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I grew up knowing that I wanted to sing. My first voice competition
was in the fourth grade, out on the playground at lunchtime. It was
between Maryanne and me. She was prettier, but I sang better. I
think she won that day, but it never mattered.
I knew that I was the talented one!
As the years went by I passed my time singing to my horse,
learning to play the piano and composing first poetry and
then songs to help me express my feelings.
I was lucky to grow up in a house where music was always being played.
By the time I was a senior in high school, I knew that singing
was what I was destined for!
I went on to college and studied first musical theater, and eventually
opera - though I still love all kinds of music; jazz, blues, bluegrass,
folk, religious, as well as Broadway and classical.
I've spent decades now performing in solo shows and with groups.
I've sung in bands, in restaurants, private parties, musical theater,
opera, concerts, oratorios, in museums, on the street, in puppet shows
and in fundraisers for a variety of causes.
Many of these events I've produced myself. I've rented the rooms,
written the press releases to advertise the show, booked the other
musicians, created the programs, and directed the actors at times.
I've also written music previews and reviews for local papers,
managed other singer's careers and taught a great number of
passionate and talented singers how to understand and manage their
voices so that they can extend their range, improve their breath control,
and beautify not only their voices but the stories they are telling with
their song.
My passion is to not only teach others to sing with a solid foundation
in many styles of music - but also to help others create their own opportunities to sing.
What I've realized is that while there are a few lucky people out there who
are blessed with the right combination of talent, family support, financial backing and
luck - there are many more of us who need to carve a niche for ourselves
so that we can do what we love to do - make music!
If you are reading this, then I'm sure it's what we have in common: Passion, drive and
talent. Luck is out there, but let's swim towards it!
Here is my official biography:
Malya Resnik Muth is a familiar figure on Pacific Northwest musical stages. Noted for the warmth and flexibility of her voice, she has been called "first-rate " and "strikingly dramatic" by Gavin Borchert of the Seattle Weekly, “A polished singer” by P-I critic Joe Adcock and “very talented” by the Seattle Gay News.
Over the years she has appeared with regional opera and musical theater companies such as the Seattle Comic Opera, Kitsap Peninsula Opera, Renton Civic Theater, and the Water Street Dinner Theater in Port Townsend. In addition, Malya is active singing in concerts, dinner theater, church and other special musical events around the Puget Sound. Lately, she has appeared several times as the storyteller/singer with the Willowbranch Puppet Theater and has just recorded a CD of Christian Science songs which she released Spring, 2009.
A graduate of the University of Washington School of Music, Malya spent the next 16 years studying with master teacher Lois Hartzell, a celebrated international opera singer and coach - who studied the teachings of the great singer and voice pedagogue, Manuel Garcia -and also performed with I Virtuosi Del Canto, a group dedicated to celebrating, performing and educating the singing community in the art of solo singing. Awards for Ms. Muth include a Metropolitan Opera Incentive Award, a first place award with the Eastside Arts Festival, and another from the National Association of Teachers of Singing (NATS) regional competition. In recent years, she has focused on presenting interesting and unusual concert programs, and creating and directing musical fundraisers. One interesting program was a production she conceived of, produced and directed called From the Shtetl and Beyond: A Celebration of Jewish Stories, Music, and Humor in which she also performed Lori Laitman’s song cycle, "I Never Saw Another Butterfly". In 2006, she presented “How Clear She Shines!” by Linda Lister, a semi-opera based on the lives of the Bronte Sisters, as a fundraiser for Ladies Musical Club. In addition to her performing activities, Ms. Muth is a voice coach, dedicated to furthering the careers of singers who have made a committment to pursuing a professional track.
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