- Ralna answers her most
frequently asked questions from her fans...
Check this page often to see what everyone's asking Ralna!
PERSONAL QUESTIONS FOR RALNA:
- Q.
How tall are you, what color are your eyes, and what month
and day were you born?
A. 5ft., 4 inches; hazel; June 19th
Q. What are some of your hobbies aside from music?
A. Tennis, yoga, reading.
Q. What is your favorite food?
A. Watermelon
Q. How about a pet peeve?
A. Clerks in department stores who don't know their merchandise.
Q: How do you like living in Scottsdale?
A: I've died and gone to heaven! I've never been so happy in a place in my life!
- Q:
From everything I have heard Ralna, you come from a really
neat family. What do your sisters do and do you have any nieces
and nephews?
A: My older sister travels with her husband...they are retired. My younger sister is a make-up artist in Hollywood. I have one nephew and one niece who live in Texas.
Q. Do you have any sisters or brothers who are musically inclined?
A. Jane has a great voice, but has stage fright and Sharon sings with the church congregation. That's about it.
Q. What is something about you that people would be surprised if they knew?
A. I cook full meals almost every day I am at home, and have music and candlelight.
Q. You've travelled the world. What is your favorite vacation spot?
A. Sedona, Arizona at this time. Also Hawaii, anytime! And, of course, PARIS!!!
Q. Who are your closest friends on The Lawrence Welk Show?
A. All the girls, really. But I have more "history" with Mary Lou and Tanya, and I consider Norma my "inspiration."
Q. Where does your name "Ralna' come from? - A. "Many
people have asked about how I got my name, specifically a few of my
namesakes. My mother, Lena Belle, was a very impressionable
teenager who read a series of romantic novels, called the "Whiteoak"
series, 16-volumes of 100 years of the wealthy Whiteoak family. The
series, written by French-Canadian Mazo de la Roche, contained one
particular book about a plantation in Canada called Jalna.My mother's intention was to name her daughter Jalna, but when
she married my dad Raul, it became Ralna."
QUESTIONS ABOUT RALNA'S PBS TV SPECIAL, "Ralna English: From My Heart":
Q: Tell us about your new cookbook, "Ralna English Family Cookbook." (Ralna published a cookbook for her PBS national TV special, "Ralna English: From My Heart." You can obtain a copy through a pledge of support to your local PBS station).
A: This is something my sisters and I have wanted to do for a long time. It was a big project, but something we feel will remain as a part of our legacy, especially to our children. We hope you will enjoy these family recipes, along with our nostalgic family photos, all collected in one place. In fact, I ran across so many wonderful photos, that we decided to add even more to the cookbook than originally planned. Just as "Ralna English: From My Heart" came straight from my heart, so this cookbook has come straight from from my heart, along with my sisters Sharon and Jane.
QUESTIONS ABOUT "THE LAWRENCE
WELK SHOW"
Q:
Did you or you and Guy ever lip-sync your solos on "The
Lawrence Welk Show?"
A: I never did, but I think Guy & I may have
lip-synched
once, possibly. And I don't even remember why. We always sang
live on the show.
Q: Someone said that if you didn't hold a microphone, you were
lip-syncing.
A: We had what was called a boom mike over us and it picked
up our vocals. You couldn't see it on camera, but it was there
and in fact, because our show was "live," on rare occasions
you might catch a glimpse of it hanging above us.
Q. Aside from joining The
Lawrence Welk Show, what would
you consider your biggest career highlight?
A. Being nominated for a Dove Award for "How Great Thou
Art."
QUESTIONS ABOUT MUSIC
& PERFORMING:
Q.What
are some of your favorite
artists (living or dead)?
A. Dead - Ella
Fitzgerald; Living
- Jane Monheit.
Q:
How do you learn music?
Do you play the piano? And how do you get the music?
A:
I get sheet music
if I'm learning a new song. I do have a piano and play enough
to learn the song and determine the key in which I will sing.
It's a process and I usually learn the lyrics and then write them
down from memory to make sure I have it.
Q: Are you going to retire?
A: Never, probably. I will slow down and I also will not do
"long stints" anymore. No more one nighters, either.
But retire, no! It's not natural to someone like me.
Q: When you travel, do you handle your own wardrobe? The
beaded
dresses that are so beautiful have to be heavy. Do you have someone
with you to do the personal things, such as hair, make-up or do
you do all of this on your own?
A: I do my own hair and make-up -- all of us do when we're
on the road.
.Q: Your Christmas
CD is one of my favorites ever! Do you have plans for future
recordings?
I hope so!
A:
No plans as of
now.
Q. Do you play any musical instruments?
A. Violin and some piano (but not too
good!)
Q. Have you ever
written a song?
A. No. Not that I haven't tried. No talent
whatsoever!
Q. Do you ever
consider songs from amateur composers, and if
so, what's the best way to send you something?
A. Yes. However, I will not be recording again soon. Songs
can be sent to P.O.
Box 14522 Scottsdale, AZ 85267-4522.
Q. How many days
do you spend on
the road each year?
A. Approximately
125.
Q. Do you do anything special to take care
of your voice?
A. Cool air humidifier, vocalizing, rest!
(At least
8 hours each night. If not, I lose it.)
Q. Aside from joining The Lawrence Welk Show,
what would
you consider your biggest career highlight?
A. Being nominated for a Dove Award for "How Great Thou
Art."
Q. What is the part of her career that you like best? Least?
A. Best: Singing; Least: Travelling.
Q. The instrumental accompaniment on your live shows is always
so pretty. Who does the arrangements?
A. Different arrangers. Joe Rizzo was with The
Lawrence
Welk Show for years and did many of my arrangements. Todd
Carlon, my record producer, has done a few, among others.
Q. Can you share with us your most embarrassing (or maybe
humorous)
moment on stage?
A. You don't want to know!
Q. Will you be doing any more recording(s) anytime soon?
A. No plans at this time.