I guess what best describes me as a performer, is my passion for singing and engaging with my audience. People often comment about how my voice moves them and delivers so much more than just a lyric in a song. It’s really important for me to always find a place for my voice to make an impact.
My professional singing really started in 2005, with the release of my debut album ‘Scribe me a note’. Since then I have been busy writing, performing and focusing my talents in a variety of musical spaces. In the years following the release of ‘Scribe me a note’, I had many opportunities to travel and gig with the songs from that album. I remember travelling to places like AGMF in Queensland, Blackstump in Sydney and even over to Perth on a mini-tour. I spent a lot of time singing at churches, conferences and conventions, both locally and interstate. There were 4 of us in ‘The Collective’ at the time, with guitars, keyboard and some percussion. We loved grabbing opportunities to play and perform! The radio interviews were fun, and even singing in women’s prisons brought new life to my songs! This was a busy and rewarding time!
After launching my music into the Australian Gospel music scene, I began to seek new opportunities to play in different places. This is where I really began to blend the influence of jazz into my own songs. In 2007, I played at The Botanic Gardens Jazz Twilights program with a bunch of talented musicians. Something happened in that moment, with those songs and that double bass – and I was hooked. I then found myself playing with different musicians all the time and even singing at weddings, parties and corporate events! I even had a chance to play with Melbourne’s jazz piano master, Bob Sedergreen! I think I learnt more in one night from him than in a whole year of singing lessons!
So, in the years between albums, I find myself in a world of music – where the opportunities to explore are endless! The truth is it takes time to develop and refine your ideas as a musician. You just keep growing! The recording process from this album became so much more than just getting into the studio and putting down a few tunes. So much thought and planning has gone in to things like what style the songs would be, who was going to play, how many instruments would there be on track 7, and do we keep the double chorus at the end, oh and what about that riff? It’s been hard work, but all of it has been rewarding and I have watched myself grow as a result of all these decisions!
This new album ‘Some kind of beautiful’ really reflects my heart and the way we view ourselves in the world. The songs are all about love and life, the album itself celebrates music and the idea of being beautiful.
Love to all my fans! Hope you enjoy it!
Cindy
