We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Leslie Vincent a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Leslie, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. Did you always know you wanted to pursue a creative or artistic career? When did you first know?

Once I realized that a career in the arts was an option, it was what I wanted most in the world. But the more that I do it, the more I value balance and freedom. It’s nice to have multiple creative outlets and now rely solely on my art for money.

As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?

I’m a Twin Cities jazz singer who started as an actor around town. I started playing in clubs back in 2017 and I’ve had a blast doing it. I love singing standards and putting my unique perspectives into my original music. Because I have a theater background, my shows tend to have a lot of banter — I love communing with the audience, making the life, and picking up on those magical moments.

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

Support local! There are incredibly talented artists right here in our town. Go to your local jazz club or music venue and see who is playing. I guarantee you you’ll find musicians who blow you out of the water. National music is great but when you explore and invest in your local community it makes the scene that might stronger.

Any resources you can share with us that might be helpful to other creatives?

It took me a long time to understand that every artist struggles along the way. Creativity is a journey and it’s not only linear. I used to be intimidated to reach out to other artists. But I’ve found that the more I’m vulnerable with them, the more they open up. Then we can start to have meaningful conversations about being a creative soul, the struggles, the victories, the hilarious gig stories, and the moments of despair. Talking to other artists is among my favorite activities—it’s amazing what insights you can gain!

Contact Info:

• Website: www.lesliedellavincent.com
• Instagram: @LeslieVincentMusic
• Facebook: @LeslieVincentMusic
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/ldv8150

Image Credits
Laura Lee Buhman, Sara Fish, Michelle Bennett, Darin Kamnetz