Christina Aguilera Is 'Completely Open' to 'Collaborating' with One of Her MasterClass Students
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Courtesy MasterClass Christina Aguilera
Christina Aguilera's MasterClass is back in session.
On Tuesday, the Grammy-winning powerhouse vocalist announced a new Sessions by MasterClass online course titled Elevate Your Singing and Stage Presence that'll see Aguilera teach students to warm their voices up, craft their own unique version of a song and confidently perform with ease over a 30-day period.
The course marks Aguilera's second with MasterClass following an introductory 2016 series on singing, and this time around she's taking her lessons to the next level. "We're honing in on specific details, from vocal warmups I've never fully explored my own versions of to tools that I've evolved since my first MasterClass," the 41-year-old musician tells PEOPLE. "I take a moment to hone in on how to ease certain anxieties about live performing — as that sometimes is half the battle — breathing, what helps me and also really honing into who you may be, authentically."
Aguilera's been performing since she was a young child, and with decades of experience and countless hits from "Genie in a Bottle" to "Say Something" under her belt, she brings a unique perspective to the table as a teacher.
"I, for one, was never formally and personally trained on a technical aspect growing up, but sometimes all the technical training in the world doesn't mean as much as keywords or key stories and experiences from people that you look up to," she explains. "All it takes is that one little thing that you know you can say that can affect someone greatly and inspire the next future creator and generation to come."
In fact, she's already heard stories from students who've taken her first MasterClass on how her teachings have influenced their musical journeys. "You never know who you're touching and how you're affecting someone," says Aguilera. "There are a lot of parents who gift [MasterClass] to their kids or students for upcoming performances for how to deal with a gamut of different things from vocal technique, to your own nerves, to breathing, the physical aspects of what that involves, calming yourself and being prepared."
Throughout the new course, for which enrollment is open on the MasterClass website through its Aug. 3 start date, Aguilera will show students how to take a preexisting song and put their own signature spin on it. She'll lead by example with a live rendition of Etta James' "At Last," which she's already performed everywhere from her debut 2000 concert tour to the legendary R&B singer's 2012 funeral.
Courtesy MasterClass Christina Aguilera
"I've reinterpreted my own versions of ['At Last'] time and time again on stage, and it's one that — like, even when I'm singing 'Beautiful,' ['At Last'] is just one of those songs that truly connects me, no matter how bad of a day I'm having," she says of James' signature 1960 hit. "I wanted to share that in hopes that it'll inspire other people to gravitate toward something they feel really speaks to them."
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While the class is taught virtually through a series of pre-recorded videos, students should ensure they're putting forth their best effort, as Aguilera may be scouting her roster for potential future duet partners.
"I'm completely open to collaborating with someone that's taken my MasterClass," she reveals. "I thoroughly enjoy listening to other people's stories and getting inspired by them. I'm constantly inspired by my fans and the things they share with me, and I'm constantly learning. It's a fluid relationship."
Courtesy MasterClass Christina Aguilera
Aside from MasterClass, Aguilera's currently in the midst of rolling out her Spanish language trilogy of EPs — La Fuerza, La Tormenta, and the forthcoming La Luz — all of which are part of a larger album titled Aguilera, her first full-length Latin music project since 2000's Mi Reflejo.
"To now approach the new Spanish music at a time in my life where I've survived this business over decades and am a mother to my children, who I want to share a part of themselves, a part of their roots, a part of their heritage, has been such a beautiful blessing within itself," says the musician, whose 7-year-old daughter Summer is an especially huge fan of the new material.
"My daughter listens to all of the new Spanish music in the car and requests it," Aguilera says with a laugh. "Sometimes I have to be like, 'Ugh, I don't want to think about work right now. Let's listen to Encanto.' But it's just been beautiful to see her resonate with the music and know that it's a part of her."
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In order to provide fans with enough of the Spanish language music they've been requesting for decades, Aguilera decided to release the project in its three installments. Ahead of the third EP's release, she tells PEOPLE fans can expect deep reflections on her life and family in its lyrics, including her relationship with her estranged father, Fausto, the root of her Ecuadorian heritage.
"So starting with La Fuerza, the strength, [then] La Tormenta takes you through some of life's hardships. We're closing [the trilogy] with La Luz — and ultimately the main comprehensive album, Aguilera — acknowledging, embracing and engaging with my roots in a way that I've never done," she says. "The final chapter shares some closure in relation to my father, and sheds light on any darkness to be left in the past."
