Today we’d like to introduce you to Claude Hall.
Claude, can you briefly walk us through your story – how you started and how you got to where you are today.
When I think about my story, it seems like a series of coincidences got me here. Yet, my sense is that coincidence is just one of the ingredients…
I started taking vocal lessons while living in Paris, just as I was about to go through my second divorce. The lessons were just about learning how to express myself… The glaring truth that I was the common denominator of both marriages made it clear that it was time for me to take a look inside myself and uncover how I was participating in creating the break-ups. I instinctively knew that my incapacity to express myself was the obvious first thing to address.
A few years later (by then I was living in Saint Barths), I was in the midst of trying to heal a badly broken heart and a very good friend, consoling me, said, ‘Get yourself a gig someplace and you’ll forget the guy.’ I was so heartbroken that I said ok… if I had been my usual self, I would have resisted. Being in the spotlight was the farthest from my desires. But he had seen me do a casual performance a few months back and had noticed what I didn’t yet know. And so, he made the suggestion that opened my life in a way I never imagined.
The one-night-only gig, at Casa Niki, was a success and became a residency. Also, as my dear friend predicted, I forgot the guy.
And at that first show, as I performed, something unexpected happened… I got out of my own way and let all the facets of my personality shine at will, and brightly. Tasting the freedom of expression in that moment made my choice clear… I was going to pursue a career as a songstress.
Six months later, I was moving to LA to perfect my vocal musicianship and begin gigging. Yes, NY would have been the obvious choice. And though I’m originally from there, its winters are too cold for me now! A few years, and many vocal coaches later, thanks to a friend who put the spotlight on my talent, I got my first gig at l’Ermitage Hotel… which then became my first LA residency.
That in a nutshell, is how I’ve arrived where I am today… Being willing to look within myself, saying yes to the things that seem scary yet ignite my curiosity, and then following the feeling.
Great, 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?
A smooth road!?! LOL! I think it may look smooth from the outside. It’s all but smooth.
That being said, when I look back, the beginning of my journey may have been the easiest part. You know, the magical powers of ignorance!
Unaware of what this journey requires, my focus was only on what I wanted to create… and the opportunities showed up. My residencies continued in different venues and my life became all about my music.
Yet, at the same time that I began my residency at l’Ermitage Hotel, I also lost my day job. Though it freaked me out at first, I decided to use that turn of events to put all of my focus on my burgeoning music career.
As I moved along, people around me began commenting about the difficulty of getting gigs. Though I would share that this wasn’t my experience, the comments seeped into my consciousness and the ease I had been experiencing did a total 180.
Being on this journey has taught me to be very mindful of the thoughts I harbor… they participate in creating my reality; even if those thoughts emanate from someone else!
Tack on to that the fact that I was new to the industry and I guess you have the perfect storm. Many of the high-end hotel/restaurant gigs are managed by a musician who isn’t on the venue’s payroll. I didn’t know any of these people. And they tend to hire who they know.
So even though I had the chops and the style, I was missing my network.
Someone once told me, ‘You’ve got to want it more than anyone else.’ And it’s so true. So many things I’ve experienced have required that I reaffirm my desire to continue shooting for my dream.
And at the end of the day, attaining one’s dream is about creating and adjusting, creating and adjusting, creating and adjusting…
We’d love to hear more about your work and what you are currently focused on. What else should we know?
I’m a storyteller who tells her stories through music.
My style is reminiscent of the divas of days long gone. And my interpretations, most probably influenced by the R&B music I grew up on, feel familiar and new at the same time.
Whether accompanied by just a pianist or a 5-piece band, the versatility of my musicianship facilitates creating vibrant and touching shows. Often, after a show, an audience member will share with me how they felt like they were taken on a journey, how they were moved by a moment in a song or a story I shared, how they recognized their own story within mine.
My desire, with each show, and each song, is to be vulnerable and honest. And with this as my intention, I’ve come to find that though each journey is unique, the human experience is universal.
“When Hall sings she displays the elegance of Lena Horne, the crisp enunciation of Eartha Kitt, and a breathy, sensual quality all her own that adds power and oomph to her performance.” – Elliot Zwiebach for Cabaret Scenes
“Hall presents her live music like an actress reciting a jazz monologue on Broadway. She often enhances her contralto range with a tantalizing brand of jazz phrasing.” – Miguel Costa for Music Connection Magazine
If I were to sum up what I do in a nutshell, I’d say that, through music, I help people feel more…
Do you look back particularly fondly on any memories from childhood?
My favorite childhood memory is Sunday dinners. My mom would have spent all day cooking something up… Whether the cuisine was Haitian, Pilipino, or Italian, she killed it!
Her sisters’ and their families would come over and in the midst of the tumultuousness and laughter, life seemed to be perfect. And us kids each got a folding table and would enjoy the delicious food watching TV.
Contact Info:
- Website: ClaudeHallJazz.com
- Email: [email protected]
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/claudehallsongstress/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Claude.Hall.Jazz/
Image Credit:
Craig Cochrane, Cressandra Thibeaudeau
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