Kelly: We were recommended to audition for Coheed and Cambria by one of the instructors at the LA Music Academy...Halina and I were also roommates at the time so it worked out awesome that we both got the gig!

Halina: It all started by an email I got from the school regarding a rock band that was looking for two backup singers to bring on their US tour. This was at the end of the school year and I was packing my bags getting ready to move back to Sweden. I called to let them know I was interested, but then I had to wait for a call back. They called me the last week of school saying I had to learn “The Suffering” by Coheed and Cambria. The next day I went to the audition, which was held in a studio in Pasadena. There were a few other girls there and we all had to record the backup vocals for the song. A few days later they called to say that I had gotten the job!! We have now toured with them around the world.

Kelly: I had a drummer friend who had attended the LA Music Academy Summer Program and told me I should check out the school. I had been looking for a place to further my musical education and learn new styles of music, and, after doing some research and visiting the school, it seemed like a perfect fit.

Halina: I actually went to a music high school in Stockholm called Rytmus where I was informed about the LA Music Academy. Once I decided to move to LA and study there, I contacted one of my classmates who was already enrolled in the Vocal Program. She said good things about the school, which was a big factor in my final decision.

Kelly: There are so many things I could list here...learning music theory has been a huge help, not only when learning songs for Coheed's tours, but also with my own songwriting. I would say the biggest lesson I learned is that you have to put in all the hard work and preparation you can before the gig, but once it's show time, you just have to let go and perform.

Halina: I learned that the more knowledge you have, the better musician you will be. I have a deeper understanding of music than I had before which has helped me on many levels. Also learning how to communicate with other musicians has been very useful. I learned a lot about vocal technique and the mechanism behind it. Thanks to that, I increased my range by almost 2 octaves.

Kelly: Touring with Coheed has been incredible. Getting to travel AND sing as part of my job is such an amazing feeling. Coheed has such a loyal fan base all over the world, which makes the shows even more exciting for us because all the kids that come out are so stoked. We’re very fortunate to get to do what we do.

Halina: It has been and still is an amazing experience that is hard to describe. We have been to Japan, New Zealand, Australia, Canada, and Europe several times. We have performed for 1000 to 50,000 people almost every night. By traveling this much, you get to experience a lot of things, but at the same time, it wears on you. I am constantly away from my family and my friends. On the other hand, I get to meet a lot of interesting people and musicians on the road. We do have a lot of spare time in every city, so we’ve been able to see a lot. Working for Coheed and Cambria has taught me a lot about the “real world” of working musicians. This is something you cannot learn any other way than actually doing it.

Kelly: My best advice is to be persistent and always be over-prepared. Some gigs are huge, some are small…but they are all learning experiences and a way of paying your dues, so treat them all as if they are the most important gigs of your life.

Halina: Well, regarding getting a job I have to say that I was in the right place at the right time. Of course I had what they were looking for, but a lot of it was pure luck. I’ve heard this being said many times and I always found it annoying to read. Cause how does that help me? The best advice I can give is to always make decisions that are true to your heart and dreams, no matter how rational they may be. For me, that was moving across the world to study music. You will find yourself being in the right place at the right time.