20-23 Profiles

12/1/04

10:47 AM

Page 23

text Theo Berry photograph Clara Molden

profile: Kizzy Morrell singer / performer

K I Z Z Y M O R R E L L founded Studio 7 in 2000 and it has since had around
50 young singers pass through its doors and tread its boards. Studio 7 is all about
encouraging young voices and passing on experience to young singers. Projects
like this are very important to me. When I was at school I was too scared to sing
because I had such a deep voice for a young girl. It wasnt until my uncle, a choreographer, introduced me to people like The Drifters and The Chi-lites that I met
people who encouraged me to sing, helped my voice develop and mentored me as
a singer and performer. They showed me the joy of singing and thats what I am
now passing on. In just three short years there have already been some success
stories. Theres Olivia, now 18, who was so good Kizzy invited her to join one of
her bands. Sophie, who, at the age of just 15, sang to over a 1,000 dignitaries and
sports personalities at the Empire and Commonwealth Museum. Rachel is the
leading light of the moment having just been asked to record a jazz single. There
will undoubtedly be more success stories to come as Kizzys charges grow older
and spread their wings. Studio 7 is for under-eighteens but within this boundary
a visitor to one of their showcases will find all ages, styles and backgrounds.
However, they all share Kizzys passion for performing.
Performing is ultimately a spiritual connexion between yourself and the Universe.
I know that sounds a bit way out, but think of the dynamic between the audience
and the performer and their responses to each other. Music is a force that affects

23
d e c o d e > number 11

people much like other forces in the Universe. Kizzy says she prefers herself
onstage to herself offstage, which surprised me at first as she seems wonderfully
personable offstage. When you hear her perform, though, when she releases her
huge, rich voice and lets it run free you can kind of see why. If she was like that
offstage it would be overpowering.
The variety of styles catered for at Studio 7 reflects Kizzys own career, which has
included working with Prince, The Shamen and Take That, among others. Kizzy
remains a busy woman, singing with three different projects and running Lakota.
She also recently worked as broadcaster on Commonwealth FM. Yet she still finds
time for the twice weekly Studio 7 as well as many other occasional music workshops, which often involve working with those with special needs. Such devotion
to Music provision is partly because Kizzy believes strongly that music should play
a far more integral part of peoples education. There is academic learning and
creative or spiritual learning. Music falls in the later category, and some people
simply respond better to that kind of teaching. When I was taking my law degree,
I learned all my case law by singing it out loud. Music can play a far greater role
in educating young people than most give it credit for.
If you are interested in Studio 7 or other vocal workshops, you can contact Kizzy
through: www.kizzymorrell.com
Kizzy and her band will be playing The Fleece, Bristol, on February the 13th.