After graduating college, Corinda spent five years studying at Carnegie Hall with Carlo Menotti, vocal coach to legends Tony Bennett, Judy Garland, Harry Belafonte, Connie Frances, and Bobby Darrin.
Working as a temp and juggling small gigs, soap opera walk-ons, and bit parts, Corinda was offered a full time job at DC Comics where she began her 25 year career the book publishing industry. But when not at her 9-5 gig, you could find her rehearsing, recording, writing and performing. Eventually she moved up the corporate ladder to Vice President at Penguin, when she asked herself: “How in the hell did this happen?” She was good at her job…just not good at her life! It was time to take some control before AARP starting sending her membership packages.
Then one morning without hesitation, and without taking off her coat, she walked into her boss’s office and said: I’ve got to get out of here. Realizing that was a common phrase from Carford, her boss just nodded and expected her to leave and come back the next day, until he saw she meant “really, and seriously out of the building.”
Once she got home she realized she still had a lot of personal responsiblity--like food and shelter and her feline tribe---so she began working with a few publishing clients and buddies like Fern Michaels, and John Edward, as well as Toni Weisskopf of Baen Books.
Then everything changed.
On September 11, as she watched the smoke on the horizon Corinda and several “neighbors” joined their communities together to form “The Alliance of Neighbors of Monmouth County”.—an all volunteer organization— to bring compassion and unity to the local families and communities who suffered tragic losses. The group decided to give a benefit concert, and the artists began to sign on. Corinda never intended to be one of the acts for the concert—-she felt her talent for organization would best serve the cause. However, as co-producer of the concert, Corinda suddenly found herself with a request for from Garry Tallent— bass player with the E Street Band,—to find a few more singers like herself and get ready to do some “back-ups”. With only days left before the first rehearsal, Corinda went to a local church, pleading with Jesse Moore, one of the choir directors: “You have to help me! I need about 10 backup singers, and they all have to sound good with me!” And so an amazing thing happened. She found herself on stage with many of the artists, including Bruce Springsteen.
Two months after the concerts, Corinda and her fellow musicians—-now known as The Alliance Choir—were asked to perform at Springsteen’s Holiday Concerts in Asbury Park. Three months later they were reunited and had the opportunity to work on Bruce’s new CD, The Rising, where the six voices blended again—Mary’s Place; Let’s Be Friends; and City of Ruins.
Corinda believes that had she not left her corporate job she would not have been able to work on the benefit concerts, “I would not have been available if I still worked at my previous job. I was here in Monmouth County with flexible hours so it was possible for me to throw myself into the Alliance project. I never thought it would bring so many rewards on so many levels! I really wanted to do it for my community—my neighbors, my friends…my fellow commuters who I would never see again. It began as an act of sheer faith, then compassion and has now turned into a miracle in my life.”
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