“Melanie, you have the voice of an angel, and the looks to match. I think I'd like to work with you." (in thick NY accent)” - Bill Graham, Rock Promoter
— Bill Graham at The SweetWater, Mill Valley, CA
“Melanie is fantastic in concert! I couldn't believe she is a teacher. She was so calm, and hit every note as if she did this all the time! Good job Melanie! Love Rod” - Rod Stewart, Rock Star Extraordinaire
— Rod Stewart in Concert with Melanie
“After a gig with Rod Stewart at The Concord Pavilion, Jim wrote about Melanie in his website; "With the help and enthusiasm of America’s top teachers like Melanie Phippard, there is no doubt that our future little dreamers will be well prepared to take on the new millennium, one dream at a time.” - Jim Bickford, Promoter of Dreams, Realtor L.V.
“Teacher Rocks In Dream Show Singing Bach's "Magnificat" and conducting folk masses in Egypt as a teen may not be the most obvious career path to the stage at the Concord Pavilion. Still, Melanie Phippard figures it must have been something to do with her landing a gig singing backup to pop idol Rod Stewart at Tuesday's concert. That, and the lesson she teachers her class every day: Follow your dreams. "I always tell them, 'You can be anything you want as long as you persevere,'" said Phippard, who teaches at Valley View Elementary School. But she said you must also know how to pounce on an opportunity. For Phippard, who lives in Walnut Creek, fortune beckoned last week. "I'm coming out of Lakeridge Athletic Club in El Sobrante, driving to school, and I hear on the radio that they're having a singing contest," said Phippard. "So I picked up the phone, and I sang on the phone." She chose the Carole King hit "So Far Away." But, success was not really so far away. Phippard was one out of only four phone contestants invited to the San Francisco studios of radio station 101.3, a concert sponsor, for an in person audition early the next morning. These 4 were picked from thousands of people calling in and singing over the radio for a month. The prize: performing as backup singer to Stewart. She was one of two contestants chosen to sing at Tuesday's show. For the concert, Phippard wore a blue knit dress she bought in Nice when she was studying French. At the beginning of the set, she said "I presented Rod with a 101.3 Radio T-Shirt. Then he gave me a big hug." And when the music began to Stewart's mega-hit "Rocks," she said, "Three words into, he came over and started dancing with me. And sometime during the concert, "He pointed to us and said to the audience something like, 'Do you believe this? These girls are really great! Can you believe she is a teacher?" "It was a blast," Melanie said. Phippard started singing at Mass in her native Arlington, Va. When she was a teenager, her parent's careers took her to Africa--her mother worked for the State Department, her father for the Agency of International Develoopment. Phippard conducted choirs and folk masses at her church in Cairo. Back in the United States, she sang in the Choir at her prep school in Massachusettes. She also plays the guiar. She studied with the Conductor of the Ivory Coast. She came west to attend Mills College in Oakland. Over the years, she has played at Bay Area pubs and nightspots like the Freight & Salvage in Berkeley and Sweetwater in Mill Valley. These days, her specialty is pop and folk rock. Through the years, she hoped one day to perform with great artists. she said. Now that she's done it, she's not sure what lies ahead. But she would definately like to do it again. To those who emulate her, she offers one piece of wisdom: "Luck doesn't just happen. You have to be ready.” - Tom Lochner, Editor@ The Times
— SF BAY AREA: The Valley Times & The Contra Costa Times
“Loved It! Great melody, words...very soothing...what a beautiful voice she has as well!” - Tony Pereira
“I Iliked It very much Reviewer: Ellen M. Bulger Dear Melanie,I just received a copy of blissfull thinking and liked it very much-- especially all the classical guitar influences. You are very talented and I hope you wil have long career filled with many cds and much music always. all the best , your friend, Ellen M. Bulger” - Ellen M. Bulger
“So nice to hear a refreshing beautiful voice along with meaningful words and great guitar back ground.Thanks Chic Melanie! Way better than Joni ! Reviewer: Ron” - Ron Schafer
“Melanie, WOW! WOW !! WOW !!! You've got a NEW FAN !! The Guy in the Hot Rod at the gas station in PASO Robles !” - unknown