We recently connected with Allyson Briggs and have shared our conversation below.
Allyson, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. Can you talk to us about how you learned to do what you do?
Growing up, my parents played all kinds of classic music at home – Jazz, Big Band, Motown, Opera, Country, everything, and it inspired me when I was very young. I always felt like I was on a mission to be a professional singer. I learned certain skills in school – the discipline, technique, etc. but the greatest learning period was when I took that terrifying leap to venture out on my own and pursue a career in music as my full-time job. Nine years later, I have a successful band and music booking company and I can say I pay my bills by singing! That was my dream! The biggest lessons have been in patience. You have to stay focused and remain patient. If you jump on every opportunity that comes your way, it may take you off course and set you back. The first five years of running a small business were pure learning curve. Reaching out for help from trusted family and friends is crucial, they help you stay in check and motivate you when you feel defeated.
Allyson, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?
I have always loved classic music. I grew up listening to what my parents played: Jazz, Big Band, Motown, Opera, Country, a very wide range of great songs and languages. I was always interested in other languages, and when I started researching my family history more, I wanted to explore my German/French heritage by learning to speak the languages as well. When I came to NYC, I met my Puerto Rican husband and naturally, I am now Boricua! His family welcomed me, and I fell in love with his culture, music, and of course, food. As we grew and shared our love of music, which is a huge part of our life together, I started incorporating what became “our favorite songs” into my own jazz band. Pretty soon, the traditional 1940s jazz band that I created, Fleur Seule, began expanding into a multicultural, multilingual explosion of show concepts and new ways to share great music with new audiences. I love communicating with people, and I do that through song. I think when you make the effort to learn someone else’s culture and native language, not only do they appreciate it, but you are able to communicate on another level, and learn from each other. That’s what it’s all about! We currently play music in 7 languages: English, Spanish, French, German, Yiddish, Italian, and Portuguese, in every style from jazz and bossa nova, to salsa and 1960s Burt Bacharach hits. My jazz fans know me as Fleur Seule, my salsa fans know me as La Rubia, but you can just call me Allyson. I’m here to take you back in time and to inspire you with great music from all around the world!
Some of my most exciting onstage moments to date would be performing at Carnegie Hall with Michael Feinstein (talk about a dream come true!) and opening for Lionel Richie in West Palm Beach. Pinch me!
How can we best help foster a strong, supportive environment for artists and creatives?
Start music education in schools immediately! Children who are exposed to music not only appreciate it, but they learn critical skills that they can apply to any career they choose in life. We need more members of society who love music and want to see it thrive. When you go to see an artist live and purchase that ticket or hire them for an event, that is a huge support to us. The pandemic accustomed audiences to doing everything two weeks out, and honestly, it is driving all the artists insane! When we try to sell tickets to shows, everyone waits until 1-2 weeks before the show. What happens then, is the venue thinks we don’t have any tickets sold and may cancel the show. I have hosted events where we sold 200 tickets the 3 days before the concert. YES, that is amazing, and YES it is stressful as the event producer!
Do you think there is something that non-creatives might struggle to understand about your journey as a creative? Maybe you can shed some light?
I think people who have never worked freelance or run a small business have trouble understanding that we are incurring all the same business costs and challenges that you do on a salaried job. Because we make it look easy, sometimes audiences think it doesn’t require much effort, that we just show up and play on a whim. That is the furthest thing from reality! Putting together a gig requires the bandleader (me) booking the gig with the venue, calling up the musicians to see who is available, promoting the gig on social media, and then loading into the venue, setting up sound equipment, playing a 4 hour gig, breaking down the equipment, and going home. It is a huge job to just do a small restaurant gig. We make it look easy because we have put in so many years of practice.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.fleurseule.com
- Instagram: @fleurseule
- Facebook: @fleurseulenyc
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=OLAK5uy_nDbzlQmYk2Awx24K8VcuNC4xREaZn77Tc
Image Credits
Manonce Celestine Hideki Aono