Latisha Van Simon

Not every musician hears their calling to a life of music at an early age, but Latisha Van Simon is not every musician. As a young child, seeing the musical "Annie" at the Carre Theater in Amsterdam with her parents, she was struck by sudden inspiration and decided that she wanted to be a singer just like the young star playing Annie's character onstage. Her parents recognized in her an innate vocal talent and decided to enroll her in the Waldorf Elementary School, giving her more opportunities to develop her creative abilities. After a mere few years of musical training, Latisha auditioned for and landed the lead role in "Annie," which toured throughout the Netherlands.

Coornhert Lyceum in Haarlem was Latisha's next stop in her education, and while it was a switch to the public education system, the school allowed her more chances to write her own songs and perform on a larger stage for a wider audience. At the young age of 15, she competed in a school contest and was named Best Solo Artist in the region twice. The Dutch press commented that her voice was three times larger than she was. In addition to these honors, Latisha competed in another contest, the French Concour de la Chanson, run by Dutch vocalist Liesbeth. Liesbeth herself said that in Latisha Van Simon, she had heard the voice of God, and that Latisha's interpretation of the songs was very emotionally convincing and determined. Other musical involvements Latisha had were with the New York Harlem Gospel Choir, as well as several Dutch workshops with top artists in the region.

Following her high school graduation, Latisha van Simon came to the US to attend Berklee College of Music for vocal studies. However, Berklee's vocal program did not fit Latisha's style, so she looked at other music schools and found the Music Institute of Hollywood, whose curriculum much better suited Latisha's career goals. While at the Music Institute, Latisha was nominated Best Stylist in Music, and was granted the Stanley Clarke scholarship.

Latisha has since graduated from the Music Institute, but she continues to reside, perform and work in the Los Angeles area as a singer/songwriter for various producers, including Paul Broucek, Darryl Swan, and Pete Shore.