Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Chantal Hackett. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.
Hi Chantal, thanks for joining us today. Have you been able to earn a full-time living from your creative work? If so, can you walk us through your journey and how you made it happen? Was it like that from day one? If not, what were some of the major steps and milestones and do you think you could have sped up the process somehow knowing what you know now?
I’ve been blessed to finally be able to earn a living as a full time creative. I say “finally” because it’s been a journey full of ups and downs. I’m a singer first and foremost, I specialize in Pop/Soul music but love almost all genres of music. If we back-pedal a little bit, I started taking singing more seriously when I was in grade 6: competing and performing anywhere people would watch! I remember volunteering to sing at church where people who watched me sing during mass would come up to me afterwards requesting to pay me to sing at their wedding! I thought, I’d do it for free, but I was excited to be making money and earning it doing something I love at such a young age.
So my paid journey started: I sang at weddings, funerals and corporate events on a regular basis by word of mouth. I eventually started taking singing lessons and while I loved all my music coaches along the way, I craved community, fun and more creative performance opportunities.
When I was 16, I started earning more money by coaching singing in a local music academy. I implemented a lot of what my coaches taught me but with my personal twist based on what I needed at the time and what I had experienced. Five years later, I was performing, going to school and coaching all at once. More money streams and experience came my way.
Upon my volunteer and paid work, I kept meeting people who knew other people who started requesting my services. Later, I was hired as a back-up vocalist. I started touring with other artists and earning money along the way, all while discovering what I really wanted to focus on in my musical career.
After University, I decided to make the big decision of coaching full time and open a music school of my very own. Since I was coaching out of my mothers house and always craved a community of singers coming together under one roof, I decided to call my studio: “Sing House Studios”.
That was the beginning of another chapter. I had to start focusing on business, how to create new services that would compliment what I craved when I was getting coached as a child and that paid the bills. New services like, “Pop Star Birthday Parties”, “Build a Star Camps”, “Music Videos”, “Audio Recording” and in-studio connections, opportunities and events! A few years later, I moved my studio into a commercial space that is nearly at full capacity! More services meant more income streams. I realized I hadn’t just created an innovative music school, I created the community I always wanted.
Along the way I continued to sing and more recently created “The Chantal Hackett Band” where we perform at various events. I was raised by a single mother, so I self-funded almost everything my whole life. Often times I had to get a “real” job to fund my entrepreneurial ventures. I worked in the private, government and not-for-profit sector before deciding to become an entrepreneur full time.
I took a lot of risks, however often I took uncalculated financial risks which made it a struggle to keep cash coming in. I have no regrets and learned a lot along the way, however, now the budget is my bible. I learned that being an artist means you are now a business owner.
Now I ask myself, if I buy this, will it really give me money back? Can I find this at a cheaper price? Can I do this myself or will it take too long? Time is money. I hardly ever buy anything without thinking twice anymore, almost every spending decision has to be thought out in order to have enough funds in case of an emergency.
Speaking of emergencies, Covid was quite hard on all artists and small businesses. The value of the dollar and spending was cut even more then. All valuable lessons, but without money, it’s very difficult to make your vision come to life.
Chantal, 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’m a singer and the founder of Sing House Studios, a music school located in Ottawa, Ontario. When I’m not performing, I help aspiring singers train their vocals, provide them with creative opportunities to perform and introduce them to a community of like minded people. I specialize in singing at weddings, corporate events, and private parties. I have an extensive repertoire, with a focus on commercial pop and soul music, but I can adapt to suit any mood, adding personal touches to make each event special.
Some of my noteworthy performances include singing at various City of Ottawa events, the Ottawa Board of Trade Gala, sporting events such as Ottawa Redblacks and Ottawa Fury games, TD Place, and for radio and television networks such as CBC, Radio-Canada, and CTV. I’ve also performed at the United Nations and at Carnegie Hall in the De La Salle Choir. I’ve been a soloist in a Motown band for 10 years and a background vocalist for Juno Nominated artist David Gogo, among others. Throughout my career I’ve performed at numerous major festivals, public and private events, and iconic Canadian venues. A “Chantal Hackett show” is all about creating a positive and personalized experience for all attendees.
I’m the most proud of how I’ve been able to balance out all the services I offer successfully in doing what I love.
What can society do to ensure an environment that’s helpful to artists and creatives?
I think I can best support artists and creatives in a few ways. The music industry, much like other industries, is constantly changing. It can be very overwhelming and my contribution is always staying on top of the new information and creating services that can help others navigate the changes as well. Whether it be one of my students who wants to sing but doesn’t know where to start, or someone booking me for a show that isn’t aware of new industry changes, I always strive to keep on top of it all to my best ability.
Second, I do think people coming out to watch live music, especially locally, helps a ton. I always get a little surprised when I hear people spend $20.00 on something and not blinking twice, but complaining when they have to pay the same amount to watch a show. Artists spend so much time building the shows they organize. We’re talking hours of practice, paid classes and experience all in one room. With access to social media, it’s a lot easier to promote events now, so there is progress but also challenges like in any industry.
Any resources you can share with us that might be helpful to other creatives?
What really helped me along the way was joining membership based organizations such as the Ottawa Board of Trade or the Ottawa Industry Music Coalition (OMIC). They host breakfasts and networking events where you can meet people who are all there to help you along your journey. Many of my mentors come from these groups of individuals who are all out to see you win!
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.chantalhackett.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/chantalhackett/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/chantal.hackett
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/chantalhackett/
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/chantal_hackett
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/c/ChantalHackett
- Other: https://singhousestudios.ca
Image Credits
Sean Sisk Photography and Stella Aura Photography