Expression Through Art, Visually and Musically

The manner in which one decides to express their art is to their own discretion and hopefully, in conjunction with their talent.  Is it possible to display art in two mediums without the two jumbling the message and leaving the patron confused?  Hmmm.  I was watching a video from a YouTube link this morning by an artist named Timothy Bloom, "Till the End of Time" featuring V. Bozeman.  If one were to just look at the video, they may not be able to listen to the words of the song.  I'm sure it did not break the budget because it was Timothy and V. Bozeman standing on a spinning pedestal naked, singing to each other.  That's it.  It was shot in color and in black in white, a little lighting, some strategic placement of legs and hands and a good camera.  They had to hire a barber because both had short hair cuts and someone to make sure their bodies were oiled.  Although there was no background action, no distracting cars or homes that were rented, no hired video models to take your mind off the fact that the artist may not be as good as they want you to think.  No outlandish costumes or references to designers that don't know that artist exists.  He wanted you to pay attention and that's what I and any other person who watched that video did.  I thought they actually looked like a sculpture on that pedastal.  I was able to look past the nakedness, into the art.  When D'Angelo's famous Untitled (How Does It Feel) video that EVERY woman, and some men, in the world went crazy over.  Why is this man NAKED!!!  What is it about American culture that causes the masses to go crazy when artists are naked in their videos?  As long as it's not vulgar, what's the problem?  I mean yes it is suggestive and there was probably a motive behind being naked.  Many speculate that D'Angelo was enjoying "pleasures' while shooting the video, but who knows, were you there during filming?  They never did show below the waist.  Maybe he was "acting", which a lot of people in videos do.  Do you think every man and woman pairing in videos mean that they are a couple in their real lives?  No.  When Erykah Badu decided she was going to strip down in the middle of the street in Houston, Texas, right where the assassination of President Kennedy took place, did she do so without a motive?  Of course not!  She wanted you to pay attention, maybe some folks paid a little too much attention.  I wonder what folks were more upset with, the fact that she shot this video where President Kennedy was killed or the fact that she was naked when she did it.  I visited the National Gallery of Art this past weekend and if you looked at some 17th century paintings, almost everyone was naked.  If you looked at some sculptures, there naked, voluptuous women and masculine men.  When the museum patrons were walking around, showing their children these great works of art, none of them said, don't look at that because you can see that woman's breast or that man's penis.  It was considered the art of that period.  But opinions seem to sway when we bring that same form of expression to music.  Is it because combining a naked body with a powerful voice which gives those wonderful, sensual inflections, too much for us to handle?  The excitement will spill over and there will be uncontrollable, aroused people walking the streets just waiting to do something filthy!  Ha! I doubt it.  Now I don't think that these artists were crazy, they knew there would be some "shock value" added to them showing their bodies.  They knew it would cause people to pay attention to their music, now whether you got the message or were just interested in seeing them naked is on you, but the point is you paid attention.  I didn't know who this guy was prior to my friend posting it on Facebook, but I do now and by the way he has a really nice voice (so does she).  I know for a fact that when D'Angelo's video first appeared on my television, I took a double take, then sat down to watch the video, in silence.  After I got past the rippling abs, arms, chest and back muscles, I listened to the actual song and they way he sung it, then fell in love with that.  Does visual art and music have the power to arouse feelings and sensors in our brains that make us want to get close to someone, sure!  But we must be able to appreciate what the artist is trying to portray before we dismiss it as something vulgar or without purpose.  When Erykah was on the Monique Show, she stated that the women in her family "appreciate nakedness", meant to me that the act of being naked is not offensive, but it's the actions with the nakedness that can cause the issues.  I'm saying that everyone should now start filming their videos in the buff, some of us should NEVER do that, for that would be offensive.  Which ever side of the coin you reside upon, let it be because of your choice, not because you're judging someone else's.  Keep creating!

Entertainer or Singer/Musician, which one are you?

On this Tuesday afternoon I am listening to one of my FAVORITE MJ (Michael Jackson) songs, which was remade by Boyz II Men.  I am a firm believer that if you're going to remake a song, it BETTER be as good or better than the original.  Anyone who knows me, know I love (and yes I have to stress "love") Human Nature, it's a perfect song to me.  It hits me in all the right places.  It's sensual, smooth, sexy, sung well, phrasing is on point, mixed perfectly, lyrics are wonderful, melody is right...I mean everything gels in this song.  Michael is one of the best, wait, let me take that back, he was THE BEST entertainers I have EVER seen.  Period.  I will never forget being a kid in the Capital Center watching the Bad Concert.  Before then I never understood why people fainted and screamed like they were on fire when he performed, but when I was in that arena (which was filled to capacity), you could literally feel the energy.  It was electrifying!  He literally lit up the stage!  But the thing that stood out the most was that it wasn't just the tens of thousands of screaming fans (myself included) that amazed me, it was Michael's presence on stage that captivated the hearts of billions of adoring fans.  You knew that when he left the stage, he left his soul on it.  That my friends, is what I call a gift from the good Lord.  Bearing witness to such a talent begs me to ask the question, what is the difference between being an entertainer and a singer/musician?  What category do you fall in?  In my opinion, an entertainer is someone who keeps you entertained.  I know, fairly simple right.  But the hard truth is that lots of people claim themselves to be entertainers, but really there's nothing about their show that's entertaining.  Someone who's going to dance, sing, give you great visual affects, will do anything to keep you watching and anticipating the next thing.  That's entertainment, to me at least.  A person who is just a singer/musician, doesn't really care about all the accoutrement that comes with the special affects, dancing and so on.  They are only focused on singing or playing their songs and sometimes can be quite boring.  It's not everyday that you come across someone who can do both.  Quite frankly it's hard to do both and do both well.  It's almost a treat when you see an artist on tour and they are actually, dare I say, singing AND dancing.  Back in the day, you had to entertain the people, or they would boo you off the stage!  The talent was evident.  They worked on their shows, they made the audience want to sing along.  I ask you, how often do you think the Temptations rehearsed their steps while staying in tune with each other?  The Jackson Five gave up their entire childhoods, maybe not always by choice, but nonetheless, they gave it up to get where they needed to be.  I realize that everyone is not going to give you MJ, or Janet or Beyonce', nor do they want to and that's perfectly fine with me.  Some of my favorite artists don't do much on stage in regards to gyrating, but when they open their mouths to sing, my goodness.  A true entertainer should be able to connect with their audience whether they're in the middle of the stage with a mic stand while sitting on a stool or giving me the excitement of dancing all over the stage.  Either works for me as long as when I leave that arena or club, I feel full.  Being both an artist and a patron, I know what I like in a show and what I don't like and I think we artists need to take that approach.  It's too often that we can get so wrapped in our own greatness that we forget about the people who are watching and listening to us.  We can forget to include them in the experience.  They want to be there, that's why they paid their hard earned money to come see us.  Bridging the gap between being an entertainer and a singer/musician is something that must be done.  We owe it our supporters to give them our best each and every time they take time out of their day to come to a show, buy our CD or watch our video.  Let's not get complacent and think because we are who we think we are, the people will just come.  Singing for people once will show them you have a talent and you might gain some praise, temporarily.  But keeping people entertained with your gift will is where the long jevity lies.  Artists, it's time to step our games up!

The Rhythm's Gonna Get You

What is it about rhythms that make us want to dance? All I know is that when the songs comes on and the bass, drums and percussion kicks in, it causes involuntary convulsions and we feel the uncontrollable urge to move our bodies back and forth.  Sometimes without care of who is watching, judging, laughing or wishing they felt the same inhibitions as you.  You feel free!  My sister once told me that when she was in college she and her friends would go to the club and dance all night.  That's how they stayed so slim back then.  Tis true I presume, I too was a dancer and while mashin' up the dance floor all night brought me great pleasure (still does) I never really understood why I was intoxicated by music I couldn't always understand.  Maybe I should explain.  When I was 12 years old my sister and I worked together one summer at the Owl School summer camp.  We rode together every day in the infamous white Peugeot.  Every morning without fail, she would pop in a mixtape with music that I couldn't understand.  Every morning I would find myself being angry and telling her to turn that off!  Well one morning during my fit of anger I found myself moving my head from side to side and I was...humming the tune.  I still couldn't make out all the words but somehow that didn't matter to me anymore.  That was when I knew, the rhythms of this reggae music got me.  It was infectious and from that moment on, I have been in love with it.  I still don't understand it all, but that doesn't matter.  When I hear a those rhythms I can't help myself and if it's one of my favorite jams, I feel sorry for the dude that tries to dance with me!  But I digress!  Whether it's the rhythm or the vocals or the lyrics of a song that drives us to fall in love with it, we as artists strive to bring that same sense of euphoria to our own music.  We all want our listeners to feel that same sense of pleasure when they are enjoying our music.  We want to draw them in to our experience, to feel us. The more your audience feels you, the longer they stay with you.  They become your fans, your team and will support you as long as you keep making art they can feel.  Whatever it is that inspires you to keep striving for that moment in your music life that will catch your fans and draw them in to your experience, make sure it's true to who you are.  So if you only have one true fan, trust me that's all you need.  One person who will tell another person about you and your authenticity. The those two people tell another person and before you know it you fan base has grown tremendously. Not because you sound like their other favorite artist, but because of your artistry.  Be daring, be unafraid of what lies in your musical epicenter.  I can't wait to hear you.

Artist Oath of Allegiance

I need all you artists to stand up, raise your right hand and repeat after me:

"We the artists of the United States of America (and any other country that's reading this) do solemnly swear to read all contracts that are placed in front of our faces. We promise to uphold the gift of comprehension and not let our God given common sense be swayed by the enticement of frivolous materialistic things hat we can not really afford.  We swear that the voice that you hear on studio recordings actually came from our vocal chords.  We promise not to allow the label or producer or A&R person take away our identity and integrity towards our craft.  We promise to report any artist imposters or at least try not to enjoy their music in public.  We promise not to be perpetual haters.  If there is another artist who is better than us, we will not try to discredit their character and tell others not to support them.  We vow to protect our gift by not abusing it. (Mama always said if you don't use the gifts God gave you, He'll take them away.)  Finally, we promise to make good music.  To be true to the art of music. "

Congratulations, now go to work!

Don't Let It Go To Your Head, No!

Seventeen years ago, Jean Carne put out the album, The Right Stuff and on that was a song entitled, "Don't Let It Go To Your Head".  As I struggled to pull myself off of Facebook this morning, I read the status of indie soul artist Wayna Wondwossen and she said, "If you ever think talent entitles you to anything,  you have a disappointment ahead."   That couldn't be more true.  I spoke about this yesterday, just because you have talent doesn't mean someone else is going to recognize it, give you a million dollars and make all your troubles disappear because now, you have "arrived".  "The Grind" is what we artists are all too familiar with. (And if you're not familiar with it then you need to reconsider the title of "artist" that you may have bestowed upon yourself...I'm just saying)  How do you define your "grind"?  Some people are blessed with such enormous talent, that they don't where to begin to cultivate it.  Some of our illustrious (and I use that term very loosely) artists have very minimal talent.  With today's modern technology, ANYONE can sound decent in the studio, case in point "Tardy for the Party". (Kandi and her team worked a miracle on Kim, I mean really!)  But my people, it's a sham! A Hoax! A falsehood and they are wearing the masks!  Portraying themselves as real artists.  A definition of Artist from Princeton.edu: creative person (a person whose creative work shows sensitivity and imagination).  How many folks can say they fall into that category? How many recording artists that you currently support are in that number?  Everybody wants or says that they are "different", but so often we see the same type of new artist who's trying to copy someone or something that's already been done.  You know, there are some really creative people on YouTube.  Some folks that I surely may never have heard of because their songs or beats are not being played one thousand times an hour on the radio.  (I'm not hating though, if I had a hit song I would want them to play it one thousand times an hour, can we say royalties!  But I digress.)  They don't have a gazillion hits, but it was something about them, something different that made someone tune their ears in and listen.  I am a lover of all type of music, many different artists, true artists (at least in my opinion) who have helped shape me in to the type of singer/songwriter that I've become.  My evolution up to this point is huge.  I remember being that girl at 13 with some raw talent but didn't know what to do with it.  Then joining a group (Visions) and realizing my love for performing.  Then on to college (HU!) where I ran in to some of the best vocalists and instrumentalists and having to step my game up! (Shout out to Jazz Improv class!)  Through a Go-Go band (A MUST if you're from DC), a Hip Hop Band (The FIf, The Fif!) and now as a solo performer (Lauren White), it's been amazing to live.  But I can't stop here, I can't let the fact that I have some talent that has been validated by my peers, go to my head and forget the things that made me passionate about what I do.  I've got way too much to learn and a lot more growing to do, so I'll see yall on the stage.  Keep pushing people. 

Go and Try

I spoke at an Entertainment Forum last night and I got a chance to talk about my experience.  In 1993 I took a leap of faith and auditioned for the role of Dorothy in my school's spring musical, The Wiz! (thanks to Mrs. Cosby, I love her for that!)  Mrs. Cosby told me to "Go and try."  Sounds simple right?  How many times do we tell our friends, co-workers, children and partners to, "go and try."  As I've gotten older I've found that it is far more easy to tell someone else to "go and try", but we rarely head our own advice.  When my co-panelist and I were discussing our different musical journeys with the audience, I said something that really stuck out.  I said, "I have a deep passion for music, but I probably don't go after it like I could."  That's a very poignant statement and an honest one.  Almost an oxymoron of sorts.  How many artists actually "go and try" like they could?  I'm not sure about you, but I know when I was hungry for it, I went hard!  My singing group worked HARD!  We had rehearsals, dance class, studio sessions and performances every week.  It seemed like everyday we were working on something that was pertinent to our careers.  We wanted it.  But as we get older, a lot of us start to develop the "What If" mindset.  "What if this doesn't work?"  "What if they don't like my music?"  "What if I don't make it?"  Then that turns in to, "I need a job!"  "I've got bills to pay!"  The "starving artist" is a real thing.  Ask anyone who has or is really trying to "make it".  Some may have not actually starved, but they had to give up something or a lot of everyday things that we take advantage of, to make their dreams come true.  Some gave up their childhoods, relationships, "free time", so they could work on their craft.  They grinded so hard and now the work has generated fame and fortune.  But these same folks can't walk down the street, go to the movies or even have a bad hair day because of the dreams they have worked so hard to achieve has materialized.  Reality is, everyone is NOT going to "make it".  I live in a city where there are tons of talented people.  Some gig daily, some never see a stage, but what you're willing to give up to come up will make a difference.  Some folks die trying and some folks dreams die in the process.  I believe as an artist, you can help paint your own picture.  So what some major label doesn't think you'll be marketable!  So what some random A&R person can't see past what may seem to be a flaw physically and in to your musical soul!  You have to believe in who you are as an artist and be true to that.  If you truly have a passion, no one can stop you from pursuing it.  Period.  Don't try to be the next Beyonce' or Jill Scott, they're already here and still making records.  If you are the best you, a truely genuine artist, someone will follow.  You have to be able to balance what you want and what you're willing to give or give up to make what you say is your dream come true.  It's not going to fall from the sky in your lap, trust me I've tried waiting on that shower and my legs are still dry.  There is a destiny out there waiting for you so, go and try!  And as my bestie Leslie Green would say, "Be great!"

The Inaugural Address

Morning!

So, it is here! "The Artist Expression".  I've wanted to do this for a long time and woke up one morning with an epiphany to do it.  I know there are a lot of blogs, radio shows out there that talk about music and such, but I wasn't on them so I decided I and many, many other artists needed a forum to discuss the highs and the lows of trying to make it in this music industry.  No matter which route you decide to travel, being an artist, a true artist, is very personal.  Your journey is going to be different from the next soul singer next to you.  Too often we compare ourselves to another person who may be getting more work, more notoriety.  Maybe they're working harder than you.  Maybe they have some connects that you aren't privy to.  You never know someone else's story, so your job is to create your own.  Don't set out trying to be the next "?" (You fill in the blank)  Be the FIRST YOU!  If you're just starting out and don't know where to begin, you have to get out and market yourself.  One thing that I have learned over these past 19 years (WOW!! Has it been that long!), nothing is going to be handed to you.  I know you see these artists that seem to just appear from out of no where, but when you dig a little deeper into them, you see that they had a journey.  Sure maybe they were at a spot gigging and super producer Will-I-Am walk in and he loves them and they have a deal! Not.  Nine times out of ten, that person has been working on their craft behind the scenes, grinding (which a lot of us are afraid to do, let's be honest).  Who knew little Justin Bieber plays drums, keys, guitar and has a nice voice.  I just thought he was a cute kid, with a haircut that I don't always agree with, who happened to come across Usher.  Who knew!  The point is, while that chance of a lifetime may come by chance, it was all the preparation, determination and dedication that brought you to that point.  I remember being 14 years old, giving up my weekends to hang out with my friends, to practice with my group, in front of the mirrored wall, ALL DAY! Singing and training.  Practicing our parts and choreography. Stools, mic stands and mics.  Heels and costumes, all comes with the territory.  If you want it, you have to go get it.  My teacher told me, "It's not practice that makes perfect, it's perfect practice that makes perfect performance."  That has always stuck with me and as I continue down my journey, I always implore that to anyone I'm working with.  So I ask you, my fellow artists, are you ready for the ride?