We recently connected with Irene Rose and have shared our conversation below.
Hi Irene Rose, thanks for joining us today. What’s been the most meaningful project you’ve worked on?
I believe that if you have a voice that people listen to, say something worth saying. I left my career as a country songwriter in Nashville because I didn’t feel I was writing anything of eternal value that would impact the world. My latest release, “Believe and Receive” is the plan of salvation as laid out in the book of Romans in the Bible. I feel this song may be the most important song I’ve ever written because they are not my words, but the Word of God.
All of the verses are straight scripture with a simplistic chorus that tells children how to start a relationship with Jesus. The good news is that Jesus has done all of the work already! Our job is just to believe and receive!”
I debuted the song at a week long revival for elementary children and their response was incredible. They were standing up in their chairs fist pumping shouting the words. The final night, I gave an altar call to anyone who wanted to give their lives to Jesus. Before I even finished the sentence, the stage was flooded with children wanting to pray a prayer of repentance and salvation. That was one of the most meaningful experiences of my life to see a song I wrote have an eternal impact on the hearts of children.
Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.
How I got into it:
I was given a guitar for Christmas when I was 17. I took one lesson and wrote a song
the next day. I started performing out a few days later and have been writing/performing ever since.
After college I went to a Christian creative/performing arts school in New Zealand.
(Youth With A Mission) We toured Thailand, Hong Kong and China and I was the
singer/songwriter for the show. I missed home so much that I began writing songs
about South Carolina in my freezing cold dorm room in New Zealand. This morphed
into Americana music, which eventually became country. I recorded a couple albums at
Awendaw Green and Ocean Industries and sang the country circuit for 5 years in
Charleston.
At 27, I got a publishing deal on music row in Nashville. I wrote music every day
with some of the best writers in Nashville, sang the honky tonks, taught music at Roots
Worship Arts academy and recorded.I worked my way onto a reality show about up and coming stars. As the camera lights flashed in my face, I started singing, “I Saw the Light” by Hank Williams. I was just joking
around being myself, but the producers LOVED it. I thought, “Great! I’ll tag myself as
the Christian girl.”
Next, the producer fed me a line that I didn’t agree with. I refused, but
he pushed and intimidated me. Inwardly, I justified it saying, “I’m just an actress. Don’t
be an uptight Christian. Just say it.” I looked dead into the camera and said as if my life
depended on it said, “I have no plan B. My plan B is a Patsy Cline record, a shot of
whisky and a pistol.” Having been a children’s minister for years, my heart sank as I
thought of all the children and parents who looked to me as a role model. They would see
me declaring that I would rather commit suicide than not become a star. It wasn’t true and
it wasn’t me. The gospel of Mark says, “What does it profit a man to gain the whole
world and lose his soul?”
My soul was too valuable to sell to show business, so I took it
off the market and came home. I asked myself, “Who are you? Where do you want to be? Is what
you’re doing now getting closer or further from that goal?” When I asked myself, those
questions, the answer was teaching little ones about Jesus through music.
I changed directions and began writing/recording children’s music. I started an award winning entertainment company where I dressed up as different costumed characters and used my children’s music to teach love and kindness.
What problems do I solve?:
I provide positive family friendly music where parents can trust their children are getting good messages. Bullying is a big problem, so many of my songs focus on giving children tools to practically be a good friend and deal with emotions that could lead to conflict.
What are you most proud of?
I am most grateful that God gave me the strength to stay true to who I am and has given me opportunities to make a living on a platform I that I truly believe in. I’m glad I didn’t sell out to promised fame. It has turned out better than I could hope.
A song I wrote is currently nominated for an independent musicians award at the Grand Ole Opry so I’m extremely excited about that! I am proud that I have created a life on my own terms singing my own songs with messages I believe will create a lasting impact.
It is the most meaningful when moms send me videos or stories about their children making wise choices due to knowing my songs. The purpose of the recording was always so that my message could have a further reaching effect than I could physically have.
What do you want people to know?
Regardless of your faith, my songs will be a helpful tool to facilitate conversations with your children about growing up, dealing with interpersonal conflict, how to be a friend, and to stand for what is right. My songs are available on all streaming platforms
Alright – let’s talk about marketing or sales – do you have any fun stories about a risk you’ve taken or something else exciting on the sales and marketing side?
I had one album completely done and was looking to an organization to fund my next project. They were interested in selling some of my existing music, but wanted to know that I would be able to provide followup music if they were to move forward. I said that I could. I was counting on the money from the purchase of my first project to fund the second project. We had a conversation agreement but nothing formal. I decided to forge ahead and create the followup project with my own funding rather than waiting for them to give me the money for the first project in faith that it would come in. After I had funded both projects they pulled the plug.
I hung up the phone and started crying in Starbucks heartbroken. Much of my second project was written specifically for their vision. I focused on moving forward on my own and not getting disillusioned. Eventually, and soon thereafter they decided to take music from both of my projects and create an audio drama with voice actors and under their own brand which had a much wider appeal to their demographic than my name alone. It worked out better in the end, but I had to have the faith in myself to fund my dream and believe that the opportunities would arise if I was just faithful to create.
We’d love to hear a story of resilience from your journey.
When I was in my early 20’s I met a man in Charleston who saw my cowboy boots and exclaimed, “You look like a country singer!” I replied, “I am a country singer!” He pointing to his friend and said, ” Well this right here is Dolly Parton’s cousin!” The friend was an older gentleman with a thick TN accent. I was suspicious, but he pulled out his license to show me his name and started telling me real stories about growing up next to her. He did seem genuine and told me that his nephew was in charge of the pre-show for the Grand Ole Opry. He bought my country albums and promised to give my music to his nephew.
A few weeks later on my way to Nashville, I called him as we passed Dollywood just to say hello. He said, “I’m headed to Nashville this weekend as well to visit my nephew! How would you girls like to sing the Grand Ole Opry? I’ll call him and get it set up for y’all to sing the pre-show.”
We were out of our minds excited and called our parents. We couldn’t believe that we were getting our big break our first day in town! We bought new dresses, new shoes, practiced and practiced in our hotel room. Our parents were packing to drive the 10 hours to Nashville at the drop of a hat.
As you may have guessed, he never called me back with any details and when I called him, he just hung up the phone. I think he truly was Dolly’s cousin but didn’t have the pull he promised and was embarrassed so he just ghosted us. I never spoke to or saw him ever again. It was a heartbreak, but it was an early lesson that if something seems too good to be true it probably is. People will promise you the moon, but you have to keep a steady mind and faithfully improve yourself regardless of what people promise you.
I’ve been interviewed by Billboard magazine, told I was perfect by Sony record label, and promised by a booking agent that I would be on the docket with Madonna. Obviously, all of those promises delivered nothing but disappointment, but gave me lessons in resilience. Keep the promises you make to yourself and you’ll never go wrong.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.reverbnation.com/IreneRose
- Instagram: @IreneRoseMusic
- Facebook: www.facebook.com/IreneRoseMusic
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/irene-rose-yereb-157ba82a/
- Twitter: @IreneRoseSmith
- Youtube: https://youtube.com/@IreneRoseMusicOfficial?si=0dUY17NgB9IEZ_RY
- Other: https://open.spotify.com/artist/2UZDvwNicPBwFmtByR4tXg?si=j3jiH4u6REaXrbcsNsWSFQ https://linktr.ee/Irenerosemusic
Image Credits
Kamel Hill David Robert Wooten