Moncton's Elvis taking opera lessons
Published Friday October 23rd, 2009
Thane Dunn gears up for next tour and Elvis birthday celebration concert in Moncton Jan. 30.
Moncton's own Elvis Presley tribute artist Thane Dunn is always looking for ways to improve his performance, so now he's working with an opera coach to boost his singing voice.
"Elvis had a very strong voice and could sing any style of music and I want to be able to put more power behind my voice. It's just been a month but I'm already starting to see the difference," Dunn said yesterday. "I just want to be the best that I can possibly be."
Dunn says working with an opera coach has helped him learn about proper breathing and control of the diaphragm, the sheet of muscle underneath the lungs, to project his singing voice.
The Moncton native also works with a dietitian, exercises daily and spends countless hours watching videos of the legendary singer and rehearsing with the band for upcoming shows.
"I've been working very hard at this for 10 years but winning that contest has taken it to the next level."
This summer, Dunn was named grand champion at the Collingwood, Ont., Elvis Festival, which qualified him to compete at the Ultimate Elvis Tribute Contest in Memphis, where he made it to the top 10.
But just looking and sounding like Elvis isn't enough, Dunn says he really tries to connect with the audience during his performances.
"It's not an easy thing to do but I feel I'm able to connect with the audience. He interacted with people and created a bond with them."
During the shows, audience members will often line up at the stage and Dunn will kneel down to talk to them and gently wrap scarves around their necks.
Dunn has a number of shows in Quebec coming up and his next show in Moncton will be the Sixth Annual Elvis Birthday Celebration on Saturday, Jan. 30 at the Moncton Wesleyan Celebration Centre.
The opening act for the show will be Jesse Collins, a John Lennon tribute artist. Dunn says it's fitting to have a Lennon tribute because the music of Elvis Presley served as an inspiration for an entire generation of musicians around the world.
"John Lennon said that before Elvis, there was nothing, and if there was no Elvis there would be no Beatles."
Dunn says he never does the same show twice and is always putting different songs into the set list, while keeping some of the perennial favourites like Love Me Tender and Suspicious Minds.
He also regularly gets himself new Elvis jumpsuits and costumes for the show.
Tickets for the Jan. 30 show are $37, with a portion of the proceeds going to support Boys and Girls Clubs in Moncton, Riverview and Dieppe. Leading up to the show, people can also purchase paper guitars with a donation going toward the clubs.
"Boys and Girls clubs was one charity that Elvis always supported, so I want to as well. I back them 100 per cent."
Promoters of the show are suggesting that tickets for the show would make a good Christmas present, using the slogan "Give the Gift of Elvis This Christmas."
Fans who purchase tickets will have a chance to win a 17-day Elvis dream vacation, which includes a bus tour through the southern U.S., accommodations and nightly entertainment, courtesy of Fairway Tours.
* The Sixth Annual Elvis Birthday Celebration will be staged Saturday, Jan. 30 at the Moncton Wesleyan Celebration Centre on St. George Boulevard, with opening act the Amazing John Lennon Tribute. Tickets are $37 and available at Frank's Music, Ayer Avenue Convenience, Steve's Diner in Riverview, or online at 1-877-700-3130.
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