BC MUSICIAN'S MAGAZINE- Bobby Heron In Michelle Dumond’s music you can hear a level of sophistication that comes with first, some training and then soul searching interspersed with all kinds of rich life experiences. She has studied acting, classical and jazz music, voice and of course, pharmacology. In the latter, Michelle decided the creative inspiration wasn’t presenting itself and so, fortunately for music listeners everywhere, she decided to give up a decent paying profession for one that can often be a labor of love. In Michelle Dumond’s music you can hear a level of sophistication that comes with first, some training and then soul searching interspersed with all kinds of rich life experiences. She has studied acting, classical and jazz music, voice and of course, pharmacology. In the latter, Michelle decided the creative inspiration wasn’t presenting itself and so, fortunately for music listeners everywhere, she decided to give up a decent paying profession for one that can often be a labor of love. Michelle had gone through some rough times and eventually discovered the cathartic process of working with her inner and outer voices during acting and vocal classes. It was during this time she says, that songs began to emerge. With her classical piano training and her readiness to allow artistic expression to nudge her into the strange and wonderful world of musical adventure, she began to embark on a songwriting journey. Listening to her music, It’s hard to believe Michelle hasn’t always been writing and performing. Her Irish, French and Trinidadian roots are evident in her music and help to make her sound difficult to classify. I hear traces of jazz and folk along with quirky, theatrical elements. Her ‘musical boyfriends’ have helped shaped her sound and approach – one bringing country folk, another, jazz and so on. Her influences are as all over the map as her musical endeavors. I met her at the Arts Wells Festival where she had the opportunity to perform with some fellow artists while strumming and singing songs like ‘Bathtub Rag.’ These days she records her own albums in her Vancouver apartment on a multi track recorder. So far, since 2005, she’s released 5 albums including one double disc set of her exotic, playful, thoughtful music. Aside from songwriting and performing she teaches piano and can be heard in the yoga studio. Michelle’s next album, Revolutionary Lullabies will be released soon. On this album she teams up with her partner John Buchanan- a great songwriter and musician.