Issue link: http://theflywire.uberflip.com/i/182166
+spotlight Tell us about your new album. What can fans expect from it? I grew up watching musicals from the 40's and 50's, and my grandfather used to play standards on the piano while our family sang. It was inevitable that I try my hand at interpreting these songs because they were very influential in shaping who I have become as an artist. Did you work with any new producers? I will continue collaborating with Laru, my husband, production-wise, until he gets tired of working with me! It's such an easy equation. I love his musical freedom, and he knows my voice and how to make a song I've written grow into a piece with five instruments. We also stay honest and let each other know when something is not working. Being around him has taught me objectivity. How have you grown as an artist with each project you have done? I grow the way any human would if they were free to express themselves without a "boss" or supervisor trying to shape or create their image.When no one dictates how you should "be," you just "be" yourself, and that is an ever-changing creature. What were your major inspirations for each album? I'm pretty sure that my inspirations- not unlike my performances- are subconscious workings, one part "the storyteller" in me, and the other my need to channel energy. For example: I had been writing but not completing a song for months, until my youngest daughter became the victim of a racial slur, and then I wrote vigorously until the song was done in one night. Other times, a lyric comes and you just start building words, sentences, feeling a rhythm and hoping for a flow, and I guess it's just up to my songwriting experience whether this random idea will turn into anything cohesive. Who are some of your favorite artists/musicians and why? My favorites are too long to list, but a handful would be Ella Fitzgeraldfor her vocal bravery, Miles Davis- for his subtle and unique melody within the melody, Jimi Hendrix- for his futuristic blues, Stevie Wonderfor his unique, socially aware,"religious experience" singing/songwriting/ production, Aretha Franklin- for an undeniable goose bump/tear- inflicting, glorious voice, Joni Mitchell, and Ricki Lee Jones- for defying convention, and Prince and the Revolution- Need I say more? Of today's mainstream artists, who do you think has what it takes to last in this business and why? Zero What's in your iPod or CD player right now? Madonna, Claude Debussy, Stevie Wonder, Sam Prellop, Ben Harper, Son House- that's in the last week or so, but it's an ever changing mix. What have you found to be the essentials to make it in the music industry? Basically, a good attorney, manager, producer, your own studio, and the ability to do live shows are beneficial across the board. You're talent will always be, so once you enter the "biz" be aware that it's not the first thing on the industries' mind. What is the mission of your music and why? I simply want to make songs that have the possibility to stay in people's heads and hearts, and maybe stimulate their senses and emotions the way other artists have done for me. How did studying music in school help your career? Those two years at a performing arts high school broke me in. Singing with other kids with a choir teacher whose major concern is how well you sound as a collective and not an individual will quickly put things into perspective. I learned that I could lose track of time and self when I was singing, and I was humbled by the fact that there were so many other kids that could do what I could, sometimes, better. So, I already knew the benefits of committing to my individuality when I entered a business full of people who shared the same dreams I did. What is the best advice that you have ever received? It was said to someone else, but I felt its power, just the same. "Get out of your own way." In a few words, describe what comes to mind when you hear: Groove Theory 1995, unexpected success. Old school Music Kurtis Blow, Africa Bambaataa, Beat Street Music industry The internet is rivaling the old standards; everyone must change with the times, even the powerful conglomerate An icon Oprah, Oprah, Oprah. Toni Morrison Family Family is what you make it. The family you chose is as meaningful as the one you're born into. The family one chooses oftentimes is the one that really counts. I've seen many siblings who don't speak, many children who don't respect their elderly parents, and many parents who harm their children. Love Love to me is continuous and unconditional loyalty, protection, honesty, and respect. Commitment It's easy when you love someone. Beauty Indefinable. Or as the old saying goes "Beauty is in the eye of the beholder." Rap music of today I wish it were less explicit so that my kids could hear more of it. The Flywire 17