We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Amanda Grace a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.
Amanda , thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. When did you first know you wanted to pursue a creative/artistic path professionally?
I have a vivid memory of when I knew I needed to go back into writing songs again. My nephew was diagnosed with cancer as a young boy. During that time I had had our first son, and so we went to visit him a few times at the St. Mary’s hospital in Rochester MN. He had asked me a couple of times to sing to him. At the time I wasn’t playing my guitar or doing anything music related. But the day he died he had asked me to sing again. I sang a few lines about heaven, and he passed away. After a few months I decided to release a children’s album in his memory called, “Trains Cars & A Trip To Mars.” His song was “Rainbow Skies,” inspired by the stain glass window at the hospital.
Amanda , love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?
I work in the fields of musical performance (as a singer-songwriter/band) offer songwriting classes, and voice acting from my home studio. Whenever possible I offer public speaking in inspirational topics; sharing my journey in the arts. I have released seven albums in total and hope to release my eighth in 2023. I have focused on creating inspiring songs taken from the stories and struggles of people I have met along the way. I have not picked a genre of music, and have maintained intent of releasing the songs I have felt to be the most meaningful.
What do you find most rewarding about being a creative?
I love being able to connect with my audience over a song or a story behind the song after the show. When voice acting, I enjoy the challenge of launching new products and the challenges that come along with the recording.
When working on a songwriting class, I enjoy being able to see how creative kids can be in such a short amount of time!
What can society do to ensure an environment that’s helpful to artists and creatives?
Artists, and musicians especially should have fairer pay opportunities as the cost of fuel has gone up. Like many small businesses, they haven’t received a pay raise for almost 30 years. One way of possibly helping would be to have vendors share a small percentage of their sales on the days musicians perform in a festival setting they are involved with, rather than receiving a flat rate of pay. Another way of possibly helping them would be to find local sponsors who want to grow their business. The musician/artist could promote the logo/posts of the small business on social media to help cover the monthly costs of travel for band members.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://musicbyamandagrace.com
- Instagram: @amanda_gracemusic
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Amandasakom
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/amanda-grace-45600231
- Twitter: @Amanda_Grace3
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCyrN0Z0Rb8_MaxYDL7xzZbQ
Image Credits
Amanda Grace