WAUGH
Tanya Batson-Savage, Staff Reporter
The Sunday Gleaner continues its series of articles on classically trained young singers in Jamaica. Two weeks ago we kicked things off with Ana Strachan and last week we focused Kimiela Isaacs. This week, in the spotlight is Carline Waugh.
HER VOICE kept her from fitting in with others; now it allows her to stand out.
Carline Waugh is one of the great discoveries of the tile enhanced acoustics of the bathroom studio.
The 19-year-old meets with The Gleaner in the library of St. Catherine High, where she teaches music to grades seven through nine. School was dismissed over an hour ago and the din of after school has begun to lessen as the students head for home.
When Carline enters the room her youth shines forth, but she looks confident and poised. The interview would reveal a young woman with a light sense of humour and her eyes on a bright future. But she is not one to walk with her head in the clouds floating on dreams, as she says that she is willing to take life one day at a time.
FLEDGLING
Carline explains that at age eight the now fledgling classical singer discovered that, at least in the bathroom, she could sing. "I was there singing in the bathroom one day when mi seh 'hey, mi no soun too bad'," Carline recalls. This prompted her to enter the school concert at Pembroke Hall Primary, with the encouragement of her older sisters.
However, this did not bring about a continuous involvement in the arts, as shyness spurred by her unique voice kept her from joining the choir in high school. "I just always had this voice that was so different," she says, explaining why she shied away from groups during her early years at St. Catherine High.
"I think that was the period when I was just lost," she said. "I just couldn't fit in. People said my voice was annoying." When she speaks her voice seems close to breaking, an effect that seems similar to squeaking. However, it translates to a beautiful soprano, when tempered by the rigours of classical songs.
Finally, in the 10th grade, she was convinced to join the performing arts group. The group's collaboration with St. George's College to perform the musical Esther and the King of Persia earned them a trip to Panafest 2001 in Ghana.
Carline recalls that the most rewarding part of the trip to Ghana was that it removed the stereotypes of Africa that had been created by the visions on television. As she puts it, they looked like ordinary people, as opposed to the usual exotic images.
SIDE ROAD
The trip to Ghana would turn into the side road that brought her to classical music. Upon returning from Ghana, Carline became a member of the newly formed Nexus Performing Arts group, which was made up of many of the members of the delegation. It was through this group that she was introduced to classical music, the genre for which her voice is so aptly suited.
Like many of today's and yesterday's performers, Carline has gained much of her exposure through the Jamaica Cultural Development Commission (JCDC). Carline explains that she is grateful to the JCDC, as even though she is not currently competing with them they continue to recommend her for jobs.
A track record of wins earned Carline the respect that gets her these recommendations. Last year she earned the trophy for the Most Outstanding Female Soloist. In 2002, as a representative of the Nexus Performing Arts Group, Carline earned the Crazy Jim award which gained her a scholarship to the School of Music at the Edna Manley College of the Performing Arts.
Though it presented a great opportunity, the scholarship to the Edna Manley College meant that Carline had to balance preparing for her Advanced Level exams with the voice training. The scholarship helped her to get voice training, which has set her well on the way toward the excellence she dreams of.
And excellence is exactly what she is aiming for.
"I'm just not where I want to be. I'm just not where I know I can be." This statement is made in the face of the accolades that her performances have received. According to Carline, she has not yet had a performance of which she is proud.
She realises, therefore, that in order to get to that coveted peak of excellence she needs further training. As a result, she intends to re-start lessons with her voice tutor, June Thompson-Lawson. Carline is also hopeful of taking up an offer to pursue a degree in music at the University of Mississippi in the United States of America. To do so, she needs a scholarship.
However, the decision to leave home if she has to is not a frivolous one. "As classical singers I feel as though we're being forced to leave (Jamaica)," Carline laments. "You feel so stifled because resources are so limited," she says.
In the meantime, Carline is not sitting idling away the time. Though she has taken a leave of absence from the University of the West Indies (UWI), where she started studying last September, much of her time is consumed by teaching at her alma mater and singing with the University Singers.
Being a 19-year-old teacher who left high school last year is, of course, a delicate thing. Carline explains that though the students at first tried to test her to see if she knew enough to be their teacher, it has worked out well.
"I always said I wanted to give back to my school; I just didn't expect to give back so quickly," she says with a laugh. Even so, teaching music gives her the chance to work with students who are truly interested in the art form, which she enjoys doing. "I am somewhat happy that I can be something of a mentor to these students," she adds.
Despite her growing fondness for classical music, Carline is aware of her limited exposure to the genre. She is, however, not worried by this, as she believes it will come with time. Her ideal dream, therefore, is simple.
"I hope to become an international name," she says with a smile.
