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Mariah Carey is known for her angelic voice and hitting high notes like no other. Now the R&B veteran is giving aspiring singers lessons on not only how to push their pen but to use their voice as an instrument. The Grammy-award winning singer has teamed up with MasterClass, a subscription-based platform with classes taught by experts from various fields, to offer singing and songwriting lessons from the Butterfly Lounge studio in her home.
“It’s been such an honor to not only engage with my fans in such a unique way, but to be able to invite the world to experience this special part of me has been my private haven,” the 53-year-old told People. “When I started in this industry, being a creative young songwriter, vocalist and producer in these spaces that were so male-dominated was incredibly difficult. I wanted to use this opportunity to share my story and teach my audience how to use their voice as a tool for expression.”
Growing up, Carey’s mother was her master instructor before services like MasterClass existed. Patricia Carey went to Julliard and the “Fantasy” singer grew up being highly influenced by her mother’s musical career.
“Having a mother that went to Juilliard and was a classically trained opera singer who made her debut at Lincoln Center was the closest I had to music lessons when I was a kid. Music was always present at our house and my mother’s musician friends often showed up for late-night jam sessions, which I would sit in on and join.”
In the trailer, Carey, who has a five-octave range, says “music saved my life in many, many ways” and if she “can do the same for other people, then that’s everything.”
In one of the classes, she and Brandy team up to re-record her 1997 hit “The Roof.” The clip of the studio session has been circulating on social media.
“Brandy and I both loved the original background vocals arrangement of ‘The Roof’ and decided we wanted to update it,” Carey said. “I really believe it’s surpassed the original and I can’t wait for you all to hear it!”
The courses that comprise the MasterClass include “Writing With Samples,” “Producing With Your Voice,” “Taking Care of Your Voice,” and “Surviving in the Music Industry” and “Lyricism: Write About the Realness.”
Sign up for the “Mariah Carey Teaches the Voice as an Instrument” MasterClass here.
