Meet Ila
Ila has loved singing her whole life! She grew up in Seattle and sang in choirs and musicals all through elementary school. She began taking private voice lessons when she was 12. In high school she perfomed extensively in theaters in the greater Seattle area and with several award winning choral groups, including the All-Northwest Honor Choir.
She received her Bachelor’s degree in Music- Vocal Perfomance from the University of Washington, and also recieved a Bachelor’s of Science in Speech and Hearing Sciences.
The day of her last final of college, Ila hopped on a plane and flew to Orlando, Florida, where she auditioned to perform at Walt Disney World. She got the job and moved to Florida, where she perfomed in several different parades and shows, and became "good friends” with some of the iconic Disney Princesses, including Ariel and Elsa. Even after leaving that job, she still loves Disney and has been blessed to perform at children’s parties around the Seattle area.
You may have seen her in some musicals around the Kitsap Penninsula! She has performed as Maria in Sound of Music, Belle in Beauty and the Beast, and Jo in Little Women at Kitsap Forest Theater, as the Herald in Cinderella at Port Gamble Theater, and as Diana in Next to Normal at Ghostlight Productions in Port Angeles. She also is a costumer, so you may have seen some of her ballgowns on stages across the county.
Ila now lives in Poulsbo on a mini-farm, where she and her family grow vegetables, fruit, and hazlenuts. She is passionate about sustainability and the environment. As a young breast cancer survivor, she is also passionate about health and music’s ability to serve as a healing aid.
Ila has continued her own vocal training, especially as she has experienced a vocal injury from her time performing at Disney. As she has worked to repair her own voice, she has developed a passion for teaching healthy singing to others. She currently studies with Dr. Kari Ragan, a nationally acclaimed vocal instructor and pedagogue who specializes in helping injured singers.
Ila is a proud member of the National Association of Teachers of Singing.