We had the good fortune of connecting with Melissa V. Cartwright and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Melissa, why did you decide to pursue a creative path?
I’m absolutely passionate about helping people discover joy, and for me, that’s always been through the magic of singing and performing arts. Even at a young age, I experienced the transformative power of music in a person’s life – whether it was for their own pleasure, a career launch, or in a rehabilitative capacity – not only allowing the audience to experience the power, but also the performer. There’s just this indescribable connection that happens when you confidently share your voice, and watching performing artists step into that, embracing who they truly are – it’s an absolute honor to witness and journey with them.

Can you give our readers an introduction to your business? Maybe you can share a bit about what you do and what sets you apart from others?
I didn’t always WANT to be a voice coach, but it was one of those steps of faith that felt right. I was getting more and more inquiries about teaching, and I’d just left a lucrative career in television to be a stay-at-home mom after my first child. It was a “Sure, why not?” move that’s become a career spanning over 13 years, empowering performing vocalists all over the world to ignite their passion for singing.

When the world shut down 4 years ago, my business BOOMED in the online market. Had I remained a local brick and mortar studio, I would’ve sunk. Thanks to the expansion of online connection, singers can train with MVC Performance through not only 1:1 private lessons but also with singing courses, group classes, memberships, and seasonal workshops, meeting the singer wherever they are in their performance career.

Each vocalist is unique with unique lifestyles – so why only offer one way of vocal training? The community of passionate performers I work with across the globe gets to customize their voice and performance training to suit their schedule and reach their goals – whether it’s singing for self-care or getting ready to take the stage!

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
Ooo…so our local beaches and Busch Gardens theme park are some of our area’s most popular destinations. But in between, I’d treat you to a “cafecito” at one of several locally owned coffee shops Newport News has, such as Grounded Coffee or Cure in City Center. We’d go for a hike on the Noland Trail and grab my favorite sandwich at TASTE. Then on the weekend, we’d catch a local live artist playing at Coastal Fermentory, and top it off with dinner at Kismet in the historic Hilton Village.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
Where do I begin? My Tío Sammy was the first person to say, “Hey, you’re ALWAYS singing. Have you ever thought about actually going to college for vocal performance?” My husband was the first person to ask, “Hey, why don’t you teach voice lessons?” And my first voice student went on to study at a prestigious performing arts school and is now giving back as a music and theatre instructor. These, among so many loved ones, have cheered me on in moments when I was tempted to quit or needed to pivot. Thank God I listened and just kept doing the next right thing.

Website: http://www.mvcperformance.com

Instagram: http://www.instagram.com/mvcperformance

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/mvcperformance

Youtube: http://www.youtube.com/@MVCPerformance

Other: https://www.tiktok.com/@mvcperformance

Image Credits
Photos by Garnett Hutchinson

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