Alaura Lovelight, R&B Recording Artist and Music Coach

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Mark (: 00:03

Welcome back to our podcast, friends unlocking your world of creativity. And today our global travels virtually any way, take us to New York City. And we're talking with R&B recording, artist, and performer. Alaura Lovelight. Alaura welcome to the program.

Alaura (: 00:18

Thank you for having me.

Mark (: 00:19

And you know, this idea of, the music, of course, the creativity, but we always underscore the part of our podcast, the unlocking part.

Alaura (: 00:29

Yeah. I love that.

Alaura (: 00:29

Then again, the confidence, the connections, all the production to get the work out into the world. And that's really a big part of what you do, isn't it?

Alaura (: 00:38

Yes, definitely. Definitely. There's a lot of unlocking that goes on in, and getting your music. Having an idea of being a good singer is, is great, but that's about 7%.

Mark (: 00:50

That's a good start. Yeah. Well, Alaura has a terrific debut single that was released just last year. It's called EROTICY. And, let's take a quick listen. Well, Alaura loved the beat of it it's really been described as a pop R and B a club sound. But If you listen to it, I've also read that you're really trying to communicate confidence in that song too. Confidence in self-love. Tell us about that.

Alaura (: 01:20

Yeah. You know, the song EROTICY, it was important to, to make a song that was upbeat and fun. And I wanted it to be creative, but I wanted it to have a feel of sexy and confident and empowered. And when I see everybody listening to it or singing along, that's totally the vibe that I see and I get, and that's exactly what I was going for. So I'm so pleased with the way the single is going and the way that people are receiving it. That is always my intention to empower people and make people feel better about themselves.

Mark (: 02:00

Yeah. And as the song was developing, I guess, both the lyrics and music, but also, as we've discussed the production, part of it were you gaining more and more confidence? Was there a sort of a role to it that was built?

Alaura (: 02:15

Yeah. Yeah. That's funny that you say that I just was working on a promo video last night with some of my team and we were joking because we had like a card with a whole bunch of footage and content on it. And we had done a like preliminary commercial type thing for EROTICY way before we, we put the video out. And we never even put the commercial out, but we were laughing about how important doing that was for me, to just get in the swing of the video and direction and having a director and the angles and all of that goes into it. And if you haven't done it before, you really don't realize how important there are so many things to think about. So definitely we've put a lot of content together, but not all of it makes the cut.

Mark (: 03:08

And that's exactly right. Well, and you were talking about collaborators and contributors you've had a chance to work alongside Grammy award-winning producers and a lot of other billboard listed artists, what is it like when you have to, it's your baby, it's your music, but you do want to draw from the experience of these other people though, right?

Alaura (: 03:30

Yeah. And you know what, that's such a like important question for artists to understand because there's like a really gray area type sweet spot about you wanna hold fast to your creation, like your art and your creativity. And you wanna say, this is the vision that I have. And, that's valuable because only you can have a specific vision for your art. But then on the other side of things taking constructive criticism or notes or ideas from people who are well versed in the industry. I have some amazing people around me, so it's really if I wanna get to a certain place it's to my advantage to take their advice and, work with my ideas and my creation, but go with what they're telling me and put 'em both together. Yeah.

Mark (: 04:26

Yeah. That's so interesting how to reconcile that, because I mean, on this show, we've talked to authors, we've talked to children's book writers and illustrators, and we've talked to painters and all points in between and it's always that fine line. You said it's like, I wanna own my work. It's my work quote, unquote, but you'll never get out in the world without these other people and taking that constructive criticism and even edits it can be hard sometimes, can it?.

Alaura (: 04:55

Yeah. Yep. It definitely is something, I think that is, one hard to do as an artist because you're right. It's like, that's your baby and what do you mean sing it different? Or sing it or like stand like this or do this, or it's like, wait a second. But then you have to take into account who is telling you advice or idea if it's the random person who has never had any experience. Okay, well, we take that with a grain of salt, but if it's somebody who really knows like a billboard artist or like a Grammy producer, then, it's my job to say, okay, they know better than me. Yeah.

Mark (: 05:37

And, you can learn and grow from that.

Alaura (: 05:39

Right. Right. And that's the point, right. We wanna be better. We wanna grow and all that.

Mark (: 05:43

Yeah. Well, listeners, we have a great treat for you today too, because Alaura has a new single, just being released. And so we wanna share just a piece of that song with you Alaura, tell us about this song.

Alaura (: 05:54

Yeah. The next single that we're gonna do is called royalty. And I'm excited about releasing it. It's the same vibe as an Erotacy, but, we bumped it up a little bit. We bumped it up a notch. So it's still totally in the category of fun, sexy, empowerment all of that. I'm very excited about that too.

Mark (: 06:17

Yeah. I always love this word vibe cause it's sort of like you know it when you feel it. You know it when you hear it. When did you know that this was the vibe you were looking for in this song?

Alaura (: 06:30

I think that that's a cool question. I feel like that's the vibe that I want to present as an artist overall. So like for myself, it took me a long time to get to a place where I did feel empowered. I did feel comfortable on the stage on camera, on all of those things that I love, but I had to find the confidence within myself to do it, which a lot of people don't find in that maybe ever. And so that's a really important thing for me to bring to the table as a woman, as an artist, as a singer, as a writer all of those things, as somebody who has formally felt that level of not feeling super confident, not feeling all that beautiful, not feeling put together and saying to women anywhere, it doesn't matter anything about you on the outside really doesn't matter. You can find this level of love and empowerment. I think that's why people love Beyonce so much is because she exudes this vibe. There's a difference between confidence and arrogance, right? The difference is that confidence is not me saying I'm better than you. It's just me saying I'm great. And I think that that's a really important thing to portray for me as an artist. Yeah.

Mark (: 07:57

What a great description of vibe, I mean for one thing, and because you brought it up, I'll ask you about it. I mean, I wouldn't probe, but did this really come from the inside out?

Alaura (: 08:13

Yes.

Mark (: 08:13

Because some people you do look at in the music business especially and say, okay, that's a great brand.If I really knew him as a person. But do you feel that you have grown personally into this more confident artist? And individual and woman?

Alaura (: 08:29

Yeah, absolutely. I think it's been a fun hard, but good journey of finding myself. And I think that that naturally as an artist and as a writer has poured over into my art is, is this finding of myself. And I think that it's so relatable because everybody's finding themself, right? No matter if we're 20 or 30 or 40 or 50 we're all rediscovering what we love and what's important to us and what we value and giving ourselves that love and making time for ourselves. So I think that's totally the brand that I want to create and represent. And it has been a journey of transformation from the inside out. I have gone through a major transformation from the time that I was 13, 14, very shy, very quiet. I was the girl who could sing that's what my thing was, I wasn't like going to parties and I wasn't like the cheerleader that wasn't my M.O but I grew into finding myself and my value in my art and my music and myself as a woman all of that a journey.

Alaura (: 09:49

And I think we all deal with that. So that's where my music comes from a place of that. And I think people receive it so well because everybody can identify with wanting to feel confident and empowered and being somewhere on the journey whether they're like, yeah, I got it. Or they're like, oh, that makes me feel like I could get there.

Mark (: 10:12

Still a work in progress.

Alaura (: 10:13

Yeah.

Mark (: 10:14

Love that. Thanks for sharing. Well, I guess with that, I'd love to turn the page to some of your other work. And that is teaching and empowering young people who do want to sing and perform. I'd love to hear more about the programs and the work that you have for them.

Alaura (: 10:29

Yeah, of course. So I started a program called the unseen queen and that is a program for teen girls and it's a passion project of mine. It's something I ended up doing because I had a few young girls ask me, will you work with me? Will you coach me? And so I ended up doing that and as I met them and as I got to know them I was like, these girls are just like me they're just like I was. And when you're in that space, as somebody who's shy or insecure or you're like, nobody gets it. Nobody knows this is terrible. And I feel so sad or alone or whatever. And it's like, wow. You know, they're just like I was at that age.

Alaura (: 11:19

Really shy not sure of themselves. And they're changing into a woman at this time in life. But they love music. And I find that they talk to me about their school day and then talk to me about what's going on. But I, I see that when they sing and when they perform, it opens this part of them. That is really the true them that I never really understood that's who I really was. And I'm like, wow, I can help these girls figure it out about 10 years earlier.

Mark (: 11:55

There you go. It's so interesting. The way to describe that, that that's the real them, not the alter ego. . You know that it's not somebody, wow. Where did that come from? It's like, oh, that's really what's inside me.

Alaura (: 12:07

Right. Right. Absolutely. And it's fun. It's fun to watch, people ask about my coaching techniques and honestly, I really don't do. Of course, I'm a professional singer and I am a professional performer. So yes, I have techniques and tips that I teach them, but it's a lot less about music and it's a lot more about out feeling like I deserve to hold this space on stage in life. And, they use these tools to say, I have a presentation at school this week. And they go from feeling like they don't even wanna be in front of a classroom to this performance technique. They add to life skills. So it's cool. I love watching it. It's neat to be a part of it because I hold the space for them and they find it themselves. Because like we said, that's truly who they are.

Mark (: 13:05

Yeah. What insight can the rest of us sort of - I'll call us creative supporters of these young girls. Cause I, I think about my daughters, I think about now my granddaughters who you're describing this and I'm having this like I can see that scene. Yeah, yeah. We're having this conversation. Right. But what can we learn from those interactions that we can better support those budding, those unseen Queens as you described them?

Alaura (: 13:33

Yeah. No, that's such a beautiful question. And I think that like for myself, what I find to be the best thing for me is that it's really important to me that they feel seen and they feel hurt. And that's why the course is called unseen to the young queen. Because I think the, one of the most powerful things that I can do for them or we can do for them as their parents, as their teachers, as their guardians, all of that is to make them feel like they are, what is the value? Not their hair, not their look, not their comparison to Susie. Who's the cheerleader at school. They have the value, and just giving them that space to say, you're queen just because you're you and letting them discover that themselves. Because I know more than anybody that you can't tell one of these young girls like you're pretty, feel that way.

Alaura (: 14:45

Right. It doesn't work like that. But if we hold space for them yeah. To find it themselves. I think another thing that I often talk about to parents or teachers, or in conferences and things that I participate in is to say it's our job to be accountable to ourselves because we can't tell our kids, our students, whatever in our life, the next generation, Hey you should love yourself and you should feel like this and you should feel confident and then turn around and say, Ugh, I'm fat.

Mark (: 15:24

We're acting out the comparison that we are telling them not to make.

Alaura (: 15:28

Exactly. So I think that that's a very, very interesting thing that I've seen. A lot of parents, a lot of moms be like, Ooh, it makes them check themselves and be like that's probably not something I want her to say about herself. So let me not say that about me.

Mark (: 15:46

Do a little self-check. Yeah.

Alaura (: 15:48

Yeah.

Mark (: 15:49

Well, let's continue this thought because you also coach musicians, and I've watched a lot of your videos on really the business side of music. And I love some of your posts about, if you think you need an agent or if you think you need X, Y, and Z to be successful here's some real truth. What's been your experience in this regard.

Alaura (: 16:13

Yeah. Before I was a recording artist, so to speak, I was playing little clubs, jazz bars different events like that. And I actually made a very successful career for myself doing it. And I think a lot of people don't realize we all like to create these fake self-limits. Right. Of like, I can't do this because, and it's like, well, that's not true. So I think that something like common feedback that I hear from musicians is they feel like they can't do it because, oh, I don't have a big social media following. Not true. They think, oh, I need somebody who does the booking for me also not true. And they think, oh, I need to have $5,000 worth of keyboards and this and that also not true. And I think that you can actually go to a place and if you play an instrument. I play the Piano, so you can go somewhere and I would go with my piano, I always had a business mindset about it, which is why I think I was able to make that a full-time thing.

Alaura (: 17:26

The last time I was doing that is when I transitioned into doing music full-time. And a lot of people think, oh I could go to an open mic and maybe they'll book me because I'm good, which is true, which is true. But if you wanna make a career out of it, there are really important strategies. Like you do have to have a business mindset. You do have to say, okay, is it productive? Or is it business savvy of me to play a gig for $500 and then go spend $700 at the guitar center to pay for my gear. And it's like, well, wait, that's backward. Let's do it Strategic.

Mark (: 18:18

If I'm looking at the profit and loss there, that's not the wrong end of it.

Alaura (: 18:21

Right. And, and I think a lot of people don't, don't view it from a business mindset, right. It's like, oh, I played a gig at a bar and it's like, okay, but what are your numbers? Like if you wanna make that your career if you wanna make that your income if you're doing it as your extra side thing for fun and you get free beer and chips, cool. That's great. But for people who are like, I really wanna do that full time, but I don't know how to. The reason I got into it was that I went to see a friend of mine play at a local bar. And he was telling me how much money he was making for the show. And I thought I made that much money this week working a 40 hour week. And I'm a musician. I can do that. And so I think that that was, that was a big switch for me to be like, wow, he's here for three hours. He's playing music, doing what he loves. And he made as much money as I did this week. I was like, I gotta figure that out.

Mark (: 19:25

Yes. So, well, and that's a whole blend. I mean, you're stirring this whole gumbo. Now we've gone on to the music and we've gone to the empowerment of young girls and talent. We know we're talking about the business, you stir all that together and you say, you do have to have some confidence. That what you're doing is the right thing for you.

Alaura (: 19:45

Yes, you do. But you know what? This is really fun for me. And I love to get to do interviews and stuff because I like to talk about the process and on a stage or on performance, they're there for the music. They don't wanna have a conversation. So that's why we do this. But it's important that there are eight or nine years behind this. We're talking about the courses. We're talking about performance. We're talking about a hit single, there are years and years behind the music that it didn't take off shows that I didn't make money on because I wasn't business savvy. All of those things like being an artist, it sounds so cliche about out, like don't give up. Right. But it's like, you have to make those mistakes. Somebody just messaged me today and they were like the old friend and said, wow, you're doing so great. And I said, yeah, I finally figured out what works and what doesn't work.

Mark (: 20:47

Yes. And let's do more of what works.

Alaura (: 20:49

Yeah. Right. Right.

Mark (: 20:50

I have heard that, in all walks of creative life. You've gotta pay your dues. It's gonna take the time you'll make mistakes, but you're also describing yeah. You, gotta make, maybe make some of your own being of your toe. Yeah. But, there are formulas out there that sort of wake up and get it early. You don't have to wait years and years.

Alaura (: 21:17

Well, and that's why I love these courses that I was able to sit down and create because there are questions that people ask me a lot anyway and often, so it's like with the girls, I didn't even realize until I started coaching young girls, I was like, I can't believe that I never had a female mentor ever. And God, how important like that's a huge,

Mark (: 21:46

That would be a big deal.

Alaura (: 21:48

Yeah. And it's like the music industry is a male-dominated industry. There are a lot more men in the industry than women. And so I, I think that it's like, wow, I didn't even have that realization that I needed that until I became that for somebody else. And it's like, Hey I, I love working with these kids and these girls because it's like like I said, I get, let's talk about these things 10 years when you're 13 and not 23.

Mark (: 22:18

Yes. Yes.

Alaura (: 22:19

And then the same thing for, for musicians is that a lot of people fumble their way through, of how to make money. And people don't even know there are strategies, there are strategies about how you take a break there are strategies about how you play a show there are strategies about how you do your setlist. Like people just jump into that and they wonder, well, why am I not elevating from here? And it's like, well, you're not implementing tips and trust or strategies and money, things like that that will get you to the next level. And if you want, I can help you.

Mark (: 22:55

Yes. Well, before we close Alaura, I just wanna let the listeners know where to find you and follow your work. So, guest, my guest has been Alaura Lovelight. She's an R& B singer and songwriter. And as we've heard producer, published writer, and also a CEO. So you can follow her work on @AlauraLovelight on all the social media platforms and her new single is EROTICY. And you can find the business side of things and the coaching and the classes at www lovelightsoundmusic.com. Well, Alaura what's ahead for you. What's next? What's in your creative, sort of crystal ball.

Alaura (: 23:42

Oh my gosh. So many things. I feel like the more things manifest, the more I feel open-minded about what can be like it's really limitless possibilities and it's us who thinks, well, I just wanna get to here. And it's like, well, then you get to here. And you're like, well, but actually, I could do this, this and this. So I'm excited. I'm excited to watch the courses grow and work with people who love music. I love music and I love people. So that's a perfect thing for me. I'm really excited about more music. I'm excited that COVID has finally subsided hopefully and live shows are definitely in the future this year, a tour in the fall, and definitely a whole record. So yeah.

Mark (: 24:29

Well keep us posted on those dates and we'll be sure to share them out there.

Alaura (: 24:34

Yes. Thank you so much for having me.

Mark (: 24:36

You bet. Well, thanks to Alaura Lovelight for being my guest. And thank you listeners for coming by. I hope you're gaining this creative inspiration and motivation for your own work and gaining the confidence and connections to get your work out into the world. That's our purpose here on our podcast. I'm Mark Stinson and we're unlocking your world of creativity. I leave you with a little more of Alaura's music. We'll see you next time.