ON THE LOCAL JAZZ SCENE WITH SANDI BEDROSIAN
By Judy Wakefield

Andover Townsman
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Jan 15 2009
MA

Don’t feel like driving to Boston but feel like hearing some live
jazz on a Friday night?

Serene Restaurant at 12 Main St. offers just what you need. Every
Friday night from 7:30 to 10:30, local jazz singer Sandi Bedrosian
is at the microphone, accompanied by John Hyde on keyboard. The duet,
who are engaged to be married this spring, have performed every Friday
night since Serene opened almost a year ago in the space that was
formerly Vincenzo’s.

Tables get pushed aside to make room for a small dance floor and
word is quietly getting out: if you enjoy live jazz and kicking
up your heels, you can do it locally — and in the company of an
accomplished singer.

Bedrosian’s resume is extensive. In her early years, she opened for
country singer Barbara Mandrell and pop star Sheena Easton. She also
appeared in musical productions of "Carousel" and "Die Fledermaus,"
she said.

But hitting it big was never really her goal, Bedrosian said. Rather,
this small-town girl, who grew up in Methuen and now lives in Andover,
most enjoys teaching musical styles to others.

She founded her voice studio on Main Street some 20 years ago, a few
doors from the Andover Historical Society. Miss America contestants,
aspiring rock musicians and opera singers have traipsed through her
door over those years. Just last year, four of her students enrolled in
New York University for performing arts careers. Another student was
chosen for a lead role in the Broadway show "Beauty and the Beast,"
she said.

That’s what she says she enjoys the most in her life: that connection
with others who also enjoy music, and seeing her students succeed.

"It really works for me," said Bedrosian, now 46. "I enjoy performing,
but I also love to teach various music styles."

Like a hockey coach who still skates, she, too, stays active in
her profession. She has balanced her voice studio business with
performances over the years at dozens of venues, including the Ritz
Carlton Hotel and the Spirit of Boston cruises.

These days, she performs in local concerts with a four-piece
ensemble. The group’s next concert is at St. Gregory Armenian Apostolic
Church on Jan. 24 (see box), while her weekly duet gig with Hyde at
Serene continues.

"That’s my balance," she explained. "Students see me performing and
that makes a difference to them."

Her student recitals — held every year in the third floor of Memorial
Hall Library — can make any singer nervous as the audience is just
steps away. But her students know that Bedrosian is familiar with
what it feels like to stand near her audience and how nerve-wracking
it can be for any singer, let alone young singers.

In between teaching and performing, Bedrosian also does voice overs for
Lowell radio station WCAP. She’s the voice behind advertisements for
River Bank, Nashoba Valley Ski Resort and Pentucket Medical Associates.

"I could do voice overs all day long. I really enjoy it," said
Bedrosian who has done thousands of them since her first in 1998.

She’s working on a CD, aiming for a summer release.

As if her life weren’t full enough, she unplugs from the performing
and teaching part of her life through cooking.

"That’s my creative outlet," said this singing cook who likes to
make Middle Eastern recipes including grape leaves and baklava and
a chocolate chicken dish to die for, according to Hyde.

"After shows, she cooks," Hyde said. "I nap, then eat."