Today we’d like to introduce you to Carleen.
Hi Carleen, so excited to have you on the platform. So before we get into questions about your work-life, maybe you can bring our readers up to speed on your story and how you got to where you are today?
Well, it’s hard to say exactly how I got started because I’ve been singing for as long as I can remember. I’ve heard childhood recordings of myself and I don’t recall making them. Unlike many of my peers from my hometown, I actually got to attend public high school for a few years. I participated in the artsy fartsy things like musicals & choir. However, unlike those at my public high school, I spent my summers driving tractors, making hay, raising sheep, moving heavy irrigational pipelines, etc. It was there in the tractor cab that I realized I could turn on the radio & listen to as much ‘wicked, worldly, wild’ music as I wanted. My mom & stepdad weren’t there to witness my ‘rebellion’ so they couldn’t punish me for it. It was through this sneaking around that I learned my favorite singers write their own songs & I decided that I could, too.
I finally got my first private voice lesson when I was in college. I spent a total of six years there. Not because I needed to, but because I genuinely couldn’t get enough information on this thing-I-was-so-passionate-about called music. By the time I was done with school, my energy was spent so I took a year off to travel a bit. In 2019, I started to record a little. That led me to meeting my current producer and we’ve been working on some songs together. I’m compiling them into an album called “catalyst.”
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?
Not only has it not been a smooth road. It hasn’t even been a bumpy road. It hasn’t been a road at all. It’s like a trail that I’m making for myself up a very steep, rocky slope. I slip & fall often. I get scraped up. Earlier this year, I was shooting with a photographer – who’s also a psychologist of sorts (I think he’s a psych student)- who was asking me about my childhood, my parents, etc.
When I told him that I had more than just two parents (multiple mothers and at least two father figures) and that I was raised extremely sheltered with far too many strict rules & expectations to meet, he responded with “Yeah that’s enough to mess you up.”
Now, that’s not news to me, but it does lead me to feeling like a failed lab experiment & not much like a person. I frequently experience this feeling. It makes it difficult to make the necessary connections to build a supportive team. I could give so many examples of where I’ve failed spectacularly at that, but we don’t have all day. There have been a few people who have been patient & compassionate, though. So I’m thankful for them. I want to strengthen those bridges that connect me to them.
Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
Apart from working on my record, I teach music of course! I also sing for church services, weddings, funerals, etc. I just like to do music. To me, that means a variety of things. To be only a recording artist feels limiting. My approach to creating is surprisingly left-brained. I’m quite a dorky nerd when it really comes down to it! So I’d say my strength is in music theory which basically means I’m best at harmony. That’s what I’m known for.
I’m most proud of getting myself through school. I had little-to-no support from my family. I’m proud of making it happen through merit, scholarships & prestigious awards.
Obviously, I’ve graduated and put that in the past, though. So now it’s on to seeking other summits.
I suppose what sets me apart from others is that I really do exist on my own plane. I don’t feel that I fit into any one particular genre. When I try to fit in (to anything) it feels like conforming which clearly didn’t work for the community I come from. I feel that I truly think outside of the box. I’d still very much like to be fit in, but I do believe that my reality counts, my feelings matter and I’m learning to be more comfortable exactly as the weirdo I am.
In terms of your work and the industry, what are some of the changes you are expecting to see over the next five to ten years?
That’s such a great question! It’s quite stressful to think about actually, but one thing that’s clear is that the old industry is on its way out if not already dead. In the age of streaming, it’s so much easier to not need a record label for help. It’s especially easier to not have record labels make the rules, either. So basically, artists like myself can do whatever we want!
Every day feels like a big shift for me. It feels like constant adapting; determining what feels authentic to me and what doesn’t. One trend I’m seeing is other music artists are exploring what it looks like to be multi-hyphenated. For me, personally, that feels like trying to be a jack of all trades. Within music alone, I’m already guilty of trying to juggle too much rather than focus on one thing. For others specifically, I see them becoming life coaches. I don’t have much interest in that, but I’m not 100% opposed to it, either.
If I ever participated in that, it would still be very music-lesson themed. Any side hustle of mine will still be musically themed as I nurture the recording artist path.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://carleenmusic.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/carleenmusic/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/carleenmusic
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/carleenmusic
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@carleenmusicstudios
Image Credits
Michelle Williams Terry “DIOSA” Keven Suttle
