~ The passion of singing ~
The idiom "music is food for the soul" holds true for 18-year-old Ismae Larissa van Greuningen.
If the Caribbean International Academy (CIA) graduate is down, singing lifts her spirits and makes her feel better. It's food for her soul. "I like singing because I can put myself in another world when doing it. I can doze off and think of nothing, but the song I am singing. It helps me get over sad feelings and helps me calm down when I am stressed or angry. It is for me, what yoga is for others."
Ismae, who was born in Swifterbant, the Netherlands, and moved to St. Maarten in 2010, began her journey in the arts when she started dancing at age seven. At age nine, she auditioned for the part of Annie in a musical. She did not get the part, but felt that the experience opened new avenues for her. "Singing wasn't something I thought I was good enough for at the time. I felt as though I was too shy to stand on stage and sing, but after that audition, people told me I had a good voice."
This inspired her to start singing lessons; first in the Netherlands then in St. Maarten when she relocated here. She took lessons with Netherlands-based actor and singer Dirk-Jan Jansen and singer and dancer Joost de Jong. She also honed her skills at Danscentrum Artestique dance school in her native Netherlands.
In St. Maarten, she began practising at Motiance Dance School and for the last two years with Helen Hart. "I love to sing in musicals because I believe I have the best voice for musicals, but I am also now practicing classical songs, RnB and pop."
In July, she joined a music group "Arias 4," where she gets a chance to sing various genres of music, but her main love remains musicals.
She has performed in musicals in the Netherlands and in St. Maarten (Mary Magdalene in Jesus Christ Superstar and Eponine in Les Miserables). She is now busy practising the part of Sandy for the musical Grease. She will also be competing with Arias 4 in TelCell's Breakthrough competition.
She admires Dutch music stars Simone Klijnsma and Chantal Jansen, whom she saw on television growing up. "I don't really have one particular favourite song, but I love a song from the movie Brave and music from the 80s such as "Too Shy" from Kajagoogoo and any song from Queen."
As for her future, Ismae always wanted to become a dentist, but recently had a change of heart. She is still on the fence as to what career path to follow, though she is thinking of becoming an English teacher in the Netherlands or go into musicals. "I am now looking at Amsterdam Hoogeschool voor Kunst, but I am not sure about anything yet."
The Capricorn was born on Christmas Day, and currently works as an assistant teacher at her alma mater - CIA.
