, jazz singer and vocal improviser in Quebec City
Karine Champagne
Singer, composer, vocal improviser
I sing jazz, I improvise in scat, and I layer my voice live with a looper. On stage, in schools, and in master classes.
Polonaise
Karine Champagne · Jazzy Mama
Quebec, Canada, Europe and online
About
I found my voice in scat
I'm a singer, composer and vocal improviser living in Quebec City. My specialty is scat: improvising with the voice on made-up syllables, a bit like a saxophone would. On stage I add a looper. It records my voice live, so I can build my own accompaniment one layer at a time.
I dug deep into scat during a doctorate in music, in research-creation, at Université Laval . What I learned there, I use as much on stage as with my students.
I write songs in French, English and German. My album Jazzy Mama came out in 2025.
I sing and teach in Quebec, elsewhere in Canada, in Europe, and online too.
What I do
- 02
In schools
Scat ta vie!, a vocal improvisation workshop for all ages, from daycare to university and beyond, across time and differences.
About the workshop - 03
Masterclasses
Phonetic pools: a new way to explore sounds and enrich your vocal improvisation.
Ask about a masterclass - 04
Research
A doctorate in music at Université Laval, in research-creation, devoted to scat.
Explore my research
The album
Jazzy Mama
Album, 2025
My album came out in 2025. You can listen to it on the platform of your choice.
Jazzy Mama is a 12-track album where jazz, vocal improvisation and song meet in a playful, contemporary, multilingual world. Carried by the voice and by scat (phonetic pools), the album explores joy, resilience and the freedom to create with sound. Karine Champagne is surrounded by Sébastien Champagne, Jérémie Carrier, Mathieu Deschenaux and Olivier Bussières, with the participation of Laurent Barbier and Dayron Luis San Juan.
Shows
On stage
The next chances to hear me in concert.
No dates announced yet
Upcoming concerts will be listed here. In the meantime, I post news on Instagram and Facebook.
Planning an event?
Festival, concert hall, private party or corporate event: write to me and we'll figure out which format works for you.
School workshop
Scat ta vie!
A vocal improvisation workshop: students discover scat, then invent a piece together and build it live with a looper.
I adapt it to each group, from the little ones in daycare all the way to college (CEGEP) and university students, beyond time and differences.
Playing loads the YouTube player (youtube-nocookie.com).
The workshop in five stages
- 1
Introduction
We explore scat, the looper and your own voice.
- 2
Warm-up
First games with syllables and rhythms, all together.
- 3
Exploration
Everyone looks for their own sounds.
- 4
Creation
We put the ideas together into a group piece, one loop at a time.
- 5
Performance
We perform and record the creation live.
Practical details
- Who it's for
- All levels, from daycare (30 to 45 min sessions), to elementary and high school (60 to 180 min sessions), right up to college (CEGEP) and university (recurring sessions). Organizations and festivals.
- Length
- Typical session of 30 to 180 min, with one break
- Where
- Anywhere in Quebec
- When
- September to July
- On site
- Access to electricity and a safe, spacious area
- Setup
- 30-45 min before the session
In class, by age
Gallery
In pictures
Pictures from the stage and from workshops, and a few taken outdoors. Tap a photo to enlarge it.
The app · Coming soon
Wake up your voice every morning
An app by Jazzy Mama: Vox Flex
I'm working on a vocal warm-up app: short video or audio sessions to follow in the morning while you get ready. A quick version when time is short, a full one when you feel like it.
It's for singers, and for anyone who talks all day long: teachers, lawyers, customer service staff.
Sign up to hear when it launches.
Rates
Three ways to work together
The fee depends on the format, the length and the travel. Tell me what you have in mind and I'll send you a proposal.
Show
A jazz concert with my band, or a scat and looper set, for a festival, a venue or a private event.
On request
- In Quebec, across Canada and in Europe
- Length and line-up adapted to your event
Scat ta vie! workshop
The vocal improvisation workshop for schools, from daycare to university... and beyond!
On request
- Session of 30 to 180 min, with or without a break. Flexible format.
- Anywhere in Quebec, September to July
- Setup 45 minutes before the session
Master Class
Phonetic pools: exploring sounds, expanding your scat, freeing your voice and singing professionally or simply to feel alive, with no judgment on the quality of your voice, for the sheer pleasure of singing.
On request
- Master class: From Phoneme to Vocal Gesture: Rethinking Scat Through Phonetic Pools.
- Scat Concert: Jazzy Mama
For schools: the workshop is listed in the Culture-Education Directory of Quebec's Ministry of Culture.
Prices are in Canadian dollars, plus taxes.
Contact
Let's talk
A show, the Scat ta vie ! workshop in your school, a singing event or just a question: choose your request, give me a few details and I'll get back to you by email.
Reach me directly
Based in Quebec City. I work in Quebec, across Canada, in Europe and online.