The Unstoppable Singer

This is The Unstoppable Singer and I'm chatting with Windy Wagner. Windy is one of Hollywood’s leading session vocalists, appearing on songs for top recording artists including Britney Spears, Selena Gomez, Kelly Clarkson, Miley Cyrus, Michael Bublé, Barbra Streisand, K.D. Lang, Neil Young, and Ringo Starr to name a few. She sang on more than 450 songs for the hit FOX television show Glee, its albums, and also serving as lip-sync coordinator, working directly with the cast for 6 months on the show during season 4. She has sung on motion pictures including Rock of Ages, We Are Marshall, Legally Blonde, Annie, Pitch Perfect, New Year's Eve, Jungle Book 2, The Muppets, and Repo Men to name a few. As a touring singer, Windy has sung background on a world tour with k.d. lang and currently Windy tours on and off with Joe Walsh of the Eagles. Windy has also sung background live for Carrie Underwood, Yolanda Adams, James Taylor, Elton John, Jewel, Cyndi Lauper, Bryan Adams, Rick Springfield, Enya, Dave Stewart, and Joe Cocker, and more.

This is the Unstoppable Singer and I'm chatting with Whitney Shay! The four-time San Diego Music Award winner (including 2019 Artist of the Year) and 2019 Blues Music Award nominee is scorching stages at home and internationally throughout Europe and South America. Shay’s latest release on Ruf Records Stand Up! debuted at #1 on the Billboard Blues charts and also reached #1 on the Roots Music Report. I'm excited to have her back on and dig into the details of her unstoppable hustle.

This is The Unstoppable Singer and I'm chatting with Leonard Patton! Leonard is an iconic staple vocalist in the San Diego jazz community. He’s recorded loads of albums with countless brilliant jazz musicians. He’s well-known for he and his band’s Guinness Record for 70 performances in 24 hours. When the pandemic came along, he was in the midst of 2 album releases. To put it mildly, he’s an energetic and determined artist. So when Covid-19 hit the scene, he was not going to be stopped. He went to work setting up a livestream studio out of his garage. We're talking about the amazing projects he's into right now and will highlight The Jazz Lounge.

This is The Unstoppable Singer and I'm chatting with Larry Grano! Larry has been a drummer for 35 years and has made a living at it professionally for 30 of those years. Though he is San Diego-based, he travels the world touring and recording with artists and supports a vast array of musical styles and genres. Known for his precision and versatility, the artists that work with Larry know that his percussive contribution to their music takes it to a consistent pinnacle of artistic innovation. In addition to his drumming duties, Grano is a music teacher, giving private lessons and teaching at the Paul Green School of Rock.

This is The Unstoppable Singer and I'm chatting with Brianna Ruelas. Brianna is a Dallas-based Strategy Consultant, Reality TV Music Coach, Online Course Creator, Podcast Co-Host, and Best Selling Author to Make Reality TV Your Reality. Most recently, Brianna produced the first-ever Reality Singing Show Summit to help independent performing artists prepare for and leverage the reality singing show platform to create momentum in their music careers. Brianna is passionate about supporting her clients to reality singing show success & leveraging that experience inside their music careers!

Stacy Antonel is a California-born vocalist whose range and versatility allow her to sing country, jazz, rock, soul, and pop with equal proficiency and passion. She’s a classically trained pianist from the age of 7, holds a degree from UC Berkeley, sings in four languages, and got her start in the music industry singing jingles while living in Buenos Aires, Argentina.

This is The Unstoppable Singer and I'm chatting live with Santino Sgambelluri! This San Diego-based singer keeps busy while balancing his active duty Naval career, singing all over SoCal, and spending time with his beautiful family. With genres ranging from Soul, RnB, Jazz, Funk, Pop, Rock in his rep, there is little to no music that is out of reach! Originally hailing from the island of Guam (where he won the Best male vocalist award in 2011) and then based in Oahu (HI) for many years, he built up a varied foundation of 25+ years of musicality playing with the region’s best. He's worked with San Diego bands/artists like Lucky Devils Band, Mockery, Calphonics, Side Hustle, Darryl Williams, Ricky Lawson, and various jazz combos. He was also hired for Dancing with the Stars as rotating vocalist – 2014, there’s a story here! Musical influences include Stevie Wonder, Musiq Soulchild, Donny Hathaway, Lalah Hathway, Kurt Elling, Al Jarreau, George Benson, Patrick Palomo, Kenny Washington, Beatles, Bob Marley, Prince, Michael Jackson, PJ Morton, and Yebba….and a ton more!

Melissa Barrison is a classically trained violinist who grew to encompass rock, country, jazz, gypsy, blues, pop, and even reggae. Melissa has played for artists such as Rihanna, The Killers and opened for Cee Lo Green, Pepper and POD. She has made television appearances on the Ellen DeGeneres Show and the Marie Osmond Show and has also performed in the NFL LA Rams Half-time Show, NHL Pre-Game Show, and NBA All-Star Game Half-time Show. Based in Southern California, Melissa has been an active member of the San Diego Local Music community and has graced many stages throughout the country, often receiving standing ovations for dancing while playing her violin! Being a highly energetic violinist playing upbeat modern music, she enjoys performing live and interacting with the crowd at weddings, corporate functions, and other special events.

Kris Bradley is a songwriter/producer with credits including Sony BMG, Warner Chappell, Rolling Stone, Fox, Lincoln, and Miramax. She heads Boomfox Productions, producing for various sync projects, artists, and songwriters. She is also the founder of Produce Like a Boss, which is an online coaching program geared towards the songwriter/producer, rather than the engineer. Her "non-techy" and simplified style of teaching is helping tons of artists learn how to produce their own music. I'm going to get the scoop on her free workshop, "The Songwriter's Guide to Producing The S.I.M.P.L.E. Way! This is where she teaches songwriters how to beat blank page syndrome, and get their music out of their heads and into the DAW (Digital Audio Workstation)! Learning how to produce can be intimidating and complicated for a lot of songwriters, but with her S.I.M.P.L.E. technique, she'll have you producing INSTANTLY! 

This is The Unstoppable Singer and I'm chatting live with Jeff Berkley! He has been called a San Diego legend, and it’s easy to understand why. Berkley’s musical contributions include his work in current bands Berkley Hart and Berkley Hart Selis Twang, as well as previous bands like The Cry, The Redwoods & Citizen Band. He is also known for his work with the many musicians he has produced in studios around the world including his own. Jeff is also an amazing guitarist and percussionist with multiple acts.

This is The Unstoppable Singer and I'm chatting live with Adam J. Eros. Adam is a Composer, songwriter, Performing Artist, Dueling-Pianist, Farmer, Wine-Lover, and nerd. He's #1 on the Billboard Blues Charts for his co-writing collaboration "Stand Up!" with Blues and Soul Songstress Whitney Shay. He's also composed music and written songs for documentaries, YouTube Series, Sesame Street, commercials, chamber ensembles, etc. As a dueling piano player, Adam has had opportunities to perform for companies like Disney, Toyota, USAA, Qualcomm, Microsoft, etc... Adam was also the Entertainment Manager at The Shout! House in San Diego, a "Best in San Diego winner", where he worked for 12 years. He has performed throughout the US and is a regular at "La Broche a Foin" in Quebec City, Canada. His most current endeavor is Co-Creator of the podcast and Live Show "Tasting Notes - The Show!" A show that pairs wine with original music, with each episode featuring an original song written explicitly for the episode. 🍷

This is The Unstoppable Singer and I'm chatting with Chloe Lou! She sings original rock & roll licks with a healthy repertoire of classic covers. Chloe’s blend of soulful style and timeless themes make for songs that are sonically familiar but powerfully original. After releasing her first album in 2019 with her band The Liddells, and winning Best Pop Album at the San Diego Music Awards.

The wonderful Carissa Lynn Renner for Season 02 of The Unstoppable Singer! I love this human-being and I know you will too! She's an intuitive vocal coach who helps women, entrepreneurs, and singers create alchemy with their voices. She believes that your voice is your most powerful asset --it's the direct pathway to access your most authentic, confident self. It's the key to making more money, magnetizing soul-aligned fans and clients, and learning to love yourself more deeply than you could've ever imagined.

Meet Cassie Bowerman, aka Cassie B., singer, dancer, and leader of the Cassie B Project band from San Diego. She spent most of her childhood in musical theater, which taught her the importance of becoming a well-rounded performer. At 16 she joined one of San Diego's best professional dance teams, Culture Shock, where she spent countless hours in rehearsals, performing and developing her love for the soulful, funky, and pop style music that has become her signature sound. Michael Jackson is Cassie's greatest musical influence and has inspired her to create an atmosphere that “inspires listeners to feel the music and not be able to stay in their seat. Her performances are known for their energetic and engaging experience and it's her goal as an artist to bring happiness and fun to everyone's heart!

Meet Shelbi Bennett, San Diego singer-songwriter and frontwoman for the bands Baby Bushka, Midnight Pine, Creature and the Woods, and the Havnauts. As a vocalist, she specializes in a number of different styles and in studio session work. Throughout her career she’s ecorded on several local San Diego musician's records [including Rebecca Jade and The Cold Fact, Lion and the Lady, Birdy Bardot, R.A. Rosemborg and more] as well as doing commercial jingles at Singing Serpent as needed.

In this episode of The Unstoppable Singer, I sit down with Jenn Takahashi! Jenn is a soulful singer-songwriter from Southern California. She began her music career nearly a decade ago writing songs for developing artists under major and independent record labels in Los Angeles. She then transitioned to singing professionally with cover bands, while working with songwriters and producers from LA to Japan. Jenn was a band member of the San Diego cover band Party Quake for seven years and is currently the lead singer of The Verge. We'll be chatting about being an up-and-comer in this business and how she managed a consistent weekly livestream during the pandemic.

We are kicking off Season 2 of the Unstoppable Singer with one of the most promising artists of the new generation of Latino singers in America, Francisco Ruiz. He’s worked as a vocalist and choir director at venues including the Walt Disney Concert Hall, Jimmy Kimmel Live!, The Wiltern, Boston Symphony Hall, and others. We’ll chat about his career as a teacher, arranger, choral director, pianist, and singer. We’ll also get into his work with virtual choirs and bands during the quarantine.

Meet Sarah Ingraham, singer/songwriter, voice, and piano teacher from San Diego. She currently performs contemporary, Jazz, and Top 40 music throughout the San Diego and North County area. A voice and harpsichord major at UCSC, Sarah went on to explore world music in India and Japan and became fascinated with pop, jazz, and world fusion. Sarah won Best New Age Vocalist at the Los Angeles Music Awards with her debut CD Human, produced and co-written by Rob Mullins. Human is a blend of East Indian, Pop, Jazz, Dance, and R&B.

This is Dawn Mitschele, a gifted Singer-Songwriter from San Diego, California, who's been nominated twice in 2014 and 2015 for Best Singer/Songwriter at the SD Music Awards. Her band, Cardinal Moon, just released their new album Come Undone on the Redwoods Music label, and they’ll soon be releasing a new video to accompany it. Throughout quarantine, Dawn was actively collaborating with Alfred Howard on his project, Alfred Howard Writes.

In this episode, we chat with Alexis Alfaro, Mexican-American Tenor, singer of classical music, traditional folk songs, and contemporary jams. He's praised worldwide for his technique, engaging stage presence, and sensitive approach to the art of voice. Alexis was raised and trained in many prestigious institutions, including the University of Kansas. He's most recently performed in Verdi's masterpiece Rigoletto with the San Diego Opera.

In this episode, I sit down with Jonny Tarr, San Diego singer/songwriter, saxophonist, and producer. He just won the San Diego Music Award for BEST POP ARTIST 2020 and headlined the NAMM show’s D’Angelico Stage 2020 with his band The Jonny Tarr Quintet. He describes his current album as “highly personal and vulnerable” and has been live-streaming the material regularly to gauge his fans’ reaction as he counts down to the full album launch.

Meet Derrick Harris, better known as “D. Harris,” on stage. He’s an emcee, singer/songwriter, recording artist, entrepreneur, and marine veteran. A graduate of Musicians Institute, Hollywood, CA, Derrick has 26 years of professional music experience and has shared stages with musical legends such as Babyface, Stevie Wonder, Chaka Kahn, and Sting, just to name a few. He fronts the San Diego based Undercover Live Entertainment Band known for their vibrant weddings and corporate events performances. Wearing many hats, including specializing in vocal technique, stage presence & choreography, hasn’t stopped Derrick from pursuing his other passion - working with differently-abled & autistic children. This work has allowed him to marry his love for music education with advocacy, enabling him to impact lives positively.

Meet Natasha Kozaily, singer/songwriter from San Diego. Natasha writes, records, and performs music under the moniker NATULA. She calls her music “third-culture pop” as a nod to her third-culture identity, which leads her to explore elements of traditional folk music in a pop context. She also runs the Kalabash School of Music and the Arts in La Jolla, California, where she teaches music and inspires students to write their original material. Natasha founded and fronts for Baby Bushka, an all-female, eight-piece Kate Bush experience.We chat about what sparks her creativity and inspires her live performances as an artiste.

Meet Cedrice Ce, singer/songwriter from San Diego, CA, and known by many as the goddess in Season 18 of The Voice. Her soulful style, genre versatility, smooth tone, and musical retention made her a huge standout in the show. She’s now embraced as an inspiration and light to those with alopecia. Diagnosed at age ten after losing chunks of hair, she endured severe bullying and fell into depression. She tried wearing wigs, but always felt she was hiding her real identity. Along her musical journey, Cedrice decided to embrace what made her unique and began shaving her head. With the power back in her hands, she boldly took the stage and started singing publicly in her natural hair. She has a brand new single out called “Room to Grown” available on various platforms. In this interview, we got to talking about her musical journey and how alopecia has impacted her as an artist.

In this episode, I chat with Draeh Jirnea, singer and songwriter from San Diego making a creative living. Being a preacher's kid, it was only natural that her musical journey would begin in the church, where she sang her first solo at the tender age of three. By high school, Draeh was signed to Warner Brothers but moved on from the deal to protect her artistic integrity, a move that proved to be a wise choice. She got another chance to shine as a contestant on Season 3 of American Idol, making it all the way to the Hollywood group rounds. She got a powerful jumpstart into life as a working singer when Doug Booth, one of the band members of Rockola, heard her singing behind the barista bar at Starbucks. Since then, she’s fueled the front line of top bands like Big Time Operator, Kicks, Lucky Devils, and many others. Since the lockdown started, Draeh has been focused on health and fitness as well as home-schooling her two children. 

Meet Rina Cervantes, the effortlessly soulful Latin American songstress, also known as Rain Bisou and lead singer of neo-soul/ R&B cover band, The Stonecutters. Although she’s a classically trained soprano, Rain seamlessly blends her powerful voice into almost any genre, delivering a unique neosoul flavor as chilling, refreshing, and seductive as a perfect storm. As a mother, educator, and most importantly, a creator, Rain is continuously geared towards creating a positive impact on her audience, not just by making beautiful music, but by also stirring the human spirit and elevating it to a higher plane of consciousness.

This is Daneen Wilburn, a San Diego based singer. She's known for her trademark tone and gospel sound, which can be traced back to her roots in gospel music, and for daring to dream big. By age seven, Daneen was the lead singer of the family band, and by the time she turned 19, she was singing at the legendary Hollywood Bowl, along with some of gospel music’s top names, including Edwin Hawkins, Darryl Coley, and Ricky Grundy. After a 20 year hiatus during which she married and started a family, Daneen triumphantly returned to music, and has opened for Graham Nash of Crosby Stills and Nash, Credence Clearwater Revival, and sang background for music legends like The Pointer Sisters. In 2018, she released her debut, self titled album, produced by Grammy winner Kamau Kenyatta, who says, “When Daneen sings, you will believe every word.”

Meet Eden Casteel of Wakefield from Rhode Island. She’s a pro with online music platforms, a multifaceted performer, pianist, producer, and independent studio owner. Eden holds a Bachelor of Music Degree from The University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory Of Music and a Master of Music degree from The University of Maryland. She’s also a past president of the Rhode Island chapter of NATS and a charter member of The Speakeasy Cooperative. We got down to business talking about high-fidelity and low-latency online music platforms and the promise they hold for the future, and discussed the extraordinary opportunities she’s created in her teaching studio for singers during the quarantine.

Meet Singer/guitarist, Lorraine Theresa, from San Diego. She’s all about blues, jazz, soul, R&B, and Latin-influenced music - most of the time. Currently, she’s revisiting her classical guitar passion and working on a new album with members of her trio - the Besos de Coco. The album features some original tracks as well as some standard covers. Lorraine's singing career path began when she earned a Bachelor’s degree in Music as well as a Music Teaching Credential from San Diego State University. She’s also studied under the tutelage of Fred Benedetti. In this episode, we caught up on what it’s like to rebuild our careers amidst a world-wide crisis.

Meet Clay Colton, leader of the Clay Colton Band. They play an eclectic blend of Classic Rock Covers, Alternative Rock favorites, and authentic Americana/Southern Rock. They've invented their own sound that is at the heart of American culture. It's simple, play rock, with any adjective you prefer to put in front of the word. He also fronts a 1950s Rock 'n' Roll project, The Jukebox Kings. You'll normally find him performing up to five nights per week at a San Diego venue and-- during the pandemic-- Facebook live concerts. Clay’s also working on a new album which he plans to release online. In this episode, I had a great talk with him about live streaming and connecting with your audience. 

Meet Allison Adams Tucker, singer, songwriter, session artist, and music teacher from San Diego, California. She’s a multi-lingual jazz vocalist with a deep love for languages and world cultures. After living in Japan and Spain, and traveling widely, for her, it’s all about the human connection. Also, her business acumen has supported a series of highly successful song releases. Allison is on the verge of releasing her fourth album, RETRO Trilogy. Conceptually, the project is a jazz re-imagination of 3 decades of music, from the ‘70s to the ‘90s, and includes an original song. This creative undertaking confirms that Allison should not be classified exclusively as a jazz artist. Her music speaks to a much broader audience. 

In the world of cover band singers, you won't find any better than Darryl Walker, singer, saxophone player extraordinaire from San Diego. He specializes in R&B, Pop, Blues, and Jazz, and his work is stunning! Darryl has lit up countless recording sessions with his lead and background vocals. He’s worked with such labels as Tabu, A&M, Motown, Mesa Blue Moon Records, Northern Blues, and Ripa Records. Be sure to catch his latest project, Darryl F. Walker "Sings Al Jarreau," it’s incredible. In this interview, we chatted about our mutual philosophies on professionalism and the challenges that cover band singers face.

In this episode, Rosy Dawn and I chat about switching between classical and contemporary vocal styles. The adults around town know her from the Rosy Dawn Band, and the kids know her as the executive artistic director and founder of Center Stage Children's Theater and Thornton's Youth Performance Ensemble. She's performed with the San Diego Lyric Opera and has been a recurring Chorus member with the San Diego Opera chorus since 2004. All the while, she's been a working singer on the gig scene doing everything from pop, rock, folk, jazz, and more. We discuss how we've transferred the concepts of classical vocal singing into our pop singing and other contemporary styles of music.

Meet Tiffy Jane, singer/songwriter/vocal coach/blogger/vlogger. She wears a lot of creative hats, and they all fulfill her in different ways. You may have seen her as a coach on MTV’s MADE, or perhaps you caught her US Tour with her band Tiffany Jane & The Kicks. She’s won many big-time singing competitions. Her career has been full of big amazing moments like opening for Dave Matthews and Joan Jett and the Blackhearts.  Nowadays, she is coaching, songwriting, and creating for her YouTube channel. With all these outlets and wins under her belt, she’s learned a thing or two about what matters. Now, amid a global pandemic, her feelings and priorities are amplified. She shared the life lessons that have brought her to a centered and joyful place in her life.

In this episode of The Unstoppable Singer, I had the honor of chatting with Eve Selis. She is a beloved singer-songwriter, author, survivor, and humanitarian. Her 9th studio album, See Me With Your Heart, was produced by GRAMMY-award winning producer Kenny Greenberg. Since the '90s, she's been a staple in the San Diego music scene. She's won 8 San Diego Music Awards and has been nominated 15 times. In 2019 she was inducted into the San Diego Music Hall Of Fame. Eve has experienced many perks of success, like sharing stages with huge artists like Crosby, Stills & Nash, Heart, and The Doobie Brothers. She's earned a great living and has grown an adoring and loyal fanbase.

Life is precious and we only get one shot at it. Nevertheless, many of us are spending our life merely passing the time until this pandemic comes to an end. It’s hard to stay motivated when you’ve lost so much. I won’t sugar-coat it either. This could get worse before it gets better. If we’re not careful with ourselves, we can become stuck and paralyzed with overwhelm. If you feel this way, you’re not alone. In my heartfelt discussion with Steph Johnson, she explained that “we’re living in impossible times” but we can learn to sing through a crisis by changing our thinking and doing.

Meet Janet Hammer. She’s one of San Diego’s hardest-working and busiest singers. She has led countless bands and vocal groups. Many know her from The Mar Dels, Ira Liss Big Band Jazz Machine, The Xceptional Tribute to ABBA, and Sweethearts of Swing. She’s a hard-driven gigging machine! Janet was raised by entrepreneurs and built several successful businesses early in her career. In 1989 she created an amazingly successful Christmas caroling company, The Full Measure Carolers. It grew from one quartet to over 15 quartets booking an average of 250 gigs during the holiday season with the most gigs in one season at 436 gigs within a 5-week span.

In this episode, you’ll meet Lauren Leigh, singer, songwriter, bandleader, and hired gun based in San Diego, CA. The last couple of years have held many firsts for this power-house vocalist. The first full-time working singer schedule fronting bands like Lauren Leigh and the Low Keys, Wild Heart, Analog Project, High Tide Society, and Mud Slide Slim. Her first professional tour with Pink Froyd opening for Foreigner, buses and all. Debut album release. And as it goes, life turns on a dime and we learn to pivot. Fortunately for Lauren, she was well-equipped to handle the change of plans. None-the-less disappointing, but she’d been establishing herself as a professional and gaining loads of experience and maturity for years. To begin with, she had the good fortune of being raised up in a family full of world-class musicians. She traveled with them, studied them, and soaked in the lessons of those before her. She boldly stepped into major gigs early on and courageously made a way for herself.

So, you've got all the goods of a Superstar. Your voice is spectacular, your songs are epic and your image is 🔥. But something's missing. You do your best to strut your stuff on stage but in your heart, you know you ain't no Bruno Mars in the dance department. Some performers seem to ooze with natural swagger while others are stiff and awkward. Good news - it can be improved. In this episode, my guest has some tips for singers on how they can move on stage like a pro. 💃🏽

Meet Vangie Gunn, session singer, singer-songwriter, performer, voice-over artist, voice teacher, and so much more! She is as professional as professional gets in the music business. She’s had an enormous career including being a featured vocalist on Jimmy Kimmel, Disney, CBS, Fox shows like American Dad and Family Guy, A Bug’s Life, Happy Feet, Evan Almighty, Bruce Almighty, Despicable Me, Star Wars Rogue One, Spiderman Homecoming, with Justin Timberlake and Chris Stapelton, World of Warcraft and Call of Duty. Those are just a few highlights. How does a singer accomplish so much and build such an impressive resume? We’ll learn the vocal training habits of a top performer in this episode.

Why did you learn to sing on Twitch? “Music is intrinsic to you, it’s not a function of your circumstances,” exclaimed Joshua Taylor. When we chatted in this episode, Joshua shared with me how he sees the future of his performing career. In the midst of a pandemic and quarantine, like most of us, his live gigs have disappeared. In order to detach from the geographic dependent gig economy, he’s found hope in streaming.

Many singers who ordinarily make their living gigging and performing live are urgently seeking ways to make money singing online. It's so doable! So, let’s get out of crisis mode, shall we? If you’re anything like me, there’s a lot of things you’ve considered experimenting with. Now’s the time. Let’s get going now before our bank accounts are overdrawn – if they’re not already.  Audrey Callahan, a professional singer, is based out of Southern California and is on a mission to create meaningful music that inspires others to achieve their own level of personal greatness. 

I had the absolute pleasure of chatting with my very own bandmate, Durell Anthony. He's an amazing American soul singer and songwriter. Born and raised in Atchison, Kansas, Durell has been a staple in the Southern California private event music scene since 2010, and a lead singer for The Mighty Untouchables since 2018. As a backing vocalist, he's shared the stage with some of the industry's top names including, Karl Denson (Rolling Stones), John Elefante (Kansas), Paul Wall, Bun B, Slim Thug, Yolonda Adams & Carrie Underwood. And now, having more time on his hands at the moment, he got to work starting a YouTube singing channel.

If you’re a singer, chances are you feel the world’s problems deeply. This is common for creative beings. From March until today, you’ve likely faced an unprecedented amount of stress. The pandemic and political environment bring a barrage of daily anxieties, rising death tolls, increasing unemployment numbers, and physical isolation — on top of intense feelings of frustration and anger. These times are uncertain, and it’s tough to see beyond all the challenges we’re faced with right now. To put it simply — you just aren’t feeling great. Please know you’re not alone. In this episode, I talked with my friend Carissa Lynn Renner of The Bold Vocal. As a vocal coach, her lifetime goal is to transform our planet, one singer at a time. She’s been a pro singer for two decades and believes that the regular habit of singing is an act of self-love. It creates a happier, more confident, and more fully self-expressed you.

To develop your authentic vocal artistry you can think of it in terms of branding. "Branding" is a word I don't really like at all when it comes to singers.  It sounds too manufactured. But on the contrary, I use it as a way of discovering what's truly unique and special about a singer. It's the thing that your fans will remember you by.  Voice lessons experts everywhere strive to draw out these qualities in their singers. Much of their knowledge comes from their own personal journies as singers. My friend, Mariela, knew that being bilingual was an integral part of her identity. It was even the focus of her academic studies and teaching credentials. With years of creative experimenting and by using methods to identify her unique, memorable qualities, she discovered her authentic vocal artistry. 🦄

Whitney Shay is a four-time San Diego Music Award winner (including 2019 Artist of the Year) and 2019 Blues Music Award nominee. She's spent the last several years touring internationally throughout Europe and South America. Her latest release on Ruf Records Stand Up! debuted at #1 on the Billboard Blues Album Charts and also reached #1 on the Roots Music Report Blues Album Charts. So basically, she's on fire. 🔥 But much like our most coveted influencers online, Whitney Shay strategically and painstakingly poured years of passion and grit into her career. None of this was handed to the #busylittlesinger. She learned the value of hard work early on in her life participating in children and youth theater productions. She went on to earn a degree in Theater Performance from San Diego State University. She got her first gig experience after answering an ad on Craigslist to be part of a jazz duo. That later led to a steady 3-night-a-week, 4-hour gig in Downtown San Diego. From there she became a hard-working, full-time singer. As it happens, one gig led to another, led to an invitation to tour internationally, and led to a record deal.  As spectators, we see the sparkly dresses and highlight reel. What we don't see if the enormous amount of blood, sweat, and tears poured into a successful career. Your Next Step 👣 📝 Write down your top 3 singing goals for the next year. Then write out each step and task you'll need to accomplish to reach each goal. Finally, put each of those tasks on a schedule and get to work! We're in a new day and age that will challenge us to be innovative and use all of our experience and know-how to be successful at what we do. If you know you've got what it takes but don't know where to start, I'd love to help. In my vocal coaching practice, we work on both your strategy and your craft. Contact me here if you'd like to work with me. https://danielletucker.com/vocal-coac...

Meet Rebecca Jade, an award-winning singer/songwriter. She’s been touring with the Queen of Percussion, Sheila E. since 2017, and most recently appeared in “The GRAMMY Salute to Prince” that aired on CBS in April. She also sang background vocals for Sir Elton John at the 2020 Academy Awards. With over 27 years of recording studio experience, she’s sung background vocals, demos, and jingles on many different projects and has been featured in a variety of works. She was awarded “Artist of the Year” for this San Diego Music Awards for 2020. To Be a Successful Singer 🎙 Most of all, she’s a great human being. And, to put it in the simplest of terms, that’s what it takes to be a successful singer.Listen along to learn how a high level of professionalism will help you land gigs that pay- and keep them coming! Find Rebecca Jade on https://www.instagram.com/ladyrebeccajade/ and RebeccaJade.com!