Vocal Arts

Danny ”Big Brev” Brevik: Viking Vocals

American bass-baritone and social media influencer, Daniel Brevik, is praised for having "a massive, focused, rich, warm timbre." Boasting an impressive following of over 65,000 monthly listeners on Spotify and 465,000 followers on TikTok. Brevik's singing and teaching channel extends even further, with a staggering 650,000 followers on Instagram - with over 100 million views across platforms which have amassed over 20 years of total stream time, effectively captivating audiences on a global scale. A recipient of Opera Theatre of Saint Louis' Richard Gaddes Career Grant, and the Wendy Shattuck Presidential Scholarship from the New England Conservatory, Brevik was hailed by The Washington Post for having "an impressive, sonorous voice" while Opera Today claimed he could "rattle the rafters one moment and be lullingly conversational the next." Brevik was featured on the cover of Opera News for creating the role of Ernest Hemingway in the world premiere of Ricky lan Gordon's Twenty-Seven. The album recorded with the Opera Theatre of Saint Louis and Saint Louis Symphony Orchestra is available on all major music platforms. Brevik later reprised his role with the orchestra of St. Luke's in his New York debut at City Center Theatre, and then again at Intermountain Opera in Bozeman, Montana. Notable venues Brevik has performed in include Boston's Symphony Hall, St. Louis' Powell Hall, Lyric Opera of Chicago's Civic Opera House, Amarillo Texas' Globe-News Center, Venice Italy's St. Marks Cathedral, and the Vietnam Opera and ballet in Hanoi Vietnam. In a recent collaboration with Bobby Bass and the Bass Singers of TikTok, their cover of "Hoist The Colours" garnered over 6 million views on Youtube and 8.5 million streams on Spotify. In 2022, Brevik was showcased on stage in concert with Pentatonix legend Avi Kaplan in Boston, MA. Brevik is on the voice faculty at The University of Hartford, and at the Falcetti School of Music in Simsbury, CT. 

 

Peter and Danny talk about going viral on social media, performing opera on a professional level, getting to work with Avi Kaplan, travel stories, fitness, and much more. Please welcome Big Brev.

J.None: Military Bass

J.None is a singer, songwriter, and producer. Featured in the September 2008 issue of “GQ”, he was selected to perform for Grammy Award-Winning super producer Timbaland. J is very giving when it comes to his gift -- he has performed at various community concerts sponsored by Kollission Records, donating all proceeds to the Children’s Kings Daughters Hospital Miracle Network. In 2011 he attained International recognition for placing in the Top 32 on Simon Cowell’s newest talent show The X-Factor as ¼ of the young Pop group 4Shore. Audiences love his hilarious demeanor on stage and his buttery-smooth vocals. J auditioned for Season 14 of the hit Fox singing competition American Idol and advanced to the Top 48. Currently, he is singing bass for The United States Navy Band Sea Chanters, working on original music and producing/writing for other artists via Soundbetter.com, including his nephew, "Naz G." You can find J.None’s newest music on all digital outlets, available now for downloading and streaming!

Peter and J.None talk about his life in the Navy band, singing with VoicePlay, setting and managing career goals and expectations, his experience on X-Factor and American Idol, and much more. Please welcome J.None.

Janet Varney: The Legend of Korra

Janet Varney is an Emmy-Nominated actor, comedian, writer and producer. She can be heard as the voice of Korra on "The Legend of Korra” on Netflix, where she can also be seen as Summer in the comedy series “Country Comfort." On HULU, she fights dark forces starring opposite John C. McGinley on "Stan Against Evil" and appears as Becca on FXX’s "You’re the Worst.” She also created, wrote, produced and starred in the critically-acclaimed IFC online series "Fortune Rookie.” And as of this summer, you can also catch her recurring on Apple TV+’s “Platonic” opposite Seth Rogen and Rose Byrne. Onstage, Janet performs with Rachel Dratch, John Michael Higgins, Michael Hitchcock, Oscar Nunez and more in their improv supergroup Theme Park, and alongside Paul F. Tompkins, Busy Philipps, Paget Brewster and more for the Thrilling Adventure Hour. Janet co-created/wrote/produced “Neil’s Puppet Dreams” starring Neil Patrick Harris. You can also find Janet on YouTube for Geek & Sundry’s “Escape!" which she co-wrote, produced and hosted. She also hosts three hit podcasts: The JV Club with Janet Varney; Avatar: Braving The Elements; and Truth and Justice with Bob Ruff. She is Co-Founder/Creative Director of one of the largest and most acclaimed comedy festivals in North America, SF Sketchfest: the San Francisco Comedy Festival, now in its 20th year.

Layne Stein: Behind the Music (of VoicePlay)

Layne Stein is an arranger, beatboxer, vocalist, audio engineer, and video editor for world-famous acapella group, VoicePlay. Peter and Layne talk about Layne's arrangement process for VoicePlay songs, the development of the group since its origin, the impossibility of predicting which releases will be commercially successful, how to add creative spin to a classic song, PattyCake productions, how VoicePlay creates a song from start-to-finish, and much more. Please welcome Layne Stein.

Lisette Oropesa: Opera Star

Cuban-American Lisette Oropesa is a highly acclaimed and in-demand operatic soprano known for her exceptional vocal skills and stage presence. She speaks 5 languages and excels in a wide range of operatic repertoire, from Baroque and Mozart to Bel Canto and French composers. Her outstanding performances have earned her enthusiastic global recognition, and she regularly stars in productions in the world’s greatest opera houses, from New York’s Metropolitan Opera to London’s Royal Opera House, Vienna’s State Opera, and Milan’s Teatro alla Scala, among many others. In addition to her successful singing career, Lisette is also known for her dedication to health and fitness. She is an outdoor enthusiast and devoted runner who has completed several marathons, and been featured in major fitness publications such as Runner’s World Magazine. She’s followed a fully plant based diet for the past 12 years. Lisette is also a mentor and role model to young singers, giving masterclasses and lectures at universities and young artist programs around the world. She is active on social media, and she and her husband Steven personally curate her website and all her platforms. Her most recent solo album, “French Bel Canto,” released on the Pentatone label, has achieved major critical acclaim, and has been one of the top selling classical opera aria albums since its release.  

 

Peter and Lisette talk about what it's like to perform opera on the world's greatest stages, industry biases, obesity vs. health & fitness, pros and cons of social media, taking a stance on politics and religion, vocal technique, role preparation, and much more. Please welcome Lisette Oropesa.

Analysis Essentials Series: ”We Don’t Talk About Bruno” from Disney’s Encanto

One of the most popular Disney songs ever made -- I couldn't resist jumping on the reaction bandwagon when this first came out. However, I added a lot of analysis to the music, singing, voice acting, etc. as usual, and it has resulted in one of the more popular analysis videos on my channel. Please enjoy the analysis. 

Jonathan Young: Covered In Metal

Jonathan Young is a singer, songwriter & music producer who independently grew to a fanbase of over 2 million fans with his viral music videos, reimagining songs from nerd culture, writing fantasy-themed power metal music, and collaborating with iconic brands like Dragonball, Beyblade & Magic: the Gathering. In addition to his own discography, Jonathan also runs a production company that offers services & consulting to other music content creators.

 

Peter and Jonathan talk about everything from music composition to the evolution of YouTube to rock belting. Please welcome Jonathan Young.

Matt Sallee: Bring the Bass

Above all, Matt Sallee considers himself a team player. His instantly recognizable bass tone rumbles straight from the soul as a strong and supple foundation for collaborators to shine just as brightly as he does. The show-stopping vocalist, artist, and member of Pentatonix instantly captivates in any arena—whether on the stage of a legendary venue or solo in the recording booth. As such, acapella represents not only a creative, but a personal and spiritual calling for him. He made his debut with the group on the platinum-certified A Pentatonix Christmas: Deluxe in 2017, which boasted highlights such as “How Great Thou Art” featuring Jennifer Hudson. His voice boomed on a trio of successive Billboard 200 Top 10 albums, namely PTX Presents: Top Pop, Vol. I [2018], Christmas Is Here! [2018], and The Best of Pentatonix Christmas [2019]. Plus, he lent his songwriting to The Lucky Ones [2021] in addition to performing on Evergreen [2021], which garnered a GRAMMY® Award nod in the category of “Best Traditional Pop Vocal Album.” Outside of music, he remains an avid basketball and football fan and dedicates as much time as possible to his family.

Peter speaks with Matt about his musical upbringing, what it's like being a part of Pentatonix, the pressure of filling the shoes of Avi Kaplan, misconceptions about the bass voice, being a versatile artist, gratitude, and much more. Please welcome Matt Sallee.

Analysis Essentials Series: Marcelito Pomoy | ”The Prayer” (Live On the Wish 107.5 Bus)

Next up in the Analysis Essentials Series is Marcelito Pomoy's performance of "The Prayer," live on the Wish 107.5 bus. Marcelito seamlessly transitions back and forth between the lower and higher parts of this song, navigating his high falsetto with complete ease, to greatly impress millions of viewers. Please enjoy this iconic performance, and Peter's vocal analysis alongside. 

Ekaterina Shelehova: Opera and Beyond

Ekaterina Shelehova is a singer, performer, and composer who started her career at an incredibly young age -- 4 years old! In 2013, she released her debut album MOONLIGHT (Katya), which can be found on all streaming platforms. A Masters Graduate from Conservatory Giuseppe Verdi in Milan, Ekaterina has performed all over the world (China, Mexico, Russia, Hungary, Bulgaria, and more) with lyrical repertoire, as well as her own compositions. She has made numerous appearances on TV, including a mainstream show in Beijing, the show Nessun Dorma in Italy (where she shared the stage with Ted Neely, the original Jesus in Jesus Christ Superstar), and the show I Soliti Ignoti, a popular show in Italy. This led to her viral performance on Italy’s Got talent, where she presented her own unique composition, which has garnered over 500 million views online. She also participated in Bulgaria’s Got Talent, where she performed her original tracks, which exploded online as well. These performances brought her to exciting new experiences, composing of the soundtrack for The Tempest, an Italian movie based on Shakespeare’s play of the same name, and becoming the lead vocalist for a world-renowned music group, ERA. Since then, she has released an EP, and is currently working on a full album. Besides singing, Ekaterina can speak fluently in 4 languages (English, Italian, Spanish, and Russian), is a former gymnast (8 years) and is an avid fitness enthusiast. She loves studying psychology and adores animals.

Peter and Ekaterina discuss her life plans before going viral, training as an opera singer, pros and cons of being social media famous, life outside of music, goals for the future, and much more. Please welcome Ekaterina Shelehova.