Colleen O’Reilly is one of Dublin’s most in-demand singers. As a long-term artist-in-residence at renowned restaurant Siam Thai, and a regular contributor with Bentley Boys Band, Colleen has a unique insight into Dublin’s music scene. But did she always want to be a singer?
“Always. My parents even have wonderfully embarrassing videos of me putting on ‘gigs’ at the age of four! It was just a natural instinct.”
A residency is a coveted position for any singer, a vocation where work can be fleeting and hard to source. So just how did Colleen come to be an artist-in-residence at Siam Thai?
“By a bit of luck and some very good timing! As a teenager I routinely entered singing competitions to better myself, and years later I ran into a girl I’d sang against in a final. I’d lost my job the day before and was feeling pretty down, and without even mentioning this she asked me would I join her in a residency. It was fate!”
Colleen is currently in her fourth year of a BA degree in Vocals at the celebrated BIMM Dublin Institute of Music. Studying a singing qualification isn’t a necessity, she says, but it does have its benefits. “I wouldn’t say a degree is absolutely necessary to become a successful singer, there are plenty who have done without. I do feel though that nowadays it is much more difficult to get out there as a singer, and when attending auditions my degree and the skills I’ve learned with it have definitely given me an edge.”
But though it may sound like the dream job – and for many, it is – Colleen has to remain at peak health and take her job very seriously to succeed. “It always keeps you on your toes. You need a good vocal stamina and also a great memory – I typically sing about 50 songs per set which chop and change each night, depending on the audience.”
Sounds a little daunting? Maybe, but Colleen has reaped the many rewards of her work. “I’ve gotten to sing with some great homegrown acts, such as Imelda May, The Script and The Coronas. They were all so down to earth and great people to work with.”
So, for those of you who may yearn to follow in Colleen’s footsteps as a successful artist-in-residence, she’s got some invaluable advice. “Practice as many songs and as many styles as you can, while keeping it appropriate for the venue style you’re aiming for (such as restaurants, bars, hotels). Also use your contacts! List up anyone relative who could help you get an audition. If they can put a good word in for you that will help you be remembered.
“Finally persevere, you’ll get there eventually!”
JOANNE ARMSTRONG, MUSIC JOURNALIST 