Noemi is a 39-year-old singer and teacher from Hungary. She describes her life's work as figuring out who she is through singing, which allows her to touch people's hearts. She has always wanted to sing since she was 4 years old. Her biggest challenge has been overcoming self-doubt. Her advice for aspiring musicians is to not give up and to find their own place in making music.

1. ~Kiss Noemi~
How would you describe yourself?
I'm 39 years old, I'm from Hungary and I'm a singer and a teacher. I
used to only want to be a singer, never considered teaching a career
option, but it seriously grew on me, I love the teaching part of my
life just as well as the singing. The two kind of go together in my
life.
How would you describe your life’s work?
It's a beautifully challenging thing, singing is. Sometimes it's very hard,
sometimes you wish you could just be sitting at an office and be a normal person
and go home and have dinner with your family, and instead you go on stage and
sing to a whole bunch of people and you're really scared. But then you remember
that this is what you always wanted to be, a singer. I'd say my life's work is to
figure out and understand and accept who I am and singing is a great and
wonderful tool in my hands, and with it I can touch people's hearts, and hopefully
be useful and have some fun as well. After all, I get paid to do what I love the
most. I think that's very lucky :)
How did your life path lead you to choose this your career?
To choose a career was never really a question. It was my life's path,
as you say, I always wanted to sing, I made my relatives sit and
listen to my improvised performances since I was 4. I never knew
anything else than to sing. It was somehow clear to my parents as well
so they supported me and sent me to a special music school. There I
sang in choirs first, which I loved immensely, then started to take
singing lessons when I was 15.
Who are your musical inspirations?

2. This is difficult to answer because I've had so many inspirations in my life,
starting with my elementary school teachers, then high school, college,
university, it seems like there was always someone who took care of me and my
voice and desire to become a singer. I was 22 when I went to England and
started to study with Nancy Argenta in London, at the Guildhall School of Music
and Drama. She then became a friend, a mentor and still is my teacher, she
continues to be an inspiration, not only as a singer but as a teacher as well. Then
there are my students who inspire me all the time, and a bunch of wonderful
human beings that touch me and somehow add their spirits to my singing. I
couldn't name all of them.
How old were you when you started singing?
I took my first lesson when I was 15, but musical education was very strong in
Hungary when I was growing up, so I got a great foundation as a child.
What are some of your best moments from your career?
I think when I'm able to forget about myself and just get immersed in music.
Sometimes when I'm not afraid of anything it almost feels like it's not me who's
singing but there's something better, greater than me who's doing all that work
and I'm just a channel for music. Sometimes there's wonderful energy on stage,
when for some few moments all the hearts of the musicians and yours beat the
same rhythm, and you somehow become one with each other. Those moments
are great!
What are the biggest challenges you’ve had to overcome?
Hm. myself, really. I think the hardest thing is to overcome my self doubt, my
always questioning myself. I've never had huge self confidence, so for me to trust
my talent and my knowledge of my voice is the hardest of all. But at the same
time I consider this a blessing as well because it keeps me always searching and
learning more.
What advice would you give to an aspiring singer/musician?
Not to give up. It's a tough career, with so many talented, strong,
driven people out there, some of them not even very nice. It's easy to
feel lonely or isolated and easy to forget why we chose to sing. But
we all have our place in making music, we just have to find the right
one.
Try to become who you are and not somebody else.
Don't be too hard on yourself. Self criticism is good but beating
yourself up is not.