We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Erene Mastrangeli. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Erene below.
Erene , thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today Are you happy as a creative professional? Do you sometimes wonder what it would be like to work for someone else?
I’m definitely happy as an artist, I could never not be one. Songwriting, playing, singing and performing are just a central part of my life and when I have dry spells I just feel off. Lately I have thought about the idea of having regular job to relieve some of the stress of self-employment as an artist and teacher. I don’t see having a regular job as a way to step away from my art but as a way to create more stability and allow my art to flourish even more. Last week I went to hear a friend perform, someone I haven’t seen in a while. After the show we were catching up and she told me she went back to school and became a therapist. I was like, ah! What if I did something like that? Except that I don’t want to be a therapist and I don’t really care to start a career in any other field other than the arts.
Erene , 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 started singing and playing guitar when I was little. My dad is an amateur musician and he wanted my sister and me to have music in our lives. I will be forever grateful to him because I discovered music and my passion for it early on. I never thought of it as a potential career until I was 21. That’s when I realized I had a real gift and that I wanted to invest in it.
That was also the year I started having some issues with my voice. I was experiencing a lot of discomfort while singing and the specialists I went to didn’t see anything wrong with my vocal tract. My girlfriend at that time suggested I’d go to one of the signing workshops she was attending. She wasn’t even a singer but because of those workshops she discovered she could sing and her voice was blossoming. I went and I felt real freedom in my singing for the first time! That’s how I discovered the Lichtenberger@ Method which has impacted my artistic life profoundly. I continued to go to workshops and private lessons for years. Eventually I got my teaching certification as well because I realized I wanted to help others experience the gift I have received myself. I’ve been teaching the Method to singers, non-singers, actors and public speakers for over 20 years.
Teaching helps me so much with my own singing and performing. First of all I get to give what I was given which feels so amazing. When I work with a student and witness their voice unlock it’s elating. I believe we are all born with a perfect instrument that is just waiting to be discovered and enjoyed. When I I can show that to someone who has a deep desire to sing but feels stuck, trapped or doesn’t believe they can sing, it’s such a joy! I get to see their expression of astonishment in discovering that they can sing, that their voice is powerful and that singing is easy, and that no real effort is required. Secondly, I learn so much from my students and my own practice is always enriched by our experiences together.
Freeing my voice has freed my songwriting which before was limited by a vocal range that was not tapping into its potential. When I could finally sing whatever I wanted, I could experiment with music in a way that was not possible before. And as my songwriting was expanding musically, I started experiencing also more freedom of expression lyrically. I wrote a lot of love songs when I was much younger. That was ok but I felt I was not really fulfilling my purpose as an artist which I discovered when I wrote my song Love, Shine in respond to the mass shooting at the LGTBQ club Pulse, in Orlando FL., in 2016. That devastating tragedy which hit so hard my community woke me up to the reality of gun violence in this country. And I realized what I had always wanted to do, to use my music to nurture more love in people’s hearts and promote world peace. After writing Love, Shine I have continued to address what has been happening around me and have been writing songs in support of women’s rights, LGTBQIA rights and equality along my more introspective songs that are the creative expression of my inner spiritual journey.
Love, Shine is a milestone in my creative life. I never thought I could write about social issues but that was not true, I just needed to find my own way to do it. I love that my songs are uplifting, melody and soothing no matter how heavy or intense the topic may be.
Love, Shine has propelled my new album forward and gave the title to it. It has also helped me find my form of activism which is first and foremost through songwriting and performing, and through my collaboration with Gays Against Guns, an organization I’ve been collaborating with that was born in NYC in response to the Pulse shooting as well.
Is there mission driving your creative journey?
I feel called to use music to touch people and bring more and more love into the world. Music is super powerful and it can literally change lives. Music is my activism and I want to use it to nurture what I want to see more of in the world.
Are there any books, videos, essays or other resources that have significantly impacted your management and entrepreneurial thinking and philosophy?
Yes, I love The Infinite Game by Simon Sinek. It’s brilliant! One of my students is his editor and they are friends. One day my student showed up at his lesson with his book and gave it to me. He thought I’d enjoy it. He also told me that Simon walks the walk and lives by the principles he talks about in the book which made me really curious. I couldn’t put it down! I read it in one breath. I believe he speaks the truth. Integrity and putting people first are principles I stick to in the way I run my businesses. I also love how he talks about the fact that businesses should serve and benefit the communities around them and not exploit them. It’s a powerful read, I highly recommend it. I also love “Dare to Lead” by Brené Brown. She talks about the importance of building trust in the work environment so that people feel safe telling the truth about something that could be upsetting to their boss or asking for help. Simon Sinek talks about that too. That is definitely something I care about when I work with others. It’s important that they feel safe with me and that they can speak their mind. Good and honest communication are definitely key for the health and longevity of a business.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.erenemusic.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/erenemastrangeli/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/EreneMusic
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/erene-mastrangeli-45933a8/
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/Erenemusic
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/erenemusic
- Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/erene-mastrangeli-composer-singer-new-york
- Other: Linktree https://linktr.ee/erenemastrangeli
Image Credits
The images of my profile reflected in the mirror and the on of me playing guitar at a show with the blue light to my right is by John Mazlish. The black and white photo is by Mike Geffner