Anne Valerie Walsh was born in Worcester, Massachusetts to a musical family. Her father Frank was a baritone/tenor and sang the lead role in many productions of local light opera companies. She was encouraged by her grandmother into the show business. Anne’s parents realized that they had a talented singer in their midst from a young age. Anne continued singing the melody from Oklahoma after her parents took her to see the local production. Anne laughs when she recalls that “at seven years old, I wanted to become Shirley Jones.” Anne attended Anna Maria College, where she studied music therapy and voice after her high school days as a choir girl. “I got my degree to protect my parents.” They wanted me to have a backup plan. But she was determined to pursue a career in music. The determined young singer moved to California after graduation to follow her dream. After arriving in LA, Anne put her degree to use helping people with music therapy. In the evenings, she took any open mic stage she could find and followed the advice of Anne, her favorite voice teacher back in her hometown, “Anne, sing at every dog show you find.” Anne quickly found her voice driving an obscure classic rock band. But, she soon realized that it wasn’t the best use for her talents. She was recommended by a musician friend to enroll at Orange Coast College. There, she met Dr. Rutherford, the head of Orange Coast College’s jazz department. Anne auditioned and he invited her for his improv class. She then performed with the top big band on Saturday mornings. A percussionist noticed her voice while she was performing with the OCC Big Band in winter concerts. He said, “You should audition for Sal at Carmello’s.” Anne got her first gig in jazz via Brazil the following weekend. This was Anne’s introduction to the worlds of Dori Caymmi and Basia. “Singing Brazilian music gave me a sense of freedom that I hadn’t known before. Anne was not content with the opportunities that presented themselves, so she decided to continue her education. She completed a master’s degree in music at Cal State Long Beach. Marvelee Cariaga taught her how to sing in bel canto. Opera is a huge undertaking. It gave me a voice that I never imagined. Anne auditioned for roles in musicals and light operas at the age of 16, thanks to her voice teacher. Anne was able to perform the sobrette roles of Despina in Mozart operas and Zerlina in musicals. She was able to land lead roles in “Music Man (Maria), “Sound of Music (Maria), and “She Loves Me (Amalia) to name just a few. Anne continues to perform in regional musical theatre. Anne received her Masters degree and landed a gig with a local quintet. This was where she met Tom Zink, her future husband. Anne started teaching voice lessons to other singers, leveraging her vocal skills. Soon, she was hired by the American Musical and Dramatic Academy, Los Angeles, a college for performing arts. She currently resides on the faculty. While she is still living the Worcester dream of creating her unique sound, and leading her own band, Anne has taken control of her musical journey. Anne is currently touring internationally and nationally, in addition to gigs at Mckinney Theatre and the Long Beach Carpenter Center. In 2009, Anne’s album “Pretty World” was nominated for a Grammy in the category of “Best Arrangement for Singer”. “Pretty World,” which features the music of jazz legends Sergio Mendez and Keith Jarrett is also available. Anne recently released “Go”, a modern jazz album that features originals and a remix of the Wayne Shorter classic “Go”. Anne also recorded two concept albums of sacred and lullabies, “Parents Choice Award Winner”, and “Baby Mine”. from http://www.annewalsh.com
