Biography:

Arlene Paculan’s voice has been said to emulate the incredible Sarah McLachlan with a hint of Beyoncé and Faith Evans. She has been told her voice is haunting, yet passionate. Who knew this ‘beautiful, natural singing voice’ would come out of the shy little girl she was known to be growing up.

Arlene Paculan's love for creating music originated from the time she picked up her pink plastic toy guitar and started singing a song she had made up for her mother - where she promised to buy her a diamond ring. Mom is still waiting for it. Her experience with the ivory keys started at the age of 6. She wasn't too fond of practicing piano and her teacher wasn't too fond of her lack of practice. However, having finished Grade 7 with the RCM, Arlene's mother decided to stop her lessons - and it was from that moment when Arlene found her love for the piano. She started playing modern songs, improvising endlessly, and creating music on the very instrument she hardly touched while taking lessons. She loved every minute of those many hours she spent on that Baldwin piano, belting out her favourite songs and still does. Except now, she belts out her own tunes. Available on iTunes.

Playing the piano led her to develop her voice under the professional guidance of renowned soprano, Eleanor Calbes, and Musical Director, Jeffrey Huard, who has been responsible for the success of several Toronto productions. Arlene's dedication enabled her to learn to play guitar on her own and draw inspiration from bands like Our Lady Peace, Moist, and No Doubt. In particular, she attributes her style to the influential artists she grew up listening to such as Chantal Kreviazuk, Jewel, Alanis Morissette and Raine Maida.

Listening to her music, you wouldn't believe that she grew up on 90s alternative rock. It was the lyrical content of this era that influenced her songwriting. She started writing during high school - prime teen angst years - and came up with melodies that were best suited for adult contemporary listeners with similar topics that many alt-rock bands sang about.

After highschool, Arlene put her songwriting on pause and decided to dive into musical theatre. She graduated from Randolph Academy in 2004 and since then, Arlene was cast in a number of theatre productions. Selected credits include: Romeo & Juliet as Juliet, Oliver as Nancy, Grease as Rizzo, Our Country’s Good as Liz Morden, Peter Pan as Tiger Lily, and Oklahoma as Laurey. She has graced many stages in the GTA including the Living Arts Centre, The Rose Theatre, Isabel Bader Theatre, Theatre Passe Murraile, and Factory Theatre.

While acting, singing, and dancing on and off the stage over the past 10 years, Arlene has also been fostering her talents for something greater. Her dream of performing her own music has culminated into a budding singer-songwriter career. Using life as a guide and foundation for her songs, Arlene's performances find a way to speak to everyone in the audience through her style; a combination of folk, jazz, and blues combined with her natural ability to unearth the depths of human emotion. Arlene's ability to infuse her unique sense of humour in every performance further keeps her audiences engaged.

All of her hard work paid off with the release of her EP album “I’m Worth It” (2010). With all these successes under her belt, you’d think she would slow down, but the reality is that Arlene Paculan has just begun. Be forewarned that listening to her comes with a price: her intrinsic musical talent will deeply affect you and leave a lasting impression.