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

Monique , 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?

I knew I wanted to pursue a professional path in music since I was a little girl. You could always catch me at every talent show or singing at every opportunity. I knew I wanted to sing and to get paid to do it was a bonus. To sum up my educational studies, I have studied Classical voice at Eastern New Mexico University and then went on to South Plains College where I received a degree in Entertainment Business and Live Performance. I just recently graduated at the University of Colorado Denver with a BSBA in Human Resources Management. A few years back I decided to embark on another stepping stone. I created my 8-piece Funk/Soul/R&B band Titonic. I knew right at that moment this could be a great investment. I got to utilize my music degrees and business degrees to get us up and going and still learning as we go. It is such a blessing to play along side of some incredibly talented musicians that I call my friends and make an income playing the music we love. We are still new to the scene but we are paving a way for ourselves. I honestly could not purse any of this without my bandmates. Shout out to Brent, Dana, Drew, Max, Gene, Joe, and Denin.

Monique , 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?

Hey everyone! Monique Ford here – Lead Singer/Band Founder of Titonic. A little back story on my personal music journey. I grew up listening to Motown and R&B and fell in love with any music that moved me. I was ready to participate in every talent show or event that would let me sing and I always loved being in front of people and entertaining since I was 5 years old. I was born and raised (till about 12 years old) in a rough area in Denver and then moved to New Mexico where I finished high school and attended college at Eastern New Mexico University on a classical vocal scholarship. I then continued my music education at South Plains College in Levelland, TX and was inspired by a great vocal teacher and mentor of mine, Jay Lemon, who brought me back to my earlier music roots and my love for Funk and Soul. I graduated with an Entertainment Business Degree and Live Performance Degree in Commercial Music. I moved to Fort Collins in 2017 and got in a funk band within 3 days. I was super excited to be a part of a funk band! That soon faded after a few months as I started to get discouraged and felt like I was being used more than being a valued member of the band. I was just the lead singer, nothing more. I could not contribute to anything but singing and I did not have a say in song selection or anything business related, though I have a college degree in Entertainment Business. It was more like, sing your song and then get off the stage. That is how I felt about it anyway. But it literally took the love of music out of me. So much that I stopped singing and doing music for 1 year. I was in a real funk and not the good kind. I knew that if I got back into music, it would be on my terms and I needed to create my own band. Titonic was formed in March 2019. I sent out ads on music platforms looking for potential members that loved the same music that I did. I held auditions at the Music District in Fort Collins and what I thought would be a 4–5-piece band turned into an 8-piece band. I made sure that everyone knew, that though I formed that band, it was our band. We all have a voice in the direction of where the band is and where we want to go. Everyone in the band pitches songs. Everyone in the band is aware of how much they are getting paid once a show is booked and several members of the band help with the business side of it too. We are a team and support the growth of this band together. I also appreciate the respect from my bandmates as their woman leader, as this role is predominately a man position in most bands I know. It is definitely not an easy task to start a band from the ground up. I do commend anyone that has done this or aspiring to do so. You can do it! It is hard but it is feasible. My advice is to find bands that are like yours (genre wise) and see where they are playing. I would then reach out to that venue and ask how you can be considered for a date. I have yet to use a booking agent (had a couple one off’s), but I have been the main booking person for our band since we’ve started. We have now grown our Facebook following to almost 2k on our band page and gaining more support every show we play. We are super thankful for the growth and the support. Outside of Titonic, I sing in the church band and write worship songs for my church Christ Covenant Church in Lakewood. I also love to play my original music at open mics with my husband and sing at funk jams. For work, I am the Program Director for an International Artist Development program based out of Los Angeles, CA called VocalizeU. It brings music education and networking connections with world renown music experts and Grammy winning professionals to aspiring artists, songwriters, producers, and dancers from all around the world.

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

Show up and be present! We work countless hours to put on a great show and we honestly can’t do what we do without you. I think another way that our music community can help newer/upcoming bands is to support us little guys/gals coming up. We of all people know how hard it is to get a band up and going but for those booking shows and trying to make a name is hard all in itself. Include us. Mention us. Support us as we support you. Lastly, attend our shows. The local music industry can become a little cliquey and it can be discouraging.

What do you find most rewarding about being a creative?

It is simple, doing what I love and making a difference in peoples life. I love singing. I love entertaining. I love seeing peoples faces light up when we play/sing. That is so rewarding.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.titonicband.com
• Instagram: www.instagram.com/titonicofficial
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Titonicband
• Other: https://linktr.ee/titonic

Image Credits
Backstage Flash, John Russell, Michael Copelin