Spotlight on clients of the past and present
Charli Adams
Color Study / Ultra Records / Concord Publishing
Check out the review of Charli's recently released debut album, Bullseye. Charli was one of the young artists I worked with during my time in Gulf Shores, AL. We worked on vocal technique and breath support, music theory and vocal delivery. I was also privileged to be one of the first to hear and offer feedback on new songs she was working on. Charli has always been a prolific writer and true artist, and was destined to grow far beyond the dunes of Gulf Shores.
https://ourculturemag.com/2021/07/25/album-review-charli-adams-bullseye/
Check out Charli's "Cheer Captain" video!
Shelby Brown(The Voice Season 9)
Some memories fade and some remain as clear as the day they were made. I will never forget the day a young lady who had just turned 12 years old, timidly walked into my little music studio and proceeded to fill it with a voice that could just as easily fill a stadium. At twelve, Shelby had a hugely powerful voice that she did not yet know how to harness. If you caught her on Season 9 of The Voice, you are currently nodding your head in agreement. I worked with Shelby from that day when she was 12, until I left Gulf Shores. We worked on foundational vocal techniques and breath support, stretching and developing vocal range, vocal and musical development across genre, music theory, piano, songwriting, vocal delivery, and performance. I had one of my most fulfilling moments as a mentor when I was in the audience as "friends and family" for a live taping of The Voice. I had the privilege to watch the girl I helped shape into a true artist and performer, the timid girl with the huge voice, the girl I had to encourage to introduce herself at an open mic, the girl who cursed me for forcing her to learn music theory, and the girl who helped shape who I am as a mentor, get up in front of millions of people live on television and own that stage like the pro she had become. Shelby is currently taking a break from the music industry.
Watch Shelby get a 4 chair turn in her blind audition for The Voice Season 9 while she performs "Stars" by Grace Potter and the Nocturnals.
coaching - artist development - mentorship
I have been fortunate to have the opportunity to work with a wealth of brilliantly talented singers and artists over the years in the capacity of vocal coach, vocal director and music director. Helping them to discover, embrace, and celebrate their own unique voice, quirks, and point of view is a privilege. I believe in safely pushing a singer beyond their comfort zone to discover that they can, if fact, sing the notes they thought were out of reach, learn to play an instrument, write a song, allow themselves to be vulnerable in their performance as a way to truly connect with the audience, or even produce records. While studying Vocal Performance at Berklee College of Music when there for my undergraduate degree, I was consistently asked "Are you a musician, or just a singer?" First of all...rude...I personally was a musician long before I was a singer, and believe them to be one-in-the-same, but what that question made clear to me was the stereotype in the music industry around "just singers." I believe this stereotype may be perpetuated by the fact that many singers do lack theory knowledge, the ability to read notes on a page, or play an additional instrument. I believe in empowering the singer as a musician and helping them to gain the tools needed to answer the question of "Are you a musician, or just a singer?" by simply sitting down at the piano, picking up a guitar or any instrument they are proficient on, and by speaking the language of music.
My aim is to give my clients a solid technical foundation, a firm grasp on the language of music both in theory and in practice, and the confidence to embrace the vulnerability it takes to truly commit to a performance. My brand of development combines vocal coaching, songwriting coaching, study of music theory, ear training, mic technique for live shows and in the studio, experience performing in live shows, experience in the recording studio, and a safe space to take the risks and make the mistakes that it takes to grow into who you are as an artist.