We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Anna LaPrad a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Alright, Anna thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. Can you recount a story of an unexpected problem you’ve faced along the way?

An unexpected problem that I encountered was in 2014 when I strained a muscle in my neck. Usually when this occurs one would visit a chiropractor or do stretches and think nothing more of it, which is exactly what I did. Unbeknownst to me this was only the beginning of my issues. A couple of months go by and during one of my shows I was in the middle of a song and as I’m going to hit a high note in my falsetto range nothing comes out! This continued for weeks until I could no longer sing any high notes at all; I could only sing in a chest voice. Terrified that I had vocal paralysis, I made an appointment with my laryngologist and was diagnosed with Muscle Tension Dysphonia; a condition which causes the voice to sound tight or strained due to neck tension and it prevents the voice from working properly. I went through extensive physical therapy on my neck and jaw to help loosen the muscles and increase mobility, as well as vocal therapy to retrain my vocal cords. As a result of this condition, I lost several of my standing shows in Nashville. During that experience I learned the importance of self-care and not to take my voice for granted. I have also shared what I learned with several fellow singers dealing with vocal issues. To this day I still apply the neck stretches and vocal warmups that I learned in therapy and have not had any issues since, and I hope I never do again!

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

I am singer/songwriter from Rock Hill, South Carolina and I moved to Nashville, TN in 2009 to follow a dream. I knew at a very young age that I wanted to pursue a music career; I was obsessed with music, to say the least. It all started in church with me singing my first solo at the age of ten (and if you knew how incredibly shy I was back then you would know what a big deal that was). I started taking piano lessons at the age of 8, but like most kids I didn’t want to practice and always wanted to do something else so sadly those lessons were short lived. When I was a senior in high school our chorus took a trip to Nashville and that’s when I knew I wanted to move here. In college I majored in psychology and minored in music; plan B was to get a master’s degree in music therapy. I took piano classes at the university and picked up guitar lessons outside of school. I performed in music competitions and started writing poems that eventually shifted into writing songs. I have written numerous songs throughout the years; one being a co-written song called, “Till It Breaks My Heart” that was featured in the 2014 Burt Reynolds film, “Category 5.” I have three albums and a few singles available on iTunes, Spotify, Apple and Amazon Music.

When I think of what problems I have encountered and solved, I think of the 2020 COVID shutdown. Mental health issues skyrocketed during that time. Whether people realize it or not, music plays such a significant role in our lives and our emotions, and not being able to attend live concerts (or even go out into the world at all) really takes a toll on our mental state. Thanks to social media I was able to play weekly Facebook live shows that, for a brief moment, provided an outlet to my fans to escape and forget about the world. Those online shows helped me stay connected to my fans and truly were my saving grace during such an isolating time.

One of the things I am most proud of is that I have stayed true to myself and have done what I set out to do and that is to make a living playing music. Doing what you love to do for a living is the definition of success in my book! I could have easily accepted job offers as a bartender, but I didn’t move to Nashville to tend bar. Prior to moving I spent hours upon hours learning enough songs (and what keys I sing/play them) to get through a four hour show on my own. I came to Nashville with the mindset that no matter how good you think you are, there is always someone better and you can learn something from everyone. I didn’t know a single soul and I am still impressed with myself for making the move and putting myself out there networking and making connections. During my time here I have managed to build a large fan base playing shows all over the US, as well as internationally. The networking never ends, and the connections keep growing. It is not always easy, and I’ve definitely learned what it means to “pay your dues” sometimes just to make ends meet, but the blood, sweat, and tears have all been worth my while.

For you, what’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative?

For me, the most rewarding aspect of being an artist is knowing that a song I created has helped someone get through a difficult time. We all go through trials and tribulations in life, and I typically write about whatever it is I’m going through at the time. Of course, I enjoy writing the fun upbeat songs that people can dance to, but as an artist it’s the songs with real depth and meaning that I find truly inspiring. One of my favorite quotes is, “music is what feelings sound like,” and I 100% believe that. Unfortunately, I have experienced a lot of tragedy in my life; I’ve lost several close friends and family members over the years and my way of dealing with those tragedies is through music. When I have fans approach me at my shows or contact me online sharing their own personal struggles and they tell me how my music helped them get through that difficult time, it reminds me why I got into music in the first place. Knowing that someone out there has felt the same way you may be feeling or who has faced similar issues in life lets you know that you aren’t alone. Music is so healing, and I know the ways in which it has healed me so learning how something that I created has healed someone else gives me such a sense of fulfillment.

Can you tell us about a time you’ve had to pivot?

I was forced to make an unexpected turn in my career when my duo of ten years abruptly came to an end. I moved to Nashville to be a solo artist which I was for my first two years here. Forming a duo was not part of my plan, but over time it evolved, and was working out well, so I went with it. At the time I was not mentally prepared for it, but I know now that the abrupt ending was a blessing in disguise. It was time for a change, although I was terrified to put myself back out there as a solo artist because I felt that musically, on my own, I didn’t know who I was anymore. I took what I learned in those 10 years and have carried it with me. I have discovered how resilient I am, and it has been quite gratifying reinventing myself as a solo artist.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.annalaprad.com
• Instagram: www.instagram.com/annalaprad
• Facebook: www.facebook.com/annalaprad
• Youtube: www.youtube.com/annalaprad

Image Credits
Photo 2 – Paisley Portraits Photo 3 – Jeff Warfle Photo 4 – Chris Stewart Photo 5- Adrian David Payne Photo 7 – Darrell Frasier Photo 8 – Adrian David Payne Photo 9 – Center Street Studios Photo 12 – Greg Gutbezahl