Today we’d like to introduce you to Jasmine Haghighatian Simmons.
Hi Jasmine, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstory.
I was born and raised in Austin to immigrant parents. My father moved to the United States from Iran as a college student in the late 70s, and my mother came from Mexico with her family as a young child. Needless to say, I was surrounded by a wide range of musical styles. Saturday mornings brought about Juan Gabriel, Black Cats (a Persian group), and Cat Stevens. My maternal grandparents shared with us their love of classical music. My grandmother was a piano teacher, and would often play recordings of her favorite piano pieces.
I discovered my love of singing at an early age. I remember singing along to the songs I heard on the radio Disney movies; I’d even sing to myself on the bus ride home from school. It wasn’t until the summer before fifth grade that I discovered I had a talent for it when I sang “Dreaming of you” for the camp’s talent showcase. After that, I was in the school’s choir program every grade – fifth through twelfth. In college, I was able to take my first voice lesson (as a math major) and was immediately hooked! “You mean I can sing this kind of music? And sound like that?!” I never thought opera or classical singing was possible for someone like me. My voice just didn’t work that way. I decided to change my major, transferred to the University of Texas at San Antonio and graduated with my Bachelor of Music in Voice Performance. During my time there, I taught my very first voice lesson and have been teaching ever since. I then completed my Master of Music in Voice Performance from Texas State University.
My mentors have had an immeasurable impact on my singing and teaching. There are glimpses of Dr. Catherine Nix, Cheryl Parrish, and Jane Hanson in each lesson I teach. My approach has always been collaborative; we’re working together to find easy and free singing. Over the past fifteen years, I have had the joy of helping students of all ages, skill level, goals, musical backgrounds and abilities unlock their voices. Many have gone on to pursue bachelor’s and master’s degrees in music, perform across the country, and become music teachers themselves. A large number have no interest in a musical career but enjoy the challenge, excitement, and release of singing.
Aside from the obvious musical benefits of voice lessons, there are countless other areas of growth. I’ve noticed improvement in my students’ (and my own) confidence, bodily and spatial awareness, curiosity, willingness to make mistakes, and willingness to take up space.
As a military family, we relocate every two years or so. When Covid hit and brought everything to a stand-still, it was hard to feel fulfilled. We had just moved to Central Texas from Massachusetts. I was building my studio from scratch but was unable to immerse myself in the community in the ways I had in the past. I’ve never been so grateful for Zoom and Skype! Now that my studio is growing, both in person and online, my cup continues to fill!
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
The most challenging part for me has been maintaining a studio. As I mentioned before, as a part of army life we move every two years. And with two young children, finding students and opportunities for music can be tough. Each community has different wants and needs when it comes to music and voice lessons, and adjusting accordingly can take time. Fortunately, we’ve been able to stay where we are now for over two years and will hopefully be here a few years more.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
I am a voice teacher and classical singer. I specialize in helping people find their own singing voice. Oftentimes, we imitate voices of those we admire. But what makes each singer special is their unique sound and the ability to share themselves with the world.
In voice lessons, we incorporate the body AND the mind. Each lesson features exercises to release tension and engage the breath. Some students have said that at the end of the lesson, they feel as though they’re leaving a yoga class. Voice lessons can also sometimes feel like a therapy session! The music room can serve as a safe space to make mistakes and try new things. I do my best to gauge the singer’s immediate needs. There is so much that can get in the way of vocal freedom, and my job is to help mine through it. Voice lessons are not about achieving perfection. They are about freedom and expression.
All that being said, some of my proudest moments are helping students who have difficulty matching pitch be able to carry a tune!
As a singer, I prioritize storytelling. The connection created between the audience and the singer is electric. And there’s nothing like allowing audience members to experience the emotions of the character/singer.
Risk taking is a topic that people have widely differing views on – we’d love to hear your thoughts.
I think risk is relative. Each person has to decide what is an appropriate risk for them to take.
When I first entered college, I started at Austin Community College as a math major. I had planned on becoming a math teacher. After changing my major to music performance, I knew I was risking job security for pursuing my passion. I was afraid of possible push-back I might face from family. Without a doubt, that decision altered the course of my life and I can’t imagine it any other way!
Contact Info:
- Email: jasmine.haghighatian@
gmail.com - Website: www.
jasminehaghighatian.com - Instagram: @
jasminehaghighatian - Facebook: www.facebook.com/
jasminehaghighatiansoprano
