What first got you into music?
I had been listening to music from a very young age, records, radio, watching TV dance shows like American Bandstand, Shindig, Where the action Is (yes, it was million years ago). Sometimes I would sing along, in front of a mirror. My friends and I would pretend to be the Supremes and ‘fight’ over who would be Diana Ross, pretend to be the Beatles with tennis rackets for guitars, bass and hat boxes for drums. I was given a harmonica my neighbor got from Germany. I’d play at a few family picnics and on some school field trips, on the bus. When I would be waiting for my brother to finish Trumpet or bass lessons at the music store, I was trying to figure out what instrument I wanted to play. I chose flute but I never joined the school band. I couldn’t read music. I did really develop my ear over the years with my the help of my saxophone teacher George Keith in Denver, (who told me I had, not “perfect” but “relative” pitch). He emphasized theory over sight reading.
Who inspired you to make music?
Artists and entertainers of the day, who ever I heard on the radio, saw on TV. The Motown groups, rock groups and their back up singers.
How would you describe the music that you typically create?
I tend to be very influenced by R&B and funk but people sometimes hear it as jazz. There are rock influences as well.
Can you discuss a career achievement you’re aiming for?
More visiblity in general. I’m always stiving for improvement in my singing and playing, how I do marketing and booking, all of it.
How do you overcome writer’s block?
I go back to the artists that inspired me. Maybe I’ll just write. It may not be anything that amounts to a final product but it’s a way to get back. I may do a collaboration to get me back in the groove.
What album do you recommend everyone should listen to?
Any Stevie Wonder in the 70s. Low Spark of High Heel Boys by Traffic.
Can you share one of your favorite music-related memories?
This could change on any given day…..but I remember the feeling of getting my very first flute and first saxophone. These are like extensions of me and my expression. These always amazed me in that they are such works of art. I would spend alot of time just seeing which keys operated what, even without playing. Then there were the long hours of playing along to records and emulating the artist just practicing.
What’s your go-to song or artist when you need a boost?
Steve Wonder ,Michael McDonald, Michael Jackson, Bonnie Raitt, Chaka Khan…
Do you have a favorite venue to play at or attend concerts?
It’s difficult to say because venues I play or have played, come and go.
Who would you swap lives with for a day in the music industry?
Someone that had a solid spot in the industry that toured but didn’t have to be slave to it. Soemone that had label support.
What’s your favorite music decade and why? The 70s.
What’s a truly unforgettable concert you’ve attended?
Joni Mitchell at Pine Knob in Mich. I was in a wheelchair from a motor cycle accident. She stopped the show. Nixon was piped into the intercom and he resigned. Everyone cheered.
Tell me about your most recent released song
“Not That Guy” is a real high energy, dance song from female perspective. The woman is hesitant getting involved with a guy. He is reassuring her that he won’t hurt her. An age old scenario but with a great beat. Gayle Brannan, my producer and the musicians on the recording just nail it. I thoroughly enjoyed writing and recording it! This song and my EP are all on Spotify and major outlets.