An intercultural journey about life perspectives, growth and the “joie de vivre”.
- Describe your vocal style.
My vocal style is to give vocal colors to the emotions and context I talk and sing about, (e.g., starting from nuances of a distant sound to energized strong vocal expressions).
Musically, I love songs that tell stories or which transmit a certain message or emotion. I can sing many different genres. For example: musical theatre, chansons, jazz, pop, tango… The French Chansons from Edith Piaf, Jacques Brel, ZAZ, Lara Fabian have influenced me since my childhood. I adore the German Chanson from Kurt Weill to Friedrich Holländer or Georg Kreisler. I enjoy all variations of musical theatre from ‘Cats’ to ‘Chicago’, from ‘Wicked ‘to ‘West Side Story’.
I work with the Estill Voice Training technique – which allows me to create many vocal colors and singing styles from Speech to Falsetto, Sobbing, Twang, Belting and Opera…I am the first certified Estill Mentor Course Instructor in Germany. Thanks to that technique I know how to influence different structures of the vocal tract consciously which allows me to create many vocal colors. Since I also do 2-D and 3-D MRI research on different vocal styles with the Institute of Musicians Medicine in Freiburg. I am very aware of the functionalities of the human voice.
Also, I like to express myself vocally in different languages mostly in English, French and German. Each language has its own sounds and expressions; they give a special sound to the voice. In my musical cabaret Chansons – Songs and Stories from Piaf, Brel & Me – which I perform at the Edinburgh Fringe at the C aquila – I sing in more than three languages.
When I asked one of the most respected mentors and professionals in this business about my vocal style he said it was, “very expressive, with a wide vocal & dramatic range. It can be as smooth as silk or as rough as linen… always expressive‘‘.
- What leads you toward the cabaret-type of performances?
For me a musical cabaret connects songs and stories with a certain artistic freedom. Unusual song combinations are possible. Different autobiographic stories create a very intimate momentum.
Musical cabaret also allows me to create wonderful unexpected moments with the audience. I remember several special moments, when I performed:
- A floating balloon passed by me when I sang a dreamy song – I took the balloon – my voice and eyes followed it and the audience did the same. It was one of those magic moments.
- Or a lady stood up and danced to a French Chanson and we danced together. We enjoyed that special moment.
- A song I planned to sing alone was sung by the full audience.
- I asked the audience a question and I got a reply which made us laugh, I replied with humor – we laughed – they replied and we were laughing for quite some time because this positive energy kept on going back and forth.
Looked on the impact of musical cabarets in a larger time frame, I had people in my audience who got inspired through my musical cabaret and wrote a book, or who sing a song of mine to get more energy or who kept an inspiring phrase from my show in their mind.
In my current musical cabaret Chansons about France and Life, I tell partially autobiographical stories about the little things that can make life special. I do it out of an intercultural point of view as a German who has lived in France and the US. I think it is wisdom to be curious, to look at other cultures and reflect our own approaches. We can get inspired by it. The French Chansons or songs I sing deepen these thoughts and stories in way that only music can allow to happen. Music unites us not matter where we are from. People in the audience said that Chansons was ‘Soul touching’. A lady passed by and said she had tears in her eyes because it was so beautiful. To create such a deeper impact, is wonderful. Musical cabarets can be intimate, unique and moving.
- What or who inspires you?
I am inspired by special experiences like: traveling, watching and talking to people, reflecting traditions, seeing many shows, listening to various styles of music, reading, researching.
Seeing ‘Cats’, ‘Les Misérables’, and ‘Anything Goes’ in New York at a young age had a huge impact on me. I travelled to all continents and see this as a big inspiration. Looking at life from other perspectives is so enriching.
I was amazed by Barbra Streisand’s concert in Berlin. Listening to her words and music while the sunset colored the sky was one of my most precious musical moments. Seeing solo shows with Liza Minelli, Ute Lemper and Shirley McLaine touched deeply my artistic heart and mind. Often I went to 54 Below in New York City and saw various amazing artists. There is this magic interaction between the charismatic performer and the audience. Seeing hundreds of musical cabarets and musicals in Germany, France, UK, US, and other countries inspires me.
When I create a show, I collect first aspects linked to the topic I have chosen. I listen to specific music, search for songs that touch me the most, observe other performers, and reflect how the shows are done. I then observe people, make notes, start to write lyrics, work on some own songs and collect stories. Next, I do research on the topic and start creating a structure. At a certain moment I am ready and I can put all those ideas together to create a show. It takes time to refine it but the process of writing happens at a certain moment when I am ready.
- What memories come up when you perform?
Memories of experiences and interactions from other shows pass by me and give me interesting impulses to interact with my audience.
I connect songs to real life experiences, emotions and thoughts that transfer the songs meaning. Still, I try to create each musical cabaret performance in a new way. I interact and develop songs in that moment.
It was so nice to be asked to do a show just with French songs. I remember my premiere with Chansons – the organizers already loved it at the intermission …Colleagues came and gave me great feedback. This energy still floats into my musical cabaret. I remember my first online live streaming musical cabaret and the audience reactions, I think of in-person shows in Iceland despite Covid and the people I met there.
Receiving press reviews like the one from the Review Hub I keep in my mind: ‘Rummel’s voice is outstanding: it moves from delicate, lingering notes (in a superb cover of Autumn Leaves) to real moments of joie de vivre in Rummel’ s take on the Piaf classic, L’Accordeoniste.’
The Reviews Hub (4 Star Review)
My latest show reminds me of different times of my life when I lived and worked in France. I tell stories from my childhood until the adulthood. Memories are often woven into my musical cabaret.
- If you had to dedicate a performance to someone special in your life who would it be and why?
Artistically, Barbra Streisand has been influenced me very much. Her career brought her from nightclubs to Broadway and to Hollywood. At a younger age, people told me I would look a bit like her. When I studied musical theatre I was asked to sing various Funny Girl songs for my exams. Streisand has been in the music markets for decades. She broke norms at various angles and became a role model for many other women– as an actress, singer, supporter for cardiovascular research, director, producer of her own films like ‘Yentl’. I think I live some of her philosophies : ‘You have got to discover you, what you do, and trust it.‘.
Also, I embrace the ladies who sing: Ella Fitzgerald, Lara Fabian, Liza Minelli, Shirley Bassey, Ute Lemper and many more.
Internally, I dedicate my show to my family who supported me all the time. I am thankful for the masterminds I am in and the people with whom I share regularly so many insights. I dedicate my show to all the people who have mentored me over the years. These are special, intelligent people who believe in me and who have helped me to grow and to develop my: potential, research, teaching, and my art.
- What is your dream musical theater role?
As for musical theatre, I would love to play interesting character roles where humor or charismatic energy is key. I love roles like the Witch (Into the Woods), Mrs. Hannigan like in the last Broadway production of Annie, Sister Reverend Mother or Sister Hubert in Nunsense which I have played for many years, Norma Desmond (Sunset Boulevard), Mrs. Lovett (Sweeney Todd), Mama Rose (Gypsy), Fanny Brice (Funny Girl). In the Musical ‘Nunsense’ I remember that we created these heart touching funny moments beyond words. I loved to play those nuns. Whenever this performance magic happens, when music and stories are in a flow with the audience, precious moments for myself and others are created.
I have written several songs during the Covid and wrote further stories. My dream is to record those songs in a cross over approach and produce in cooperation a new musical cabaret out of it.
A dream role I experienced was in musical cabaret in Luxemburg. I performed in a bigger sold out theatre where within the shortest amount of time the audience smiled, laughed, clapped, a roar of joy went through the theatre and ended up with standing ovations… The technicians told me that they experienced this kind of audience reactions only a few times a year… To create these moments again and again is a dream of mine.
- What makes you an empowered woman?
I am passionate in what I do, since I do the things in my life and my work I love. My interest in music, in people, in research, in creation, production and growth is mirrored in my work. Whether I sing, create shows, do research about the voice, interact with the audience or train people … my focus is forward bound and focused on growth.
Songs and music can reflect us who we are or can be in a more subtle way. Music has a universal language. Like Victor Hugo says: “‘Ce qu’on ne peut pas dire, ce qu’ on ne peut pas taire, la musique exprime.’” What we cannot talk about but what we cannot be silent about the music expresses.
Communicating and sharing forward bound positive ideas with clients and with the audience is vital in a diverse changing world we live in. My aim is to transfer knowledge and ideas in my shows, trainings, talks, workshops about the voice and interaction as well and in my musical cabarets and one-woman-shows.
My musical cabaret Chansons can help people to understand each other a bit more and to have other inspiring angles to look at life. Art can support this exchange in a subtle way and can open paths for a better cultural understanding.
I am empowered when I myself and the people I communicate with forget about time. This can happen when I sing and act, train and interact. It gives me strength and an inner smile.
Also, feedback from my shows and workshops can be very empowering if people say to me: “You inspired my life.” “I now can do a world tour, thanks to you.” “You empowered me to do what I dreamed for.” The following audience review of my musical cabaret Chansons sums it up, “Quality, legendary songs with the deep meanings attached give gift of genuine benefit. As an educational music tour…anywhere.” – Dall Wilson.
If you want to be empowered and want to empower me, have a look at my show Chansons at the Edinburgh Fringe from the 5th to the 21st of August at 5:45pm at the Roman Eagle Logde – C ARTs C aquila – Johnston Terrace 2. Here you can get the tickets for the on-demand and in-person show: https://res.cthearts.com/event/34:3713/
Performance times & dates:
5-21 August 2022, 5.45pm
Location :
C ARTS | C venues | C aquila – Roman Eagle Lodge, 2 Johnston Terrace, Edinburgh EH1 2PW
Tickets:
The digital on-demand version of “Chansons” can be seen in the C ARTS year-round online digital programme.
Tickets: res.CtheArts.com/event/34:3462
The in-person version of “Chansons” plays for a limited run from 5-21 August 2002 at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe in the C ARTS season at C aquila.
Tickets: https://res.cthearts.com/event/34:3713/
This is the QR code for the show: