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ABOUT CHARLOTTE

“a seductive performer”
     “a skilled lyricist who writes with surgical precision”
              “a born storyteller and affecting vocalist.”
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-DETAILS MAGAZINE

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Charlotte Martin grew up in Charleston, Illinois, to Joseph and Rebecca Martin, both musicians. Her father was a colligate professor of Woodwinds for 53 years at Eastern Illinois University; her mom was a K-12 music teacher; she sang, played piano, and directed musicals and choirs while Charlotte was growing up. Charlotte exhibited extreme talent for music at around 3, playing Bach's Two-Part Inventions by ear and basic hymns she heard her mom play. When she was 4, she started performing in front of audiences of over 100 people, completely uninhibited and wanting to make people happy with her singing.

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When she was 7, she started working with voice coach Dr. Jody Kienzler, Ph.D. Jody began teaching Charlotte classical voice (opera) and piano. Charlotte also received training from the late and famous opera instructor Dr. David Knott, who trained Dawn Upshaw, one of the world's most renowned opera singers. Charlotte got a full scholarship from Jerry L. Daniels, the chair of the Voice Department at Eastern Illinois University for opera, and studied with Jerry for 5 years until she graduated.

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When Charlotte was 21, her best friend in college committed suicide. Charlotte wrote her very first song on the piano for the funeral. From then on, she just kept writing songs. She graduated with 100 + songs already written and moved to Los Angeles to try to get a record deal. Within a year, Charlotte secured a deal with Beck's label Bongload Records, had a million-dollar record contract from RCA Records, and a publishing deal with Dreamworks. She then started playing shows at L.A.'s famous Hotel Cafe with Gary Jules (Singer of Mad World) when the hotel opened in the early 2000s.

Founding a school...
...Inventing a Method

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In 2017 Charlotte made a bittersweet decision to stop touring. Being a mother is her priority, and long or short tours were not possible at that point in her family's life. This decision allowed room for her to pursue her original goal - teaching. Charlotte always had a dream of teaching. Her original plan was to get her Ph.D. and teach music like her father, mom, and Jody.

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In 2018 Charlotte founded Something Like A Voice Lesson. 

(Now, Something Like A Music School)

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Charlotte has invented a completely new way of understanding music, though rooted in a classic foundation:

The Charlotte Martin Vocal Method

 

The School offers Voice, Piano, Songwriting and the advanced Protrack Program.

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To date, Charlotte is the only voice teacher in the world that has studied and performed as an opera singer for the first half of her life and has a 20-year career as a pop artist in the record business. Charlotte is teaching, co-writing, and producing singers and musicians in 12 countries and writing a method book called The Charlotte Martin Vocal Method, which is her unique approach to singing, specifically bridging the gap between classical and contemporary training.

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Charlotte is about to finish her 19th album, featuring co-writes with her songwriting students.

CAREER
 

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  • Bachelor's Degree in Classical Voice and Piano, Focus: Opera, Eastern Illinois University, Charleston, Illinois, IL.

  • Performed in operas on full scholarship with leading roles in Hansel and Gretel, The Abduction From The Seraglio, Carmen, The Ballad of Baby Doe, The Medium, and Amahl and the Night Visitors.

  • Created record label Dinosaur Fight Records, under Universal Distribution, releasing several albums.

  • Signed to RCA Records with a multi-album, million-dollar contract, 2001 – 2005.

  • Released two projects with RCA Records, composed, performed piano, and

    toured North America

  • Guest appearance on the CBS Morning Show, The U.S. Open, Fox, CBS, and

    local news affiliates around the U.S.

  • Featured performer for Clairol's Yoga Festivals with Muriel Hemingway, 2004.

  • Earned several song appearances on So You Think You Can Dance ('The Dance,' 'Veins,' 'Every Time It Rains')

  • Appeared on the hit video game The Sims and movies Sweet Home Alabama and London

  • Served as a musical visionary and mentor, collaborating and co-working with musicians from diverse backgrounds, including Carole King, Tiesto, The Crystal Method, Ben Lee, BT, Robert Schwartzman, and Tommy Tallarico.

  • Co-produced 18+ album releases and worked as a programming engineer, consistently demonstrating skills with music sequencing software, identifying problems, and implementing solutions before final performances.

  • Successfully released and toured nine projects independently to date through Test-Drive Studios and record label Test-Drive Records.

  • Supported "Stop the Violence Campaign" by performing at Eve Ensler's (Vagina Monologues) V-Day Event in New York City.

  • Collaborated with Grammy-winning composers, including Craig Armstrong and David Campbell, on multiple albums.

  • Miss Illinois National Teenager and Miss Illinois National Teenager Talent Winner, 1990.

  • Miss Illinois Teen USA, 1994.

  • First Runner Up to Miss Illinois in Miss America Pageant and State Talent

    Winner, 1998.

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