Turner Music & Events - The Shirleys

	Yael Blum Yael has a sensuous, deep voice & has found her vocal niche as a past tenor/soloist with the Universal Gospel Choir and, more recently The Shirleys. Her training comes from growing up around musicians, being part of a roving gypsy band and just getting a feel for it “way down deep”. Before singing professionally, it was her daughter and close friends who heard her soulful voice & often-hilarious songs. For Yael, singing and performing are the icing on the cake. When not being a Shirley, she is working as an executive coach supporting managers and business owners as they manifest their goals for organizational change and meaningful success. She’s a mother of one fabulous ten-year-old daughter & a foster parent to teenage girls. When she gathers with the girls to sing its like a cool drink of water on a hot day.
	Samantha Fletcher Samantha Fletcher is a singer and voice teacher living and working in Vancouver, BC. A passion for community-based, culturally diverse musical traditions inspires both her work as a musician and as a community arts project facilitator. She is a founding member of The Shirleys, and has been a soloist for the Universal Gospel Choir for the past two years. Samantha was Artist-In-Residence in the theatre program at the Langley Fine Arts School in the Spring of 2004, where she facilitated voice workshops and developed curriculum for young actors. She has been an assistant instructor in the Simon Fraser University theatre program, where she graduated in 2003, and has taught private and group classes in singing, public speaking and voice for the stage. She is currently completing her MA in ethnomusicology.
	Karen Lee-Morlang Karen Lee-Morlang is particularly well-known in B.C. communities for her collaborative skills at the piano and for championing art music for new audiences. Karen's experiences include musical theatre, choral conducting, jazz and blues singing, teaching and composing.. She has directed various recital series at the Vancouver Art Gallery, the UBC's Main Library & the International University Women's Club. In 2004, she completed a three-year project with the UBC Learning Exchange in the Downtown Eastside coordinating the Music Appreciation 101 course. She is regularly featured by CBC Radio and Festival Vancouver. Ms. Lee-Morlang also coordinates the “New Arts Audience” series with the Vancouver Public Library and the “Night Before the Opera” events with the Vancouver Opera.
	Karla Mundy After completing a degree in classical piano performance from Bishops University in Lennoxville Quebec five years ago, Karla came to Vancouver for a summer and never left. Her musical road took a big turn as she joined the Universal Gospel Choir, founded the roots band Cleia and joined the Celtic Funk band Mad Pudding, as singer and accordionist. Karla is passionate about singing and exploring different musical styles. Her love of world music came out of studying many kinds of dancing in her teens, Flamenco, African, Jazz, Funk, Belly Dancing, & Afro-Cuban. Most recently Karla traveled to Cuba to study Afro-Cuban dancing & singing and has been studying Cuban & African percussion with Pepe Danza.
	Keona Mundy Keona has a secret past as a classical flute player. She attended the University of Calgary where she received her Bachelor of Music Degree in Performance. Since moving to Vancouver, she has rediscovered her love of folk music and has spent most of her time as a member of the 5-piece band Cleia, as well as the odd stint with the Shona Le Mottee Band and Shenanigan. She recently completed the Arts and Entertainment Management Diploma at Capilano College and is currently staying at home with her baby son and trying to learn the banjo.
	Victoria Oginski Victoria Oginski comes to the Shirleys with a background in classical piano. She also received a degree in sculpture and art history in Ontario and completed four years at Emily Carr College of Art and Design, Vancouver in printmaking. She has spent many years in the television and film industry as a scenic artist and now teaches these skills part time at B.C.I.T. She discovered her singing voice after joining the Universal Gospel Choir and met most of the Shirls there. The rest awaits unfolding on the road ahead.
	Dawn Pemberton Dawn Pemberton is a deeply soulful and engaging performer. She is a versatile, thoughtful and powerful singer with a voice that can shake the ground and soothe the saddest of hearts. Her musical influences draw from the styles of Classical, Musical Theater, Pop, Jazz, Blues, Funk, Gospel, Hip-Hop, R&B and Soul. Dawn grew up studying voice and piano in Vancouver and her passion for music lead her to pursue a Bachelors in Jazz Studies at Capilano College where she was also a member of Nitecap, the colleges premier vocal ensemble. In addition to being in The Shirleys, Dawn is the Associate Assistant Director of the Universal Gospel Choir, a member of a seven piece funk band The Deep End, the newest member of the Oakland based quintet, Linda Tillery and The Cultural Heritage Choir and fronts her own jazz/soul/funk trio. Dawn has had the pleasure of sharing the stage with fine musicians such as Kurt Elling, Kenny Werner, & Dee Daniels. She also recently toured Cuba with the UGC and appeared on CBC television with The Hard Rubber Orchestra in Cantata for The King.