ABOUT CHARLOTTE MARTIN

Charlotte Martin is a highly skilled musician, singer, pianist, composer, songwriter, and teacher of vocal pedagogy. Her journey starts at 4 years old.

Charlotte grew up in Charleston, Illinois to Joseph and Rebecca Martin, both musicians. Her father was a collegiate professor of Woodwinds for 53 years at Eastern Illinois University, her mom was a k-12 music teacher, sings, plays piano, directed musicals and choirs while Charlotte was growing up.

Charlotte exhibited extreme talent for music around 3 years old playing Bach two-part inventions by ear and basic hymns she heard her mom play. When she was 4, she started performing in front of audiences of 100 people and more, completely uninhibited wanted to make people happy with her singing. She kept going…singing and playing until 7, when her first voice coach moved to Charleston. Dr Jody Kienzler, PHD started teaching Charlotte classical voice (opera) and piano at the age of 7. Charlotte received more training from the late and super famous opera instructor from Illinois Wesleyan, Dr David Knott, who trained Dawn Upshaw, one of the world’s most famous opera singers.

Charlotte grew up also singing in churches, directing show choirs, she did beauty pageants…anything that had to do with performing, singing, being on stage…that is where she wanted to be. Charlotte got a full scholarship from Jerry L Daniels, the chair of the Voice Department at Eastern Illinois University for opera and studied with Jerry for 5 years until she graduated. When Charlotte was 21, her best friend in college committed suicide. Charlotte wrote her very first song on the piano for the funeral, where Charlotte played and sang her own original song for the first time, and she couldn’t stop writing. She graduated with 100 + songs already written and decided to make the leap and move to Los Angeles to try to get a record deal, which she did, quite quickly. Within a year, Charlotte secured a deal with Beck’s label Bongload Records, had a million-dollar record contract from RCA Records and a publishing deal with Dreamworks under her belt. Charlotte approached this part of her music the same as she did classically. She practiced regularly many many hours a day, wrote songs, practiced performing…then started playing shows at LA’s famous Hotel Cafe with Gary Jules (Singer of Mad World) when the Hotel just opened back in the early 2000s.

Charlotte start developing vocal techniques she used on herself for many years. She was desperately trying to find her own sound…but experiment in a way that was healthy for her voice, but she could still develop and reach her vocal potential. Charlotte always had a dream of teaching. She had 25 voice students in high school by herself and the original plan she had was to get her PHD and teach music like father, mom, and Jody, but being a composer and making albums had some pretty deep hooks in her!

HER CAREER

Been signed to multiple recording and publishing contracts, Bongload, RCA Records, Fontana/Universal, Dreamworks Publishing, Songs Publishing to name a few… She has recorded 18 solo albums and is currently recording her 19th album of co-writes with students. Charlotte is an accomplished songwriter who has written with Carole King, Ben Lee, Tiesto, Rooney, Justin Meldal-Johnsen, Greg Wells, Billy Steinberg, Paul Fox, Dave Bassett, BT, Ben Lee, Ron Aniello, Tommy Walter (Eels), The Crystal Method and many others Charlotte is a highly skilled keyboardist, composer and singer. Charlotte is the only voice teacher in the world that has 17 years of opera training, performing and experience as well as 20 years in the record business as a rock/pop artist.
She has had several songs used in film and TV. A few to mention, So You Think You Can Dance, Sweet Home Alabama, The Step Father, CNN Michelle Obama Special, American Dreams (NBC), and numerous television shows.

Eve Ensler, women’s activist and author of The Vagina Monologues asked Charlotte to compose and perform 10 original songs for V DAY Violence against Women in New York City. Charlotte has shared the stage with so much talent either opening, coheadlining, guest performing. Artists such as Jason Mraz, Vanessa Carlton, Howie Day, Pete Yorn, Liz Phair, The Cardigans, The Psychedelic Furs, Aqualung, Chris Pierce, Kate Havnevik, Rachael Yamagata, Cary Brothers, Justin Meldal-Johnsen to name a few. Been featured on numerous local and national television programs to name a few, The CBS MORNING SHOW, US OPEN, AMERICAN DREAMS (as Petula Clark on NBC), CNN The Michelle Obama Special, Good Morning Arizona, Good DAY LA, FOX LA, Boston Morning Show, Minneapolis Morning Cup. Received a gold album award for her composition and vocals on “Sweet Things” for Tiesto’s Elements of Life album. Charlotte has starred in various operas and performed on television growing up from the age of 8 until she moved to Los Angeles at 23. Some of those productions include, The Medium by Menotti (played Monica), The Ballad of Baby Doe (played Baby Doe), The Abduction from the Seralgio by Mozart (played Blonde), The Magic Flute by Mozart (played Queen of the Night), Carmen by Bizet (played Frasquita), Amahl and the Night Visitors by Menotti (played Amahl), Hansel and Gretel by Humperdink (played Gretel), sang on Decatur IL television telethons from 8-12 years old live Won the title of Miss Teen Illinois and competed live on CBS at the Miss Teen USA Pageant in Biloxi Mississippi Won Agape Music Competition at 12 years old and opened up for Michael W Smith singing in front of 12,000+ people Performed at the Illinois Governor inauguration.

CURRENTLY

Charlotte is teaching, co-writing, and production singers and musicians in 14 countries and writing a method book called The Charlotte Martin Vocal Method, which is her unique approach to singing and specifically bridging the gap between classical and contemporary training. To date, Charlotte is the only voice teacher in the world that studied and performed as an opera singer for the first half of her life, and had a 20 year career as a pop artist in the record business so she enjoys using her techniques to further develop and train her “singing babies” as she calls them. Charlotte is committed to vocal health, performance, and has the 40 years' experience in singing to help singers find their own unique style of singing based in health and science.

Charlotte develops personalized curriculums for every single student, including her kid students because she believes each singer and voice is unique to each person. Her life’s work other than being a mom to her kids, is to be a music mom to up and coming singers who want to pursue a career in music or simply want to LOVE their singing voice so they can sing any time they want without feeling self-conscious. Charlotte is about to finish her 19th album but for the first time in her career will be featuring co-writes with her songwriting students that were written in their sessions together over the past 4 years. She still works with longtime manager and friend, Lisa M. Lombardo-Pacheco, to further her reach to singers around the world and help her get her music into as many ears as possible.

PERSONALLY

Charlotte has two beautiful children, Ronen and Stella.
Charlotte loves yoga, hiking and sushi.
Her favorite bands/musicians over the years… The Cure, Kate Bush, Moderat, Tori Amos, Cocteau Twins, Elizabeth Fraser, Tricky, Death Cab for Cutie, My Bloody Valentine, Slowdive, Yefim Bronsfman, Dawn Upshaw, Beverly Sills, Nick Drake, Jeff Buckley to name a few.
Her favorite works of music Rachmaninov 3rd piano concerto, Beethoven’s 9th, The Medium by Menotti, Goreki’s 3rd Symphony, Schumann’s piano concerto in A Minor, Rejoice in the Lamb by Britten

ABOUT THE TEAM

ABOUT MARGARETTE

Margarette Evans has been in the music business for the past 20 years performing, writing and releasing her own music, and is an accomplished pianist and singer. Margarette started singing and playing piano at the age or 4 years old and didn’t look back. She grew up performing and throwing herself into her music as a child. That hasn’t changed as she grew up. Margarette went on to study Recording Industry and Music Business at Middle Tennessee State University. Margarette currently has a roster of 25 + students in Kentucky and teaches voice virtually around the world. Margarette is currently writing and recording her debut album and planning to tour sometime in 2023-24. Margarette is a chest voice and belt expert, but also teaches songwriting, piano, music theatre, country, and recently was certified to teach classical voice under The Charlotte Martin Vocal Method. Margarette’s own studio in Kentucky focuses on child/adolescent singers and musicians.

ABOUT LISA (LI/KAT)

Lisa M. Lombardo-Pacheco (commonly referred to by Char as Li [and known in some circles as Kat]), has worked with Charlotte for nearly 20 years.

Currently serving as Charlotte's music manager and partner in the music school, Charlotte and Lisa thrive in fast paced, creative environments. This energy allows the like minded entrepreneurs to focus on the needs of studio & music projects and student goals, set meaningful blueprints and action plans to benefit the students, Charlotte's music career, and the music school.

Char and Li are not discouraged by the changing landscape of the music industry. Morphing your brand to work for your fan base and work for you is something they encourage.