Meet Colette Falla from Guernsey, Channel Islands who moved to LA almost five years ago to pursue singing.
Was there a particular reason you chose LA?
I was looking at music schools up and down the East Coast and didn’t feel like I connected with any of the places I looked at…. I came across Musician’s Institute online, which looked really appealing for the type of music I wanted to study and saw it was located in LA on the West Coast. I had actually never been to LA before and I didn’t know anyone there, plus it was double the distance from the East Coast back home in UK… but something in my gut was telling me to go for it! I had no second thoughts or doubts, it really felt like the right decision so I booked a flight and by chance I met a British actor on the plane who had a room in LA for rent. It was perfect! I moved in that week and immediately had a great group of friends and neighbours! I got accepted into Musician’s Institute and everything fell into place for me… so it was definitely meant to be!
What one thing do you miss from home?
I miss Sundays back home… Sunday morning fry-up watching Sunday morning TV…Sunday afternoons with the papers and Sunday roast dinners with the whole family- especially when it’s raining and dark outside and you have the best excuse to do nothing all day!
What do you find the biggest difference is living here versus the UK?
For me it’s not having my family around as I spend a lot of time with them in the UK. I’ve had to build a great group of friends and get a little puppy to fill that void!! But in general, the service at restaurants is amazing here… all these pleasant, friendly, accommodating servers really add to the experience of dining anywhere from a brunch spot to a fancy restaurant. I think Americans are generally really open and expressive which has definitely rubbed off on me! Oh and also, I grew up driving in Guernsey – on little winding, country roads – so these ginormous six-lane freeways have taken a little getting used to!
Do you have a hidden gem in LA that you want to share with us?
There’s so many great restaurants and stores that everyone probably knows about, but the treat of my week is going to the West Hollywood Swimming Pool at San Vicente and Melrose. I grew up training every day for competitions and swim meets but now I just swim laps for leisure and to escape for an hour or two. I love the fact it’s outdoors, so you’re swimming in the sun, looking up at the palm trees and it’s only $2 per session 🙂
Collete has a show coming up at the Beverly Hills Hotel – visit her website for more details: www.ColetteFalla.com
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