It all began in a conflicted waltz. Opera and folk music were played from Allison Shapira’s Connecticut home during her early tween days. The music introduced her to the magical land of coloratura, diction, and the contrasting angst of folk revival hits.
Shapira makes up one-half of the folk duo Joan and Joni. She, along with Kipyn Martin from Frederick, have been crisscrossing the country performing their music. They stopped in Frederick earlier this month to perform. Shapira took time out of their grueling schedule to chat about music.
The Journey Begins
In preparation for her bat mitzvah, she was finally inducted into that magical land of classical voice-rigor, and perfectionism. Nothing, however, could stop the artistic influences of Bob Dylan, Simon & Garfunkel, Pete Seeger, Joni Mitchell, Joan Baez, Shirley Collins, Peter, Paul, and Mary–that also brought her back to the comfort of her parents’ home.
While opera allowed trained and technical skills to develop, Shapira found relief, a middle ground, and refuge in folk music’s flawed humility.
This became a wonderful marriage between the two contrasting realities. In no diminishment–Shapira searched for the exhale that was folk, still appreciating the inhale that was opera.
“I later went to a performing arts high school and studied classical voice and piano, but what I always loved to sing around the house was folk music,” Shapira said.
After graduating from high school. Shapira continued at Boston University, where she studied opera performance and Italian. Focusing on the linguistic basis of her opera singing opened the door to opportunities like diplomacy, public speaking, and entrepreneurship after pivoting career paths.
“When I left the field of opera, I never thought my musical skills would be relevant in the professional world,” she said. “But in my first professional job, I realized I would have to give speeches on behalf of my organization. I was terrified, so I joined Toastmasters to build my speaking skills.”
Toastmasters is a club that Shapira cofounded. It teaches people how to be confident public speakers, according to its website.
“Through Toastmasters, I realized I had a knack for public speaking because of all the time I had spent honing my stage presence,” she said. “Breathing, breath support, managing anxiety, and connecting with an audience are all capacities I had honed as a singer that provided a durable foundation for public speaking.”
Reciprocally, public speaking helped her improve her stage presence and connection with her musical audiences as well:
“Currently, I love that as a keynote speaker, I can combine both music and a message to help others, “she said. I would like to continue sharing both my music and message around the world to more and more audiences and to help others do the same.”
Shapira began her own public speaking firm, Global Public Speaking and her inspiration from these experiences have provided her the gumption to empower other business owners and her diverse group of empowered employees.
Shapiro holds a Master of Public Administration from Harvard Kennedy and understands eight languages. There she honed her interest in differences and linguistics. However, something was still lingering, begging for attention, and reaching out to her.
Marking new territory
In 2012, two years after she obtained her graduate degree, Shapira picked up wood and string and began a new journey. She resigned from her job as a faculty teaching aide at Havard University, grabbed a guitar and headed to Europe.
Shapira spent the summer of 2012 soaking up instrumental education after she returned to Boston in the fall with her newly gained knowledge and used it to further her musical career. Resulting in her first original album, “Coming Home.” The tracks included the timeless folk hit, “Diamonds and Rust” –originally recorded by Shapira’s musical hero Baez, as well as Shapira’s originals.
Finding her Mitchell
Following the release Shapira continued to immerse herself in her newfound love–by attending the Northeast Regional Folk Alliance, there, she said, she was ecstatic to find someone else who shared the love of folk music. This someone was Kipyn Martin–a Frederick native and a friend who would come to be her musical partner in the tribute band, Joan and Joni.
“We met before the Northeast Regional Folk Alliance conference in 2013, which we both were attending for the first time,” Shapiro said “We actually met on a message board looking for roommates. When we realized we both lived in the D/C. area, we decided to drive up together. In the seven hours up, we realized how similarly our musical influences had been shaped by folk legends like Joan Baez and Joni Mitchell. On the drive back, we had the idea of creating a tribute show to these two women.”
Shapira elaborated on the singers they chose to focus on. Baez and Mitchell were both female folk powerhouses she said:
“It’s interesting that Baez and Mitchell did not collaborate throughout their careers. They recorded exactly one song together and were not reported to be friends,” she said. “From what we understand, it was a fairly competitive time back then for female folk musicians making a name for themselves in what had traditionally been a male field,” Sound familiar? Kipyn and I like to think that we embody the possibilities that exist when women help one another. It helps all of us.”
If you did not make it, many shows will be scheduled soon. They are also available for bookings currently. More information can be found at their website shown below the heading.
Learning to exhale
Folk and opera would be considered complete opposites by unfamiliar onlookers. Still, the two realities can complement each other; they can act as a hiatus from one another and create a vocal melting pot. Shapira discovered this soon after leaving the opera.
“I’m recovering from the idea of perfection that is expected of an opera singer–the perfect breath support, the flawless pronunciation of Italian–and instead learning to embrace the imperfect authenticity that audiences crave in folk musicians,” Shapira said.
More than just a voice
Her approach musically is compatible with her approach in business. In no strange coincidence, Shapira has used the understanding of differences in music to advance development in her business, educational, and diplomatic endeavors.
This same crossover of conventionally conflicting fields, like art and business, has shown to be challenged by Shapira’s curiosity and understanding of policy for the benefit of the masses.
“One of the elements that I believe draws people to folk music are the idea of universal human emotions,” Shapira said. “No matter where we grow up or how our life unfolds, we can all relate to these basic human feelings of love, longing, and hope. Understanding how truly global these concepts are-even in the most formal settings of international relations, government, academia, and business-helps us understand how truly similar we are across cultures.”
For more information on Joan and Joni and showtimes visit https://www.joanandjoni.com/about . For information on Allison: https://allisonshapira.com/. For more information on Kipyn: https://kipynmartin.com/.
