Friends and allies throughout my career

1971 Don Ellis, trumpeter presented me with the Outstanding Vocalist Award at the Central Valley Jazz Festival, where I sang a West Side Story Medley. 

This began my real love and respect for Musical Theater repertoire.

Influencing my musical journey

I studied voice with Edward Sayegh from 1989 to 1997.  He invited me to apprentice with him in 1990 in the Garcia-Marchesi voice study tradition and system. These were some of the most wonderful years of my musical life.

After guitar study ending with Bud Dashiell in Westwood, CA. In 1978 to 1989, when I began to study voice with Edward Sayegh in San Francisco, I had a dry and empty block of time with gigging.

Both of these teachers influenced my musicianship the most. They gave me professional polish after undergraduate and graduate studies in College and University music programs.

Edward also referred me to American Conservatory Theatre (ACT),  San Francisco, to cover his classes when he had scheduling conflicts.

He helped  me set up my voice studio. I ventured out on my own in 1997.

Eventually I was invited to teach my own classes in 1997 at ACT.

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I was awarded The Frank Sinatra Scholarship at Immaculate Heart College in 1971 presented by Kathryn Crosby (Bing Crosby's wife).

Mary Chun rallied me into the Central Valley Stage Band Competition in junior college to be awarded OUTSTANDING VOCALIST by Don Ellis and began my love of musical theater repertoire.

American Film and televison producer, screenwriter, actor, author and film teacher

Bio

From Sam Irvin, Director
Correction for my book THE EPIC SAGA BEHIND “FRANKENSTEIN: THE TRUE STORY”:

On page 378, I reported that Hunt Stromberg Jr.’s producing partner and companion Stoddard “Joe” Kerby (born Jose Silva Domingues) had briefly married a woman in Tulare, California, on September 8, 1957. My information was based on data from Ancestry.com. It turns out that this was not accurate.

Joe’s niece, singer Ava Victoria, did some additional detective work and discovered that there was another gentleman from Tulare who happened to have a similar name, but in fact was not the same person.

“Further investigation through the Tulare County court records demonstrates that my uncle did not get married,” Victoria kindly informed me today. “They do have a marriage listed on that date, September 8th 1957, with the bride you mention in your book. But the parents listed for the groom were not my grandparents.”

Being a stickler for accuracy, I am very happy to set the record straight. If you own a copy of my book, please print out this post as an addendum / erratum and place it inside the book between pages 378 and 379. Victoria, her family, and I would be very grateful. Thank you!

The book is available to order on Amazon here: https://a.co/d/3A4ByYP

Sean Delaney is known as the 5th Member of KISS.

I was cast as leading lady for Sean Delaney's rock musical “WHAT THE HELL”. It debuted July 1983 in San Francisco Alabama St. Studios, Project Artaud long before it’s polished environment.

Shirley had me on her radio program several times in the SHIRLEY TOW show KCOK radio station in  Tulare, CA.                                                     

A wonderfully generous woman. 

More on Shirley.

Producer

IMDB Bio

Life-long supporter

Stoddard W. Kerby (aka Joe Kerby) was a significant influence on Ava—not only as her uncle, but also as one of her earliest and most devoted supporters. He represented her in securing her first song publishing contract in 1972. As a college student, Ava often accompanied her uncle to CBS Studios in Los Angeles where she was unenamored by the environment. It was through these formative experiences that she discovered her true passion and decided to pursue a career in music. No big loss. Music is her love, not the cult of personalities.