Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Claude Hall. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Claude, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. Learning the craft is often a unique journey from every creative – we’d love to hear about your journey and if knowing what you know now, you would have done anything differently to speed up the learning process.

I learned to be a vocalist through private coaching. It first started out as a hobby and is now a business I’m growing with the intention of focusing on it full-time.

While it’s true that if I had started my vocal training in my younger years (I actually started in my late 30s), I could be in a different position today, I know that I wasn’t ready prior to when I started. It’s tempting to look back and wonder ‘what if?’. Yet, my experience has taught me that this mindset tends to take one away from the current reality and the opportunities it may present. Would I like to be living my preferred life right now? Yes. Do I feel I’m exactly where I’m meant to be right now? Yes. The time it’s taken for me to hone my craft was necessary for me to build my trust in my instrument and my choices, as well as accept that I am indeed a creative.

One of the most essential skills in my learning process is my curiosity… a willingness to try new things that seemingly come out of left field. Being comfortable on stage is another important skill which has facilitated creating intimate performances which are inspiring and compelling, And then there’s my gift of storytelling. The songs I select combined with the patter I write create inspiring, thought-provoking, and uplifting shows.

No obstacles come to mind in regard to learning more.

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

I became a vocalist by accident. :-)
After a really bad breakup, a friend who knew I was taking vocal lessons for fun, suggested I get a gig somewhere to forget the guy. It worked! And the cherry on top? I discovered a passion I didn’t know I harbored.
That happened in St. Barths. I continued performing there until I moved to LA. to hone my craft.
Four years later, I got my first gig.

I now perform a few times a year in LA and I’ve since returned to St. Barths as a featured artist for their Jazz Festival.
My most recent tribute series to Nina Simone was a huge success. Having performed sold-out shows in LA, I’m currently exploring where to take it next.
Along the way, I’ve become a songwriter. Unexpectedly, there came a moment when the desire to write my own songs emerged. Having recorded two of my originals, I’m currently working on the others for my album.
Writing my own songs is one of my proudest accomplishments. Having grown up in an environment where I had no voice, and buying into that up to my mid-thirties, writing an original song is the furthest from what I thought I was capable of doing.
And then, I sang it for my peers. After the last note, there was a second of silence. It was the scariest moment! Then came the applause along with the compliments, I was relieved, blushing, and speechless.

Sharing my performance and storytelling expertise, I also coach performers and authors. Whether it be fine tuning their stage presence, phrasing, patter, or editing a book, I help creatives hone their offering so that its delivery is clear, devoid of the superfluous, and aligned with their authentic voice.
Having lived most of my life in the shadows, blind to my own value, I feel immense fulfillment when I witness one of my clients shining their light brightly and unapologetically!

On this side of my journey, I know that we all have a creative spirit within us.
Curiosity, along with a willingness to listen to that voice inside which prompts us to try things that seem to come out of left field, are the threshold to discovering the gifts we came here to share.
Once the layers that are foreign to our true nature (those we’ve adopted from society or our family) are peeled away, our creative spirit has room to breathe and express itself.

What can society do to ensure an environment that’s helpful to artists and creatives?

Society would do well to recognize the importance of the arts in an individual’s life.
We all have a creative spirit. When there are channels for it to be expressed, fulfillment is possible.
Rather than relegate the arts to the position of extra curricular activities, all schools would do well to make them an integral part of their curriculum.

To foster a thriving creative ecosystem, society would do well to recognize that the few hours of showtime are the culmination of hours more spent rehearsing and creating the performance.
I’ve come across reputable businesses which ask artists to perform for free the first time to assess whether or not they’re a good fit for the venue.
To prove themselves…
Do doctors treat patients for free?
Do restaurants offer their meals for free?
While it’s amazing to express oneself creatively, society is built on giving and receiving.
To give without receiving eventually kills pretty much everything.
These businesses would do well to offer a minimum financial appreciation for the night’s work.

What do you think is the goal or mission that drives your creative journey?

Whenever I’ve witnessed a person in the ‘zone’, expressing their creative spirit, it’s inspired me and filled me with a joy that’s indescribable. When we’re fully expressed, we shine so brightly that it’s felt by all in our presence. And I believe that the ripple effect contributes to this world becoming a better place.
We all have a gift to share.
Through my performances, my music, and my coaching, I wish to inspire others to find their voice, shine brightly, and express their gift unapologetically.
One person at a time, this world may very well become what we dream it could be.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://ClaudeHallJazz.com
• Instagram: ClaudeHallSongstress
• Facebook: Claude Hall Jazz
• Linkedin: Claude Hall
• Youtube: Claude Hall Songstress
• Other: Spotify: Claude Hall

Image Credits

Craig Allyn Cochrane
Danny Liao