Sam Smith is the 2014 Brit Critics' Choice Award winner turned international superstar, and he started on his path to musical success with vocal teacher Joanna Eden.
She spent eight years working with Sam, and he says Joanna is 'the reason why I sing.'
But she has perfect form with her own fruits too, and could read music before she could write. Piano studies began at the age of four.
Joanna has gone on to show her class with her own album releases, and supported artists including Jamie Cullum and our failsafe favourites, The Blockheads.
Now the lady described by Time Out as 'the UK's answer to Diana Krall and Norah Jones' is coming back to Milton Keynes.
Unsurprisingly her show, Joni & Me' at The Stables on Saturday, March 19 is sold-out, but there is still limited availability for an afternoon course in the company of Joanna, From Singer to Artist.
The two hour course, for those aged 16 years and above, is the perfect opportunity for developing singer-songwriters to get some valuable experience and advice, and Joanna will explore a mix of presentation, talk, discussion, vocal warm-ups and naturally, song.
To book for that, email education@stables.org
Joanna shared her musical likes and loves with Total MK in this week's On Track...
The song that first awakened your musical senses
I think it was 'He's a Tramp' from The Lady & the Tramp... I just remember singing it over and over having only heard it once at the cinema!
Now I sing it with a band called Jazz at the Movies and still love it! I guess it shows that even as a child I had a leaning towards jazz and poignant lyrics.
Physical or digital - how do you take your music?
Both ways! I love singing live and playing my beautiful old baby grand called 'Jezebel' but I can layer my voice and instruments on Garageband on my computer and try out songwriting and arranging ideas before going in the studio.
The first time you thought 'Music - this is the job for me'
I still don't think of it as a job! It's my life and my love!
Your best on stage memory...
Singing Joni Mitchell's Circle Game and hearing the audience join in on the chorus and thinking 'that sounds just like the recording' ... It has such a special wise and loving atmosphere.
And the worst gig you've ever done
A Hotel bistro in Staines... A brunch buffet in a holiday camp. Everyone loved the music and we didn't get off the stage until mid afternoon by which time we were SO hungry!
We asked for some leftovers but they refused and we had to pack up watching them scrape good food into the bin!
What made you take up singing
I just always sang. Don't even remember taking it up. It took me ages to feel confident enough to do it in front of people but once I did I knew I'd found my vocation.
Which one song by another artist do you wish you had written
Both Sides Now by Joni Mitchell... Such wisdom!
And one - by yourself - which holds special significance
I wrote a song called The Guy I Love which feels like a premonition. I wrote it before I met my boyfriend but it's like I wrote it for him!
If you could step into the shoes of another musician, living or dead, who would it be and what would you do?
I'd be Joni Mitchell and I'd defy my manager and insist go to Woodstock behind his back (he wouldn't let her because she had to do a TV show the following evening)... She did write an amazing song about it so she turned that negative into a positive!
Are there any current musical influences that you might look to
I love Sam Smith's voice - I am biased of course having taught him, but I've always loved the wide variety of tones he has and the way his natural warmth and sweetness shine through his voice.
And any genre of music that you simply can't stand?
No... I think there are fine examples of all styles of music
You must have passed on a great deal of advice to Sam, but what's the best piece of advice you've ever been given?
He told me the best advice I gave him is to be honest... to be himself.
The best words of wisdom I heard were from Paul Simon:- you can't control your luck but you can control the quality of your work!
Finally, plug The Stables show, and the Joni Mitchell slant, and feel free to share more about your afternoon course.
Expect to see and hear a singer in her element! Joni Mitchell's music is such a pleasure to sing and I've had no problem recruiting a fantastic band in Chris Ingham (piano/guitar) and Lewis Andrews (guitar/bass).
My 'singer to artist' workshop in the afternoon gives emerging singer/songwriters the opportunity to see themselves as artists and avoid distracting pressures like insecurities, celebrity culture and financial worries.
