A #creativesneedsupport Q&A with Jeanette Berry
How did you arrive at the style you use to express your sonic vision? It was a combination of what I was listening to and the musicians I was hanging around at the time. This music was written mostly when I lived in Philly and just out of college. I studied Jazz and also was obsessed with the Neo Soul Movement in Philly, one of the reasons I decided to live there. Jill Scott, Ella Fitzgerald, Carmen McRae, D'Angelo, Lauryn Hill, D'Angelo. I also really began loving my voice when we were recording this album, so I hope that comes across in the performance of the songs.
Where does the music come from, what does it feel like when the inspiration arrives? It always feels like it falls out. Sometimes it falls quickly, sometimes it takes a while to get where it's supposed to go. But the songs that stick are the ones that weren't necessarily easy to get to, but feel the most honest about what I wanted to write about. This goes for melody, lyric and harmony.
When is a song complete? A song is complete when there is love, space and a calming sense over me.
What has being a musician taught you about you? Being a musician has taught me flexibility in all different facets of my life. It's taught me how to express myself and that there is nothing wrong with expressing yourself and being honest, even when most of the world doesn't understand this concept. It's taught me that I'm a lover and that there isn't anything wrong with that. Its taught me about how I handle life-because my lyrics are stories about my life, or how I perceive life around me, so it's almost a direct mirror to words that I might have been too scared to say.
What's one simple way anyone may support a creative that doesn't involve spending money? Talk about them to other people. Our whole culture is built around sharing, and often times we share things we don't love, but if we shared more of what we loved, we would have more of that out in the world. It's not easy to spread the word about an artist, especially when they are independent, but spreading the word about them or their newest video or anything like that is so important in our culture.
What's one way a creative can support another creative? Sharing just like anyone else, and also collaborating and bartering services. This cannot always be done, but it is important at different stages, and it in certain situations. As much as we need money, if there can be a reciprocal relationship in a situation, it often favors everyone involved and more fully engages both creatives audiences.
https://soulnerds.bandcamp.com/ https://twitter.com/jb_soulnerd
