Meet Krissy Dorn | Literary Translator, Vocalist & Voice Teacher, co-founder of Jewel Box Musical Theater

We had the good fortune of connecting with Krissy Dorn and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Krissy, can you walk us through the thought-process of starting your business?
I’ve started two businesses in my life – right after college I went into the translating business as a freelancer working for publisher’s in Munich, Germany. It was a matter of good networking and getting recommendations from colleagues and editors to build that career. After about 25 years of doing that I decided that I needed more music in my life and more interaction with other people – translating books is a pretty lonely job. As a freelance literary translator, I had always been able to sing and perform and study music and voice on the side. But I never really dared thinking about building a career in the artistic field. When I moved to California and started performing, I got a feeling that I’d still be capable of taking my music to a professional level – and I discovered my passion for teaching voice. It must have been the famous California spirit 🙂 After returning to Germany, I started a 3 yrs education at the Complete Vocal Institute in Copenhagen, Denmark, I graduated in 2020 and started my second business as a vocal coach. Whereas my first business was a decision for economic safety, my second business was sparked by my passion for the arts – but also my passion for teaching that I didn’t even know I had in me until later in life. It feels like this thing had to ripen until the time was right for it. Also, the move to California seemed to really shift my view on things and how I wanted to live my life. I am very happy with my new career. As a voice teacher and a theater producer I feel like I have great impact on people’s lives and I love to inspire those who come to work with me.

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
I used to be a singing translator and linguist, now I am a translating singer/voice teacher. I am an “ampersand” by nature. I’ve always had two things in my life that really got me going – music & languages, performing & writing – even though it took me years to consciously and proudly bring the two together. After high school I decided to go for the language route because it seemed safer to me as a professional career. I got a college degree in languages and translating (English, French & Russian). The music was more of a side thing until I moved to California where I finally found my musical theater crowd! At times, I needed to let go of one of the things to give the other some more room. As a freelancer, this can be tough – you never know if new career plans work out until they do. What really helped me change careers was a 3 yrs education in Denmark that got me a degree as a voice teacher (authorised teacher in Complete Vocal Technique). The skills and inspiration I got there really made all the difference and encouraged me to dare start a new business as a vocal coach. Today, I feel like everything I’ve ever created as a literary translator, making fiction and non-fiction accessible to non-English speakers, and as an artist and teacher in music, comes together to bring out the best version of me. The Jewel Box Musical Theater, my latest creation, is now the icing on the cake, combining intercultural communication, performing arts and singing. “Powerful things happen when you start putting in the work to achieve your goals. You become addicted to the progress and fall in love with the process”, they say and I can only agree. That’s a strong lesson I’ve learned.
So – if you’re looking for a voice coach that can not only help you improve your voice, but also inspire you in many other ways, I’m the right person for you.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
I love the ocean, so I would always take friends there, probably to the Santa Monica boardwalk area. I would do outings to Yucca Valley for some horse back riding with our friends at the Knob Hill Ranch, drive out into the Mojave desert for some artistic inspiration (view over Coachella Valley!), also there’s a small café out in the little town of Joshua Tree called Crossroads Café, they make a mean breakfast. Also, I just discovered recently that Old Pasadena has a lovely shopping and dining district with Victorian and Art Deco buildings. I’ve been away from California for a few years now, and I love living in Germany, but I come back regularly to visit friends and check out my old turf. There’s always something new to discover!

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
You need a village to raise a child, and that’s how I feel about my success as a translator and a performer/voice teacher! Apart from my family who supports me in anything I do, no matter what, there’s a few people that definitely had a big impact on my career(s). First of all, my dear friend, LA actress Courtney Shaffer – Courtney deserves my deepest gratitude. She would drive miles to come to see me perform and always encouraged me to pursue my goals even when I had doubts, she would give me the feedback I needed and supported me on my path to becoming a vocal coach.
My friend and colleague John James Rinaldi from Orange CA who makes it look so easy to just go ahead and found a musical theater company and produce a show!
A shout-out goes to Jon Kellerman, award-winning writer – I got to translate a couple of his wonderful thriller novels into German, and he graciously welcomed me in his beautiful home in Beverly Hills a few years back. We ended up connecting not only over literature and writing, but also over music in actually having a little jam session together.
There’s a lot more people around the world and in California, notably in the San Francisco Bay Area who have helped me become the person I am today. You know who you are!

Website: www.krissydorn.com + www.literarische-uebersetzerin.de + www.jewelboxmusicaltheater.com

Instagram: krissyrita + jewelboxmt

Linkedin: Krissy Dorn

Facebook: Krissy Dorn Vocal Coaching + Jewel Box Musical Theater

Youtube: Krissy Dorn Vocals & Vocal Coaching