Performer
Classical, Musical Theater, Jazz and Contemporary
Originally, Ms. Kraakevik's entry to the world of music was through the clarinet! She fell in love with the instrument, and all things musical, in the third grade, and shortly after picked up the violin, and then, joined choir. Luckily, her elementary school encouraged the arts and she quickly found performance opportunities all around the Chicago area.
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In 2000, a life changing event put an abrupt stop to all of Ms. Kraakevik's artistic endeavors. She was diagnosed with a life-threatening and rare form of Toxic Shock Syndrome which shut down all of her major organs, and left her in the ICU for months. All she wanted to do was get back to her music - especially her clarinet... but she had zero strength, and couldn't even remember the embouchure. After the final okay to have one visitor at a time, her doctors recommended vocal therapy, in order to regain strength and breath support and, perhaps, play clarinet again. At her first "appointment" that she arrived to with a cane, the vocal therapist stoped the exercises and told her she would never play clarinet again, "because that voice is something spectacular!"
With the aftermath of her health issues (she also struggles with several auto-immune diseases), it has been difficult to continually perform. However, her love of the stage and the arts, along with and indomitable spirit, has led to the honor of acting and singing in both equity and non-equity performances across the country, perform solos at Carnegie Hall in New York City, premier new works for her fellow composers, become the go-to anthem singer for any national anthem at events ranging from United Nations to the Denver Nugget Games, produce and perform her original compositions, and fortify her love of jazz. Ms. Kraakevik has also had her own contemporary and jazz songs aired on KUVO JAZZ (89.3) and KGNU (88.5), in Boulder, CO, and her musicals "Rose Red" and "Muse of Fire" have been part of international play festivals and several performances around the country! She is currently represented by the Mila Artist Agency.
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