Based in the San Francisco Bay Area, Pollyanna Bush has supported and shaped the artistic paths of many musicians, creators, and community figures for over 30 years.
Performing Arts
Photo by Daniel Zetterstrom.
With dreams of being a professional singer/songwriter, Pollyanna Bush began her career as the lead singer of the eclectic, avant-garde group, Obiba. These precious experiences led to the development of her unique style of confessional pop music and the pursuit of a solo project featuring her original songwriting, dance choreography, and theatrical presentations.
Exploring her path as a recording artist, Pollyanna illustrated her life experiences on her two full length albums, "Colors" and "Dying To Be Born". Her original songwriting has received multiple accolades, including "Best Song of the Year" in the West Coast Songwriters regional contest and "Best Pop Song" in the West Coast Songwriters International Songwriting contest.
Working in a myriad of musical genres, Pollyanna has performed lead and backing vocals on over 100 recording projects, including the American Idol: Karaoke Revolution video game and songwriting demos for the likes of Kevin Harris and Suzanne Noe. Pollyanna is a featured vocalist on the compilation CD entitled “Women of the Bay”, produced by Joey Muller, and on Michael Stillwater’s CD entitled “Arc in Time”.
In 2013, Pollyanna released "Talk To Me: Transcending The Communication Breakdown", the debut EP from The PoRazone Love Project, a collaborative effort with Raz Kennedy. Presently, Pollyanna is in the pre-production phase of her third solo record expected in Fall 2021.
As an expressive, highly experienced live performer, Pollyanna has entertained audiences across North America and Europe. She has shared the stage with musical luminaries, such as Richie Havens, Shana Morrison, Vonda Shepard, Gary Malkin, Dave Worm, and Raz Kennedy. Pollyanna has sung with The Mirabai Ensemble, an acappella vocal group under the direction of Michael Smolens. As a background vocalist, Pollyanna has sung for Jane Siberry and Jennifer Berezan.
In April 2013, Pollyanna had the distinct honor of performing with Raz Kennedy for "The Dream Never Dies: A Conversation on MLK's "Beloved Community" at Zellerbach Hall in Berkeley featuring Pulitzer prize winner, Alice Walker, co-founder of Spirit Rock Meditation center, Jack Kornfield, and founder and spiritual director of Agape, Michael Bernard Beckwith.
In November 2015, Pollyanna performed a sold out musical tribute to her early mentors', Joni Mitchell, Carole King, and Laura Nyro for Jim Bennett's "In The Moment" concert series on KCSM. This success was followed by "Full Circle", a uplifting self-produced series of performances featuring the same repertoire.
Music Education
From 2017 Graduation at Complete Vocal Institute.
Photo by Mathias Aaen. ©CVI
As a music educator, Pollyanna has significant experience nurturing artists and imparting a wealth of wisdom in the fields of voice, piano, and songwriting. Presently, Pollyanna owns and operates Music Works Studio in Fairfax, serves on the faculty at Musically Minded Academy in Oakland, and teaches students all over the world through virtual digital platforms.
Over the course of her teaching career, she has instructed an array of focused and improvisational singing workshops all over the Bay Area and in Paris. She has collaborated on educational presentations with Mokale creator, Tony Elman, at Double Bear in the Santa Cruz Mountains and with Raz Kennedy at the Stanford Summer Jazz Workshop. Pollyanna has worked as a guest choral teacher at Marin Academy High School, White Hill Middle School, and Cascade Canyon School. For six years, she served as the director and arranger for The Marin Street Choir and North Bay based vocal group, inVoc.
Always striving to be at the forefront of vocal research, Pollyanna completed levels 1-3 the Jo Estill method in Vancouver, Canada and attended Oberlin's vocal symposium, studying with Jeannette LoVetri, renowned vocal coach and founder of Somatic Voicework. Most recently, Pollyanna earned a three-year teaching certificate from Complete Vocal Institute in Copenhagen, Denmark, making her 1 of 3 authorized coaches in North America.
In 2017, Pollyanna taught an "Extreme Vocals" webinar in collaboration with Dave Stroud's Vocology In Practice Summer Online Voice Education Extravaganza, which explored the safe anatomical production of vocal effects, such as distortion, growl, grunt, screams, rattle, and more.
Pollyanna's students have gone on to land a range of professional gigs and starring roles in musicals, be accepted to prestigious music colleges and performing arts preparatory schools, and be featured on NBC's The Voice.
Photo by Joey Brite.
Healing Through Music
Spirituality and musical therapy plays a significant role in Pollyanna's teaching practice. Her path to enlightenment began with the Diamond Heart Approach, a thought provoking self inquiry practice that influences all areas of her creative activities. For the past 18 years, she has acted as music director and faculty member of The Chaplaincy Institute for Creative and Healing Ministries in Berkeley, teaching circle singing and spontaneous sung prayer. For the past 3 years, Pollyanna has been on staff at the Five Sisters Facility in Petaluma, using the healing and transformational power of music to help women recovering from addiction. For two years in a row, she has presented her findings on healing through music for the Bay NVC summer retreat in Calistoga.
Dance & Physical Exercise
Pollyanna is a strong advocate for personal wellness and attunement of the human form. As a professional dancer, Pollyanna was a principle in The Ruth Langridge Dance Company, The Elisa King Dancers, and Pearl Lang Dance Company. She served as an apprentice in the Martha Graham Dance Company. Since her retirement, Pollyanna has continued her physical exercise practice, developing a fusion of Pilates, yoga, and dance, which she teaches regularly at Women's Fitness Center in Fairfax and Elan Fitness Center in San Anselmo.