We recently connected with Brenda Stokes and have shared our conversation below.
Brenda, appreciate you joining us today. We’d love to hear about when you first realized that you wanted to pursue a creative path professionally.
I have been active as a musician since I was four years old, but it wasn’t until I heard Canadian jazz pianist Oscar Peterson play that I knew this HAD to be the life for me.
I loved playing music, but the classical piano lessons I took as a child didn’t really light a fire for me. When I hear Oscar Peterson play C Jam blues something opened up inside me. I immediately switched to playing jazz and I felt like I was in the right place musically. There was no question that was what I was going to do with my life.
Brenda, 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?
I am a pianist/singer/songwriter/educator and more recently, an entrepreneur. I have toured all over the world as a bandleader and side musician. I run a busy private teaching studio, teaching voice and piano lessons in person and via Zoom.
I also run an online course membership called The Versatile Musician – an all-in-one package that includes a diverse range of courses and tutorials in piano skills, pop, jazz, musicianship, voice lessons and more. I am so proud that I get to share my experience and expertise with musicians of all backgrounds.
Is there mission driving your creative journey?
I am all about honesty and humor. It’s all over my work. I strive to be as transparent and authentic as possible as both an artist and a teacher. It helps me to create work that really touches people and it helps me to be more approachable, so people feel like they are really knowing me.
What can society do to ensure an environment that’s helpful to artists and creatives?
First off, parasitic companies like Spotify can start paying artists properly for their work. It is nearly impossible for artists to make a living because so many of these tech companies are taking our work and getting rich off of it while they find loopholes and ways not to pay us.
In Canada and some European countries they have solid granting systems set up to ensure creativity and artistic endeavors. I wish the US would invest more in their artists and arts education in general. It always pays off with a happier populous!
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.brendaearle.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/brendaearlestokes/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BrendaEarleStokes/
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/pianoandvoicewithbrenda
- Other: https://www.pianoandvoicewithbrenda.com
