CM WRONA
ARTIST - CREATOR - COACH
CARIANNE M WRONA
Welcome to the online home of a real-life multi-hyphenate. I’m an actor, singer, teacher, coach, multi-media artist, designer, stylist, editor, former Disney employee, published poet, erstwhile infomercial producer, event planner, lover of dogs and very particular kinds of food, who has lived on both coasts and worked in markets large and small. Not so long ago: NYC.
Now? Back in Chico where my training started, after two-ish year detour on a cattle ranch.
I am one business with many facets, and my fingers in a few other pies, because I'm always trying to learn. Here’s where I break it down and make it easy for you to see a bit of what I do, and help you contact me to find out more.
Let's get started, shall we?
PERFORMANCE
I’ve had the pleasure of working with and teaching performers who say they always knew they wanted to be onstage. That wasn’t me. Sure, I was comfortable with audiences, public speaking, choir solos…but inhabiting the world of a play wasn’t something I attempted until, on somewhat of a dare, I auditioned for an awesome company called Chico City Light Opera. It went well. I haven’t stopped.
I changed majors (why study TV jobs when you already have one?) and my life became about the craft of acting and singing in plays and musicals. With two arts majors and three summers of repertory theatre on my growing resume, I headed for LA, and Disney. Wine Country. Utah. The Central Coast. Ultimately, NYC...and now, back to CA. Along the way I Musical Directed, Vocal Directed, continued teaching, and further developed the skill set (and the personal experience to add to the professional toolbelt) that has allowed me to live in the skins and voices of characters featured in worlds of disparate theatrical styles and musical genres.
The link below brings up my full performing (and performing-adjacent) resume. I'll submit the “selected roles” version with headshot, for legimate performance opportunities, by request.
TEACHING AND COACHING
I'm honestly not exaggerating when I say I've been making money as a teacher and coach for over 30 years. I love it; I'm great at it; let's work together. Please use the contact form below to inquire about rates and availability, and to ask me any questions you have about my methods and style.
PIANO
I grew up with a piano in the house and started lessons at 5. I then started teaching at 10 (yup) and discovered that while I respect scholarship and technique and rules and theory (the math and science of music); I love the history, the message, and the art of how all those parts form a whole for us to interpret, all the more. There is a piece of music to learn or create for every necessary skill to be learned, always another way to understand if the first one isn’t a fit, and truly an individual style to encourage in each student.
My personal favorites range from Mozart to Monk, Vince Guaraldi to Erik Satie, new age to Jazz to the delicate impressionism of Debussy and the dark, haunting loveliness of Chopin. I adore the sophisticated layering of Sondheim and one of my favorite piano solos actually belongs to Guns N' Roses. There is no style I won’t teach, and no technique I won’t try to master in service of a student; I have no problem with saying “I don’t know” and always turn that into “let’s find out.”
VOICE
I am trained in various styles, though I believe excellence in singing any style begins with the basics of healthy technique and the development of a fluid and strong instrument. I do not subscribe to a single methodology when it comes to teaching style; I listen, I assess, I encourage and challenge. My approach considers your goals and experience, and once we recognize what you have versus what you want, I’ll design the best way for you and I to proceed. I’ve worked with punk singers who wanted to stay healthy, opera singers who needed acting coaching, professionals and aspiring professionals preparing auditions and adults who love singing at church or karaoke and simply enjoy learning how to be better.
I accompany all lessons, frequently provide warmup/rehearsal recordings, and emphasize reading skills and the concurrent study of piano and voice. I also include curriculum in music and art history and draw deeply from my acting training because, well, I love it...and it truly serves the work to understand the where and why of it, not just the how.
AUDITION COACHING, REPERTOIRE DEVELOPMENT AND BOOK BUILDING
Audition skills and repertoire/book prep are a large part of beginning and maintaining a career in music. I’m here from song selection to performance polishing, formatting a resume and getting the most prepared YOU out in front of those who want to cast you. It’s important to continually find and work on new music to keep you ready for every challenge, so I source material to build your book as you hone your skills. Also? I mean it when I say I’ll have your resume and binder as clean, ready, and professional as your voice.
THE NASCENT NORMAL
PHOTOGRAPHY AND DESIGN
ART IN THE EVERYDAY
The move from NYC to rural El Dorado County was rife with changes and ripe with possibilities. My studio may have changed, my subjects are less urban, perhaps, but art is indeed everywhere. It's there to capture and alchemize and share. So, that's what I do. I'll shoot it, mix it up, print it, paint it, design it, MAKE it. I create.
Inquire here for quotes. Finished pieces are priced by size and medium;
for custom work, design and materials fees apply.
PHOTOGRAPHY
DIGITALLY EDITED AND ENHANCED ORIGINAL PHOTOGRAPHS
I capture images and keep them ready for digital manipulation, with focus on color and texture. Images can be customized with crop and palette preferences, and will be printed and custom framed as individual pieces or curated to form a larger installation.
I can also edit your existing photography and create or source the right frame or even canvas to showcase your own enhanced art.
ORIGINAL ART AND CUSTOM CANVAS
MODERN AND ABSTRACT MIXED MEDIA
As art is a necessary element in a finished space, I work with acrylic and oil paint on canvas; utilizing layering, scraping, blending, and tape and drip techniques and incorporating textural elements and powdered pigment to create dynamic modern and abstract designs. Canvases vary by size and depth; custom works can be created individually and in groups (pairs, triptychs) to suit your personal design needs.
HOME DESIGN
PERSONAL SHOPPING AND STAGING
I can utilize and supplement your personal furniture and decor for a residential redesign and refreshment, or stage it for real estate showings. The same skills can be applied for a low-cost from-scratch design or retail staging and merchandising.
Check out my collections, new projects and progress updates on Facebook.
STRONG EYE SHORTS
CM WRONA, Media and Fundraising Producer
I worked in television production years ago and got an immersive education in most aspects of the process. When I moved here, I was lucky enough to work on a film with a few talented individuals who you just know are the people you keep - so we started a company to do just that. Here's a snippet of our first press release last year, ahead of our inaugural film "Apotheosis", which is currently in post-production. We've started pre-production on our second project, "Leggo My Soul", and of course have others up our sleeve...we're just pacing ourselves! Follow the link below to our Facebook page, where secondary pages for each project are easy to find.
"Strong Eye Shorts is a short film production company based out of El Dorado County and working with talented creators in the Greater Sacramento Area. The company is the brainchild of Chris Smith and Carianne Wrona, residents of the White Oak Ranch, and plans to
fundraise for and produce multiple projects from various writers in the area.
Chris Smith spent over ten years in Los Angeles producing film, television and commercials. He worked on projects like “Dude What Would Happen?” for the Cartoon Network, “Solitaire 4.0” for Fox, “Penn and Teller’s Fool Us” on the CW and multiple lower-budget films and commercials. He brings to the company his experience in creating and developing projects from the early concept to the edit bay.
Carianne Wrona brings a history in marketing and team building in NYC and LA to the fundraising side of Strong Eye Shorts. The company is dedicated to creating quality work with established professionals, while giving those looking for a start in the industry a place to gain experience."
I'm also taking work on other projects in other capacities, since we all play nice with each other. Ask about the other roles I'm qualified to fill by contacting me using the form at the bottom of the page.
I WANT TO HEAR FROM YOU
Please direct information regarding performance opportunities and any questions about rates and availability for lessons and coaching here.
917 . 842 . 0644