We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Elena Camerin Young. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Elena below.

Elena , looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. Can you open up about a risk you’ve taken – what it was like taking that risk, why you took the risk and how it turned out?

I believe that all artists/musicians are taking risks on a daily basis; the possible success or failure of your project, accepting gigs without a written contract, starting a collaboration with others… I think my first risky move happened when I resigned from a former “normal” job to dedicate myself full time to music, in my mid twenties. It was scary at that time, as I was living by myself, but I was ready to move on and do what makes me feel I’m in the right place. The next one was when I moved to the U.S., from Italy, without a real plan, knowing only one or two people, finding a room in New York and starting all over again. There, I made life-long friendships, I studied with a great teacher, I played music, made art, learned skills. One more move was from New York to Boulder, Colorado, where there is an amazing community of musicians and artists, and where I found and created many opportunities. So far, anytime I made a dramatic change, my life only improved. I know that seeking, trying, exploring, moving forward it is essential to my personal and artistic growth and I am eager to find out what’s next.

Elena , 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 started taking voice lessons when I was alreay 24! I never thought about becoming a singer, although music has always been a part of my life, as I took piano lessons when I was a teenager, and I would write songs that I would sing for my friends. One of them one day asked me to join his band. I was shocked. That idea never had crossed my mind, but I did join that band and I started to sing Jazz, right away, like if I knew it. Then it became clear to me that I needed to work on it, and so I found a school, a teacher and I started to study voice and more piano. Since right away, I have been extremely attracted to improvisation and as I am quite shameless, I was always improvising, and maybe it’s my attitude about exploration and my curiosity that makes me find unusual places in my music journeys, taking whoever is playing with me, in my travels and hopefully, taking the audience with me as well.
I shared my idea about musical improvisation in my first interview with VoyageDenver and how I believe that it is the most authentic expression of ourselves. The world of social media, newspapers, etc, is getting more confusing than ever, given the fact that information is most often distorted and manipulated; when you improvise, when you compose in the moment, you must be authentic; there’s no other way. When I teach my improvisation workshops, students can share their very inner-selves through music exploration, and every time there are break-throughs, and tears, and joy, and discoveries, and…

Is there something you think non-creatives will struggle to understand about your journey as a creative? Maybe you can provide some insight – you never know who might benefit from the enlightenment.

This is an interesting question. One thing I’d like to say, though, is that I strongly believe that every human is a creative being: most likely, though, their creativity is not being fostered, therefore they think about themselves as non-creative people.

What I look for in my personal and artistic life is happiness. That doesn’t mean unlimited laughter (I love to laugh, though!) but pure joy, meaningful and loving practices, kindness, sharing, listening.
The great majority of exceptional musicians and artists I personally know do not necessarily share the same idea of success with other folks who have a non-creative job.
When I sing with someone and we fall into the same space, finding ourselves in an outer world, a new universe, an unexplored reality, that is my success! When someone in the audience feels, hears, or experiences something new, that is my success! When students find that place in their own exploration, that’s my success!

For most musicians success is not related to money, nor to recognition. Although we all need money to live, I don’t live for the money. I live.

I would like to share a dream I had about a year ago: an old man asked me: ” Don’t you want to be the best?”, and I replied: “I prefer to be happy”.

How can we best help foster a strong, supportive environment for artists and creatives?

Be curious, try new things, listen to music you have never heard before, go see an art exhibition that pushes you out of your comfort zone, experience things with an open mind, do not fear, nor judge what you don’t know yet. Support your local theater, museum, art space of any kind and give yourself the gift of a new experience at least once a week.
Creativity can be fostered at any age and stage in life and the more open minded you are, the easier it is to adapt to changes in yourself and in your community.

There are many opportunities to help musicians and artists to thrive: just look around and ask.

Life would be impossible without music and art.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.elenacamerinyoung.com
• Instagram: elenacyou
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/elena-camerin-young-2743a310/
• Twitter: @elencyou
• Youtube: Elena Camerin Young
• Other: Bandcamp: https://ecymusic.bandcamp.com/