Episode 285
The Early Influences of a Music Career
The central theme of this podcast episode revolves around the profound influence of familial inspiration on one’s artistic journey, as exemplified by the speaker's desire to emulate her mother. The speaker reflects on her early experiences in kindergarten, where a nascent interest in performance ignited a lifelong passion. She recounts her formative years, characterized by a yearning to mirror her mother's artistic endeavors, which ultimately shaped her aspirations. Throughout the discourse, we explore the complexities of self-expression, the challenges of peer perception, and the significant role of encouragement from loved ones in fostering creativity. This conversation encapsulates the intricate interplay between personal history and artistic development, illustrating how one individual's journey can resonate universally.
Takeaways:
- The initial inspiration for pursuing a career in the arts stemmed from a profound admiration for one's mother, who served as a role model throughout formative years.
- Experiences in school often involved being both celebrated for musical talents and subsequently criticized, which led to complex social dynamics with peers.
- The journey into music composition began unexpectedly, highlighting that creativity can emerge from the most mundane activities, such as cleaning the house.
- Art school provided a unique environment filled with like-minded individuals, fostering a sense of community and collaboration among aspiring artists and performers.
- Learning the importance of understanding personal strengths and weaknesses was emphasized during education, shaping future collaborations and artistic endeavors.
- Despite a passion for music, formal instruction did not encompass songwriting, prompting a self-directed exploration of musical creation later in life.
Companies mentioned in this episode:
- Stevie Wonder
- Aretha Franklin
- The Supremes
- Gladys Knight
- Les Paul
- Oscar Peterson
Transcript
That's weird to say, but it's true.
Speaker B:Yeah.
Speaker C:So what made you want to pursue it further than that after you got a little taste of the crowd in kindergarten?
Speaker C:Yeah, what you got a taste to start, and what made you want to actually, like, continue with it and actually pursue it as a career?
Speaker A:Because I wanted to be like my mom.
Speaker A:I just wanted to be like my mom.
Speaker A:That's all I wanted.
Speaker A:I wasn't even thinking career or anything like that.
Speaker A:I was like, I just want to be just like my mom when I grow up.
Speaker A:I think that's what every little girl wants, you know, to be like their moms.
Speaker C:I don't think everyone wants to be.
Speaker A:Like, okay, you know what?
Speaker A:That was maybe.
Speaker C:I think you had a special mom, so maybe that's probably why.
Speaker C:Oh, wait, you what?
Speaker D:Elaborate.
Speaker B:She was a cool person.
Speaker D:Okay.
Speaker B:Yeah, but.
Speaker C:Yeah, okay, but as a, like a performing mom, like, seeing your mom performing, that looks pretty cool.
Speaker C:I would probably.
Speaker B:Absolutely.
Speaker C:That's more what it was that would draw her to, you know, wanting to continue performance, watching how awesome it looks and how much fun she probably was having.
Speaker D:Yeah.
Speaker D:Yeah.
Speaker C:But when you decided that, did you talk to your mom about.
Speaker C:And did she have any trepidation about her daughter doing the exact same thing that she was doing?
Speaker A:No, she's just proud of me.
Speaker C:Yeah.
Speaker A:Like, just encouraging and smiling.
Speaker A:She never said anything negative.
Speaker A:She.
Speaker A:I was going to say, except for, you're great, but that's not negative.
Speaker A:She just looks at me and she's proud of me and she encourages me.
Speaker D:Wow.
Speaker A:So.
Speaker D:So after kindergarten, when did this start to become a thing or more of a thing?
Speaker A:Well, during school.
Speaker A:Like every year in school.
Speaker A:A lot of times I was the new kid and I was a loner a lot of the times.
Speaker A:And I would probably sit and hum to myself like a weirdo.
Speaker A:And then somebody would always say, oh, you could sing.
Speaker A:And then they'd bring me over to a bigger group of kids and say, sing for these guys and sing for these guys.
Speaker A:And then I'd start singing.
Speaker A:And then the kids realized that I could sing and then they turned on me.
Speaker A:Like, she's a show off.
Speaker A:Oh, my God.
Speaker A:I went through that so many times.
Speaker B:Really?
Speaker B:That same thing happened over and over, over and over.
Speaker B:That's interesting.
Speaker D:That is.
Speaker B:So they.
Speaker B:They would bring you out.
Speaker B:What grade would that be?
Speaker A:Every grade.
Speaker A:Every great story of my life would.
Speaker B:Bring you out and parade your skills.
Speaker A:Yes.
Speaker A:And then turn on me.
Speaker B:Same kids would get upset that you're talented later on.
Speaker A:Yeah.
Speaker C:Hero always Becomes the villain.
Speaker B:Right.
Speaker B:Yeah.
Speaker D:Let's call them out.
Speaker D:We have a podcast.
Speaker B:What are their names?
Speaker A:Emily Flores.
Speaker A:And.
Speaker A:No, I'm joking.
Speaker B:That name sounds too.
Speaker C:There's an Emily Flores crying somewhere right now.
Speaker A:I didn't even know her.
Speaker C:Amazing.
Speaker C:Were you always writing, too?
Speaker A:You know what?
Speaker A:I wouldn't write things down, but I would create my own version of songs that I liked, Whether it was just manipulating the melody or singing an alternative harmony.
Speaker A:Alternate harmony.
Speaker C:Yeah.
Speaker A:So I was always creating in some way.
Speaker A:Yeah.
Speaker A:And then I would.
Speaker A:I had a tape recorder.
Speaker A:It's actually two tape recorders.
Speaker A:And I would hold it up to the radio and tape it.
Speaker A:Yeah.
Speaker A:And then I would sing a harmony and then do doubles with the other one.
Speaker A:And then stacked.
Speaker A:Right.
Speaker A:Stacking with tape recorders.
Speaker A:But I didn't know what I was doing.
Speaker A:I just, you know, I was like, oh, this is cool.
Speaker A:This is fun.
Speaker C:That's funny.
Speaker C:Yeah.
Speaker B:Mellie, did you know that that's how multi track recording was invented?
Speaker A:No, I really did.
Speaker B:By Les Paul.
Speaker B:The person that invented that white guitar up there, he also invented multi track recording.
Speaker B:And the way he did that was he got two tape machines.
Speaker B:I seen this video into one, and then he would play that back record into another while he played something on top.
Speaker B:So you just reinvented multi tracking.
Speaker B:That's incredible.
Speaker C:I didn't know at a young age.
Speaker A:Where's my.
Speaker B:Get something for.
Speaker B:Have you ever, like, had an amazing idea and it really was your idea, and then you look it up and somebody else came up?
Speaker C:Yeah, that happened very soon.
Speaker B:That's a billion dollar idea that you came up with yourself before you knew it was a thing.
Speaker C:Yeah.
Speaker B:Amazing.
Speaker B:Great mind.
Speaker D:He's a genius.
Speaker C:That was seven.
Speaker A:Yeah, both seven.
Speaker D:That's hilarious.
Speaker B:Who did you listen to back then?
Speaker B:Who were your favorite artists?
Speaker A:You know what?
Speaker A:I've always listened to old school music that's older than me because, I mean, I like my mom's favorite stuff and, like, Motown stuff.
Speaker A:So I've always been listening to, like, Stevie Wonder, Aretha Franklin.
Speaker A:Geez.
Speaker A:The Supreme, Steiner Ross and Supremes.
Speaker A:Gladys Knight.
Speaker C:Do you remember what song you were trying to record off the radio?
Speaker A:No.
Speaker A:No.
Speaker A:And it wasn't one time.
Speaker C:Oh, I was like, yeah, a bunch of times.
Speaker C:Do you have any of those tapes?
Speaker B:Practice.
Speaker A:No, I don't.
Speaker A:Like, Come on.
Speaker C:Tapes.
Speaker A:Right, Tapes.
Speaker C:I'm looking for some.
Speaker B:If you do find them somewhere, bring them here.
Speaker B:We'll restore them.
Speaker C:There you go.
Speaker A:Thank you.
Speaker A:I don't think I'll find those.
Speaker B:You have to Believe.
Speaker D:And then.
Speaker D:So what happened next in your journey?
Speaker D:You went to an art school, right?
Speaker A:I did.
Speaker A:I guess that was high school.
Speaker A:Earl Hagg School of the Arts.
Speaker A:But before that.
Speaker A:Okay.
Speaker A:Because my mom was touring so much, I had a babysitter that I actually lived with.
Speaker C:Oh, wow.
Speaker A:And her kids would.
Speaker A:They took music lessons.
Speaker A:So every morning for half an hour, one of the kids would be practicing, and they would wake up the whole house.
Speaker A:One played piano and the other played guitar.
Speaker A:And I was hearing this every morning.
Speaker A:Every morning?
Speaker A:Every morning.
Speaker A:So then I went over to the piano, and I figured out how to play what the other kid was playing.
Speaker A:Because it's like, how many times can you hear the same thing and not.
Speaker A:It's like, okay, how are you doing this?
Speaker A:Even though I didn't ask him, I just went and started doing it.
Speaker A:So then I was like, she needs lessons.
Speaker A:It's like, why?
Speaker A:Why do I need lessons if I could do what he's doing?
Speaker A:And he's been taking lessons for five years.
Speaker A:But, yeah, I ended up having piano lessons, and it's terrible.
Speaker A:I would say that that was nice, but I was using my ears the whole time.
Speaker A:And then my teacher realized it, like, three years in.
Speaker A:Because she's like, three years in.
Speaker A:Yeah.
Speaker B:It's a long time not to catch on to that.
Speaker A:Well, that's the thing.
Speaker A:I.
Speaker B:Who's this teacher?
Speaker A:I don't remember.
Speaker B:Let's call everybody out.
Speaker A:I don't remember her name, but I remember she said, play it from this part.
Speaker A:And I start from the beginning.
Speaker A:She goes, no, from this part.
Speaker A:And I turned her and I said, I'll get there.
Speaker A:I'm approaching there, you know, because it was a muscle memory thing.
Speaker A:And I'm listening.
Speaker A:It's like, okay, it goes like this.
Speaker A:It goes like that.
Speaker A:You know the music progression.
Speaker A:She goes, wait a minute.
Speaker A:Play it right from this part.
Speaker A:And I was like, oh, Lord.
Speaker A:And I started going, every good dog deserves that.
Speaker A:Counting what it is.
Speaker A:Measuring.
Speaker A:It's like, I hate counting and measuring.
Speaker A:It's the worst.
Speaker A:And then she realized that I was faking it, but faking the reading part.
Speaker A:But you know what?
Speaker A:A lot of the greatest musicians, they don't read.
Speaker A:Like Oscar Peterson.
Speaker A:He didn't read.
Speaker A:He just played.
Speaker B:Stevie Wonder doesn't read.
Speaker C:Doesn't.
Speaker A:Yeah, I guess not.
Speaker A:Wow.
Speaker C:Good point, because I did that too.
Speaker C:I was like, wait.
Speaker A:Record scratch control.
Speaker A:Yeah, you're right.
Speaker B:Are there Braille notations?
Speaker B:There's got to be.
Speaker C:There's got to be.
Speaker C:Okay, 100.
Speaker B:We'll look it up.
Speaker C:Yeah.
Speaker D:That is interesting.
Speaker A:That is interesting.
Speaker B:There's gotta be.
Speaker B:But then you can't play with both hands.
Speaker D:Read.
Speaker D:Yeah.
Speaker A:Oh, no.
Speaker C:Or maybe you like take a couple bars in.
Speaker D:You'd be taking sections and memorizing probably.
Speaker D:Yeah.
Speaker D:Interesting.
Speaker D:You always ask these questions that just make us all just sit.
Speaker D:I want to think more, but I gotta keep talking.
Speaker B:We'll get Steve on the next episode and we'll ask.
Speaker C:We'll ask him.
Speaker D:Maybe not next, but soon two or three.
Speaker D:So back to art school because I think that's where you're leading up with your.
Speaker A:Oh, yeah.
Speaker D:Find some piano lessons.
Speaker A:Yes.
Speaker A:After the piano lessons and all that stuff, I went to Earl Haig School of the Arts where I met a lot of like minded people that I still know today.
Speaker C:Did the perception of you change?
Speaker C:Because I know you were saying before everyone was kind of making fun of you.
Speaker C:When you went to art school, were you still being.
Speaker A:Wait, wait, when you say making fun of me, I didn't mention that I was a tomboy and I was the strongest and fastest and.
Speaker A:Yeah.
Speaker C:So there was no more fights.
Speaker A:I actually didn't need to fight.
Speaker C:Oh, they just knew.
Speaker C:They just knew what time it was.
Speaker A:Because I was quiet.
Speaker A:I was very shy.
Speaker A:But I was into sports a lot.
Speaker A:And I 100 meter long distance high jump.
Speaker A:I could jump the highest till grade six.
Speaker A:Everybody, they outgrew me.
Speaker A:I was still the little one, but I could jump, man.
Speaker B:Girls, like before puberty, girls would always kick my ass.
Speaker B:I feel like girls are, are naturally stronger until we have that advantage.
Speaker C:Until you get a little older.
Speaker A:Right?
Speaker D:That is hilarious.
Speaker D:So true.
Speaker B:Yeah.
Speaker A:Where were we?
Speaker C:Art school.
Speaker A:Oh, okay.
Speaker A:Yeah.
Speaker C:Meeting like minded individuals there.
Speaker A:Yes, it was, it was really nice.
Speaker A:And then I skipped a lot of classes.
Speaker A:But you know what?
Speaker A:Going to art school is amazing because it was like Fame.
Speaker A:There's the dancers, there's the musicians, there's somebody sitting in the hall playing like a big upright cello.
Speaker A:And it was mandatory for.
Speaker A:I mean, I was a singer, right?
Speaker A:And I was taking vocal classes, but it was mandatory to take dance classes too.
Speaker A:And it actually reminded me of Fame because the dancers would be in their dance gear and you know, walking down the hallways and stuff.
Speaker A:And you know, ballerinas.
Speaker A:Ballerinas are like their posture and everything.
Speaker A:They're just graceful and beautiful and intimidating.
Speaker A:But you know what I was saying was that it was mandatory to take a dance class and I had never done choreographed dance ever.
Speaker C:Right.
Speaker A:So I was taking jazz and something else and made me realize I'M not a dancer.
Speaker A:The teacher would be like, okay, this is the choreography.
Speaker A:Show us.
Speaker A:And she'd go, okay, five, six, seven, eight.
Speaker A:And everybody go this way.
Speaker A:And I'd be that way.
Speaker A:And I was like, oh, no.
Speaker A:And I'm chasing after them, trying to catch up.
Speaker A:I'm like, what are we doing?
Speaker A:I was like, what did you stop?
Speaker B:That's a big part of school, too, especially art school, is learning what's not your strength but still understanding why it's not your strength.
Speaker B:So you know who to hire later, right?
Speaker A:100%.
Speaker A:Oh, my gosh.
Speaker A:But I did really enjoy it.
Speaker D:Was it really competitive?
Speaker A:No, I didn't find it competitive.
Speaker C:Do they teach, like, how to write songs in art school?
Speaker A:Not at all.
Speaker B:What?
Speaker D:What?
Speaker C:I always wonder.
Speaker A:They didn't teach me.
Speaker A:But then again, like I said, I was doing a lot of skipping, right?
Speaker C:You might not have known.
Speaker C:So when did you start actually, like, putting pen to pad.
Speaker A:As an adult?
Speaker A:I went out with some girlfriends, and we were at a party.
Speaker A:No, we were at a party.
Speaker A:And it was like, there was basketball players or something.
Speaker A:And the girls.
Speaker A:I wasn't single.
Speaker A:I was just kind of sitting there, and the girls are like, oh, let's go talk to those guys and these guys.
Speaker A:And I was just like, oh, my God, I'm so bored.
Speaker A:Ended up sitting next to this dude who is I ended up talking to, and he was like, oh, I make music.
Speaker A:I was like, oh, really?
Speaker A:I said, I'm a singer, right?
Speaker A:Like, that's really cool.
Speaker A:So I exchanged numbers with him, and he ended up sending me some beats.
Speaker A:So even though I've always been a singer and I've always been able to sing, I've never had to create music, like, write a song, right?
Speaker A:So I just tried, you know?
Speaker A:And the first song was Housework Makes Me Sick.
Speaker A:And how that came about was that I was cleaning the house, and I was listening to these beats, and I just started singing about what I was doing, and I wrote it down.
Speaker D:Makes sense.
Speaker D:Yeah.
Speaker A:Put harmonies behind it.
Speaker A:So being musical in the first place, the harmonies and stuff.
Speaker A:Easy, easy.
Speaker A:Remember, that was my thing with my tape recorders and stuff.
Speaker A:But to actually write a song, I was like, whoa.
Speaker A:And I do have, like.
