Community Building in the Washington, DC area!!

SFP Editor: How did you first become interested in singing? Victor Li: I think it must have started about 17 years ago in school and church. I was not in the church choir but I did enjoy singing along. I always enjoyed music class and I was also in a couple of school musicals.

SFP Editor: Which jazz singers have influenced you the most and why?

Victor Li: Jazz vocals are all about rhythm and phrasing. Although Frank Sinatra is not considered strictly as a jazz singer, he did have a unique way of phrasing songs and I've adopted a lot of his styling. Others from that era include Tony Bennett, Bobby Darin, and Ella Fitzgerald. I think there are very few dominant male vocalists today, especially in jazz. Recently I've been listening to Diana Krall.

SFP Editor: Where do you go regularly to practice and try out new tunes?

Victor Li: I like to sing at a couple of piano bars in northern Virginia. In particular, Le Canard in Vienna where Michael Terence, an outstanding pianist, provides the musical accompaniment.

SFP Editor: Describe the experience recording your CD?

Victor Li: It's just a demo CD. I worked with an excellent piano accompanist (June Dunaphant) in Atlanta, GA who recorded the tracks of some of my favorite popular standards. I basically used them with my very primitive home audio equipment to record the vocals. It was fun to do but also tiring since it sometimes took many takes to get the desired result. Hopefully it will become easier as I learn from experience.

SFP Editor: What about performing do you enjoy the most?

Victor Li: I am happy when I sing to myself alone in my home. It's a bonus when I have the chance to perform and entertain in front of an audience. Whether its an upbeat tune, a romantic ballad, or a sad song, it's very rewarding if I can bring the audience into the song and relate the emotions and feelings through how the song is sung.

SFP Editor: When you are not singing jazz, what do you do?

Victor Li: I am an economics professor. I've previously taught at Penn State and Princeton. Currently I am teaching at the U.S. Naval Academy and next year I'll be at Villanova University in Philadelphia. Teaching and research keeps me busy. I think part of why I enjoy teaching is similar to why I enjoy singing -- being in front of the classroom is also sort of a performance.

SFP Editor: If you could have dinner with Frank Sinatra, what would you discuss and eat?

Victor Li: We would probably go for Italian cuisine, just to put him in a good mood. I would really like to ask him about his career and what he feels his contributions are to American popular music. He had a real talent for interpreting music so I would definitely ask him how he developed his styling and phrasing of songs. I am not much of a drinker and I don't like to stay out too late, so he'll probably be soon bored by our night out on the town.

SFP Editor: What is your dream gig?

Victor Li: Probably Carnegie Hall with at least a fifty piece big band orchestra. It would be great if I could do a live duet with Celine Dion singing "All the Way" (she's recorded this duet electronically with Sinatra). It's just a dream. I'd be happy if I could do just do a gig in Vegas.

SFP Editor: Are you available to perform? How can one reach you? Victor Li: Sure. I am always looking for opportunities to perform (In addition to the piano bars, I've done weddings and Border's Books). Just email me at Victor_E_Li@yahoo.com.