We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Alvin Frazier. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Alvin below.
Alvin, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. Do you think your parents have had a meaningful impact on you and your journey?
My parents were both very musically inclined and they played music in our home daily. In fact, my dad was a singer and had a vocal group he performed with. They often rehearsed in our living room and they sounded amazing! Their cover renditions were just as good or even better than the originals. Those guys were just that good. As a kid, I was attached to my father’s hip and wanted to be wherever he was and do whatever he did. My mother couldn’t keep me out of that living room. I had to be smack dab, in the center of the action. Literally. LOL. The routine is that they would stand in a circle, my dad would set the key and sometimes give out the notes. I guess you could say it was sort of a doo-wop situation for their vocal rehearsals. I was in heaven and like I mentioned, right in the center of that circle of harmonious, well dressed giants. Needless to say with all that music going on around me I would eventually begin to fall in love with it and thus the journey began.
These early memories start at about 2 years old with me singing around the house trying to emulate my father and the other artists I heard being played on the record player. My mom began to take notice and mentioned it to my dad who was over the moon about it. From there my next Christmas morning was a mixture of toys and toy instruments which was my mother’s idea. I had a fascination for the guitar in particular so I took that rather instantly. Shortly thereafter, I got a small organ and it was really on! Song ideas started flooding my little mind. Nothing worth hearing yet but I remember trying to work stuff out on my organ. The guitar was a cooler instrument but it would be a little while before I got the hang of it. The keyboard opened up what seemed like endless possibilities although my skills were a bit limited.
My parents would split up while I was in the first grade but by then I had discovered my passion. Music. I saw visions of me on stages even as an adult which wasn’t hard because I look so much like my dad but I knew it wasn’t him. During his visits we would sit together and sing. He loved harmony so he’d often have me sing other parts. Before long, I had become really good at harmonizing. My younger sister and I who also sings would try to harmonize everything we could. Considering how long ago this was there was no such thing as the internet, GOOGLE or YouTube. My mom couldn’t afford to pay for music lessons and for the life of me I can’t remember why I couldn’t get into the School of the Arts. Maybe it was my intense stage fright but that’s a story for a different time.
All that I had going for me was my passion for music. I did a lot of listening to music and reading as much about it as I could get my hands on. I had talent and was ok but I wasn’t great. My mom to her credit allowed me to grow. She invested whatever money she could set aside to buy me real instruments (guitars & keyboards). Top of the line? No, but to me they might as well have been. I would play day and night. Perform solo or duo concerts with my sister in our living room rehearsing for the BIG BREAK that would get me onto the stages I imagined myself on. Mom, loved music and had a great ear for it. She couldn’t hold a note in a bucket but she knew when something was right or it wasn’t and never hesitated to let me know her thoughts about what I was doing. Good or bad. Her loving encouragement along with her honest critiques prepared me for a career in the business early on. It pushed me to work harder and to have a realistic view of what I was doing.
My dad helped me find my voice, my mom helped me create a sound for that voice. Together they gave me love, encouragement, honesty and were openly proud of my pursuits. Dad didn’t live long enough to see me on those stages but we share the same name so it’s like he’s still here with me. Mom was able witness the trajectory, see my name in lights and see what her support did for me. I miss them dearly but I am so thankful for their impact on my life and career.
Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.
My name is alvin frazier. I was born and raised in Cleveland, Ohio. I am singer, songwriter, musician, producer, actor, director and clothing designer. My love for music started at an early age and came as a direct result of my parents’ influence. Passion, dedication and most importantly discipline allowed me to hone my skills as a singer and musician without any formal lessons. I am completely self-taught on 5 different instruments. Playing by ear required me to listen very intently to the music going on around me. That in turn helped me to pay attention to details. Eventually, I started to become interested in how music was made which lead into songwriting, arranging and producing songs of my own.
After many years of writing songs and making demos I finally decided it was time to record an album. The release of my first project was how I got in the door as far as the entertainment industry is concerned. For me, considering that I wrote, produced and performed mostly everything on that album it was like an audio resume’ of what my capabilities were. I am very proud to say that I have since released a total of 4 albums. All of which display my skill set, versatility, growth and quality of work. As a producer, I am very hands-on. I really enjoy working with artists to bring out their very best. If they’ve had other releases I will listen to their music in efforts to produce a performance by them I haven’t heard before. Everything from music arrangement, vocal and harmony voicing to phrasing. Remember, I am someone who pays attention to detail. :-)
One thing I’ve always tried to stay true to and that’s to remind myself that although I am a music maker I am a music lover first. A forever fan. I truly believe that is part of the reason my songs connect with the listener because it contains elements that people who love music love. My style is somewhat sophisticated yet classy which when I think about it is what my dad was. So maybe you would call me a chip off the old block.
How about pivoting – can you share the story of a time you’ve had to pivot?
Most creatives dream of the day they can become rich, famous, successful or all the above at doing what they love but that journey is sometimes long and oftentimes risky. Many never make it that far. Life still happens. Responsibilities still need to be taken care of and before you know it the dream is pushed to the background and eventually fades away once reality has had it’s say. However, maintaining a strong sense of focus and passion (there goes that word again) you can keep the dream alive despite the curveballs that life tends to throw at you. I’ve always known that I wanted to pursue a career in entertainment. Remember the visions I had as a child? Whenever I felt like I was losing hope I would refer back to those visions I saw of me performing on big stages and on the silver screen to reignite the fire.
I never earned a penny doing music or anything close to compensation until I was in my 20’s so needless to say I had to get a job. Being the enterprising young man I was I would find odd jobs around my neighborhood until I became of age to get a real paycheck. Hindsight afforded me the opportunity in high school to learn the type of skills that would land me work in corporate America as an adult. I made good money too but there was that tug, that pull. I never stopped doing music but due to work demands it had become something I did on the side. Oh no! Was I falling into that vortex? Could this be the fork in the road? Adulting is a real thing. I was making a little money as a musician but not enough to support myself. Having a “day gig” allowed me to pursue music even if I wasn’t getting paid but why not?
There is plenty of money to be made in entertainment you just have to understand it is very much a business. I was completely oblivious to the importance of that because I had a job to fall back on. If I can be honest, I had a salary job making great money and I wasn’t happy. Not that my job wasn’t cool. I wasn’t passionate about it. Burning the candlestick at both ends working by day and doing music at night was wearing me thin but I had been working in some form since I was 8 years old. We were taught to get out there and work so we could support ourselves. Dreams were a luxury and should not be a priority. Here’s the weird part, my parents didn’t discourage the pursuit of my dreams the culture dictated it. I was a dreamer no doubt but I was also a realist. I knew how risky a career in music could be. My father wanted it. He had all the elements. Tall, good looking, charismatic, a great singer, a good dancer and when it was all said and done it didn’t happen and he gave up. I can only imagine what that must have felt like.
Having a job felt secure, something sure but it didn’t sit well with me. It was 2007, and I had just released my first album. At work, all I could think about was promotion, shows, all the things that had to do with getting the word out. There was a prodding for me leave the workforce 6 years earlier but the realist in me plus the fact that not having a job terrified me wouldn’t allow that to happen. I made subtle adjustments like leaving my salary job to do temp work in a similar field so I could have more flexibility and taking a serious pay cut. I guess it wasn’t that subtle but I was willing to make the sacrifice to “live lean’ as I call it while pursuing my dream. Fast forward 6 years later I’m still temping but the first album is finished and out. It was starting to make waves and needless to say I was extremely excited but not enough to quit working by day. It got so bad that I became depressed and I knew I had to make a decision.
I walked off my day gig July 11, 2007. I could not BELIEVE I just did that! I was in shock on one hand and overjoyed on the other. It was then my other career as a daredevil began. Daredevil you say?? Yes. Pursuit of any dream requires great risks and sacrifices. If you are not willing to live lean for your dream it may never happen for you. Let me get to the daredevil part. It’s really about hope but more about faith. Some call it luck but I am spiritual man so I don’t rely on luck. Every level of your pursuit often requires you to leap to the next one without always knowing where you will land exactly but because you believe in yourself, your dream, your vision you take the leap. Daredevils practice their stunts and have the faith and even the coordinates to predict where they will land but anything can happen yet they do it anyway. Sometimes scared and all.
I was definitely scared and let me revisit terrified but it was one of the best decisions I ever made. I still find myself afraid at times as I advance to the next level of my career but I take the leap. Sometimes you will make the mark and sometimes you won’t but no matter what don’t give up. Courage, determination, consistency, resilience, sacrifice and here it comes PASSION will always lead to success.
For you, what’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative?
I’m going to keep this short and sweet. The most rewarding aspect for me is seeing people touched by my work. Hearing the stories about what something I created has done for them is a beautiful feeling and worth more than any dollar amount. Earning a living doing something I would do for a free is a bonus. All to which I am grateful.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.alvinfraziermusic.com
- Instagram: [email protected]
- Facebook: [email protected]
- Twitter: [email protected]
- Youtube: [email protected]
Image Credits
David Ford, Cameron Woods and Garret Kisner