Bullfighters talk about the "moment of truth" - a moment when past and future meet before the bull in a second of frozen time.
For Martha Chavez, the singer, that moment came in Chicago. Her career as a nationally prominent vocalist was poised on the runway, ready for take off."I was singing every night for a very rich crowd at the time," she says. "Then all of a sudden I thought, `Is this what I want to do with my life? Do I have more to offer than this?' "
The answer, of course, was "more to offer."
Chavez returned to Utah to continue her singing career. But she also began giving private vocal lessons. At first, just a few kids came to her home; but eventually the sign-up sheet was filled to overflowing. She needed to expand.
"I found a studio in Murray and told the landlord I couldn't afford what he was asking. Then I made him an offer and told him to take it or leave it. He took it."
Today Vocal Techniques has grown even more and has become a force in the local music community. Chavez, Maria Mota and Elaine Vigil run the operation. The studio has 100 students and four teachers. Its graduates have performed in Las Vegas, sung the national anthem at a National Football League Game and won several national talent searches.
The future is bright, with former students returning to teach in a budding outreach program.
Chavez is pleased. Getting to this point has been a task; a long, twisting road from her roots in Texas tornado country. Born in Plainview, Texas, the singer grew up in a home where the mother and father sang often and well.
"My mom was always singing around the house," she says. "I'd always imitate her, and she'd say, `Please let me finish my own song if you don't mind.' "
After winning some regional honors in Texas, Chavez ended up at BYU where she competed often, gained confidence and began singing in a classical vein. She won an all-state classical singing competition. Then, in 1985, she won the national Patsy Cline "Sweet Dreams" singing competition. A tape soon followed - "Martha Chavez, With Love" - along with the obligatory tours and talents festivals. But her heart was never in the clubs and concert halls. It was in Murray, Utah.
She came home - much like Michael Ballam before her - to share her success with others. Currently Chavez is helping produce an LDS Primary songbook in Spanish and working on Spanish versions of songs by Janice Kapp Perry.
Her tape - "Llamado a Servir" (Called to Serve) - is one of the best-kept secrets in local music. Along with LDS artists Michael Dowdle and Sam Cardon, Chavez offers renditions of "I Am a Child of God," "I Know That My Redeemer Lives" and other popular hymns in their Spanish versions on the tape. Cardon and Dowdle also do some impressive instrumental work. It's available at Deseret Book.
With her classical training and powerful voice, Chavez is able to bring impressive power and passion to traditional, inspirational material. Her voice - operatic in quality, popular in phrasing and style - tends to wither the competition in talent shows, making other pop artists appear pale and tentative by comparison.
When Chavez steps to the mike, the varsity is on the field.
"Mexican ranchera music is even harder to do than classical music," she says. "You have to go through so many registers, sing in so many different ways. If you can sing a ranchera, you can sing just about anything."
Still, the singer's focus remains on the success of her students. She no longer takes all comers ("Sometimes I have to recommend a very good piano teacher," she says). But those with some natural ability and a go-getter attitude are in for a delightful ride. Vocal Technique students have appeared on television and in local theater productions. One group recently returned from a tour of Houston. Several will highlight the upcoming Dickens Festival. Many earn scholarships to Utah universities.
"Because Elaine, Maria and I are Hispanic, people think Vocal Techniques is only for the Hispanic community," Chavez says. "But it's not. We actually have a wonderful blend of students - white, African-American, Polynesian, Italian. We're breaking a lot of cultural barriers."
Today, after years of courting stardom and struggling with the dog-eat-dog world of show business, Chavez has reduced her philosophy to a simple, straight-forward sentence or two.
"What I try to do," she says, "is instill in students the desire to do their very best. Then I try to pass on to them whatever I can."
With Vocal Techniques, Chavez has made an investment in Utah's youth.
And the investment is paying handsome dividends.