Where Soul, Story, and Song Meet

Lorraine Nygaard’s musical journey began in childhood. From the very beginning, music felt like home — not separate from her life, but woven into it. In the family home in Victoria, singing rose out of joy. She’d sing along to the records her mother would play throughout the day — from Johnny Mathis to Connie Francis.  Her parents often hosted spirited dance parties where the Glenn Miller Orchestra shared space with a lively yodelling polka. Music was not background; it was atmosphere, connection, celebration.

Though she sang in choir through high school and performed in cafés while still in college, it wasn’t until her 40s — working through The Artist’s Way — that Lorraine fully claimed singing as her calling. She returned to the Victoria Conservatory of Music and continued studying across genres with respected teachers, refining her technique and deepening her understanding of collaboration and craft. Over time, one truth became central: what mattered most was not just sound — but meaning.

Jazz became her artistic home. Here, melody, lyric, and improvisation merge into something alive and immediate. A note can float. A phrase can whisper. A chorus can ignite. Backed by the exceptional musicians of Steppin’Up, Lorraine thrives in that spontaneous chemistry of performance – each show a fresh creation shaped in the moment.

Her voice is warm, clear, and emotionally resonant. She sings from lived experience — love, justice, hardship, joy, family, healing. Audiences leave soothed, stirred, uplifted, or energized. For Lorraine, music is both gift and responsibility: a way to express what spoken words sometimes cannot — and to ensure that no song meant to be shared is left unsung.