#memoirsofavocalcoach

This is… 17(?) years ago 😅. OMG 😱😂😂😂. I had just walked away from a major label deal and decided to go the independent route—signed with @dreamercompany (then “4 Real Talent”). This is one of the first shoots we ever did (a test shoot). I was sooo uncomfortable in front of the camera. One thing I gotta give them, 4Real Talent poured into me: the test shoots to get me comfortable in front of the camera, hiring image consultants to teach me how to wear clothing that wasn’t 5 sizes too big 😂😂😂, and even performance coaches (shout out to @therealraquisagain 🙏🏽😭) to help break me outta my shell. The voice was there, and they were willing help me level up in the areas in which I was weakest. I’m forever grateful. #MemoirsOfAVocalCoach https://www.instagram.com/p/CZ-WEckPiNf/?utm_medium=tumblr

My YouTube subscribers are gradually rediscovering me; and I’m so grateful. Because of you all, I get to continue making my passion my full-time job 🙌🏽😭❤️ #MemoirsOfAVocalCoach https://www.instagram.com/p/CWZJxzzr39_/?utm_medium=tumblr

Fun fact: Creating tons of video content really makes you aware of all your little quirks. As MANY 😐 of you have noted, I tend to pull on my shirt and my ears a lot 😅. With practice, I’ve learned to minimize it. …but I still randomly catch myself doing it sometimes 😄 #MemoirsOfAVocalCoach https://www.instagram.com/p/CVGMuUPrZ-O/?utm_medium=tumblr

R&B GOLD 😌👌🏽 • Singing “Love Will Be Waiting At Home” like I was going through the breakup of a lifetime 😂😂😂 #ArtsyKidsBeLike #MemoirsOfAVocalCoach #WaitingToExhaleSoundtrack https://www.instagram.com/p/CT082cDMne8/?utm_medium=tumblr

#FlashbackFriday #2008 I had just walked away from a deal with J Records (a wild story I’ll save for another time), deciding instead to pursue a career as an indie artist with the assistance of this ✨totally new✨ platform called YouTube 😏😅. This feature on #ConcreteLoop (positively reviewing my debut album “Audio Emotion”) felt like such a victory!!! Concrete loop was THE blog for R&B/hip-hip artists at the time 🙌🏽😩. I felt validated, like all my hard work was paying off. …Just came across this pic, and felt like sharing 😁 _____________________ I have lived so many lives 😄. So grateful to have had all these random experiences. #MemoirsOfAVocalCoach https://www.instagram.com/p/CTFouktrMQj/?utm_medium=tumblr

#ThrowbackThursday #2007(?) …taken at my manager’s house @jazzythemogul. Back when I didn’t know how to sit on furniture (😅why am I sliding off?) #MemoirsOfAVocalCoach #ArtistLife https://www.instagram.com/p/CTC7dKtrchA/?utm_medium=tumblr

Disclaimer: Anyone who’s ever worked with me knows that I implore you to “listen to your body 🙏🏽😩” at least 10 times per lesson. lol. So this post is NOT about pushing through physical pain or ignoring sensations that warn of impending injury. This post is about mental toughness—specifically reminding you that not every moment of the work will yield waves of endorphins, but it’s STILL WORTH IT for the sake of reaching your goal. #EmbraceTedium #AdviceYouDidntAskFor #MemoirsOfAVocalCoach #ChooseYourLife ____________________________ Shout out to recording artist @fid.elis for sharing this gem with me 🙏🏽 #ArtistLife https://www.instagram.com/p/CQaA-XtrIMT/?utm_medium=tumblr

Because this got such a strong response in my IG Story, I decided to repost it here. A fellow professional performing artist inquired as to how a singer at my advanced technical level trains their voice, but also inquired as to what my biggest weakness was. This part—the WEAKNESS part 😅—is the one that led to me waking up this morning to an inbox full of empathetic responses from fellow artists 🙏🏽😌 _____________________________ While I do have a very solid/reliable technique and decades of experience, I never want to promote the illusion that I’ve arrived at untouchable perfection. I’m an artist, like you. I know what it’s like to be put on the spot, unexpectedly, to sing. I know what it’s like to ask myself, “Why am I doing this, if it brings me so much anxiety 😥 ?”. The vocal instrument, affected by EVERYTHING (weather, diet, stress, sleep deprivation, allergies, etc), can feel cruelly temperamental and arbitrary. Add to that the fact that people on social media seem to actively compete in who can leave the meanest and most biting comments. It’s enough to make you wanna give up 😩 _____________________________ 🗣BUT... I also know what it’s like to triumph over all those things by building a VERY strong relationship of trust with my body. I know what it’s like to allow myself to tune into the character/message that I’m channeling, switching out of a frequency of impending judgment 😟 to a higher frequency of communication—“I have something to say. I want to share this with you” 🙂 ___________________________ I have a teacher/coach— @trinabordere —whom I meet with every week. A big part of our work is deepening the connection to my body and bringing balance to my nervous system; thank God, it actually works (thanks, Trina 🙏🏽😭). I’m always in process, as are we all; understanding this fact is part of what makes me such an effective teacher #HumbleBrag 🙏🏽😌. I no longer obsess over reaching some imaginary finish line. I now allow myself to enjoy the journey 🙂 #MemoirsOfAVocalCoach https://www.instagram.com/p/CMIGmH-MMsW/?igshid=1ow4pnie2g6fe