Today we’d like to introduce you to Jacqueline Cohen-baity
Hi Jacqueline, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
My parents gave me a small organ when I was about 9 or 10 years old, and I started to play simple chord progressions, filtering out sounds. My Dad noticed I could sing, too, and he asked me to sing melodies to songs. My brother listened to funk music and disco, and I was widely exposed to this music. Later, my uncle paid for vocal lessons. I studied opera and began to sing in a few languages. I later bought a piano and took jazz improvisation courses and theory, ear training, and composition classes in college. I come from a musical family who play various instruments, so perhaps music is in my DNA. I am mostly self-taught although I have had some private piano lessons. Having been through pop and Jazz vocal lessons, I found my voice, techniques, and unique ways to approach singing and music. One of the great courses I took was a Jazz improvisation course to learn about chord structuring. Each person had to sing the next melody in a chord as the teacher went around the room. My ears developed significantly, and I could play complex harmonies and melodies on keyboards. As time passed, my skills evolved into playing patterns for other instruments. I could simulate more than 25 instruments and combine all the orchestrations. I write, sing, arrange, and produce a variety of musical forms: film, funk, comedy music, pop, smooth Jazz, Dance, and World Music (Greek, Italian, Spanish, and French Music). I also create character voices, and I perform them. Previously, I have been on a record label, and I am now independent. My music has been on many radio stations around the world and television. My music was also licensed at a French film festival in 13 countries. In addition, I have been cooking food since I was 15 years old, so I am a chef who makes international cuisine perfecting my spices and sauces over many years. In addition, I write comedy stories, I do my own character voiceovers, and have written short plays for my e-book. So, there it is: I have an e-cookbook with international cuisine, comedy stories, and music.
I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
It was not easy. For a long time, I wasn’t touring, and I worked in Corporate America in another industry. In my spare time, I turned to my music. The music industry is extremely competitive. I needed to find a way to combine music and my merchandise, and that’s what I did. When various restructurings within the companies occurred, I pursued my business full-time and focused on my additional talents: Music, Comedy Writing, International Cuisine. With my e-book. I have seen great progress from my efforts, but it took a lot of figuring out . My marketing and sales skills have come in handy. I know how to promote myself; someone even thought I had an agent. I do not have an agent. Radio broadcasters have helped me tremendously to get the word out about my music and my e-cookbook. I am forever grateful to them. They are amazing and have built huge followings on their radio shows. I am the owner of my entertainment company. Through my own research over time, I have discovered successful paths to pursue my endeavors. I am excited and determined every day about what I’m doing. It’s a journey along the way that continues to evolve with various milestones and stages of achievement.
Great, so let’s talk business. Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
I am the author of a musical comedy interactive e-cookbook with international recipes and comedy stories. I have a copyright on my e-book with comedy stories and music. I also offer mentorships in cooking and music. I am a chef with a knack for combining spices in just the right way to bring out the flavors in vegetables, fish, meat, and chicken. I also make frozen drinks, salads, and desserts. There are cooking tips in my e-book as well as items to have on hand in cooking various entrees including Greek, Italian, Spanish, Moroccan, West Indian, Thai, Indian, Mexican, Japanese, French, Cajun, Eastern European, fusion, soup, salads, desserts, and more.
Jacqine has gained notoriety as a prolific singer/songwriter, keyboardist, multi-instrumentalist, arranger, and music producer in a wide array of genres. With a distinct voice and influences, she has built quite a music following. Talented on keyboards, she has a keen sense of choosing instrumental sounds that reflect a unique combination of chord patterns for each song she creates. She writes complex harmonies, chord progressions, melodies, and lyrics as well as patterns for other instruments on keyboards such as saxophone, guitar, flute, sitar, clarinet, strings, bass, brass, and many other instruments which have led to demo recordings and live performances, She studied voice privately as well as Jazz Improvisation in a group where she learned traditional Jazz and very complex chord progressions with the creation of jazz melodies and chord progressions in anticipation of song development. She studied and sang pop music as well with a Pop and Jazz vocalist. Her introduction to Smooth Jazz and Funk began while listening to radio shows. She bought CD’s and many albums by various Smooth Jazz artists. Jacqine became an avid listener and huge fan of the music attending shows and listening to additional Smooth Jazz radio stations. In a chance meeting, she was introduced to the dance genre after a producer heard her sing and she got her first production, non-exclusive, production deal which led to doing more records with producers, both in singing and writing. She found success with music she co-wrote that was licensed at a well-known Film Festival in France in 13 countries. She had the opportunity to work with celebrity producers and remixers. She is an independent artist and musician and her music has played in countries around the world. Magazines also gave excellent reviews of her vocals and the songs she sang on. She has topped the charts at number one on some songs and was featured in the top 10 on some of her other songs. She even achieved Artist of the Week several times on a radio station. She has graced audiences with her vocals while performing at several venues in New York City and has also gained attention from the television and film industry. She has had tons of radio play and music radio interviews and has fans locally and abroad with music heard in over 110 countries with one-quarter of a million listeners. Jacqine does mainly her own music, but she has featured and co-written some other songs with Curtis McCain, Jeff Medina, Matthias Beckmann, David Q. Mckee, Janet B, Donald Waugh, Eric Kupper, Janet B, Akira Komatsu, Scott Marvill, Madz Johnson, Eddie Berg, Dimitris Korontzis, George Karaisarides, Craig Levy, Lee Jones, and Naomi Adriaanz.
I’m working on a new EDM track with David Q. Mckee of the song I’m Pulling Through that we co-wrote. It’s almost complete. He has licensed some of his other music to companies.
Lee Jones’ new album has been released, and I sang and wrote melody and lyrics on one of the songs: Not Givin It Up. Within the past few weeks, it’s been on radio in the UK, Italy, Spain, and the Netherlands. We achieved one of the top 10 best songs on Radio Indie International. Jan Berg, David Snashfold, David Margam, Kevin Oxberry, Allan Singleton, Dave Oz, Jazzie K Ward, Isaac Banks, Brian Smith, Craig Roulhac, Carlo Charly Silvestri, So Jazzy Radio have also played this song. Additional radio stations I have been on: Keith Gilchrist, Bob Have Mercy, Nigel Waymark, Halas Wilbourne, David Miranda, Keme Bolanle, Dales Berg, Dr. Glyn Reece, Pedro Carretero, Norrie Lynch, Louie Martin, Bruce Buege, Luc Borron, Russ Naughton, Neil Clark, Dwight Jenkins, H Diann Jenkins, Richard Edwards, Owen Ryhs Hopkin, Iain Lawson, Wayne Kennedy, Max Groove, Mike Rickard, Kai Shaz Kuiama, April Chrenshaw, Paulette Jackson, Gary Fuston, Raymond Bola Browne, Peter Simmons, Phazes Mckenzie, Jo Khool, Dawn Martinez, Sandy Shore, Alan Barnes, Tony Fieldus, Matt Houston, David Barrau Guiderdoni, Jesper Grunfeld, Samuel Scott Littman, Michael Amil, John Beaudin, Javi Martin, Edwin Van Braker, Patrick Brogan, Doug Sinclair, Steve Stevie, Robbie Peters, John Lines, played my other music: https://www.facebook.com/jacque.cohen
Latest album release: Inner Reflections, on which I featured some celebrity musicians and artists: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hwa4eY8-rfI&list=OLAK5uy_kwpBPOQaicmJx3Fz2pyZ3lk3zjrbeCzJQ
Reach For The Stars, co-write with Madz Johnson https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yJJfWbP3lJQ&list=OLAK5uy_mwYTRtzK6RbD9DQ7Md3UVq8U6Y3nTJy60
On my website, people can find my e-book with International Cuisine, Comedy Stories and Music aligned with the e-book. The full production of my music, comedy, and recipe of foods I cooked are available for purchase.
Music interviews are on my website. Also, checkout this recent podcast I’m on: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2ZKZBIiEzOU
Another podcast: https://www.buzzsprout.com/2047151/14641811
I have more podcasts that have aired as well.
My website is jacqine.com. See especially my cooking tab: jacqine.com/cooking.
Are there any books, apps, podcasts or blogs that help you do your best?
Brian Culbertson: https://youtu.be/Tpi7USAYFHk?si=OIcoGVeN3FQQktgg
Maysa Leak: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/maysa/id1455731058?i=1000431585804
Ep. 1 Nile Rodgers: https://youtu.be/R8x1R_a5UT4?si=LUrAwhd5NUU-WuTD
Contact Info:
- Website: https://Jacqine.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jacqine.cb/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/jacque.cohen Brand page: https://www.facebook.com/Jacqinemusic
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/JrcbJacqine
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@jacqine
- Soundcloud: https://soundcloud.com/user-635330442
