#OnRepeat: Trombone Shorty's "Backatown" album

I've had Trombone Shorty's "Backatown" album #OnRepeat this week. I first discovered him while listening to his music at my job. One of the many perks of working at a job that promotes and holds musical performances is that you get exposed to great music that you usually wouldn't be aware of or listen to on a regular basis. Since I first listened to this album, I've went on to listen to more of Trombone Shorty's albums and his music never fails to disappoint.

Trombone Shorty (Troy Andrews) is a trombone and trumpet player from New Orleans who also sings, composes and arranges his own music. He has toured with artists such as Aerosmith and Lenny Kravitz and has participated in several benefit concerts and projects for New Orleans after the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina. His music blends New Orleans-style Jazz, Hip-Hop, Rock, and R&B music.  He is well-known for his single, "Do To Me," and his most recent album, "Say That to Say This," another album that everyone should definitely check out. Below is a Youtube video of the full "Backatown" album. Take a listen:

Although his music is a new, impressive hybrid type of music blending many styles that causes people to get up on their feet, I am even more impressed with his philanthropic work. Trombone Shorty is involved in several different programs that give back to the community in which he grew up and is still actively a part of; the main program being the Trombone Shorty Academy, which provides young New Orleans musicians mentorship, music performance experience, and basic musicianship skills, all while donating instruments to underserved schools in the area and teaching New Orleans musical traditions. He also takes a leadership role in the Fredman Music Business Institute, which gives music industry training to young musicians in the New Orleans area. Not many musicians give back to their community where they grew up in the same way that Trombone Shorty is and it is something to be admired and commended.

Check out his music for yourself and see what you think. Do you know any other musicians or groups who are giving back to their communities while making a name for themselves? Let us know in the comments below!

Doing What Scares You

This past Saturday I performed in a piece created by Susan Silton and my vocal teacher, Juliana Snapper.  The piece, "A Sublime Madness in the Soul," features a libretto that centers on issues such as gentrification, greed, and the pros and cons of living in a capitalist society, inspired by the real-life, rapidly changing landscape of downtown Los Angeles.  Four vocalists, including myself, stood in the windows of Susan Stilton's studio--which was recently sold--and sang to an audience that stood on the iconic 6th Street Bridge in downtown (a structure that will be demolished soon).  The experience was definitely something that I'd never done before, using singing styles that more closely resembled the classical, operatic style.

 (Viewpoint from where the vocalists performed in the Silton's studio)

(Viewpoint from where the audience stood on 6th Street Bridge)  

I'm writing this post to not only discuss the piece, "A Sublime Madness of the Soul," but to broach an important topic that should be discussed among singers, musicians, and anyone in any profession that desires to grow or progress: Do something that scares you. Do something that makes you simultaneously almost doubt your abilities yet, at the same time, pushes you to take risks.

Many people might say that this is, yet again, another "duh" moment in terms of being a musician or artist of any kind--ideally we are always trying to push the limits of what we are able to do with our craft.  I've heard this time and time again, yet it didn't even really hit me until Saturday night, when I stepped up onto the platform to sing out a window to people standing on a bridge a couple hundred of feet away from me. I was terrified.

There I was, having to sing lines reflecting the angering economic and social situation of that moment, with no notes or sheet music of any kind except the script with the text and Susan conducting from a roof below. Would I start on the right note that could lead to a powerful melodic phrase or would I completely bomb it? Would my voice crack just as I decided to go up into my upper register? Would I be able to put just the right amount of infection in my voice so that the original intention of that phrase would be felt by the audience?  I realized I should be asking myself questions like this all of the time. For every performance. And that, slightly unsure feeling let me know that in that moment, that was exactly what I was supposed to be doing.

When you put yourself into situations that make you uncomfortable or that scare you, you grow. You discover things about yourself that you didn't know before as an individual, musician, and performer. Pushing yourself beyond your limitations, you can experiment, finding what works and doesn't work for you. I would encourage everyone to do at least one thing that scares them and pushes them in their life because in those moments you get to know yourself better and you feel the most alive. I know I did.

#OnRepeat: Pink Martini's "Aspettami"

This week, I've had Pink Martini's "Aspettami" #OnRepeat; matter of fact, I've had all of Pink Martini's music #OnRepeat for the past couple of days. I first heard them while I was at work (my job always plays music from artists that will be performing in the next couple weeks).

Pink Martini is a musical group based out of Portland, Oregon, led by pianist, Thomas Lauderdale and vocalists, China Forbes and Storm Large. Their music combines elements of Jazz, Classical music, Pop, and takes influences from traditional and popular music from around the world. The vocalists are multilingual, singing in languages such as English, Italian, Spanish, Portuguese. Some of their most well-known songs are "Let's Never Stop Falling in Love," "Sympathique," and "Hang On Little Tomato."

The song, "Aspettami," is a simplistic song (guitar and voice in the forefront), yet the lyrics make the song's overall feel romantic, intimate, and at the same time, give the composition a grandiose nature. Forbes' voice is reminiscent of the Bossa Nova Style--straight-toned, intimate--mixed with the Crooner style of the 1940's and 50's (think Sinatra, with perfect placements of vibrato). It isn't very apparent on this piece, but on many other songs on the album, you can hear the range and power in Forbes' voice, adding an even fuller sound to each song that the "little orchestra" plays. Listen to "Aspettami" below:

This is definitely a group that everyone should be following. There is an overall vibe to this group, yet each album and performance is different, making them so interesting to listen to. I look forward to what they will come out with next.

If anyone has any new groups or songs to listen to, leave a comment below!

#OnRepeat: Billy Ocean's "Suddenly"

This week #OnRepeat is Billy Ocean's "Suddenly." Interesting story: I actually came across this song while watching an episode of Family Guy. The character, Peter, (played by Seth McFarland) sings this song when he sees a cardboard cut-out of Cathy Ireland. Surprisingly, Seth McFarland does a great rendition of the song and this is one of the first episodes that caused me to respect McFarland not only as a comedian, but as a singer as well. The clip from the episode can be seen below.

Billy Ocean is an R&B singer-songwriter from England who was internationally popular in the 1970's and 1980's. He won the Grammy Award for Best Male R&B Performance in 1985. Some of his hit songs include "Caribbean Queen," "Loverboy," and "When the Going Gets Tough, the Tough Get Going."

"Suddenly" is an iconic 80's song, and Billy Ocean's singing adds so much to the style that is considered 80's music. His use of inflection, melismas and his clear, bright tone makes the song a unique love song to listen to. The words are simple, yet full of emotion; talking about suddenly realizing how in love the individual is with another person. Many musicians that I've spoken to aren't fond of the instrumentation, but his powerful voice makes you stop and pay attention. The original version of this song can be listened to below:

Do you guys have any new musicians, groups or songs to check out? Let us know in the comments below!

The Worst Advice or Statements I've Heard in Regards to Music

Receiving advice from others who have experienced more than you can be helpful and rewarding. However, people can sometimes give their advice and opinions, even when it's not needed or wanted. Unfortunately, many of these statements that you'll read below are still told to myself and other musicians, even long after we've earned degrees and gained much valuable experience in our chosen profession

1."Oh you sing? How fun!"
This is one of the most off-putting statements I get. A lot. It seems harmless, but it's followed by "I didn't know that people actually went to school for music." Some people assume that music doesn't require as much discipline or work as an engineer, athlete, or doctor. A musician keeps learning long after everyone else has established their full-time or part-time careers. That's part of the fun.

2."You're too old to get your career off the ground."
This one is entirely not true. There are plenty of musicians--and other people in other professions for that matter--who have started their careers and become very successful when they are well into their late 30's, even 40's. There are all types of music for everyone and tons of different career options involved or related to music, so it is never too late to achieve your goals.

3."Don't go to school for music." 
I remember when I was back in high school, getting ready to graduate and looking for college music programs. There were many people telling me that studying music would make me lose my artistic edge, change my tastes, or even change my voice completely. My tastes have changed and my voice changed, but I believe for the better. Studying music helps you to understand it better by teaching you how to read and write music, exposing you to musics that you might not necessarily be exposed to if you hadn't gone to school, and begin your network of musicians that could lead to rewarding music experiences, gigs, and career opportunities. Going to school for music was the best thing that ever happened to me.

4."If music is your profession, you need to go to school."
This is another one that gets under my skin. Unfortunately, some people think that music, or being a musician, isn't considered a "real job." The only way they think you can make any type of decent money is through becoming a music professor. Although I, myself, am going the route of becoming a music professor, I don't believe this statement to be true. There are plenty of musicians who gig on a consistent basis or have private students, and are very successful and happy. Like I said before: there are many different career paths that a musician can choose from. It all depends on you.

5."Music teachers/professors are disillusioned, musicians who didn't make it."
This statement and notion is entirely misguided as well. Although there are some professors that I've met who seem to be very bitter about their careers and are not very pleasant individuals to interact with, there are plenty who are "doing it" in my opinion. These professors teach either full-time or part-time and still gig and travel, participating in their own meaningful, musical projects both inside and outside of the classroom. Making generalizations based off of a few sour apples gives the rest of the population bad ideas about certain professions.

Many of these people who say these things mean well and most of the time, they are just misinformed. However, it could give potential future musicians and/or companies or programs a slightly slanted view of music and being a musician. For those who have encountered situations similar to this should understand that, again, every person has their own life path so whether or not you choose to make music or try being a professional musician shouldn't be dependent on the opinions or advice of others.

What kind of advice or statements have you heard in the past in regards to music or being a musician? Was it helpful or hurtful? Leave a comment below!