Page 23 - holmag Special Music Edition

Being a well-balanced performer overall, you touched base on theatre. What plays were you in?
I did! Extensively. I started performing when I was pretty young, I went to
a small, private elementary school that focused intensely on the arts.
In between math and science, we had music and dance classes, which were obviously my favorite times
of the school day. My
very first role was in a
Broadway version of
Beauty and the Beast.
I played the rose and
couldn’t remember
my only line. Once I
got to middle school,
I got more exposed to
theatre culture within
the African American
community. I was
introduced to be a part
of a Broadway show
called “The Chocolate
Nutcracker” which
I was in for about 3
years. I always knew
I had rhythm, but it
was during those
long practices and
exciting performances
that I truly discovered
my niche for the
art of dance. My
performances were
followed by (but not
limited to): Midsummer
Night’s Dream, Ragtime,
and British Invasion!
How did that on-stage presence help you when getting your music out there on social media?
If anything, performing on stage increased my local popularity and enhanced my social media presence. Getting real life audience feedback heightened my confidence and made me far more eager to post publicly.
Describe your music with only three words.
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Soulful, Savage, and Harmonic.
It mentions that you kept your music alive while juggling college, how did you manage it all?
Well, luckily, music always finds me and opportunities kind of fell into my lap freshman year of college. I got
a DM from a studio called Forever
weekly commitment to meet up with the team and write music or work with clients. So, not only did I desire to make it a point to work on music, in a way I felt obligated. It pushed me to make sure I followed through with my sessions. I’m so thankful for their guidance.
Where are some of the influences in the songs you have so far?
Right now I’m working on an EP, each melody to each ad lib is influenced by the artists I was raised listening to with my Pops. My top three most influential musical inspirations are Erykah Badu, Lauryn Hill, and Jill Scott. I was always into old school soul jams as a kid and it never left my spirit.
Is all your music you sing your own? Do you have others who help with the writing process?
My original songs are written by me but I’m almost always open to constructive criticism from my vocal coaches and musical mentors. There are a few tracks I’ve worked on that have been written by someone else entirely but in those cases I don’t feel like myself and that’s why I am so hindered by the group writing process. I can only write in a space I
feel comfortable to create and make mistakes in.
Who would you say your target audience is?
I would say the female youth and minorities connect to my flow the most.
Current and they were looking for
a female vocalist to work with for a new track. I came eager and ready to meet other artists. They loved my energy and my writing skills and asked if I’d like to join the Forever Current Team after the session. I said yes with no hesitation and was accepted like family. Collaborating with them required me to make a
House of Lafrance Magazine | Special Music Edition