Help AIVALE Spread Love & Kindness Through Music!

UPDATE 11 March 2024

Updated pic is of everyone that attended my intimate concert on the 09 March 2024. Thanks to these wonderful people. I have taken the money raised from my first, 'To Aotearoa with Love' Concert in Auckland where we made a profit of £495 (NZD$990) away from the target number from £8,000 - £7,500. YAY!! Which means we have now raised 36% !! Thank you so much to Claire Caldwell the Founder of Musicatalyst Studios for allowing me to give the very first recital from her studio. Here's to one of many in the future!! Thank you to everyone who attended the concert!! I will always treasure that concert for a very long time!! XOXO

Continue reading my story below...

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New Zealand Concert Tour!

Help AIVALE spread Love and Kindness through music!!

My name is Aivale Cole. I am an opera singer, I am known as 'Samoan Soprano' on social media. I was born and raised in Aotearoa, New Zealand and moved to London, United Kingdom 13 years ago.

My friends have encouraged me to do this fundraising page. Before you make any decisions read on and get to know me a bit more.

Who is Aivale? I am married with two off-spring (LOL) and after more than a decade of being a stay at home mum, turned full-time nanny in London. I decided to pursue my dreams (AGAIN!) as a 'Solo Artist'. I studied singing for six years. In 1996, I was 19 when I entered the world of Classical singing and although I had plans for what I wanted to do and where I wanted to go, two years later I met a wonderful man who would become my husband. I didn’t factor into my plans that I would fall in love and have children. No regrets! To this day it’s the best decision I ever made.

I changed my plans to suit my young family because it wasn’t about me anymore. We moved to Australia in 2004 where I was offered a full scholarship to study at the Australian Opera Studio in Perth and that made such a huge difference for our family financially and the school itself was a TOP institution to learn the Art of Singing and more.

After Perth, we moved back to New Zealand in 2009 for two years to spend time with our families before making the big move to London, United Kingdom in 2011. I was fortunate to have an agent sorted before moving to the UK. Navigating a young family and full time jobs was going well. Then my kids school contacted me regarding the concerns they had with my son. He was going through stuff. Hes the loveliest boy (now amazing young man). I don’t want to go into too much detail but I could see my future adult son having major issues if my husband and I didn’t do something about it. So, I decided to be a stay at home mum and be there for my son (and daughter). I left my agent and focussed on my children. (I have no regrets doing this, children need their parents to make them feel safe, loved and to cheer them on as they journey through life). Four years on I felt confident enough to go back to work but not confident enough to go back to singing and possible travel again. I wanted to be close in case my son (and daughter) needed me.

Living on one income in London was hard. My husband and I remained positive and supportive with each other. When times were tough I had the most loving community of friends who came through for me at the absolute perfect time and they had no idea what we were going through. I needed to go back to work to contribute to the bills and I could do things with the kids on the weekends. I wanted to work close to home so I was there for the kids if needed.

A friend suggested I should become a nanny because I am great with kids. So, I did for nine years, but the dream of singing would creep back in especially after singing at a concert or opera. I decided to take a risk at 47 years of age to pursue singing again. So as of July 2023 I ended my nannying career to begin the journey as a solo artist. It really felt right to do this and scary too. It's a big risk!

I have put on my own concerts and have been contracted to sing in some pretty lovely venues, but I really feel my calling is spreading love and kindness through music. There is so much war, so much hate and its spreading everywhere, on our screens, in the newspapers, on our social media feeds. We need to fill our love tanks and to embrace love, joy and hope once again for in our communities.

What is this project? February 2024. I am self-funding a tour in New Zealand jI have titled, 'TO AOTEAROA WITH LOVE' and I am so excited to be doing this.

I can’t wait to touch down on home soil, to sing to all my loved ones, family, friends, music lovers who enjoy my singing and have kept in touch with me during my on and off absence from the stage.

It’s become a bit of a burden funding it but I don’t want to give up on this dream. I am organising concerts in Auckland (09 March), Hamilton (05 April), Christchurch (09 April) and my hometown, Wellington (12 April).

I am wanting to fundraise to go towards the costs of venues, accompanists, guest singers, production costs, travel costs, crew manager. Any funds left over if it goes beyond my target I will use to book venues in both New Zealand and the United Kingdom in the near future so I can continue my journey building up my career again.

Just so you know. I’m not a stay-at-home mum and nanny that’s decided to leave their job and become a professional opera singer overnight. While I was working as a nanny, I was singing part time.

Here are some things you may not know:

I was the winner of the New Zealand top Singing Competition, ‘The Lexus Songquest - 2009’,

I sang on the soundtrack of ‘The Lord of the Rings – The Fellowship of the rings’, Track: The Bridge of Khazad Dum

I have sung in full operas in New Zealand and Australia.

I was nominated for a Helpmann Award for Best Performance in a Classical Concert with her performance of Madama Butterfly at Opera in the Park in 2008.

I attended the funeral of HRH Queen Elizabeth II at Westminster Abbey representing New Zealands Art and Culture (an honour and a memory I will never forget).

You can check out my website for more details: http://aivalecole.com/

I’m not usually a stubborn person, but when it comes to asking for help I do tend to try and do it on my own. I was taught that its ok to ask for help (as my friends have been saying to me for weeks) but my pride was stopping me. There is no harm in asking right?

I will be posting on my Instagram and Facebook my journey on this tour. Once I return to London I will continue creating projects. Thank you so much to those I know and to the complete strangers reading this, that feel generous to make a donation. I can’t wait to sing to you all back home. I want to be an example to adults in their 40s, 50s, 60s and beyond. As long as you have breath in your lungs, you can achieve your dreams. Its never too late!! I’m not getting any younger so its now or never. I choose NOW!! So I ask you again...

Help AIVALE spread Love and Kindness through music!!

Thank you for your time, Keep in touch!! XOXO