Pearl – Music Artist Review: Know, Grow, Sow

Over the summer I got a phone call from my bestie Terence asking me if I was busy.  Of course at the time I wasn’t.  He asked me to take a listen to a music artist and if I could do a blog right up.  PLEASE forgive me, but why am I JUST getting to it.  smh…well I will tell you this, it was well worth the wait my dear readers.  Enjoy!!

I present to you…..Pearl! 🙂

What made you want to start playing/singing?

Signing me up for music lessons is one of the best gifts my parents could have given me. I can’t say I really had a choice when they did so while I was in grade school, but I absolutely loved it! I’ve taken piano, vocal, and guitar lessons over the years. In regards to the guitar, I have a few friends that I met on a mission trip in summer 2009 that are self-taught. After learning a few chords from them, I set out to learn guitar, too!

How long have you been playing/singing?

I have been singing since I was 3…practically as long as I can remember. I’ve been playing guitar since summer 2009.

What’s the most fun part of being a musician/singer?

The possibilities making music are endless! It’s nothing like “discovering” a new rift or melody for a tune I’m writing. I very much enjoy the creative process and being able to record it and share it with my listeners is even better!

What is the hardest part?

Humph! That’s kinda the hardest part, too. Writers block or being stuck in the same ‘ol melody is absolutely no fun. It takes time, prayer, and MUCH patience with myself. Honesty is key to…being honest enough to admit or take feedback from others if something simply isn’t working for a song.

What are some things you do as a musician/singer?

My husband and I just relocated to Chicago for his job, so I’m a bit out of my element. Back in my hometown, Columbia/Charleston, SC, I was active in my church’s band and I gigged locally n’ such.  Being a new indie in Chicago, open mic nights and attending Meet Up’s are my starting points.

What is your music background? 

I grew up listening to everything. Traditional church music, classical, R&B, hip-hop, contemporary Christian, oldies…you name it! While I enjoy singing different types of music, I would say my personal style is soul-folk. I find it hard to resist blends of both.

What are your long-term career goals?

I would like to have a consistency in terms of how often I’m able to deliver new music to listeners. Unfortunately, as an indie artist, the budget is much tighter than it would otherwise be. While I enjoy the freedom to have much input regarding my music, there are sacrifices that come with it. I do desire to regularly perform, tour with like singer-songwriters, collaborate, co-write with other artsy individuals, and grow in my craft. I never want to stop learning! Aside from music, I hope have more resources to make the arts accessible to others through my organization, Pearl Projects.

How would you define the word “success”?

For me personally, success would be defined as glorifying the Lord by clearly communicating the Gospel and presenting Christ to the world for exactly Who He is–nothing more, nothing less. There are so many ways to do this…so many topics to address, as does the Gospel.

What type of music do you enjoy playing/singing the most?

I love doing acoustic songs. They have a pureness to it that can sometimes be lost in production. It’s like a breath of fresh air…easy listening whether fast or slow in tempo. I enjoy a good cover, worship songs, and, since getting married last April, songs I’ve written to my husband!

How often do you perform?

Not often enough since  my fan base is small and I just moved to Chi where I know nobody. (I know my readers in Chicago will change this fact VERY quikly!!)

As a Christian how do you represent that is what you do/are?

The best way I know how to do that is be myself. I am not perfect, but I have convictions I pray for grace to live by. I count it as a privilege to share a bit of that in my songs, tweets, blogs etc. I’m selective with which topics I’d cover—yet intentional with my words. I would hope listeners find that representation, some instances more overt than others, as an encouragement somehow.

 Just for fun…fill in the blanks!

 Without music, I would be a completely different person. I couldn’t imagine life without music!

 Music is good to my soul. There are few occasions on which I wouldn’t want to listen to music.

 My music makes me feel like a communicator. My songs are personal to me…each I can recall the experience or inspiration behind the tune.

 I write the songs because I can’t help it! Whether it’s getting something off my chest or something I just learned, it’s more times than not worth sharing.

 Support music because it’s a gift. Without the proper support, it would not continue to evolve and inspire people all over this world.

I hope the you all learned just a little bit about a woman of God!!  And for my up and coming artists out there looking and praying for support I know SEVERAL people who have your back Pearl and Terence being two of them!!

Website: www.pearlprojects.org
Booking: booking@pearlprojects.org
Twitter: @pearlprojects
Facebook Fan page: www.facebook.com/pearlprojects
Reflection Acoustic: http://youtu.be/AANq3IO-JH4
Listening Party Recap: http://youtu.be/ce60pKL2gKM
 iTunes: http://itunes.apple.com/us/album/reflection-ep/id519066310
 Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Reflection/dp/B007U8UVEK/ref=sr_shvl_album_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1342742209&sr=301-1