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Here’s what I’m doing to celebrate the occasion.
Growing up, I always knew I wanted to be a music artist. My mother says I’ve been singing since the age of two or three. As a child, I grew up listening to a lot of gospel music — Karen Clark Sheard, The Clark Sisters, Kirk Franklin, The Winans, Mary Mary, Kierra Sheard, Mali Music and so, so many more. We grew up poor so there was never any money for a decent vocal coach, but what I lacked in traditional training I made up for on the force of sheer willpower.
They say success leaves clues, and I’ve always believed that to be true. For me, it meant that in order to learn how to sing like the amazing artists I listened to and loved, I would have to pay close attention to the techniques used in their performances. I listened to certain albums and songs nonstop, watched videos, practiced at different speeds, with breathing patterns and in different keys and octaves until I got it right.
When I was a teenager, I started listening to all kinds of music. I think I was 16 when I first got to explore the discographies of such artists as Kanye West, Paul McCartney, Nicki Minaj and Sara Bareilles. Since the time I got to explore the world of music without limits, I have always had a wide range of interests sonically. I’ve studied music from Sir Elton John…
