About C

Cari (Caroline Rose Mary Ann Craig) is a musician currently based in Canada and whom mothers brainchild: Counttessa. Cari was born and spent the first half of her life in South West England. Residing in Bridport, a small seaside town in Dorset. Her most recent performance of note was in New York City. In brief, her genre is Classical come Contemporary.

After emigrating from the UK, Cari found solace in classical voice and studied privately for well over a decade. Additionally, Cari earned a Bachelor of Fine Arts focusing in Interdisciplinary and Devised Performance from the University of British Columbia.

Cari innately draws from both her classical and contemporary training all whilst her personality and influences seamlessly seep and synthesize into her music. Cari’s original, modern, body of work could be best categorized as avant-garde pop, poetic, thought provoking and is described by viewers, adjudicators and booking agents as ‘trailblazing’…‘theatrical’…‘art-rock’ and ‘soulful’. Cari found her contemporary artistic endeavors immensely impacted by Sculpture, Gender Studies and Art History studies. 

In regards to accessing and understanding classical voice further, she found her learnings in Devised Theatre Performance, Theatre History, Language, Poetry and Philosophy all solidified an ever progressing adoration and translation of the Operatic art form which helped elevate her ability to perform classical subject matter and bring it to new and thoughtful heights. Amongst other positive critiques she is said to make “the art form lively and lovely”. When tackling the classical art form, Cari respectfully implores herself to think outside the box and hopes her audience can better connect with Opera in our modern world. Cari draws from her interdisciplinary tool box and deeply considers what makes Opera so interesting to her as she subtly ‘geek out’. 

She continues to study piano and voice privately to this day, intending to constantly better her vocal ability, strength and knowledge.

After meeting Danny Flam, a leading trombone player in New York with a classical past including the Israel Philharmonic, the two quickly realized their strengths as a songwriting + production team.  From their happy go lucky high energy to their classical backgrounds and appreciation – an informative, creative, and productive mentor to mentee working relationship blossomed creating a bountiful body of work.

About Counttessa

Visually, Counttessa is a synthesis of confectionery sweet 1700’s style plus meaty modernity. Conceptually, the name Counttessa pays homage to Opera and keeping time.

Counttessa is a lady whose obsessed with music. She was once a little girl who struggled in school, who as a small child had limited hearing and many ear surgeries, she was thought to have dyslexia as it runs rampant in her blood line however most certainly has Adhd. Counttessa embraces wanting to keep a music stand on stage because she’s fearful she isn’t fully prepared and painting the stand to add her unique flair. Counttessa embraces embracing her weaknesses and proudly displaying them. Counttessa embraces wearing the musical themed everything her mother gave her. Counttessa’s favourite book is 1984 by George Orwell. For it emphasizes the importance of language by exploring a world that words are being retracted by the government, lives could be completely erased or written into reality and self liberation, freedom of speech and thought are all jeopardized. 

Counttessa references the Countess in an Opera, being late and never wanting to listen to a metronome. To listen to a metronome she has to plug it into an amp. She doesn’t mean to be over the top, she simply struggles immensely with moderation. She has a tattoo of the word ‘discipline’ on her left palm as a subtle reminder. Counttessa wanted a name that made sense of her style and even referenced artists who entitled themselves (such as Queen or Lady Gaga) As if one can title them self and gloriously blossom into an important, impactful artist. Feeling feminine, strong and regal Counttessa implores herself to be a graceful, grateful and an eloquent empower-er.

Counttessa believes that art creates art (like hate breeds hate or kindness spreads kindness) and artistic chain reactions effortlessly occur:  Freddie Mercury loved Opera and listened to Puccini’s La Boheme. Counttessa believes Queen pays homage to Puccini and made the revolutionary and adored ‘Bohemian Rhaspody’. An entity of its own, a phoenix from musical ashes. 

La Boheme by Puccini > Bohemian Rhaspody by Queen > Radio Gaga by Queen > Lady Gaga > et. al.

With an appreciation of music across the board, Counttessa‘s sound culminates in lyrical melodies, deliberate and clever lyricism, and almost tonal and rhythmic use of her voice of which is her greatest strength.  Her body is her instrument however when playing a solo show and accompanying herself with a piano, she paints with surprisingly  bold brushstrokes that subtly form bare bone foundations and further powerfully accentuate her voice.

Stated by an adjudicator as “trailblazing” and “important work that seeks a path that has never been done”.

Counttessa =

Counttessa = C Caroline or Cari or Counttessa or C
Counttessa = the Countess vs. the maid in an Opera like The Marriage of Figaro’s Soprano role: Countess Almaviva
Counttessa = An empowered & thus powerful woman grateful, supported, encouraged, curious, able + capable to study whatever she wants + hopeful to lift others. In it’s odd way perhaps like Mozart’s Countess Almaviva story
Counttessa = Count… Tessa…Count.. *said in a pained tone to you* when you STILL don’t understand the question. asking questions over and over. being bad at math + so hung up on music theory you don’t think you can ever share a song idea…
Counttessa= a musical pun about keeping rhythm + time
Counttessa=Count (m) Tessa (f) a self titled hot mess like Queen or Lady Gaga and a bi-product of art before her
Counttessa= technique > technology if there can be a cello or a violin or a marimba solo… ideally we have a show packed with instruments 
Counttessa= a live experience password? Candy floss.
Counttessa= An Ode to Time history. art history. singing chamber music written god knows when. ignoring metronomes. singing timeless ballads. writing a song + capturing a moment. time is relative + elusive.