Influences--Who Has Shaped Me As a Singer

I received a great question recently asking about influences--specifically, who has shaped me as a singer. I associate influence with inspiration. Anyone who leaves a lasting impression on me or inspires me to want to sing better, do better, or even just get up on stage to sing my heart out is what I consider an influence. Therefore, this answer might be slightly long-winded.

The first two people who have actually shaped me as a singer would be my parents. I know that this answer to many would seem somewhat cliche, but it is true. They were the first ones to expose me to many different types of music at a young age (Disco, Salsa, Andean music, Bossa Nova, Samba, Funk, Pop) and have taught me how to have an open-mind when experiencing any type of new situation, whether musical or not. They have also instilled in me my sense of work-ethic, morals and determination needed to pursue my dreams and accomplish my goals. 

While pursuing my music career, I have come across several vocal instructors and a music professor who have not only helped shape who I am, musically, but have also enriched my life. Their support, open-mindedness, and patience have helped me to become a better person. Each one of them is a master in their own specific field and have contributed to the knowledge that I have as a singer and a musician today. 

This inspirational feeling that I spoke of earlier, the one that I also interchangeably label as influence, is the type of emotion or state of mind that only happens to one several times throughout their lifetime. They're what I call "shooting star moments". However, when those moments occur, they are all-encompassing. You feel as though your whole being would go everywhere at once were it not for your skin holding you together; that your heart is about to burst in your chest, but in a good way. I always feel the need to be up on stage at that very moment because for me, the way that I express truly deep, overwhelming emotion, is through singing. These "shooting star moments" have only occurred to me three times (so far). 

The first time was when I went to Las Vegas to watch Celine Dion perform at Caesar's Palace. I had been following Celine Dion for quite some time, listening to all of her albums--both French and English--and covering her songs. Her voice is amazingly powerful. One minute she can be singing at an almost whisper and the next, effortlessly belting at the top of her range. When I saw her in concert, however, my respect and admiration for her went to a new level. She took command of the amphitheater. I was seated so far away that I couldn't see her face, but it felt as though she were right in front of me. Her dynamics, intonation and pitch were perfect, and all the while she was dancing around with acrobatic Cirque do Soleil dancers. When she sang "Because You Loved Me", I wanted to be up there with her.

The second time I experienced this was during a show at the Loft in UC San Diego. I was watching the Alan Phillips Quintet perform.  The music had everyone moving in their seats. During one of the songs, my Jazz professor, Kamau Kenyatta (one of the instructors that I mentioned earlier), got up to take a solo on soprano saxophone.  His melodic ideas and his phrasing were some of the best I've ever heard. When he would hit those high notes, you couldn't help but smile because they sounded so damn sweet.  His demeanor was also very relaxed; as if he was just enjoying himself (which is what it should be).  Even though he wasn't a singer, I could still relate musically with what he was doing. I felt this intense amount of joy and all I could do was hope he wouldn't stop playing. It was one of those moments that you wished could just keep going. 

The third time was actually a combination of two performances. Both times, I saw Gregory Porter perform live, but the first time was at his album release party, where I got to hear him sing his own original music. I was lucky enough to meet him beforehand and (not surprisingly) his genuine nature is the same both on and off-stage. Not only does he have this rich, deep voice, but his lyrics are so beautifully written. The words sound like he is using poetic imagery to tell a story. As soon as he sang "No Love Dying", I started crying and at that moment, it reaffirmed my love of singing, performing, music, everything. I knew that I wanted to do exactly what he was doing at that moment: connecting people with music and baring every single part of oneself up on that stage. His second performance I saw was at the Hollywood Bowl and he was performing with Herbie Hancock. His performance, combined with the atmosphere (the Hollywood Bowl is a venue I have always wanted to perform at) was just more icing on the cake. I was forever changed after seeing Gregory Porter perform and was an avid fan of his music from that moment on.

I hope that at some point during my music career I can be that "shooting star moment" for someone else out there. Not for selfish reasons. Quite the contrary. When you influence someone enough to either change their career path or reinforce their love for what they do, it creates a ripple or domino effect. This in turn creates more passionate people who contribute great works or ideas to our society. Inspiration is key to progress in music and it keeps us going as a community.