a life she has so far been sheltered from.
Her voice is often compared to that of the extreme Charlotte Church, but in terms of behaviour, Hayley Westenra could not be more different. Unlike some other people her age, she doesn't enjoy late night partying. Instead, she takes care of her voice by drinking large amounts of water and only eats healthy food. when she can, she ensures she gets plenty of sleep, but this is often difficult with a full tour schedule.
The result of this clean living is evident in her glowing
flawless skin. It also means her body is not used to the abuse of a 'normal 'teenage life.
A recent catch up with old friends staying in halls of residence at the University of Otago left her laying low back home with her parents in Christchurch, recovering from a sore throat.
Given her early dedication to her musical career and her wholesome lifestyle, it is not surprising that Hayley's romantic encounters have been fairly minimal
"It's hard because you may meet someone but then again you won't see them for like, another year," she explains.Her life on tour is not exactly conductive to romance. The Odyssey tour started in New Zealand
before moving to Sydney, Hong kong, Tokyo, (for the 4th time this year,)Nagoya and back to London. Trawling through the websites dedicated to Hayley Westenra, you soon realise that she is not short of Male admirers, however. there were various rumours about her 'close friendship' with fellow london based Kiwi singer Daniel Beddingfield. at the time she barely knew him but since the stories broke, she admits they have actually become friends. Maybe her standards are too high, but the radar is activated; "i'd be over the moon if i met someone. seriously, I'd be telling everyone."When asked if anyone has come close she replies coyly, "Um ,no."
The picture on pages 3 an4 ,is one picture over the two pages Hayley on the Beach and takes half the page
The publicity surrounding her latest album, launch coined "Hayleymania" by the New Zealand Herald, does not seem to have gone to her head. Now a teenage millionaire she is surprisingly blas'e about her finances. Singing for Hayley is "like a hobby'. she doesn't know how much money she has. "Its all in the system,money going back and forwards," she says. Is this an endearing lack of materialism or a concerning naivety?Her charity work would point to the former but her early focus on music could have cocooned her from the broad spectrum stuff.
This is the girl who has never heard of Homer,or his Odyssey.
Hayley is certainly very prudent about the way in which she spends. The only money she spends on clothes is for her fabulous performance dresses, which one might argue are a business expense.
Even her latest newsletter confesses that all she bought after shopping 'till she dropped' in Singapore malls was a bottle water and some seaweed.
Inspired by Princess diana, she has become a Unicef Ambassador. In this role, hayley recently undertook her first five day field trip to Ghana."We went
around these communities and saw the shocking poverty and it was just heart- wrenching.
i won't forget the images i saw or the people i met over there. I'm trying to raise enough money,with the publics help, to provide 5000 bicycles for the children ."
Not forgetting that charity begins at home , hayley is a patron of the Raukatauri Music Therapy centre in Auckland ,co founded by her good friend Hinewehi Mohi .When back in England , she visited the Nordoff -Robbins Music Therapy Centre .Their approach is based on the belief that everyone can connect to music, and Hayley truly believes this rings true ."The approach is very gentle and instinctual . Through music, the therapists manage to find a connection
with the clients who seem to have walled themselves in and withdrawn from the outside world. it seems music really is a universal language ."Hayley found the improvement that the children and adults make there can be quite dramatic and very heart warming.
Heart -warming is a fair description of the effect her voice has on you. If you liked the first album Pure you will love Odyssey.
If Pure wasn't your bag, give Odyssey a spin. You could be pleasantly surprised, these two albums chart the maturing of what is surely one of the most exciting voices to emerge from New Zealand to the world stage in recent years.
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