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Prologue


I sing about and from my reality –
And in defiance of it.
I sing to try to get, with the sound of my voice,
All the justice I’ll never see on earth for all the wrongs.
I sing to bring back, to call forth from lovers
The love that I can’t otherwise get
To make them present for a few minutes
When they won’t return my calls.
I sing to be in a Joy that is bigger than me
To show the immensity of my sorrow and my need
I sing to reach for God
To give to all of reality
And to make all of it come close to me.
I sing to be on the edge of madness
A madness that shows my capacity
For greatness and depravity.
I sing to be free, and because I’m free.
I sing to stop people, to get them to come close
To convince them, to frighten them.
I sing because I’m so big and so small.
I sing because to speak is not enough
Because I can’t live or hurt in silence.
I sing to make the invisible tangible
To seduce, and win over and push away
To move, enlighten, charm, calm
To make people see and hear what’s important
To stay young forever, to dream out loud.
I sing to dare – dare to love or be exactly who I am.
I sing to disappear into forbidden places, or hidden, or dangerous ones.
I sing to heal, to bleed, to kneel,
To heed a Greater Voice.

Performance Reviews

  • Of course, all of this would be for naught, if this company of budding young professionals didn’t have a credible Sally Bowles, with a heartfelt belter’s voice.  But they do. Her name is Alisha Ruiss. And that’s just about all I know about her. But she deftly cons the Brit accent and delivers the chirpiness that goes with it as she nails those solos down, especially Maybe This Time .
    Pat Donnelly, Montreal Gazette, Cabaret
    "Ms. Ruiss has a rich and expressive voice that could easily fill Salle Wilfred-Pelletier. She provides some of the most emotional moments of the evening, with the songs "J'aimais," "My Death," and "Marieke." 
    Krista Garver - Broadway World, 
    Jacques Brel is Alive & Well & Living in Paris

  • Alisha Ruiss dans le rôle de Fantine est de calibre Broadway. Son jeu de mère dévouée et sa présence n’ont d’égal que sa voix puissante dans tous les registres. Sa belle voix chaude est un délice autant en voix de tête qu’en voix de poitrine (belting) tout en ayant un contrôle parfait de nuances. Son interprétation du classique «I Dreamed a Dream» donne des frissons.
    Daniel Ouimet, Info Culture
    Sally Bowles, normally played by a wistful and willowy actress, has developed into a more powerful femme fatale since portrayed as such by Liza Minelli in the movie, Cabaret. And so this Sally Bowles played by Alisha Ruiss, is willful and stubborn...Her voice is powerful and dramatic, more so than any I have heard in this city. She is without a doubt a talent to be watched and, indeed, reckoned with.

    Sharman Yarnell - Curtains Up

  • Bea, jouée par Alisha Ruiss... chante comme elle respire avec un grand registres et des nuances pour raconter ce qu’elle vit, particulièrement dans sa chanson «Right Hand Man». À la reprise de sa chanson à la fin, elle devient très touchante.
    Les ArtsZé, Something Rotten
    Alisha Ruiss as Ulla is another stand out. What a beautiful voice…and beautiful everything else, if you get my gist. Ruiss is no stranger to Montreal musicals, with a voice that is an absolute gift from heaven.
    Montreal Times, The Producers, Segal Centre

Frequently asked questions

I’ve performed in musical theatre, cabarets, corporate events, church services, weddings, and funerals. I’m always open to exploring new opportunities and adapting to different performance settings.
Yes, I enjoy songwriting and am happy to collaborate with others or write solo pieces.
Yes, my training has given me the flexibility to perform in classical, musical theatre, pop, jazz, and Christian music.
Yes, I offer vocal coaching and teaching, whether you’re preparing for an audition, looking to improve your technique, or simply want to sing for personal enjoyment.
Yes! Anyone can improve with practice informed by knowledge and self awareness. 
Not in class.  I am there to help you find the safest way to make sound.  
Outside of class, yes, you must take care of your voice and avoid things that will strain it: talking over ambient noise, yelling, alcohol, dehydration etc.  
There is a difference between regular fatigue and strain.  Think of a good workout at the gym: you are tired at the end and need rest/recovery time but you are not injured.  It is the same with singing.  You may feel tired at the end of a practise session but you should not feel strain or pain. Preventing strain has as much to do with what you do outside your training as during it.
Your repertoire is up to you.  I am happy to work on any style (aside from heavy metal or similar) but it is very helpful if you come in with ideas rather than me choosing blindly or spending lesson time hemming and hawing about song choices.  My area of expertise is musical theatre so if you are interested in that style, I will have more knowledge of repertoire in that area.
A piano or keyboard is really helpful for practising exercises and checking your pitch, or learning your music if you read music but it’s not required.  You are welcome to record your lesson (for your private use only) 
Yes!  I have sung in English, French, Italian, German, and Latin, predominantly. While I can’t provide diction specifications for each of those languages equally, I can still help you adjust pronunciation to get a clearer sound.
For my purposes, not very much!  Vocal coaching typically refers to performance aspects like interpretation, expression, and stage presence, where as voice/singing lessons focus more on technique and health.  All my classes involve both.
In person is preferred, especially at first, but online lessons are possible, provided you have a good internet connection.
My strong preference is to work with non smokers only as smoking (cigarettes or otherwise) is damaging to the voice.  While I do not have control of what my students do outside the studio, how they sound does reflect somewhat on me as a coach and all the technique in the world cannot erase the effects of smoking - though it can definitely help after you have quit!
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