About Marla Joy

Marla Joy has been acclaimed as one of North America’s most gifted vocalists, performers and vocal coaches.

Marla’s raw unmistakable voice, combined with her unforgettable live performances have lead her to showcase and tour across the world.  She has performed as a solo artist opening for Mary J. Blige, Citizen Cope, and the legendary Prince on his Welcome 2 America tour.  Marla has shared the stage with Umphreys McGee performing Sweet Child of Mine on their North American tour, performed a duet with Tony Award Winner Louise Pitre at Massey Hall backed by the Canada Pops Orchestra, sang a version of Rocksteady while Prince joined her on guitar,performed a duet with Michael Burgess on Dream The Impossible Dream, as well as headlining with KC and the Sunshine Band, The Temptations, Cassandra Wilson and Jackie Richardson.

Marla was invited by the New York Knicks to sing the Canadian and American anthems at Madison Square Garden, and has performed everywhere from LA’s House of Blues, New York’s famed Arlene’s Grocery, Don Hills, Highline Ballroom, The Bowery, and New York Fashion Week, to headlining such illustrious events as the Sick Kids Celebrity Gala, The Make A Wish Foundation, We Day, and Roots Canada’s Right To Play.

Trained as a classical pianist starting at the early age of four, combined with such a rare, skillful vocal and renowned stage presence, the media began to take notice.  Cosmo Girl/Seventeen Magazine called Marla their “Artist To Know”, and MSNBC, Hollywood Life, Relix Magazine, Nylon Magazine, Okayplayer, Artist Direct, Us Magazine, Global Grind, and Soma Magazine have all penned articles about this treasured artist.

Marla has also collaborated in the studio with some of the industry’s biggest and best Grammy Award-winning and writers, such as Mozella, Syience, Dave Tozer, Devo Springsteen and Craig Ross(Madonna, Beyoncé, Jon Legend, Kanye West, Lenny Kravitz).

As a firm believer that one cannot teach that which one has not accomplished and experienced personally, Marla subsequently began her foray into vocal coaching in 2012.  After spending over two decades being trained by the best coaches in North America and the U.K., performing, touring and learning from the best of the best, and through her extensive recording, touring and performing background, Marla was able to build on the methods and techniques she had already been taught, and realized she could make a significant impact on many lives.

Marla and her students have gone on to accomplish truly amazing recognition, from being featured by Perez Hilton, to appearing on Global News, CTV, CP24, and media publications world-wide such as The BBC.  Marla has coached performers who have gone on to star in Mirvish’s We Will Rock You, Rock of Ages, and Mama Mia.  Marla’s students have gone on to appear on The Disney Channel, The Family Channel, and CBC.  They have become Ambassadors for Coca-Cola, signed record deals in the USA, received scholarships to Berkley, collaborated with some of the most notable writers and producers worldwide, and have had videos on YouTube go viral and subsequently make international headlines.

Along with Marla’s exclusive private coaching sessions, she has also created a platform for her students to introduce themselves and their artistry to the world with continuous social media content and videos that they produce together. Along with the expertise of Marla’s hand-picked team of producers, musicians, engineers, directors and videographers, Marla’s students have achieved great success. Marla has her students perform in 2 semi annual shows at the greatest live music venues in the city, accompanied by the greatest musicians world wide. Marla puts on these sold out shows for her students so that they experience live performance at the highest level.  Coaching artists on a professional level, Marla understands firsthand the importance and the impact of social media in the music industry today, and the experience of live performance, and strives to continue to coach her students in every area and on every level of what it takes to be a successful artist in today’s world.

Marla continues to perform 40 live shows yearly across Canada, has made a name for herself as one of North America’s most in-demand performers and vocal coaches and her students are following right in her footsteps….