Long ago in the far-off kingdom of Paris lived a young aspiring singer/actress named Heather. She loved the arts in every form from visual to dramatic to pageantry. The arts were essentially her life. However, Paris was not exactly the best place to hone one’s artistic skills…
 
Wait… Did you think I meant Paris, France?… nope.
 
Paris, Kentucky.
 
Yeah, yeah, enough with the “far-off” crap. That’s only true because it seems to be in the middle of nowhere. Now, don’t get me wrong. Paris is actually one of the most beautiful cities in America, but the fact that it’s in Kentucky somehow gives it a negative connotation to the rest of the world.
 
Growing up in Paris actually wasn’t as bad as so many of my friends made it out to be.

I see now that my sister and I were some of the lucky ones for many reasons. We grew up on a small horse farm that allowed us to fall in love with horses by grooming them, riding them leisurely and competitively, watching mares give birth, playing with the foals, etc. It gives you a whole set of life skills at an early age, most importantly: responsibility. 

 
I was also lucky because my parents were both music teachers. Having a teacher in your household who’s good at their job also gives you a whole set of skills you never knew you needed. Having TWO teachers as parents kind of forces you to behave in school… needless to say I was a [mostly] focused student who had a passion for the arts that surrounded me.
 
If you know me now, you know that I am incredibly outgoing, typically too loud, sometimes too outspoken, but always knows when it’s time to work. However, back in my grade school days, I was the most backward-ass kid, especially in performance situations… 
 
I knew I could sing, but because it was always someone else’s idea for me perform, I never wanted to. I even had people offering me bills as a kid just to get me to sing a line of “Hit Me With Your Best Shot” by Pat Benatar. Of course, my backward-ass brain refused. I wasn’t necessarily nervous, just embarrassed! The only time I would perform was for the camera with my sister. We had some pretty amazing renditions of Britney’s “Oops!…I did it Again” and BSB’s “The Call.” Unfortunately, they all resulted in us fist-fighting by the end of the video due to “artistic differences…” Every time I tell this part of my childhood, people always say, “Wait, why were you of all people nervous?! You’re so outgoing!”
 
Listen y’all… I. Don’t. Know. #backwardassmind
 
I eventually got over that awkward performance hurdle and participated in musicals, dance events, and singing competitions. I was even accepted to American Idol Camp in 2008 in California put on by the producers of the show itself. What a cool experience! Then the singing competitions… the more singing competitions I did, the worse the results became. No matter how well I sang, I could blow the roof off the place, and never won a single prize. Nothing. So many young performers have sensitive pride including myself, so those results discouraged me to no end.
 
As an unintentional form of expression, I started songwriting in high school instead. Guitar and piano were my only comp instruments.  The only recording capability I had was an old Toshiba laptop and a 1990s computer conference call microphone. I only ever submitted a song one time to a competition, but it won an award! Finally, something I knew I had to look forward to doing with my talent and skill. Unfortunately, after the pressures of the millions of extra-curricular activities, the tons of organizations, and the multiple AP classes per year simply to have a decent college application, this part of my musical life sort of died. 
 
Fast forward to C-O-L-L-E-G-E!
 
Northern Kentucky University. Ever heard of it? I didn’t either until two months before high school graduation… I remember applying because I thought I was going to be a trumpeter-turned theatre star, and I was impressed by the fact that they had a female trumpet instructor. Biggest selling point? I got in for FREE. 
 
Many of you know that in college I was back and forth about being a successful trumpet player, an opera star, a theatre performer, etc.  All of these have music in common, but what they also lacked was my own creativity. I became so incredibly unhappy that I was always regurgitating someone else’s work while putting my interpretation of the character or the piece on it. I felt like such a fake artist. Faking my way through opera, faking my way through theatre, faking my way through trumpet playing. I had so many amazing performance opportunities like singing as a soloist in Bulgaria and Austria to performing in the semi-finals of the National Trumpet Competition as a soloist and singing backup for Morgan James. Although I felt like I was putting on great performances, I never felt like I was in the right place. I hadn’t found my creative voice.
 
Fast forward to NOW…
 
The past few months have made me feel that I’m finally finding it. I am finally finding my creative voice. My niche. Whether or not I am successful at it right away, I am finally doing it. That’s all I can ask of myself at this stage.
 
I’m surrounding myself with people who are supportive and helpful at the same time, people who use tough love as a way to get me off my ass because they care, people who may be in the same spot in their careers as I am, and people with words of encouragement.
 
The point of all of this is to say I am diving into the music industry full force (or at least as much as possible because ya know, life). This is something I should have done back in high school when songwriting was first becoming a passion of mine. My guitar and piano comp skills suffered for a while, but I’ve been working pretty hard lately to get them up to where they were and beyond. So WOO! Celebrate your small victories. I’ve been songwriting like it’s nobody’s business, and I cannot wait to share it with the world. Charting/tracking/mixing/mastering takes so much time, but I am going to be documenting and sharing it with you along the way. 
 
One of my good friends let me in on a fun little phrase to remember:
 
Document. Don’t Create.
 
…those are actually a celebrity’s words, but who cares who said it? It is simply the beautiful truth. 
 

April 12, 2019
heatherhalemusic

My Story.

The new year always marks “new beginnings” or “new versions” that we promise to make of ourselves. We always want to lose a few pounds, we promise to be healthy eaters, we promise to be more humble, we make resolutions to move up in the work place, etc. I had no idea what I wanted my resolutions to be because I am always afraid of being seen as a failure or someone who can’t commit. So I gave up resolutions for good.
Up until about a week ago, I was going about the new year in a go-with-the-flow kind of way, while doing some music projects on the side. I was simply going to focus on making money to make ends meet, and maybe do what I love when there was time.
Then something hit me.
Not knowing where I’d end up in a year is incredibly scary to me. Not feeling in control of my own path is absolutely unnerving and something HAD to change. Just a week ago, not only did I become a typical human who has new year’s resolutions, but I set out to conquer those goals just within the first month of the new year of 2018. I wrote two new songs in 3 hours that I’ll be recording along with my other originals, I auditioned for The Voice (fingers crossed for the future), I joined the 80 Day Obsession workout regimen with BeachBody, and I’m going to become a certified Zumba instructor this weekend!
Here’s the thing. If you rely on anyone but yourself, you’re going to find a way to be disappointed. TAKE CONTROL of WHAT you want to do, WHERE you want to go, and WHO you want to be. If you’re the type of person that needs supportive advice or ears to listen to your ideas or complaints, then keep a close circle of supportive people. If there is one destructive personality in your circle, it could ruin many things to come.

Let yourself be happy by taking control of your life. There will be really high highs, and really low lows, but you just have to keep going.

 

You’re not going straight to grad school, and it’s OKAY.

June 2, 2016
heatherhalemusic

What I had always thought was the “proper” way to do your schooling for the career you’ve chosen for yourself was to go straight through school until you receive your doctoral degree with no breaks.  I was under the impression that if you take time off it shows a weakness in you that says you have no desire to finish your goal, or that you’re too lazy or not good/smart enough to continue.

HA!  Wow.  I could not have been more wrong…

I recently graduated with my undergraduate degree in trumpet performance at Northern Kentucky University.  I applied for four top-notch and super competitive schools, and I became extremely discouraged when I only got into one.  Due to a major lack of finances (San Francisco is an expensive city…) I had to forfeit going to graduate school for the upcoming year.  During my auditions and interviews, they all asked the same question: why do you want to continue your studies, and why here?  To be honest, I had no clue.  I stuttered over my words and used cookie-cutter phrases to get a decent answer because I truly did not know WHY I wanted to go, I just thought it was what I was SUPPOSED to do.

I now know that I lacked what is most important for continuing your studies: a goal.  My voice teacher made it clear to me recently that having a goal for your studies is imperative. I did not have a goal… All that I wanted was to study at a top-notch school with a great opera program and a place to guarantee some more experience in my craft.  If I had pursued that, I would be walking around with head up my own butt not having a clue with what’s going on.

Instead, I decided to take a year (or more…) off, and THAT IS OKAY.

I read a wonderful article called “No Summer YAP? No Problem! 6 Ways You Can Give Yourself A Professional Boost During Your Time Off” (by Julie Tabash Kelsheimer). It made me think about the summers of opera singers and how we think we HAVE to be participating in a YAP (Young Artists Program), but if we don’t we sometimes feel useless.  The same goes with taking time off of school. There are so many things we could be doing with that valuable time!

Here are five simple things that we can do in our time off.

1.Take time for YOURSELF.

It is so stinkin’ important! My voice teacher always got on me for not taking a break.  I was always going to a rehearsal, performing on someone’s recital, tired from dance class, always practicing, etc.  While those things are important, it’s also important to rest (sleep in!), go get a massage or mani/pedi, read a book with some hot tea (or wine) by your side, take a walk or just indulge in Netflix!  Just take a break.

2. Boost your professional online presence (this comes from the article I mentioned)

Thank you to that article for this advice. This is something that I have already taken so seriously and boy has it come in handy.  Make a professional FB page for yourself, make a website or blog, make it fun and keep it updated in your downtime! Fill it with things that you love and that inspire you. Create a twitter and keep it constantly going! Follow tons of [appropriate] profiles and hashtag trending things so that you gain followers and likes! Make sure that what you post/repost are things that won’t hinder your professional career.  If you prefer, you can always have a private personal profile and an open professional profile.

3. Find ways to make money doing what you love!

We are constantly spending money on YAPs, competition entries, and audition applications.  Use the time off to start your own studio or join a larger one as a teacher, audition for a paying choir, get a church job, audition for paying roles, etc! The possibilities are endless, you just have to make your own path and decide what YOU want for yourself in this time off.

4. Attend other arts events/support local companies. 

When I say local companies, I am referring to regional or community theatre/opera companies.  Attend every opera of the season of your nearest opera company (get those student rush tix), or attend every other theatre production, whatever you can afford.  Become familiar with the directors, music directors and pianists in your area and make connections with them by attending events, auditioning, and supporting your craft locally.  Making local connections can never hurt!

5. Set goals for yourself.  

This advice is always hard to follow because things can change in an instant.  However, you can set short term goals that are achievable within days such as learn an aria or theatre piece.  Then when you’re ready, you can make big decisions such as applying for graduate school, or auditioning for a well-known competition or YAP.

One of my friends always says, “You are enough.” Never forget that.  Not attending graduate school right away is OKAY, don’t let it get you down, and don’t let it stunt your artistic growth!

As the great Hannah Montana said, “Life’s what you make it, so let’s make it rock.”

Welcome!

December 16, 2015
heatherhalemusic

Welcome to my website!  This site is where you can stay up to date with my latest performances, photos, and progress as I embark on fulfilling my dreams of being a performer.  I will post photos of performances, master classes, rehearsals, etc. as well as posting weekly updates of upcoming performances, progress, and some blogging on topics that I believe are important in today’s musical culture.  Stay tuned!

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