A sultry, smooth and sophisticated singer, Daniels is the chanteuse of jazz, breathing life into traditional standards while also creating harmonious, soul-stirring originals that showcase her four-octave range.

Watching her perform is a treat for the ears as she pushes her pipes to the maximum during songs and adds enthusiastic bits in between, sharing the significance and personal connection to each piece. Daniels says she believes performances should be an open conversation between the singer, band and audience, thereby taking listeners on a journey.

The day after her performance at West Valley Community College on April 27, students were able to take an additional journey with Daniels as she taught a two-hour workshop on vocal technique.

"I love teaching, sharing information and gathering information. To sing, perform and be a teacher, you must be observant and able to articulate all of that information," she says. "I also remember what it's like to be a student, so I try to make it interesting for the people, fun and informative."

Her teaching style is lively and dynamic, as the tall, lean singer lends tips to finding the perfect posture for singing. She uses numerous mouth and hand gestures to emphasize her point and provides examples accompanied by the piano. She states the importance of keeping the tongue out of the way and to always be in the moment. "Even if you can't feel it, act it," she says to an assortment of students filling the theater seats.

"Using your mind is essential," she adds. "Fifty percent of singing is mental. If you can speak, you can sing, and you can learn to sing better by learning the techniques."

It is obvious that Daniels is at ease with students, never hesitating to answer a question, share secret tips or repeat examples, such as a 10-minute session in scatting methods, to drive home an important principle.

West Valley jazz director Gus Kambeitz knew of Daniels' talents, which is why he recruited her to pay a visit to the school. Kambeitz heard her perform at several festivals and co-judged with her at the British Columbia Interior Jazz Festival in 2001. "I told her that if I ever got a job, I would have her as my guest artist," he says enthusiastically. "I got this one, and I immediately called her."

Kambeitz says it was not just her range that impressed him so much, "but her interpretation of the songs."

Educating youth is nothing new to the singer, as she originally intended to be an art teacher after graduating from the University of Montana. But as she taught during the day and played more and more with bands at night, Daniels realized her true gift.

"I eventually quit and started performing all the time. I just enjoyed singing, performing, the whole lifestyle that went with it," she says.

Daniels started to sing for a rock & roll band full time, performing covers of songs by the Rolling Stones and Three Dog Night for several years. Every night she would watch the guitarists restring their instruments after their show. "I thought, 'This doesn't make sense. They can replace their strings, but I can't replace my voice,' " Daniels says. "And the music wasn't satisfying." She resigned and in only two weeks formed a group and was back onstage, fronting as the singer as well as playing piano. This time they performed what was closest to her heart—jazz.

"It was the greatest thing I ever did for myself," she says. "Jazz offered me even greater freedom to express myself musically. It's interesting—it provides me spontaneous creative freedom and allows my range to develop as well as my human being. My personal development is just as important as my career development. I understand that's where it all starts."

While touring the country, Daniels made a home in Seattle, Wash., where she lived after high school and after college. She considers it her true hometown, although she grew up in Oakland and graduated from Berkeley High School.

When the opportunity arose, Daniels went to Europe for a three-month tour, which extended into a five-year stay in Holland and Belgium. Daniels toured throughout Europe, Africa and Asia and even performed for the king and queen of Belgium.

After five years of exhaustive tours, Daniels decided to move back to North America, settling in Vancouver, British Colombia. She began holding vocal workshops throughout the country and teaching private lessons in British Columbia.

After her performing and teaching session at West Valley, Daniels is hosting an extensive vocal workshop on May 10 in British Columbia. She will also teach a class at Capilano College in North Vancouver. The class will be taped as the audiovisual element to the book she is writing, The Total-Self Approach to Singing.

"I love teaching at the college level because their minds are forming, concepts are solidifying, and to get into that and be part of it is a real joy."

For more information, visit www.deedaniels.com.