Anyone who enjoys Ava Max’s singing at The Chance in Poughkeepsie on Saturday can thank those in Albania who trained her mother to sing opera.

Max’s mother in her homeland studied at a school that specialized in opera. And though she never sang professionally, Max’s mother sang often around the house and left a big impression on her 6-year-old daughter.

“That’s how I started,” Max told the Journal during a recent telephone interview. “I was mimicking her at a young age.”

On Dec. 8, you can see how far Max has come when she performs during the K104 Not So Silent Night concert at The Chance. The holiday extravaganza is staged annually by Fishkill-based WSPK (104.7 FM). Charli XCX, Dinah Jane from Fifth Harmony, Bryce Vine and Pros & Icons are also on the bill.

K104 also stages the annual KFEST concert each June.

“The holidays definitely bring people together,” Max said. “It’s definitely a little happier — busier but happier. I like how it’s just super-exciting times. It’s the end of the year. Everyone is feeling ready to start a new chapter.”

This concert is being presented by Dutchess Community College and a portion of the proceeds will benefit Grace Smith House in Poughkeepsie, which for over 40 years has provided support services for victims of domestic violence services. These include shelter, advocacy, counseling, prevention and education.

“Grace Smith House is thrilled,” said Executive Director Michele Pollock Rich. “We are excited to have K104 and Dutchess Community College's support to ‘break the silence’ surrounding domestic violence. Money raised during the event will be spent to enhance program services and help ensure children in our programs enjoy a happy holiday.”

Born in Wisconsin to Albanian immigrants and raised in Virginia, Max began performing in public — singing pop tunes by the likes of Alicia Keys, Mariah Carey and Celine Dion in competitions — before entering high school. One of those competitions, in Florida, included an audience of more than 3,000 people and Max placed second.

The family moved to California when she was 14, then back east to South Carolina, then back to California when she was 17. Max was in search of fame as a musician.

“No one wanted to work with me,” she said. “It was that weird stage of, do I give up or keep going? Because I didn’t give up and I still kept going, as hard as it was, then I met Cirkut and he took me under his wing. We worked together and the rest is history.”

Max was invited by a mutual friend to a birthday party for record producer Cirkut, who has worked with Rihanna, Katy Perry and The Weeknd. And she found herself singing “Happy Birthday" to him.

A recording contract with APG/Atlantic Records followed, in early 2017. And Max reached a wide audience of listeners thanks to her performance on Le Youth’s 2017 hit, “Clap Your Hands.”

Max's own hit, “Not Your Barbie Girl,” racked up many views on YouTube. And that was followed by the success of her Cirkut-produced single, “Sweet but Psycho;” and her performance on David Guetta’s song, “Let It Be Me.”

And it all comes back to Max’s love of singing, which was nurtured by her opera-loving mother.

“Every time I would sing I felt that this was my purpose,” she said. “I thought, I am supposed to do this.”

John W. Barry: jobarry@poughkeepsiejournal.com, 845-437-4822, Twitter: @JohnBarryPoJo

If you go

K104 Not So Silent Night concert with Charli XCX, Dinah Jane, Bryce Vine and Pros & Icons

When: Saturday. Doors open at 6:30 p.m. Show time is 8 p.m.

Where: The Chance, 6 Crannell St., Poughkeepsie

Admission: General admission tickets cost $31. Tickets for the show and to meet Dinah Jane cost $99.

Information: Visit www.k104online.com. and www.thechancetheater.com; or call 845-838-6000 or 845-471-1966.

Bryce Vine

Musician Bryce Vine is a chart-topper and his song "Drew Barrymore" has generated more than 110 million streams on Spotify, according to www.prnewswire.com.

He grew up in California and he’s never been to Poughkeepsie, but he was born in New York and said, “I was raised by New Yorkers. And they’re very much real people. We don’t pretend like things aren’t the way that they are. We don’t really sugarcoat.”

As for inspiration, Vine said he finds it in “a lot of things I just comes across in real life.”

He continued, “I try to be open to new experiences and stuff, so I can go back and write about it in my own words... It’s just kind of how I process the world around me. It’s just how I’ve decided that writing about the world is how I’m going to show how I see it. That’s just how I do it. I like the process. I don’t know any other way.”

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