Amanda Barise

“You know that Amanda is a prodigy, don’t you?” asked Kate Baker, respected jazz artist and vocal coach of up-and-coming singer Amanda Barise. By the time Amanda had reached the age of five, it was already apparent that her singing and dancing were more than just the antics of a cheerful young girl; she had unmistakable natural rhythm, pitch recognition, a comfort with performance and an almost spiritual connection with the music she was belting out non-stop. This was a girl who was born to be a singer.
Back then it was Frank Sinatra and The Rat Pack that first caught Amanda’s attention. Now, five years later, she has moved through American Standards, Jazz, Blues and Motown, genres that fit both Amanda’s soulful voice and her lively spirit. Her love for these classic styles, along with a combination of childish charm and vocal maturity far beyond her years makes Amanda’s music a refreshing alternative to the teeny-bop and bubblegum pop of other young artists. “There is something special about the way Amanda holds herself when she hits her notes and uses her voice,” remarked Billy “Mr. Apollo” Mitchell, Tour Director, who has worked at the Apollo Theater since he was a child running errands for the stars. “It’s a type of poise I haven’t seen since Ella Fitzgerald.”
At the age of ten Miss Barise has just released her third CD, Legends of Motown, which includes 15 tracks of Motown from greats like Marvin Gaye, Stevie Wonder and Aretha Franklin. Special care was taken to make sure these studio sessions created as close to a live vocal recording as possible. Neither this genre of music nor Amanda’s character are appropriate for meticulous multi-tracking and overdubbing, so in order to be true to both, the number of takes was kept to a minimum. The result is an album that both showcases Amanda’s raw talent and pays a worthy tribute to the legendary composers whose work she chose to perform.
It isn’t just Amanda’s recordings that make her a noteworthy artist; while the completion of Legends of Motown is just the latest in a series of in-studio achievements, her live performances have also caught the attention of music lovers and industry representatives around the country. These accomplishments, of course, are made all the more remarkable by Amanda’s young age. Though she has not even hit her teens, Miss Barise has already made appearances at an impressive number of festivals and recitals in the New York/New Jersey area. She has performed at nationally-renowned clubs that many musicians spend their entire careers trying to play. In 2007 Amanda was the youngest performer ever to appear at the Cotton Club; in March 2008, she walked on stage at a StarPower talent competition and won all the awards for which a single vocalist was eligible; most recently, in November 2008, she took first place in the “Future Stars” category at the Apollo Theater’s Amateur Night. “I have seen many stars come through here,” said Mr. Mitchell after Amanda’s win, “like Michael Jackson, Lauren Hill and Little Stevie Wonder. These were all young soon-to-be stars that loved what they were doing and had a vibrant excitement about music… they had a natural passion and Amanda Barise has it.”
Amanda has reached a turning point in her career. Having worked hard to establish a base in the classic and respected American musical genres, she is now ready to branch out in new directions. Besides adding more contemporary influences to her music, Amanda’s next challenge will be to try her hand at creating original work. Her classic roots, when mixed with contemporary styles and original input, will create a unique, powerful sound that will be accessible to even more listeners. Those in the industry who have heard Miss Barise perform agree that this talented young singer has nowhere to go but up. “She has a great ear, great pitch, beautiful tone and great phrasing… She’s really going to be a master singer if she continues to develop at this rate,” said Josh Thompson, owner of Tallest Tree Studios after Amanda’s latest recording session. “Watch out for this girl,” added Mr. Mitchell, “she is dynamite!”