I am a Helsinki based singer-songwriter
from Estonia
Already as a young girl I knew I wanted to sing and write music. I was always interested in the piano, so I started learning it at children’s music school in a small town called Viljandi. From there I continued to study jazz music at Viljandi Cultural Academy and came to study pop and jazz singing in Helsinki in 2013 as an exchange student and permanently as a degree seeking student in 2014. I have been living and performing in Helsinki since.
What I do?
Gigs and performing
Throughout my diverse singing career I have performed and sung in various bands and projects all over the world. I have sung in St. Petersburg, Moscow, Leipzig, Swäbisch Gmünd, London and in multiple places in Estonia and Finland. I have been a soloist in a symphony orchestra and a pipe orchestra and in different choirs and vocal groups.
For the past years I have been concentrating more on doing cover gigs. I have two steady cover bands with whom I play gigs every weekend. I am the lead singer of an acoustic trio called Stringbreakers, with whom I mostly play wedding gigs. I am also the second lead singer in a disco band called Phil Harmonic Band. In addition to playing in various bands, I also perform duo and solo gigs.
Singing lessons
I consider myself one of those singers, who has done a lot of work and practising in order to sing well. I guess I always had a good voice, but never the technique. Lack of good knowledege of how to sing without damaging my vocal cords and muscles surrounding it, led me to lose my voice in my early twenties. That is when I emerged deep into the depths of vocal technique and started practising like crazy to repair my voice and to make sure it never happens again.
Throughout my studies in Estonia and Metropolia in Helsinki I had the chance to learn from the most skilled teachers such as Kukka-Maaria Rajalin, Sirje Medell, Ele Millistfer, Maarika Reimand, Hedi-Kai Pai, Asta Levy, Susanna Mesiä, Laura Virtala and Lauri Pulakka. I learned so much from all of them and adapt a lot of wisdom from their teaching in my method. I also constantly educate and update my knowledge and skills in singing and singing techniques.
I have taught singing for several years now. I have private students, I teach in a singing studio called Ääniateljee and I also do substitutions in Helsinki Pop & Jazz conservatory. My strengths are in pop, RnB, jazz and soul style of music. If you want to learn more about my teaching and available times check my teaching website https://lauletaan.com/
Write and arrange music
I released my debut album in 2017 and have released many singles in english and estonian before and after that. I also arrange music for vocal groups and bands. At the moment I am working on my second studio album.
During free time
Whenever I have free time I like to do yoga, swim in cold water or go bouldering. I also enjoy a good read and am a victim of Netflix.
I enjoy being in front of a camera and I also like taking pictures myself. I do amateur modelling and have been acting in different commercials and as an extra in a Finnish movie.
Maria Gertsjak 