Queenie of Soul
In 2011 I emerged from my Bachelor of Biomedicine a fully fledged….person who maybe knew a few things about science and could maybe, possibly help in a research lab but would probably have to complete further study to gain any form of science-based employment. So basically, I had gained a piece of paper that said “Well done! You did it!” but that piece of paper was no more useful to me than a third grade A+.
I had pretty much hated the entire 3 year degree, and definitely had no plans of putting myself through any more late nights cramming my head full of information about erythrocytes and macrophages and phagocytosis in order to be better qualified. No siree! And as I thought about it…..I hated the degree so much that I didn’t want to use it to get a job – ever!
But what I did use the degree for was to come to a very important decision – I made a firm resolution to never pursue something just because I was good at it, and only work in a field I was truly passionate about.
I had always loved music. I had been writing songs since I was 14, I was obsessed with singing and sometimes the music in my head played so loud that I couldn’t hear what other people were saying (that still happens – the constant radio does get extremely annoying!). But I never told anyone about any of this. As a kid, I was embarrassed and I thought people would laugh at me. As I got older, I just didn’t have the confidence to put myself out there. I am a massive perfectionist and I worried about making mistakes in front of people.
But my new resolve to follow what I loved forced me to push myself out of my comfort zone and start putting myself out there. Once I started, my obsession with making music snowballed and now I really don’t know how I was ever doing anything else.
My first steps into the music world were completing a Diploma of Music Composition and volunteering at a recording studio weekly. These experiences were invaluable and I probably learned a whole lot more through volunteering than I did through the diploma!
At the same time, I started having singing lessons to get my confidence up. Singing in front of other people was something that absolutely terrified me and I am not the biggest fan of being the center of attention. The first time I sang in a public place I was beyond anxious, but the more I force myself to get out there, the easier it gets!
Recently, I have really focused on improving my songwriting. There are so many accessible songwriting tools available for anyone wanting to learn more. I completed a free online course on Songwriting through Coursera (look it up – it’s an amazing free education resource!) run by legendary songwriter Pat Pattison and I’ve read numerous books (Pat Pattison’s Writing Better Lyrics and Ralph Murphy’s Murphy’s Laws of Songwriting are great). I’m currently making my way through Songwriters on Songwriting – an amazing book that interviews some of the best songwriters of all time on their craft.
I am also a part of a number of songwriting groups where we share what we have been working on in order to receive feedback. These groups are a great way to make connections with others and I learn heaps from listening to everyone every time. I also write with other people – I find this helps me expand the way I write songs.
There are also heaps of resources available to learn about the music industry in general. In Melbourne, there are constant seminars, organizations, speakers and networking nights – I try to go to as many as I can.
Recently, I also started to go to a lot more open mics. They’re always so much fun! They are a great place to become a better performer and to try out new songs. I also highly recommend going to open mics to anyone wanting to make friends in the music world. They are (obviously) also a wonderful place to hear some great music (most of the time)!
On the negative side of things, I haven’t had the easiest run health-wise and this has slowed me down quite a bit. I had surgery to remove vocal chord polyps in May this year, and unfortunately after a very short time they have returned to yet again restrict my range and make me lose my voice all the time! It seems likely I will need surgery again this year. It’s definitely a set back but I know what my ultimate goal is and I am determined not to let these hurdles prevent me from getting to where I want to go.
To an extent, these setbacks aren’t all bad because they have bought me more time to really determine my sound and who I am as a musician before recording. And this is something I think is really, really important. I’m lucky that I have finally managed to get to this point – and I have a very clear idea of my sound and what I want this EP to sound like (if you’re wondering – think Amy Winehouse meets Etta James meets Alicia Keys). That being said, my music is always evolving!
These setbacks are why I currently don’t have much music online. The plan was to record my EP over the next few months – but that seems unlikely at this given point in time. But you never know – and as soon as my vocal chords heal, then I’ll be more than ready to go!
I am lucky that I formed a really great relationship with the people at the recording studio I volunteered at. I trust them and their judgment, plus they are really lovely people. I can’t recommend volunteering your time at a music-related business/venue enough!
So a few more little tid-bits of advice before I leave you in peace – there are lots of resources/blogs available online in order to learn about the music business, twitter is a great way to network and lastly, as corny as this sounds, stay positive and believe in yourself. If you don’t believe in yourself, then how can anyone else?
Thanks for taking the time to read my story so far. I’ll have to update you when things really start moving along!
I hope I was able to shed some light for some of you on your musical journey. Please feel free to comment below if you have any questions or email me at queenieofsoul@gmail.com
Cynthia is doing great things by supporting us little guys with Amused Now – so if you like supporting the little guys too then sign up for her newsletter! J
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Email: queenieofsoul@gmail.com
@queenieofsoul
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