Songs of Paris

Suzie Harrison

Taking in Paris Endicott-Chase’s strong voice singing “It’s Only a

Paper Moon” with your eyes closed, it is easy to believe you’ve been

transported to the 1930s or ‘40s, into a smoke-filled lounge on

Central Avenue in Los Angeles.

Paris may have the voice of an old soul, but the Harbor View

Elementary School student is here and now, introducing the sounds of

Ella Fitzgerald, Billie Holiday and Nat King Cole to her generation

at age 11.

“I was 3 years old when I started liking to really sing,” the

Costa Mesa resident said. “But I just started wanting to do it

professionally around 8.”

One of her highlights thus far has been performing on tour with

*NSync. She is a member of the Pacific Symphony’s Children’s Concert

Choir and regularly sings at Martini Blues Supper Club in Huntington

Beach and B.B. King’s Blues Club in Los Angeles.

Paris sings jazz and standards such as “Misty,” “When I Fall in

Love” and “Peel Me a Grape.” It’s only recently that she’s has found

her niche. Before that she performed pop, country and other genres.

Last June, Paris started working with professional singing coach

Seth Riggs. Cynthia Jacobs, one of Paris’ two mothers, found Riggs

while doing a voice coach search on her computer.

“It kept referencing him, so I put in SethRiggs.com,” Jacob said.

“I thought if he worked with people like Barbra Streisand, Natalie

Cole and Anita Baker that he’d be the one to coach Paris.”

Riggs is known for teaching a method of singing where performers

use the middle of their vocal range, utilizing both their head and

chest voices.

Though Riggs is her primary coach, Paris has many more and makes

several trips a week to Los Angeles to practice. If that doesn’t keep

her busy enough, her many auditions and bookings fill her hours.

Paris said she loves it.

“Every week, I usually practice in the living room with karaoke

for an hour and a half to two hours,” Paris said. “I go to L.A. three

times a week to Seth or my other coaches, or go for auditions or

dancing. My dance coach helps choreograph my auditions and shows.”

Most recently, Paris worked with Riggs to help her audition for

“Star Search” and “Showtime in Harlem.” She’s currently working with

five private coaches for voice, acting and dance.

“Auditioning for ‘Star Search’ was a great experience,” Paris

said. “I read for a short film, ‘The Good Book,’ on Saturday and will

find out next week.”

Paris said her inspiration comes from her family and their

encouragement. She would sing along with them from a very early age.

“The whole house sang,” Jacob said. “We would spend hours with her

in her highchair and spend hours singing everything from ‘Somewhere

Over the Rainbow’ to lullabies.”

Paris took a break from pursuing singing as a career to pursue ice

skating, but felt the competition was too stiff, so she went back to

her strongest talent.

“At 8, I started back into it with my school play ‘Grease’ in the

fourth grade,” Paris said, “I joined the school choir in fourth

grade, too, and have been in it ever since.”

Though she plans on continuing music as her primary career, Paris

also plans on going to college. She still pursues other hobbies and

likes hanging out with friends.

“I always tell Paris, if the journey should end tomorrow, it’s a

success,” said Linda Chapman, her other mother. “We’re truly a

blessed family.”

For more information about Paris, call her agent, Marian Berzon,

at (800) 266-2778, or visit www.paris-endicott-chase.com.