| Jody Joseph Was Born Into Music |
| Written by Ioana Vanessa B. | |||
| Monday, 18 June 2012 03:08 | |||
 Jody Joseph harbors an instinct bred from the historical significance of her own backyard, and has the passion and intensity to back it up. From the very first day on the planet, she was granted a musical heritage (one of her famous relatives was opera singer Mario Lanza, another one a cousin named Jon Bon Jovi), and during her early years she began forming a style drawn from various eras of rock, pop and soul. TimesSquare.com had the chance of talking with her about love, loss, and the wonderful power of music. TimesSquare.com(TS): When did you first start singing? Jody Joseph( JJ): I had a very musical family! I was never one that could sit still, nor was I one of those book people. I was always writing poetry, singing and dancing at our family's events. The first time I ever got on stage, in front of an audience, I was doing a Stevie Nicks song and I realized then and there that I wouldn't ever want to do anything else. I just wanted to get that high! And it didn't matter if it was in front of three or three hundred people, that was all I wanted to do. I was almost like an addiction, I just couldn't wait until the next time I had the opportunity to sing. I tried different things, I tried desk jobs, I worked for some airlines, I did a lot of other things, but I never stopped singing. I NEVER stopped. And I knew that no matter what, if there was something that I would always do, it'd have to be singing, because I wouldn't be happy with anything else. So, thirty some years later, Jody's still singing! TS: As the main songwriter of your lyrics, where do you find your inspiration? JJ: I never tell stories from a 3rd person perspective. It's always "in my opinion". So I talk about my personal losses, my loves, or anything else of that matter. I think that is just how I express myself in times of distress. I sit down and write. It's not even like "Oh, let me sit down and write a song". It's that I NEED to write. I go for a pen and paper and get it all out. And once it's out, I am able to look at it, and say "well, you know, the relationship sucked, but at least I got this out of it!" TS: You are also a vocal coach. What do you find most gratifying in teaching? JJ: I'm actually a cultivator of talent. The basic thing that I do is teach to sing properly: the correct singing technique and the preservation of voice. I teach beginner to intermediate guitar, some music theory and songwriting. I also train my students with their staged presence and theatrics of it. But the cool thing about what I do is that nothing is broken down into classes, it's all one. So when they come here, I cultivate them, and they grow. I've had students from ages 7 or 8 until they go off to college. I was with them for more than 10 years, so I had to figure out a way to keep them interested! In some of my big shows, I use my students as openers, so they have the opportunity of playing in front of some pretty big audiences. The most gratifying is when someone comes to be and is extremely shy. Just getting them to sing comfortably in front of me is a major feat! But eventually I give them the confidence in themselves, and just see them grow. And then all of a sudden, I'd see them perform in front of a huge audience, and to me, it is just mesmerizing! That's very rewarding! TS: Along with your band, you're considerably contributing to fundraising and benefit shows. What is motivation behind that? JJ: I consider music to be a God given gift to me. So I know that I can give little of it back through these benefit shows. These shows usually have to do with some children issues, although this Christmas I will be singing for the cause of Cancer research. I think it raises awareness. I am not, by far, a superstar in any shape or form, but I am happy to contribute with the little I can, and I believe we can make a difference and bring some good to people. People are generous, you know... TS: Your show on June 24 - 25 is a tribute to Stevie Nicks and Janis Joplin. What insight can you give us about it? JJ: Actually, it is not a tribute. The show is usually done as me metamorphosing into Stevie, then turn into myself, and finishing off as Janis. It's a major production, with props and all the blablabla. It's a big thing. But this particular show will be a new unveiling, up close and personal with me. It's more of a dialogue. We had to adapt the show to Feinstein's, which is a small and intimate room. The idea actually came from my cousin John. He planted the idea and we decided to work around it. So it's more of a dialogue, spattered with songs. It's a living room, I'm talking, and I'm the common thread between Stevie and Janis. We'll all be celebrating these two great women, who have always been my musical inspiration. Jody Joseph will be performing on June 24th – 25th as she will be celebrating the lives and music of Stevie Nicks and Janis Joplin at Feinstein's at Loews Regency. For more Times Square articles like Jody Joseph Was Born Into Music, please visit the Music Interviews Section of TimesSquare.com
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