Things to Consider to Stay Motivated As a Singer

I started singing in the church in grade school and have been a part of every choir that I was able to immerse myself into for most of my life.

I grew up in a Roman Catholic church and I can’t remember ever not loving to hear the pipe organ accompany us as we sang the classical hymns that would get the congregation to join in with us in unity to lift up the holy name of Jesus.  Church was always my thing and back then, there was not one Sunday of service that I would miss, because I loved being in the number.

I may have been young and innocent back then but still, I was just waiting in the wings to fly high into the skyways of singing. Who knew I would have had so many dramatic encounters since then as I sojourned through life!

A JOURNEY

It has been a journey indeed. From messing up on stage, to not being prepared for things I wanted to accomplish as a singer, to getting rejections and also, being accepted, doing well through some performances and having what needed to be on point for many live musical engagements. I have done off-Broadway plays cast as part of chorus lines, directed choirs, won a few contests here and there, played extra roles in movies, lead and been part of bands, produced a radio show and also sung abroad.

The road has had its turbulence but I can honestly say that there have been more smooth cruise control times than traffic and potholes in my story. With that in mind, I have ideas to share with all of you interested in getting yourself out there into the world and doing something with your talent and also for those seeking motivation.

DISCLAIMER

Okay, I know what you are thinking and you might actually be right. No, I am not the best singer in the world and have not had enough formal training to qualify as a pedagogue in this area of expertise. 

However, I do have enough cuts and bruises from experience to be able to relay to you how I got the scars that brought me to where I am today because the road has not been simple and it is very easy to sway from your musical endeavors because of someone or something that did not go the way you expected. Experience is the pedagogy that I speak of. Hopefully these points to consider will stimulate your mind and give you some fuel to keep moving on the road ahead. 

HERE ARE SOME OF THEM:

1. At times we may feel discouraged because of what someone said or how they treated you on the bandstand. It happens especially because the band stage involves the meshing of different ages and  personalities. Consider your source of discouragement and if it is even worth basing your quality of talent on their attitude. 

Who are they? Were they sober? Are they people to take seriously? Are you being open-minded?  What do you believe about yourself? 

Being a musician is not easy, so you must be strong-willed and you must also stay prayed up. Otherwise, you will always have a bruised ego and might give up. 

2. Everyone is a critic. Everyone has an opinion. Some people will love what you have to offer. Some people will not like what you have to offer at all. Some will support everything you do. Some won't support anything you do and then talk about what you are doing and how you are doing it. This includes family. Some people will go out of their way to compliment you. Some people will move out of your way to criticize you in another person's ears. Some people will do everything in their power to help you. Some won't even pat you on the back to wish you well. But, the question is, do you believe in what you are doing? Where do you stand on the topic of faith? Remember, we are our own biggest critic. You are better than you think.

3. One performance is not your entire lifeline. We all have good nights. And sometimes we have bad nights. Nobody is perfect and everyone makes mistakes. But not everyone may know you actually made one, so don’t tell them. Remember, Ella Fitzgerald forgot her words and started singing those nonsense words that everyone tries so hard to imitate through scatting nowadays. 

You never know what will happen if you just stay calm and not say, sorry guys, I messed up the song. Or don’t be like the younger Me and decide to run off the stage crying without finishing the song. They may not even know you messed it up. But if they do,  what can you do? Good to be honest with yourself but not good to punish yourself for it. Better to continually find ways to encourage yourself.  

Shit happens! So what? And what better place to intentionally mess up than in performance mode at an open mic. You may never know what you can do if you never try anything new. If you need to pull out your phone to get the lyrics, go and karaoke because the words are there for you. Holding your phone to read lyrics looks tacky on a stage with a band. If you know the lyrics already, open mic with a live band. Don’t be afraid to experiment. And if you mess up in an open mic, It's open mic so just try it again; that is, if you decide not to quit because you messed up. You can always regain yourself next time if you try it again.

4. Just because you came with you’re a game to an audition and did not get a call back does not mean that your talent is not on point. So, don’t waste too many tears on it and don’t beat yourself up over it either. 

The next 3-and-a-half-hour line that you stand on, or overnight stay you spend on the bleachers in a stadium in the rain to audition, might just have your name written on it without you even knowing. So don't get discouraged from auditioning. Keep doing it. 

5. Not everyone knows the Mahalia Jackson or Peebo Bryson version of a popular song that you believe every musician should know. And not every singer can sing a blues song in the standard F key. Every voice is different. So, at least know your key so the musicians can meet your voice where it is at, appropriately; or carry a chart so this way, there is no mistaking what you are seeking as a performer in that moment. 

This actually is part of the homework. You practice the song. Also know your keys. Add the song and key to the notepad in your phone. You can’t go wrong. That way, you always have that information with you.

6. Learn some hand signals so you can lead the band. If an accompanist really gets into the song while playing, he or she might not see your face gestures telling them to stop. Cue them for where you want to go during the song. There are actual hand signals for Verse, chorus, Top of the song, bridge, vamp, end. Know what they are and use them accordingly. Better to lead them than to get mad at them while on the stage and curse them out in front of everybody because they messed you up. 

7. Keep your voice hydrated and make sure you breathe and keep those coin-sized internal instruments healthy. Remember that the vocal cords are the only instrument that God made by hand. Keep them healthy. Lubricate with water while on the stage. No, I did not say lubricate with a watered down alcoholic drink. It might dry your voice out. You might get drunk. Do you want to perform heavily under the influence? Make Sure to nurture them. 

8. Practice makes better, not perfect. The more you practice, the better you will get than what you were able to output yesterday. 

If you are like me, then you have a favorite singer or artist. I used to spend half my childhood evenings and even some as an adult, singing for countless hours, all the songs of Whitney Houston, Faith Evans, Amel Larrieux, Tamia, Brandy, Karen Clark-Sheard, Kim Barrell, Yolanda Adams, Stevie Wonder, Faith Hill, Carmen McRae and Mariah Carey to the four corners of my walls. 

Don’t limit your genre and artist engagement. Every genre has something to offer and there are more artists than the ones currently on the air waves that might benefit your capabilities as an artist if you embrace their craft as well.

Add songs of different artists and genres to your repertoire. Write your own Shakespearean Sonnet AKA Song and add that to your repertoire as well. Practice songs with a karaoke track. Practice your scales by a keyboard and if you do not have one, download a keyboard app to your phone or tablet. Use YouTube tutorials. Exercise your talent and allow it to flourish. But also rest. Even the best athlete who utilizes their muscles on a daily basis needs to rest. Practice, rest, perform, rest, practice . . .

9. Finally, smile! If you love it enough to practice it and work hard toward becoming better at what you do, smile while you are engaging your audience. Don’t think about all the dilemmas in your life while trying to burst out that tune. Sing and focus on the melody. You can also hear a smile through a song as it is being sung in the tone and texture. Smile and sing. Be focused in the song and sing it. Don’t wander off to la la land thinking about everything else in the world. Sing that song and smile. 

Be centered in the song and let the words flow through your arched-up lips. Let love breathe through that very thing you love to do if you are doing it because you truly love to. Be yourself. Be confident. And be beautiful and smile through your song. Plus, who wouldn’t enjoy seeing and relating to the beauty of a bright face delivering a melody? A smile definitely makes a difference.

Those are my thoughts on singing and a few taken from personal experiences as I mentioned my running off the stage crying once. Thank God I grew from that and continued on. Hope my ideas were helpful and I also hope that they motivated you in some way. I appreciate you sharing your time with me to read my blog post. God Bless! 

WHO AM I?

My name is Stephanie Jeannot. I was born and raised in New York City. I have Haitian roots and I am a lover of black coffee because it keeps me doing what I do.

I am a singer and writer. I write more than I sing. I write poetry, songs and music. Recently for the first time ever, I charted out a song before laying out the musical parts into my Sonar Music Suite. I am a lover of music and I love to sing. You can find out more about me by visiting my website at http://www.jnotemusic.com

YOU CAN ALSO FIND ME ON:

Instagram: http://www.instagram.com/musiqal1

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/jnotemusic

Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/musiqal1

Youtube: http://www.youtube.com/sj1and0

CDBaby: https://store.cdbaby.com/Artist/StephanieJeannot

In My Nature

Right now, in this moment in time, singing is one of my favorite things to do. it is my nature to want to get into the nitty gritty of music and to turn the light switch on to using my voice to sound art.

When I think about finding my infinity, I can honestly say that it might be singing. I have loved it since I was a toddler, running around the house and listening to my parents listening to song selections that they enjoyed. My father would sing along with his deep timbre and my mother would just start singing a song while she was in the kitchen putting her foot into the best home cooked meal that anybody could make.

Hearing them made me want to sing and so, I’d echo sounds to the four walls of my room, to my neighbors and then to the congregation at our home church. I sang in the choir with purpose, as if I had to set the caged bird free in order to live happy.  

Years and years and years and years later, I can’t go throughout one day without singing something; even if it is just one song.

I remember the first time I ever got on the stage by myself. I have a pretty huge repertoire and sadly, know more lyrics to tunes than French words to have meaningful dialogue with my family members that live in Canada. So I thought I would be able to just fly through a song and do well. I didn’t even think I would have butterflies in my stomach, but when I got on the stage, I started shaking like the 1989 earthquake that occurred while the Dodgers were ready to kick some butt at the Major League Baseball World Series. The song came next. I started singing and strike two; the lyrics slipped my mind. I was so embarrassed that I left the stage crying, didn’t finish the song and swore that I would never sing again. But thank God that I did not let my own worries, step on my own toes.

I sing and I am in my nature. I get on the stage and for me it is as refreshing as sitting at the bank of the Caribbean Sea on a scorching hot day. And when there is a band billowing in the background, even better. It enables me to reflect individuality. I get wholeheartedly inspired by the musicians and their light seems to somehow illuminate me as if their energy was up for grabs and I simply absorb it. Music fills me with the right amount of stimulation to tend to my nature. I am even more convinced now that when I am a supercentenarian and I look back at my living history, I will still make a joyful noise for all the tender moments singing brought into my life.

It definitely is “the Way” that I am loved so different in my nature, that keeps me with an open heart and mind for singing. 

Speaking of music, I have some original songs on mine on Spotify. Here are a few songs to consider adding to your playlist for this rainy weekend. 

Have a great one, be safe and enjoy to the fullest. 

Thank you for reading my blogpost. 

Wordless Wednesdays: J is for JNote Band at Shrine NYC on April 13, 2017

 Here is a sample of what you will see at this cool, 

live event with JNote Band

https://youtu.be/hkM6ZIcnETo

Hope to See You There!

Unlimited Love for Singing My Originals

As artists, we sometimes default to singing cover tunes because we have grown accustomed to loving the artists who we look up to so much, that their songs linger in our hearts and we want to sing them. 

It becomes second nature to get knocked into a groove of a familiar tune rather than to splash our own color into the singing experience and to sing something that came from our own pen. I will admit, it is still an ocean of fun for me and very inspiring at that, whenever I get on stage and share a song with an engaging audience, whether it is a cover tune or an original; and I have had many inspiring moments.

I flashback to exactly three years ago today when a fellow musician, Lenny Underwood, blessed me with the opportunity to join him on stage with the legendary Jennifer Holliday, and I was asked to perform a duet with her before the Jackie Robinson Foundation award recipients at the Waldorf Astoria.  That moment was unforgettable and still bedazzles me every time a Facebook “on this date” shows up and reminds me that this event actually took place in my life.  

Other inspiring moments include, performing live at the Great Adventures Theme Park, releasing my musical project Finally JNote, traveling to Russia and singing at a music festival in Krasnodar, creating original video content for a visual component to my lyrics, 

and just recently something generated the most positive emotion in me that I have ever had. 

For the first time ever in my life, I performed before my peers, a concert of all original music and it felt as good as being a shoe-aholic in a shoe store on a shopping spree.  I was able to share the tone of my existence with a live audience. I shared the frame of my culture through sound and vision. I shared a piece of who I am like I never had in my experience and it felt great to finally do it with the personalized touch of my own lyrics and melodies.

I have sung my original tunes live prior to that moment, but always wedged in between a cover tune. I was able to grab the attention of my entire audience with my own, creative works. I had been building up for a moment like that all my life and finally, that moment came. All I can say is, I cannot wait to do it again with the JNote Band. Looking forward to the next time.   

My favorite moment of the night was for the first time ever,  performing my song Love No Limit,  written about the experience of seeing the world with your own eyes to separate myth from facts when it comes to loving a people. It was mostly inspired by research I conducted when first starting my college thesis and seeking information on language and different dialects  of so-called "bastardized languages," Latin American Literature (more so the concepts of magical realism), and my most recent international trip which was to Russia. Check it out here: https://youtu.be/Ehbsut02E_g

The lyrics are by me, Stephanie Jeannot and the music is by Paul Garrod. Singing this song mostly felt great because I was able to do it on a platform with the JNote Band, in a flow of all original music and that is what made the night memorable for me. Only God!  

My Favorite Things

One of my all-time favorite movies is “The Sound of Music.”

I have loved it since the fay I was strongly built and until today, it is like a fresh breath of air. Time has not changed the tide of love that flurries through my body when I see Julie Andrews walking across each scene doing what she did so beautifully. I guess my love for music falls in line with hearing her song the Do-Re-Mi song. Her singing lured me in and I never miss an opportunity when it is on television to let the hills come alive with the sound of music in my home.

So, when the opportunity to sing the song live came about, you can imagine how many times I had to brush the tears from my eyes to face the audience and sing “My Favorite Things.”

“My Favorite Things” is a tune by Rogers & Hammerstein from 1959 which was originally written for their play, “The Sound of Music.”The main character from the play, Maria, loved raindrops and roses and whiskers on kittens. I don’t like kittens so much but the stuffed kitten animals are cute. 

I do love roses though. You should know that on almost every stage that I sung on in Russia, somebody from the audience gave me a beautiful bouquet of roses and it was such a beautiful and welcoming thing for me that kept me smiling in the beautiful, distant place, for miles around.

Maria loved bright copper kettles and warm woolen mittens. I love bright copper kettles because I am a tea lover and try to have a spot of tea daily. I love woolen mittens and wish I had some when I was in Russia because it was cold. But at least I had gloves. Maybe I’ll get some for the NYC winter that has suddenly embraced us. I mean it is December.

Maria love brown paper packages tied up with strings and I love the strings of a bass guitar that seem to enhance the sound of music, when you listen to it; especially when it is live. She loved girls in white dresses with blue satin sashes. I love my nephews in anything they wear and in whatever they do because they are such cute young gentlemen with so much promise. I also love hearing my mother sing and when my father comes out of nowhere and compliments some aspect of my music. I love when my older sister invites me somewhere and when my younger sister sends me leads that might help me with my music. 

You can probably tell that most of my favorite things involve music. Like for instance, I love listening to frank Sinatra sing and I love to listen to Grover Washington Jr’s music. I love poinsettias and I love singing Christmas carols.

“My Favorite Things” has become a song that many refer to as a tune for the holidays. I love John Coltrane’s version and can’t resist enjoying Betty Carter’s rendition. For just one moment, I hope that you will stop and indulge in my rendition, as I performed it live with the Medgar Evers Jazz Ensemble at Medgar Evers College in Brooklyn, NY.  Here is the link: https://youtu.be/Q9NLJ6w2LXE

Today's post is dedicated to Frank Sinatra and Grover Washington Jr; two fellow sagges who celebrate their birthdays this week.  As I rambled about some of my favorite things, I am interested in hearing about some of yours. Would you please leave a comment and share those things that make your heart flutter with me? 

Thank you so much for reading my blogpost and from my heart to yours, happy holidays. 

The River of Life Shared on an International Stage

Welcome on board to my world. In this life lies the landscape that has captured my imagination. I am a Taino work of art. I am the breathtaking Panoramic view of Kiskeya. The seas of the Caribbean gush through my pores. I shine the sun of Latin America each time I smile. America is embedded in my truth. Just by looking in the mirror, I can see the world in my infantile eyes.

I am not the brightest star that soars up into the sky. But I have climbed heights as tall as the Ural Mountains on this thoroughfare I call life and made a sense of home in God’s presence. 

I could unload my heart and tell you all the difficult challenges I have faced to arrive at this shining hour but all the unique experiences that have brought me to this point have somewhat softened my character. Based on that, I find no need to jump back into the -42-degrees Celsius waters of the past to define who I am.  

I am a bronze ballerina who has gone from city to city dancing under the night sky. I am an actress who has scrolled the frames in films like Audrey Tatou in Amelie. I have seen with my own eyes the Kamchatka Peninsula of Russia from Sarah Palin’s window in Alaska.

I have indulged in the amenities at the Georgian wine festival. I have gained energy by breathing in the aroma of the Northern Dvina River. I have explored Suvar Plaza. I have worn the greens of Tatarstan in the Philharmonic theatre of the third largest city in Russia known as Kazan, while singing choruses with the most memorable of orchestras to have impacted my world. 

I have dined in the sun of Troitsky Avenue in Archangelsk. I have done incredible things I had never done before until today like, singing on world stages in my first ever music tour which was in Russia.

I have interacted with others in a foreign tongue to properly present myself. I have traveled far to perform simple tasks around the world that after I endured to the end, was encouraged to keep pressing on.

Life has been a journey which was met confidently. And to have become so immersed in things makes me truly see the vastness of God’s blessings. His hands have made a large exhibition of works worth exploring which can be best seen by changing landscapes and seeing the world from different points of view and not just your own jungle in which you dwell. My sole purpose in writing this is to share with you the great things my eyes have seen; and there is so much more to see. But to retrace my steps of what I have experienced,

I can honestly say that it has 

been wonderful.

I invite you to come to my river. The river of life shared on an international stage with a friend of mine, Tavis Minner and a wonderful band at the Ufa Jazz Club in Ufa, Russia. Together, we sung "Route 66" which is a song that is revered by many around the world. There was so much good music around me and thanks to my friend Anastasiya of the Skyways Band, I can share this video with you all who are willing to watch. It was the love of music shared by each musician that made the night so beautiful. Here is the link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rrafo-nFcB4

Thank you for reading my blog post! 

Wherever You Are Live in Novirossiysk

I got to perform an original song of mine for the first time ever on an international stage and it left me with the most amazing feeling ever. 

The song "Wherever You Are" is a song that I wrote and produced which is featured on my latest release Finally Jnote. What a cool experience to do something like that on a world stage. I performed it Sunday evening with the Sergey Koronev Project at the Novoross Jazz Club in Novorossiysk, Russia and it felt for me almost like falling in love. God is good. 

Please check out a bit of the footage from the live performance here: 

"Wherever You Are 'Snippet'" performed live in Novorossiysk, Russia with the Sergey Koronev Project. 

 

H is for Hope You Can Make it This Saturday, April 16th at Moda Grill in Jamaica. NY

Hello everyone, 

This Saturday evening, April 16, 2016 at 7:30 PM, I will be joining the stage with the All Is Well Band at Moda Grill located at 8914 Parsons Blvd in Jamaica, NY for a night of live music and fun, and I hope that you can make it. 

If you love pop, R&B and soul music, then you will enjoy the mixture of song selections and the collaboration of awesome singers and musicians like drummer Cordell Brown, guitarist Melvin Palmer and singer J David, just to name a few.

The ambiance is really nice and the food and drinks are excellent. Admission is free and there are lots of free street parking all around. So come out if you can. I can honestly say that I think you will enjoy it. 

Happy 2016

I'm excited! It's a new year. Happy 2016. Are you ready to experience the abundant blessings in store? 

What I'm not so excited about is the cold weather that despite our worries about how warm it has been, we are finally getting. My advice: stay warm, be safe and make sure to bundle up to the best of your abilities.

Maybe you could keep warm by getting into the groove of my Haitian jazz music mix on my radio show, Jazz on the JNote which will air on WNYE 91.5FM on Sunday, January 10, 2016 at 7:30pm. 

I also wanted to invite you to a really cool event I will be singing at, happening on Friday January 22nd, 2016.  Here are the details: JT Mac Productions Presents 2nd in A Series of Smooth Jazz & Neo-Soul Showcases. 

If you purchase Advance Tickets To Reserve your Table Seating On Line before January 1st you receive a 10% DISCOUNT. THIS OFFER IS FOR ON LINE TICKETS ONLY. GO TO GOOGLE : jtmactalentzone.net 

JT Mac Productions " Like No Other "

Thank you for reading my blogpost. I definitely am looking forward to convening with you in the days to come. 

I pray that your 2016 will be as lovely as a humming bird, as graceful as unconditional love, as successful as anything new that Apple puts out and as beautiful and refreshing as the waterfalls of Haiti. God bless you all! 

Stephanie Jeannot at 2014 TCS NYC Marathon, Brooklyn NY

with Carl Orlando and Resia

It was a cold day in New York City on November 2nd, 2014, but thank God for the energy to bring warmth to the runners, running in the 2014 TCS NYC Marathon.

While runners were running,  many musical performers were out there with them, providing a taste of rhythm to their foot-to-the-pavement melody.  What a great way to add a little warmth to the 30°  weather runners were experiencing that day! Orlando Enterprise Entertainment was one of those entertainment groups which featured myself as well as artists Resia and Yeshua; thankful to Carl Orlando for the opportunity to share my talents. 

The following is a short medley of  my performance from that day. I'd like to invite you to watch the performance by either clicking on the link here https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XmOn7ZVPnf4 or by watching the clip that is embedded below.

 

What a blessing to have seen things of this sort, that I hadn't seen before and to have been a part of such an amazing experience. Thank you for checking out my blogpost and for watching the youtube video of my performance. 

Have a wonderful week everybody!

Stephanie Jeannot & All the Way Live at Essence Bar Thursday, October 26, 2014 9:30 pm

I would like to invite you out tomorrow evening, Thursday October 23, 2014 to Essence Bar located at 1662 Atlantic Avenue (corner of Troy Ave) in Brooklyn , NY. 

I will be performing with All the Way Live the band 

EJ Haughton . . . Drums

Ed Manners . . . Bass

William . . . Keys

from 9:30pm to 1:30 am and hope you will join us in the musical fun. 

Come listen or jam to classic soul, funk, r&b, jazz, blues, some Gospel music and original material of old and new. 

Admission is free and there are great times to be had at this wonderful Brooklyn spot. Please come out and support live music. Street parking is available and for those who do not drive, take A train to Utica Avenue which is two blocks away from Essence. Hoping to see you there! 

I'm Singing At the Smoke Pit Tonight at 8pm

Good morning everybody!!! 

Tonight at 8:30pm, I'm singing at the Smoke BBQ Pit located at 129-21 Merrick Blvd in Queens, NY with the awesome band Renegade, and would like to invite you out tonight. 

We will be doing a mixture of original and cover tunes. The music will be fantastic and the food at this place is so good, foodies gather and talk about the yummy food items available. 

Friday is a great night to take in the joys of music, food, drink and fun. Hopefully you can make it. Starts at 8:30 pm and admission is free. Please come out. 

Thanks y'all!!! 

Singing at Cafe Oasis tonight July 25, 2014 10pm

Happy Friday! 

It's flashback Friday and I remember the first time ever going to an open mic. Of course it was all in fun and I was excited to take my singing before the four walls of my basement to a live setting. 

My friend Juanita was nice enough to introduce events of this sort to me. The host called my name and I walked up to the stage and started singing, forgot the words to my song and got so embarrassed, I walked right off the stage. Lol! But thank God I had the courage to do it again and again and again. 

Tonight is no different. I'll be singing live and I want to invite you all to this live musical event. 

Come out to Cafe Oasis located at 779 Brooklyn Avenue in Baldwin, NY. I'll be singing there alongside with Deverne Williams & Vintage Soul from 10pm to 2am. (Southern State Pkwy to Exit 20 S. Straight down Grand Avenue to Brooklyn Avenue. LIRR to Baldwin. Cafe Oasis is directly across the street from LIRR station). Admission is free. 

Cafe Oasis has a nice dance floor, seats around and a bar staff that makes some wonderful drinks. Bring your dancing shoes, and your ear. 

Also, if you sing, come out and rock the mic. Would love to have you. Hope to see you there tonight.