The Adobe Flash Player is required to watch videos on this page

heatherruiz

Quick Links
About the Artist
Music
Achievements
Press Coverage
Return to heatherruiz's profile

At-a-Glance
One-Sheet

Hometown	Spanaway, WA
Genres
Band Members
Achievements
Upcoming Shows	None

Contact Information:

Expand All Expand All

Expand

About the Artist

Since the age of 3, Heather Renee Ruiz knew she wanted to be a singer. The power that comes out of her petite frame combined with her natural musicality and beautiful tone has carried her far. For years, she traveled around the Puget Sound with Dance Theater NW, which gave her the opportunity to sing with a live orchestra. One orchestra member once said, “She has the voice of an angel!” She also made several trips to New York dancing, singing and impressing Broadway producers with her natural talent. This talent helped her win first place out of 30,000 contestants at a local singing contest in 2005

More importantly, however, has been her goal of making a quality album that displays her versatility. Heather has been sending out demos since she was 15, but 2 years ago, she decided to record a complete album that would show her passion for various musical genres. In between work and college classes, Heather has spent time and tears visiting various local recording studios, meeting with musicians to arrange music, and recording songs she has worked on.

The first year of this project was definitely a learning experience and continues to be. Heather experienced many ups and downs, but she pressed forward, and in the beginning of 2007, she began working with a Grammy award winning songwriter/producer, Kenny LaMar. Kenny and Heather worked for months on finding the right sound and accompaniment to suit her purer and classical sounding voice. In May, Heather visited Triad Studios in Redmond to record a 17-piece jazz band. Hearing “Ain’t That a Kick in the Head” played by a live brass section really made this song and the other show tunes come to life. She also had the pleasure of working with Sue Ann Carwell, an established singer/songwriter who has worked with Whitney Houston, Celine Dion, and Christina Aguilera to name a few. Sue Ann ended up recording some amazing backup vocals on one of Heather’s originals

In the latter half of 2007 and early 2008 Heather experienced a couple of photo shoots an began the final mixing stages of her unique project. Recording a few vocals and doing some final missing at Studio X (once “Bad Animal” owned by rock band “Heart”) in Seattle gave her more insight into the musical scene of the Pacific Northwest. Heather mastered her CD at another Seattle hotspot, RFI CD Mastering, where Rick Fisher, who has engineered at Capital and Steve Miller’s Sailor Studio, finalized the audio portion of this project.

Now that her debut album is complete, Heather is already making plans for the second CD. In the meantime, her team is working hard on promoting and advertising “Remember the Passion.” A commercial is in store, as well as radio play, and she’s currently trying to display her CD’s in stores, such as Wal-Mart, Border’s and Target. Stay tuned to what happens next, especially her performance schedule and new music video: “The Very Thought of You.

Expand

Music

Expand

Achievements

Reached 43rd in Best of Pop chart in 2011. In the top 100 for 9 weeks.

February 2010 Pop Videos

January 2010 Pop Videos

Expand

Press Coverage

Ballad singer wins Puyallup Fair contest by
Out of 30,000 participants Heather Ruiz sprung ahead with her rendition of Josh Groban's song, You Raise Me Up.

Heather Ruiz - Remember The Passion by Tacoma Weekly
Puyallup singer Heather Ruiz's album "Remember The Passion" is an astounding showcase of locally grown talent. The album is a mix of timeless jazz and classical songs, along with a few originals. The album opens with "One More Touch," co-written by Ruiz and her producer Kenny LaMar. This song is one of three originals on the album. The original songs are slower and certainly have their moments, but they also have a tendency to drag on. They also have a heavily synthesized sound, which makes the songs a bit too heavy and diluted. Most of the songs on the album will be familiar to lovers of jazz and classical music, as they include "Ain't That A Kick In The Head," "New York, New York," and "The Very Thought of You. Ruiz has a rich and commanding voice that specially shows through on the swing numbers. Her performance of "New York, New York" made famous by Frank Sinatra, is powerful and enchanting. Ruiz has another solid performance in George and Ira Gershwin's "They Can't Take That Away From Me." Ruiz's voice is subtle and sassy on this song. Toward the end of the album, listeners get a taste of more classical sounds. The ninth track is a cover of Japanese composer Shigeru Umebayashi's "Lovers," off the soundtrack for the film "House of Flying Dagger." Yet again, listeners can hear another dimension of Ruiz's voice on this haunting , beautiful song. Following this is Giacomo Puccini's "O mio babbino caro," which is again a strong and beautiful performance by Ruiz. More than many other singers, jazz singers really need to be performers, and listeners can tell that is exactly what Ruiz is. The powers and emotion that seep through the speakers is intoxicating; it is hard not to get caught up in some of Ruiz's better performances. Ruiz's performance on the album is at once arresting and freeing: one can't help feeling entranced, while at the same time liberated. Ruiz is certainly a versatile performer. The music is marketed as a classical and jazz album, but it also has some hints of contemporary popular music. While the album has its weak points, it is never in Ruiz's voice, which always shines through. Reviewed by Meghan Erkkinen

Local singer combines the old and the new by Tacoma Weekly
Local singer combines the old and the new By John Larson Tacoma Weekly jlarson@tacomaweekly.com Published on: September 04, 2008 Heather Ruiz is as comfortable singing pop standards from 50 years ago as adult contemporary material. With her vocal range, she could sing opera if she wanted to. A young woman cut from the same cloth as the female vocalists of the big band era, Ruiz is clearly doing something unique in the local music scene. Ruiz was a shy child growing up in Puyallup. Adults around her wondered whether she could even speak. Singing is what pulled her out of her shell. At a Christmas party at age 3 she offered to sing a song, her ABCs. “Most people do not feel comfortable on stage. I feel most comfortable on stage,” she remarked. Offstage she feels she is somewhat introverted. At 13 she began taking lessons from Jack Gorrecht at Garray Music Studios in Puyallup. By 16 she was teaching lessons, something she still does. She also took dance lessons from Dance Theatre Northwest and performed often with the group. That helped develop the stage presence she utilizes while singing on stage. “That really helped a lot.” Ruiz began recording demos at 15. She has wanted to do a proper album for some time, and spent the last few years working on her debut, “Remember The Passion,” which was released recently. It contains some pop standards as well as original material. In early 2007 she began working with songwriter and producer Kenny LaMar. She also worked with songwriter Sue Ann Carwell, who did some backing vocals on some of Ruiz’s original songs. She got in recording sessions in between working and wrapping up her studies for a bachelor’s degree in psychology at the University of Washington-Tacoma. The album contains covers of pop classics such as Frank Sinatra’s “New York, New York” and “Ain’t That A Kick In The Head” by Dean Martin. Her father turned her on to such artists, as well as acts like Chicago and Earth, Wind & Fire. Her versatility is a strong suit as well as an indicator of her diverse musical tastes. Brass sections appeal to her, and Ruiz loves the big band sound. “I wanted to showcase my versatility,” she said. She notes how many people load songs from numerous genres on their iPods. “I figured, why not put it all on one CD? Why go down the same road as everyone else? I wanted to bring people back to an era of unforgettable melodies,” she said. “It has been an adventure.” Her desire to do a top-notch album led her to recording with a 17-piece jazz band at Triad Studios in Redmond. She also recorded at Studio X in Seattle and mastered the songs at RFI CD Mastering in Seattle. “I put everything I had into it,” Ruiz commented. Some of her originals reveal a Celine Dion influence. Ruiz said Dion is her favorite singer, and she caught her show in Las Vegas twice. “I was absolutely floored. I had tears in my eyes.” When she performs live she sings to pre-recorded tracks. Ruiz wants to assemble a band, but her style of music makes this challenging. For one, to recreate the music on her album she would need a small orchestra. Many jazz musicians are older and approach performances in a businesslike manner; they want to know their work hours and pay scale in advance. The type of band she needs may not be financially feasible right now. “I am still an unknown artist. I have to deal with the resources I have,” she said. The Seattle/Tacoma area attracts national attention for its rock acts, but can a singer like Ruiz get noticed here? She hopes she will not need to move away to advance her career, but realizes that might be necessary. “I probably will have to venture out.” For now she is working hard lining up gigs, promoting her album and planning for a music video. Ruiz donates a portion of money from her performances and album sales to United Way of Pierce County. Her commitment to giving back to the community stems from her health issues. Ruiz was born with spina bifida, a condition that can hinder walking and damage organs. She underwent surgery to fuse some vertebrae at 18 months. The condition led to scoliosis, which led to another surgery at Children’s Hospital in Seattle at 12. She would like to do a benefit concert for the hospital that treated her. “I can pursue my dreams. Not everyone is that lucky,” she said. “I have always enjoyed helping people. Music brings a smile to people’s faces. If I can touch one person I guess I am doing my job.” Heather Ruiz performs at the Endless Summer Deck Party at Freighthouse Square, which runs from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Sept. 6, and at 21 Commerce at 9 p.m. Sept. 19.

See More of heatherruiz's Photos

iAnEAqqqq

Video Playback Error

heatherruiz

About the Artist

Music

Photos

Videos

Photos

Videos

Achievements

Press Coverage