If a psychology or…. self help book could sing…lol
I write songs about feeling better in challenging circumstances. I love catchy hooks, funky, passionate, pretty, haunting or with a hard hitting message that is framed as a story of transformation.
I hail from Cincinnati Ohio and after learning to walk I learned my first favorite song!
“Nationwide is on your side” reverberated off of the trees as I walked with my grandma mom and grandpa to the giant church.
“Somewhere Over The Rainbow” was the first real song I learned after the first 2 kids songs ” Cindy Centipede and His Banner Over Me is Love”.
Then it seems, I would work every year to top what I did the previous year on my reel to reel tape recorder.
So after learning to belt at 7 with my lesson in learning “Just One Look” (Linda style) I would make up songs and imagine concert scenarios.
I also realized my calling to comment on what I witnessed in the world and in myself and lead a very hunched over life.
But, I continued recording and learned how to sing songs from the radio.
I would work to duplicate what I heard.
It was fun to hang out and sing with my best friend in my mixed neighborhood. My life changed the day she called me on her first speakerphone with her aunties in the living room.
“Chandra sing Greatest Love of All” she asked me. I quickly launched into my rendition of the amazing Whitney.
“Now is that a white girl or a black girl” my friend asked her aunties.
“Oh, that definitely is a sista” I heard one say.
“Chandra I told you, you sounded black, you definitely can sing”
My first validation.
In the challenges of feeling forced to go to the all girl school where brand names were needed on a retired nurse’s budget, I sung in my room to work with my frustration of being ridiculed.
“I sing the body electric, I celebrate the me yet to come, I toast to my own reunion, when I become one with the sun” were the first words I sung over an actual microphone in my audition for “Fame” at the local all boys school.
It was received with complete silence.
Still haunted by the words thrown at me in grade school and now high school, I ran to the nearest stairwell. The pretty girl in my class came out to tell me that the silence was due to shock and awe.
“No one knew you had a voice like that”
Developing an ear and ease in catching the style of the artists of the time I would challenge myself to launch a capella into any singer.
After going to the club in conversation when someone asked me what I did, I would say “I sing.”
This lead to me singing Mariah outside while everyone was leaving…
Till one day I forgot the words to “Love Takes Time.”
“I have something with just as much range that I wrote” I vocalized boldly beginning the path to singing my originals instead.
My song “With U” acapella in New York lead to me singing at the Apollo June 12, 1996.
This became My Main Validating Experience.
Next, after sending in a video of “Chain of Fools” and “Fancy” I was flown out to California for Star Search February 19, 2003.
It was then, I felt a click…
so although not on the show I began to know…
… this was where I needed to be to find my tribe and team so in 2006 it became my permanent home.
Fast forward thru auditions, guest starring and heading up all styles of bands to the place where I got inspired one day to record on my soon to be husband’s computer..
Interestingly for the first time I heard club style background to a song I’d written.
It was in that moment where Dave danced to my 6 track all a capella recording of “Nu Power” where I believe I was birthed…
Maybe I really could write like I think… In a fun and catchy way…
and now we are finally HERE today!