We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Elanese Lansen a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Alright, Elanese thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. When did you first know you wanted to pursue a creative/artistic path professionally?

I’ve always been in love with music. When I was a little girl I used to watch all of the award shows with my mom in our living room. I’d tell her “I can do that!” and perform the songs for her like I was the one on stage. She found it hilarious, but realized pretty soon that I had a voice, and all I ever wanted to do was sing. I started asking her for CD’s. I would learn all of the songs front to back and listen over and over until I got tired and it was time for a new one. The first CD my mom ever got me was the red self-titled Aaliyah album. I wanted to be just like her. I gravitated a lot towards R&B artists like Alicia Keys, Lauryn Hill ect. The first concert my mom ever took me to what Christina Aguilera’s Back to Basics tour. Watching her made me realize that being on stage was what I wanted to do.

It started with me singing for my family at get togethers. Then my mom started searching for ways to get me on stage. I started performing locally. I joined choir and sang at my school talent shows. In time, I realized I liked to write my own songs. I started looking for producers and recording in Miami. The turning point for me was singing on T.V. That’s when I really started to think “wow, I could do this” It opened a lot of doors for me to start gigging and getting in sessions with different songwriters and producers. I learned a lot about the industry and how to be self-sufficient. Music will always be part of me.

As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your background and context?

I’m Elanese, and I’m a singer-songwriter. I was born in New York and raised in South Florida. As I mentioned, my musical journey started when I was a little girl. I loved singing locally and writing songs, but I guess my biggest accomplishment came when I had the opportunity to perform on National television, Since then I’ve grown so much as a performer, creative, and all around person. I’m grateful to be here and share some my experiences and insight. Thanks for having me.

Learning and unlearning are both critical parts of growth – can you share a story of a time when you had to unlearn a lesson?

I think I’ve had to learn that perfection doesn’t exist. I’m my own worst critic, and there’s been a lot of instances where I wrote songs but don’t want share them because I didn’t think they were ready or “perfect.” I was always thinking about target audiences and what made the most sense.

In a world where there’s a constant influx of opinions, it’s easy to get lost between being completely honest with your craft and being strategic in what you choose to share. Yes, I think it’s important to be conscious of what you put out, but I also think it’s important not to be so hard on yourself. You can’t control how everyone is going to digest your art. It’s important to stay true to yourself.

Is there a mission driving your creative journey?

I’ve thought a lot about this question. I think my goal to just to be happy doing what I love, and to always have an outlet to express myself. It’s easy to get caught up in the idea of the destination and not to journey. If I’m on stage I’m happy. If I’m in the studio I’m happy. If I’m driving listening to a demo of something I just recorded I’m happy. Music makes me feel safe. To me, I’m the truest most authentic version of myself when I’m writing, recording or singing. It’s my escape. As long as I can be creative and I have the opportunity to pour my heart into something I love, my mission is accomplished.

Contact Info:

• Website: Elanesemusic.com
• Instagram: @Elanese
• Facebook: Facebook.com/elanesemusic
• Twitter: @Elaneseofficial
• Youtube: Youtube.com/elanesemusic1