I have a very eclectic musical repertoire Jazz, Middle Eastern, French and English. I have produced my own albums including a childrens album. My website is www.heleneattia.com and my music can also be heard at cdbaby.com/cd/heleneattia

EDUCATION | I have mixed feelings about training. Initially, I was not really trained formally other than sporadic work with Judy Davis. I have recently trained classically with opera director, Renee Fladen-Kamm. Training can be wonderful with the right teacher, and I am very fortunate to have studied with both of these fabulous teachers. However, in addition to training, it takes dedication.

HOW TO GET STARTED | Having a network of family and friends that are going to support you is vital for success and can make a big difference. There are so many great singers that do not have the proper promotion to generate a fan base. Filling the audience is the bottom line. The internet is a huge part of the music business today. For example MySpace music enabled me to connect to other musicians and critics. Myspace info at http://www.myspace.com/heleneattia

MUST HAVE TRAITS | I believe it is a combination of passion, hard work, determination, talent and some luck that makes great success.

how I got started | I was born in Tunisia with Italian and French background and later coming to the United States I learned English. I grew up tri-lingual. I started playing the guitar when I was ten and primarily played folk music. I played guitar till my fingers would bleed and would play it over and over again until I got a piece right. At sixteen I had my first professional gig at Berkeley and then I moved on to writing my own songs.

why this job?| Music gives me energy and keeps me young. I find that it transcends my problems and is such a very healing force. I have been given a gift and I am happy to share it.

why I love this job!| I love that I am passionate about my job and that it gives me great joy and happiness! I love to connect with the audience, perform my own songs and express myself. I also love to travel and tour as well as work with amazing musicians.

my typical day| My day to day is prospecting and promotion. This involves mainly work on the internet to research future leads for concert opportunities and locations to perform. I work hard to get people into my fan base. The rest of the day is vocal practice, song writing and band practice. I would also say that being a mother I find it works; it is a very flexible job. However, it is important to treat is as a regular job so that you have the discipline to do the work that is needed.

what they are | I have no problem getting up on the stage and singing, that is my passion. But it is the promotion that is so hard. Getting funding to create your promotional material and CDs is very expensive. Finding a manager or agent can be a challenge.

all about growth | It depends on so many factors. It depends on how many gigs you have any given week or month. It depends on the type of gig. For example, opening for a famous musician pays well and is great promotion. Or getting a big sponsor can be lucrative. It can also be hard; some musicians perform for free or do open mikes, which can be a good way to get experience on stage. There are also people who pay to play. Although I never had to go that route. It also gets tougher as you get older to stay at the same level as someone young in the business, but the love of your music keeps you going!

my website| http://www.heleneattia.com