DAINA JOWSEY: A MUSICIAN’S SINGER by Senior Musician Simon Deppeler

Often, vocalists are the butt of many a musicians humour. 

Jokes about vocalists who sing out of tune or having inflated egos.  

However very occasionally, musicians will be fortunate enough to find a singer known as a ‘musicians singer’. This is that rare singer that understands, the technical side of music. They also bring their own special ‘touch’ to a song and respond to ‘groove’ on a deep level. Such singers are uncommon and when musicians are fortunate enough to play with one, all the jokes suddenly stop. 

Such is the case with this month’s Police musician, Senior Musician Daina Jowsey. She is one of the lead vocalists with the Victoria Police Showband. 

Daina is a singer of the highest calibre with musical ability in buckets. Add to this every musician’s dream…she has perfect pitch (she never sings out of tune) and what we have here is a ‘musicians singer!’

Born in Melbourne, Australia, Daina comes from a family of professional musicians.

She commenced piano and vocal lessons at age 7 and 11 respectively and five years later began her singing career with Four Part Invention, a jazz quartet who performed with the Australian Showband.

Daina has toured Australia with several leading cabaret artists including The Four Kinsmen and Kamahl. 

She has sung at various Australian jazz festivals, including the Paynesville, Monbulk, Grampian's, Inverloch, Montsalvat and Wangaratta jazz festivals. TV spots include Bert Newton's Good Morning Australia on Channel 10 and Daina has performed with The Australian Pops Orchestra in Melbourne and Sydney at the world renowned Opera House. 

In 1991, Daina joined the Victoria Police Bands as a lead vocalist for the SHOWBAND, a 25-piece big band. A position she still holds 22 years later.

In June 2010 Daina released her own first CD of jazz standards featuring her mother Helen on piano and father Neil on double bass. 

Daina performing Christmas favourites 

THE INTERVIEW

Daina, have you always been a professional musician?

 "Yes, I never even had a part time job growing up. No paper rounds for this girl!  I've done a spot of vocal coaching, helping out musician friends but only on a fairly limited basis."

How did you start singing?

"It was something I was always drawn to from when I was three or four.

I started playing piano when I was five or six but even before the voice had developed, I always felt like I wanted to sing.

I would sing along with records. The first album Mum bought me was an ABBA Best Of album, after I nagged and nagged her.

Even though I was blessed with perfect pitch, I was exceptionally shy as a child and didn’t like to sing in front of people."

What was the first song you remember hearing?

 "Well I grew up with ABBA and I found it quite an upbeat, well produced bubblegum pop style that really appealed to me.  This was in my primary school years."

Who was your first music teacher?

"Roma Rowntree from when I was six until eight. I never learned piano from Mum as we both felt that would just be too close a relationship for lessons to be effective. There would need to be some sort of separation.

Roma was a strictly ‘classical’ teacher who had taught my mother as well!

She was quite a well-respected teacher. Sadly, she was in a bad car accident and was blinded. As a result her hearing developed exponentially to the extent that she could hear if students were holding their hands incorrectly or using bad finger technique.

She could tell if the first joint on your 4th finger was flopping around by the way you attacked the notes."

Your next teacher from 8 until 16?

 "Was Nola McKay. She lived in an amazing  old 1950’s house (that contained almost a musical museum or library for my style of music. She had every book. Every edition of all the Masters. It was an inspirational place. She was a charismatic person and had many classical piano students.

Somewhere along the way I had a few singing lessons between 12 and 13. I was auditioning for a school production of The Sound of Music. Even though I was painfully shy I had grown up loving all the old MGM musicals. They just resonated with me and I watched them all to death!

Another teacher was my father, Neil Jowsey, who is a great bass player. He was playing in a lot of the shows in the theatre pits so he used to take me every Friday and Saturday into the orchestra pit and sometimes I even got to meet with the cast backstage.

We did this for many years, from when I was seven. At the time it was great fun. I loved the whole spectacle of theatre, especially the singing and entertainment aspect.

Also for a while I had piano lessons from Australian jazz great Joe Chindamo for one year. That was a fabulous experience!

He completely altered the way I approached the piano from a florid classical style to a more minimal and linear style. Joe showed me that there was another approach to playing. He also taught me about different voicings, improvising and alternative techniques.

Of course much of his teaching would influence how I approached singing. For example learning about chord voicing, so that now, I am very responsive to how a pianist is accompanying me. This work really reinforced the ground work laid by Mum."

Have you ever composed music?

"No, I never had the urge but I feel you’re actually composing if you’re improvising anyway, as it’s composing on the run isn’t it?"

Can you give me a thumbnail sketch of your parents’ musical history?

"Originally from New Zealand, they both started off classically. Neil, a bassist and Helen a pianist both decided they wanted to change stream musically and broaden out into jazz and commercial music. They emigrated to Melbourne in 1963 and then worked as jazz and mainstream musicians.

Helen had seen the Australian TV variety shows such as Graham Kennedy’s In Melbourne Tonight and she saw a work opportunity as the TV stations employed so many musicians. She thought, that’s what I want to do.

And it actually happened! Helen did a lot of work for Channel 9 and Neil also did some TV work and teaching as well."

What was the first song you ever learned to sing?

"The whole of "The Best of ABBA" album, I knew the entire album." (Laughs)

You also studied clarinet?

"Yes, I took that up in high school from yr. 7 to yr. 11 but actually wanted to play the flute like a lot of other girls. Unfortunately, far too many girls were playing it already. Brass instruments didn’t interest me so I went for the clarinet. I never did any exams but played in the school band."

Right at home swinging with the Showband

What is it about singing that attracted you as opposed to piano and clarinet? 

"Well I loved the piano, and still do but I wanted to pursue something that was different to what Mum was doing. Singing is what I was drawn to. I just enjoyed it so much, that is what I wanted to do."

It was an odd pick as Daina was still shy. She loathed being encouraged to sing even for family and friends, preferring to sing only for herself. Overcoming this stage fright and lack of confidence took years of perseverance. Years later, even when performing her first ever song in the Police Showband, Daina was more nervous singing in front of the band than the audience. Realising she was under the microscope of the top flight  musicians made for a high pressure situation.

"I hardly spoke to the audience between songs. I was so nervous. At one point trombonist Henry Schroder whispered loudly to me – “Daina at least introduce the next song”, so I said, “here’s the next song and whatever it was” - this wasn’t easy for me.

I was imagining everybody thinking “Oh no! What have we done, employing her! She can’t even speak, let alone do Police public relations messages to an audience" (Laughs).

I feel an audience always knows if you’re feeling vulnerable or out of your depth. High schools especially, used to freak me out a bit if I was prone that day, to being intimidated. That would do it to me, especially if it was a “tough” school."

How did you come to join the Victoria Police Bands?

"In 1991, through my parents' musical contacts, I'd come to know Roger Montgomery. He was the keyboard player / arranger, who was leading the Police Showband at the time. He gave me a phone call when the previous singer left the Police job. He had remembered me. At the time I didn’t even realise the Police bands employed singers.

At the audition they asked for a pop song and a jazz song also, so I did an ABBA song (of course) and a jazz standard called “I Just Found Out About Love” and then they got me to sing the National Anthem. (A song I have since sung countless times) I chose to sing it dead straight without any embellishment, which was the right thing to do."

Daina with bandmates bassist Ken Biggs and guitarist Dene Ford

What is the best thing about being in the Police bands?

 "Having the opportunity to play music full time and being remunerated for it. Having seen both my parents sweat over income for years has made me appreciate my job.

The gigs I do are often in extreme situations.  One day you’re working around the state of Victoria playing to bushfire affected communities and then I get to travel with the Police Pipe Band to Scotland, Ireland and Indonesia!"

Daina with fellow lead singer Elise Beattie and Olivia Newton John

Daina and Elise with Australian icon Judith Durham (The Seekers)

Of all the Police Band CD’s you’ve done over the years which one is your favourite?

“Face The Music. It was a really pleasant recording experience with the producer/engineer Michael Letho. He was very easy to work with and did a lovely production of some great songs!”

How do you practice?

 “Generally by singing along with other people. I’ve learnt a great deal through mimicry over the years. I analyse other singers constantly and analyse their techniques and ideas.

However these days it’s more about physical stamina. By that I mean vocal endurance, because we usually perform 10 days every fortnight somewhere in our state of Victoria.”

Performing at schools is a major part of Daina’s occupation

Do you do warm-ups before performing?

 "Yes, every time I perform. I work with lip trills. (A technique that warms up and relaxes the vocal cords) I need to do that quite solidly for it to be useful. I even do this when I’m not gigging."

Any memorable career highlights that you could share with us?

 "Highlights in the Police Band would be travelling to Canada, Scotland, Ireland and Indonesia.  As far as working in off-duty hours I have done many concerts with the Aussie Pops Orchestra. I played the Sydney Opera house with them. The Melbourne Concert Hall, TV spots (which is nerve wracking but fun and rewarding) all the major Jazz festivals including Montsalvat and Wangaratta Jazz Festivals."

"For these jazz gigs, I hand pick the musicians for the band. Coincidently both Mum and Dad usually get the gig, because they both swing really hard and I want them in my band. They’re both excellent musicians."

Daina and Elise with (former) Victoria Police Chief Commissioner Christine Nixon and (former) Melbourne Lord Mayor John So

Do you have any humorous stories or perhaps 'true confessions' we should know about?

 "Sometimes I’ve forgotten a lyric during a song.  Times like these can be interesting. There have been times when an eight bar introduction is nearly over and I have to start singing and I've had to make up the lyrics. However, as I have discovered, if  you do it confidently, no one knows! Even if it’s a well-known song and you keep within the song story it is seen as artistic license."

Nerves?

 "Yes I do still get nervous. It depends on the gig, venue, type and number of audience and how confident I am with the repertoire I'm about to sing. They all play a factor."

"I employ positive self talk as my usual rescue mechanism. But nerves are healthy because the adrenaline makes it exciting and give the performance a bit of a lift. Emotionally, everything gets heightened!"

Daina, why are you a musician?

 "Because it’s where I’ve always wanted to instinctively go. I never ever wanted to do anything else. Never even contemplated any other profession. Even as a kid when asked what do you want to do, I always answered music."

Dueting with trumpeter Gaetano Salvatore

So what music are you listening too lately?

 "I’ve been learning lots of jazz standards lately so I've been YouTubing lots of Ella Fitzgerald, Nancy Wilson, and Frank Sinatra."

Living or dead who would be in your dream band?  You have an unlimited budget.

 "On bass, Ray Brown, piano Oscar Peterson or Gene Harris on backup piano. Come to think of it, I think I'd like the whole Basie Band or the Dorsey Band and on guitar Freddie Green."

Still singing jazz after work

Favourite album of all time?

 "I don’t have one but there are a few I revisit often. The Singers Unlimited with Rob McConnell Boss Brass is one. All of those singers had such control and the band arrangements were so good.

The Singers Unlimited were very well known for their vibrato and breath control. They were also known for their virtuoso close harmonies. But at the same time they had a very smooth sound.

The female vocalist was Bonnie Herman and I tried to copy her endlessly and often nearly passed out emulating her, while singing along with the records."

Connecting with shoppers at a city mall

What was the last album you bought?

 "A Nancy Wilson CD, it was an old 60’s album with Hank Jones, the jazz pianist."   

What is the best gig you ever saw?

 “Jazz vocalist Kurt Elling at the Continental here in Melbourne. He is so musical. His interpretations are unbelievably artistic.”

Your best advice on pursuing a career in music?

 "Have as many strings to your bow as possible because it makes you more employable. I look at my parents and see they could play their instruments at a high level, could play all styles, arranged music, taught music and Mum even sang. The more things you can do in your field makes it easier to survive.”

Performing opera with Elise Beattie…another day at the office!

What other styles of music do you like?

 “I really swing between big band jazz vocal styles and old musical theatre - for example old movie musicals.

Judy Garland in particular was huge for me. I saw the Wizard of Oz when I was a kid and loved it. Years later I saw a compilation of all the MGM musicals called That’s Entertainment (this was the first one) and I was just completely struck by it, especially the Judy Garland segment.”

Performing out in the country

What was it about Judy Garland that appealed to you?

 “It was a mixture of the timbre or quality of her voice that appealed to me plus the fact that she was also a young singer gave me that connection. All of the musical arrangements resonated with me as well. Mind you, I can accept that musically, she could also be completely over the top as well. I am aware of her frailties and excesses.  In hindsight, hearing her songs was a great way for me to learn jazz standards because as we know that’s where many standards came from - the musicals.”

What was your most embarrassing moment on stage?

“I have two!

I once had to wear two left shoes during a concert, hoping no one would notice. I didn’t tell anyone in the band.

Another time, I was singing at a Christmas concert to a packed house. The song was technically very difficult and the arrangement was tricky even though it was only Jingle Bells. I got totally lost vocally.

Just like the famous joke about singers, I kept coming in at the wrong spot and no one could help me. I couldn’t even fake it, as it was such a complicated arrangement. I just wanted the earth to swallow me up. I finally got to the end and just sang a long note.”

Finish these sentences -

I’m always being asked... “Why don’t you become a professional singer and leave the police Band?” (An ironic question considering the Police Bands are some of the most professional bands in Australia - Ed)

I wish I could play... “I wish I’d kept playing the piano seriously.”

So Daina what does the future hold for you?

 “No plan really other than staying in the police band. I’m really happy here.”

If you want to hear Daina sing you can purchase some of her CD's with the SHOWBAND on the Victoria Police Blue Ribbon Foundation site here or have a quick look on YouTube here.