Helping hands

Brown has two performance coaches available to her in Paris (they give her advice and help fine-tune her approach to particular pieces of  music) but the central member of her support circle is husband James Zaluski.

Zaluski is a work-from-home massage therapist as well as a talented carpenter and maker of functional sculpture.

Brown relies on her husband's helping hands to sooth the aches associated with travel and performance. Singers often suffer from lower back pain, says Brown. "The back is where you hold the music."

But Zaluski's support goes far beyond the massage table.

"The fact that James is an artist helps him understand my needs," Brown explains.

"Creative people need space and freedom. I can say I'm taking off to Paris for a few weeks to work with someone there and he won't hesitate to say 'go'. He understands my moods and he knows how to encourage me."

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