Melody Sparks graduated from Azusa Pacific University (APU) with the first ever double Bachelor of Music in Vocal Performance and Piano Performance, and earned her Master of Music degree in Vocal Arts from USC Thornton School of Music. She was honored to study voice with Patricia Edwards, DMA and piano with Joel Clifft, DMA at APU, and voice with renowned vocologist Lynn Helding at USC. Her operatic roles include The Sandman (Too Many Sopranos), Fiordiligi (Così Fan Tutte), and Camila (Pepito). In 2019, she was the soprano soloist for Mahler’s 4th Symphony with the APU Symphony Orchestra under the direction of Christopher Russell, and she was also accepted to the Young Artist Program at Songfest, a summer art festival for classical singers. Sparks was a soprano soloist in all four choirs she sang in at APU, including the award-winning APU Chamber Singers.
Along with her solo career, Sparks is a singer/songwriter, pianist, and recording artist with her sister, Violet, as The Sparks Sisters. They are a classical crossover music duo working in collaboration with 5-time Grammy nominated producer Billy Smiley out of Nashville, TN. An album of their original music entitled “Full Circle” is out now on all streaming platforms, and they have plans to tour and bring their music to the world in hopes of encouraging and inspiring others.
Outside of music, Melody is an aspiring author and enjoys writing poetry, short stories, and novels.
In the Fall of 2021, Melody was diagnosed with Guillain-Barre Syndrome. Read about her health journey at the link below.
Currently, Sparks is a staff singer for the Long Beach Camerata Singers and is active in the Los Angeles area as a freelance musician. She recently had her professional opera debut as a member of the chorus for Pacific Opera Project’s Don Bucefalo. As a session singer, she has recorded vocals for a variety of projects, including a TV show soundtrack by Academy Award winning composer Akihiko Matsumoto. Sparks teaches voice lessons at the West Covina High School Performing Arts Academy, is a vocal coach for Cypress High School, has served as a musical director at Mt. SAC Early College Academy, and has her own private studio of vocal and piano students.
“Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things.”
— Philippians 4:8