When I was a young child I had all kinds of stories, ideas, and dreams that were continuously whirling through my head. If I could have been a professional daydreamer I tell you I would have. Probably because the majority of the adults around me were also whirling with songs, words and dance so I didn’t think to censor the melodies that started to make their way from my heart, to my head, to my mouth. Sometimes I think that all we are after is to hear the song that our heart is singing. As much of a vocal technique geek as I am (and I am) my interest in vocal technique has always been in service of expression. How can I best help someone to say all that they have to say without restriction?
Completing a project like “Head Full OF Hair, Heart Full Of Song” has been a journey on very new land. The changes in my writing and sound were unexpected and somewhat scary. I couldn’t define my artistic impulses and I wanted to separate them, file them in another creative box. But the more I listened to the message of the album reminding me of the importance of Black women's legacies I started to resist less and enjoy my impulses more and more. Soon I realized that I had been leaving myself a trail of creative crumbs that were just waiting for me to pick them up. Even more I had a band of musicians ready to play them! Did I worry about how things would come together? Of course. Do I worry whether the album will find it’s desired audience/whether an audience will find it’s desired album? Yes…but I also know regardless of how things play out I had to let these stories make their way from my heart, to my head, to my mouth to someone’s ear.
If you get what I am writing about at all and you are looking for a new kind of album. One that is both song and theater, hair-story and her-story, community and connection, I hope you will come out to the record release party next Tuesday, July 17th and receive your copy of “Head Full Of Hair, Heart Full Of Song”. Tickets are right this way.