VOCAL CONTRACTING & DIRECTING
VOCAL CONTRACTOR
Baraka is a SAG-AFTRA Vocal Contractor for studio sessions and live events. Being one of the most active session singers in LA has given her especially keen insight into the top talent in town, an ability to model and act as a creative liaison between composers and singers, and consult creatively with the team over vocal ranges, styles, and other idiosyncrasies of the human voice.
A unique skill of Baraka's is that she hears "outside of the box" when observing another's voice. Ears always on, Baraka often takes note of understated qualities in her fellow comrades' voices and thus recommends singers who may not be known for a particular sound that she has an insider's scoop on.
Baraka's contracting work includes SAG choirs of all ages, sizes, styles, and budgets. She contracts large and small ensembles, soloists, children's choirs, and specialty skills (celebrity impressions, languages and accents, whistling, beat-boxing, yodeling, etc...)
With a knack for budgeting, a comprehensive understanding of SAG contracts and rates, and a team mentality in all things, Baraka enjoys strategizing with composers and music supervisors over short and long-term goals to create win/win solutions for the best possible musical outcome within a production's budget.
VOCAL DIRECTOR
With a resume including one-on-one work with over 2,000 students over nearly two decades, Baraka has a particularly well-honed skill directing singers and actors of all ages, styles, vocal abilities, comfort levels, and experience.
She has a great deal of empathy for vocalists and can feel where their voices are heading as she gives feedback and adjustments in real time, adapting and crafting her directing to the needs of each vocalist.
Among other clients, Baraka is a regular vocal director for Disney Television Animation and Netflix, where she directs actors in singing and storytelling, often demoing material in advance and giving creative direction, vocal modeling, and musical adjustments on the fly.
Baraka taught Individual Voice at the collegiate level with the American Musical and Dramatic Academy for 5 years and continues to teach individually to a select number of private students in the industry.
Vocal Directing
DEMOS
CHORAL DIRECTOR
A summa cum laude graduate of USC's Thornton School of Music, Baraka has put her Master's Degree in Choral Directing to good use as a sought-after Choral Director in the industry.
She has worked extensively with children's choirs throughout LA, including the nine Elementary choral programs she ran while a full-time choir director with LAUSD, three Elementary and Middle School choirs with the Gifted and Talented Education Program's Conservatory of Fine Arts, two Junior High choral programs with Larchmont Charter School, and 11 years directing with John Burroughs High School through BUSD.
Baraka employs these vital skills as a director and conductor in all her contracting work and continues to work with choirs all over LA as a master teacher, guest clinician, and subcontracted director for clients including Disney Concerts Live at the Hollywood Bowl, Final Fantasy Live in Concert, The Samples gospel choir, and The LA Choral Lab classical choir.
ARRANGER & TRANSCRIBER
Baraka began vocal arranging while attending USC. A member of the internationally recognized a cappella group, Reverse Osmosis, Baraka had an ensemble of friends as her guinea pigs. Quickly learning the ropes of Finale, she became an award-winning arranger and has gone on to arrange hundreds of charts for television, films, choirs, and major artists.
Baraka's laser-sharp ears have lended themselves well to transcription work. Among other clients, she has been a regular transcriber for NBC's The Voice since its early seasons and has transcribed countless pieces every season since, often the night before recording, due to live television filming schedules.
Arranging and Transcribing clients include: TV - The Voice, The Oscars, Home Economics, The Oprah Winfrey Show, The Ellen DeGeneres Show, Netflix's Centaurworld, Disney's Chibiverse, Disney's Broken Karaoke Series - Artists - Jacob Collier, Olivia Rodrigo, The Chainsmokers, Carrie Underwood, Gwen Stefani, John Legend - Films - Falling For Christmas, The Binge 2, El Camino Christmas
 |
|---|
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
LOS ANGELES YOUTH STUDIO
Since February, 2019, along with her business partner, Laura Jackman, Baraka has run the Los Angeles Youth Studio. This workshop helps gifted children sharpen the most necessary skills for session singing, including sight-singing, ear-training, mic technique, studio etiquette, shifting vocal tone, and music literacy.
Children ages 6-17 are invited to attend this once-a-month workshop via our website at www.layouthstudio.com. Updates are available on our newsletter and social media pages under @layouthstudio.
We are thrilled to help the next generation of session singers continue to make LA the mecca of studio work for singers!
NEWS
Watch Baraka perform with Danny Elfman in The Nightmare Before Christmas LIVE to Picture HERE
Hear Baraka's wickedly spooky, sinister lead vocals for the new Hearthstone Darkmoon Faire trailer HERE
Hear Baraka's haunting solo in the official champion theme for League of Legends HERE
Hear Baraka's solos in the original soundtrack for Solo: A Star Wars Story HERE
Hear Baraka's featured yodeling in this couch gag for The Simpsons season 32 HERE
Hear Baraka perform "Angel Eyes" in one live, unedited take HERE