Today we’d like to introduce you to Honey Whiskey Trio.
Hello Honey Whiskey Trio, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
We all went through the vocal jazz program at Cal-State Long Beach, studying with Christine Guter and singing in the group Pacific Standard Time. While we weren’t all in the program at the same time, it gave us a similar foundation and approach to music. We formed our band, Honey Whiskey Trio 11 years ago, when we were all out of school and looking for an outlet to create music. In our first year as a band, we were lucky to be national Harmony Sweepstakes winners, which helped us build an audience in the acappella community. After that, we began to learn instruments and solidified our sound and style as Folk.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall, and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
During our time as a band, we have all continued to work full-time. This means that we do not go off on long tours, and we do have to go through phases where we can’t gig as much as we want because of work. But it also means that every time we step on stage, it’s because we love making music together. We feel very lucky for that and are grateful for those that continue to come to hear us play and laugh at our jokes.
Another challenge we’ve faced is that we did not play our instruments when we first started as a band. It has been a fun (though humbling) experience to be a musician with lots of knowledge but be a beginner again on a new instrument. We continue to learn but have loved how much instruments have expanded our music.
Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
We perform, lead community workshops, give student concerts, do teacher workshops, and write and arrange our own music that is available for ensembles to perform. It’s hard for us to talk about what sets us apart from other bands. We love what we do, but we also love what our community of musicians does, too. It’s the community and variety of performers that is so important. So, the best we can do is talk about what we enjoy about our band. We have always tried to be ourselves when we perform. Our goal is to provide the audience with a high level of musicianship but make it fun. We love harmony, we love singing with each other, and we want this to come across to the audience. We want them to feel like they’re part of our performance.
Any advice for finding a mentor or networking in general?
Moira Smiley was so helpful to us when we were first starting as a band. Beyond being a phenomenal musician and teacher, we also connected with her as a person. This is important. When trying to find a mentor, it’s not just about finding someone who is the best; you need to find someone who inspires you creatively. If they are not compatible with you in some way, it may not end up being a helpful partnership.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.honeywhiskeytrio.com
- Instagram: @honeywhiskeytrio
- Facebook: HoneyWhiskeyTrio
- Youtube: @HoneyWhiskeyTrio
Image Credits
Frances Chee
