We were lucky to catch up with Alex Noelle recently and have shared our conversation below.
Alex, appreciate you joining us today. When did you first know you wanted to pursue a creative/artistic path professionally?
Since as early as I can remember, I have said “I want to be a singer.” But the meaning of those words have evolved from a little kid’s dream into so many different paths. My family has been musical since before I was even born. All of them play instruments and listen to music constantly, so I was raised with music as a given part of every day. For me, though, I also wanted to become a performer since really early on. The idea of making people smile, laugh, or even simply notice and respond to my performance in some way or another, has always been fulfilling for me. Even in the family room as a young kid, performing was a safe and cathartic way to share a feeling or idea outside of the context of conversation. It was a chance for connection without words.
So I was in as many ensembles and shows as I could find as a kid. But I also lived through- and saw my loved ones live through- a lot of loss, grief, and mental and physical health challenges. This deepened my love for music as an outlet for catharsis and expression, and led me to pursue music therapy. I was torn between studying performance or music therapy by the time college rolled around, and ultimately I did my best to focus on both.
Fast forward to today, and I have taken different seasons of my life to try on each hat by itself. I have been a full-time music therapist, full-time performer, and even a full-time private music teacher. It’s only in the past few years that I’ve accepted I’ll always include all three, because they all include my first love: connection through art.
Alex, 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?
Absolutely! I am a singer-songwriter, music therapist, and private music teacher. In all of these settings, the main focus is the same: using music for connection, expression, and growth. As a singer-songwriter, my music mostly fits the acoustic pop genre and focuses on emotional storytelling, inner growth, and relationships. Live shows are promoted on my social sites, but the most exciting show I do is a monthly online concert exclusively for my Patreon community! This is an online platform for connection through music and mindfulness. All patrons receive monthly demos of unreleased songs, guided meditations, songwriting tips, and collaborations. Separately, I also write custom songs and provide lead & backing vocals for demos & live performances.
As a board certified music therapist, I use music-based interventions, mindfulness, and gentle movement to support your individual needs and further your personal goals. Even if you don’t have any experience with music, music therapy and mindfulness have been proven to heal! I have worked with kids, teens, adults, caregivers, seniors, and neurodivergent populations to navigate challenges with mental health, physical health, disabilities, chronic pain, life stressors, trauma, and more. After years of professional and personal healing work, I believe the first source of improvement starts with a kind, respectful, honest relationship between therapist and client. If anyone’s interested in learning more, reach out and let’s chat about how music therapy can get you where you want to be.
I also provide private lessons to all ages for piano and voice (beginner to late intermediate levels) and ukulele and guitar (beginner levels.) Music theory, songwriting, and improvisation are all part of my teaching. I have taught privately for seven years and love helping each student access their strongest form of musical expression. Whatever your musical or health goal is, I’m here to help. Let’s connect!
What can society do to ensure an environment that’s helpful to artists and creatives?
There are a lot of ways to create a supportive environment for artists and creatives– and it doesn’t have to cost you any money. The bottom line is valuing, celebrating, and sharing any art or music that you resonate with. Come to their shows or events, and bring your friends, share their art with others, pre-save their upcoming releases, add their songs to your playlists, use their art in your social media videos! Of course it’s amazing help when someone can invest monetarily in an artist (like hiring them for a show, buying their song rather than streaming it, buying their merchandise, donating to their Kickstarter, or supporting their Patreon page.) But helping to spread the word can also go a long way! Independent artists have to become their own social media managers, marketing strategists, booking agents, graphic designers, self-photographers, models and TikTok videographers just to get their names out there and hope it sticks. Any help with getting our music or art out there is a huge weight off of our shoulders as we keep the creativity flowing. If you’re trying to support an artist, connecting them with a wider audience is the best and biggest help we can get!
We’d love to hear a story of resilience from your journey.
A few years ago, I experienced a health crisis that changed my life. I had been ignoring my previously-diagnosed fibromyalgia and POTS until a physical trauma happened. At that point, my abilities became so limited, I couldn’t keep up with the nonstop gig schedule I had been running for years. I could still do the same kind of work required in my jobs, but only for a short time, and with a lot more pain. I had to limit the amount of time I spent working, singing, and moving each day. And I had to build in a lot more time for appointments, tests, and rehabilitation each day. I had to plan everything ahead of time so I didn’t “overdo” anything and make symptoms worse. But in the music industry, it always seemed like “overdoing it” was barely cutting it when trying to make it big.
This was such a heavy pivot I had to make that it took me a few years before learning how to work with it all. I’m now so grateful for the journey! I essentially had to learn to practice what I preach: how to be fully in the present moment, how to breathe through difficult experiences, and how to rest and ask for help. I finally stopped choosing burnout, even if it cost me an opportunity here and there. I learned the value of health over all else, and how to pursue my goals at my own authentic pace. I found a more balanced lifestyle, and am healed back to doing what I love – without the pressure to overdo it.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://alexnoellemusic.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/alexnoellemusic/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/alexnoellemusic
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alex-dovgala-carr
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/alexnoelle
- Other: Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/3RvU8ecvXodaP45oov0Ud8 Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/alexnoelle Artist Email: [email protected] Music Therapist Email: [email protected]
Image Credits
Turnstile Productions, Wingman Visuals, Samuel Herb, Oceanna