An Interview with Laura
Laura tell us a little about your background:
I have always written songs. Since I was a young girl I have had a guitar in my hands. It has been a form of self-discovery. It is the primary way I explore and express my emotions. I have studied voice and honed my craft for years and have learned to write melodies that as a vocalist I enjoy singing. The lyrics and music generally begin working together as I play my guitar and get in touch with an inspiration or something I need to say. Then I edit, edit, edit until I feel the song is right.
I understand you started out recording, performing and teaching music to children. How did working with children help shape you as a songwriter?
I attempt to find the simplest and clearest ways to communicate ideas. I try to make every word succinct and on message as I strive for an emotional connection with the listener. The songs that affect me the most as a listener move me emotionally. I might not understand all the lyrics, but at a visceral level I am deeply affected by the song.
You performed as a vocalist with a jazz big band. How did you move from that to the life of a singer songwriter?
I have always loved jazz and the big band phase was a chance to strut my stuff in rhinestones and sing with a big Tommy Dorsey style wind and rhythm section as I wandered through timeless jazz classics. Singing the great standards helped me to improve my craft. What makes a song last for decades? The melody should stand on it’s own. And like Hoagie Carmichael’s Stardust when you couple it with a great lyric it will last forever.
You write so many styles of music... Brazilian jazz and blues, contemporary folk. What accounts for these eclectic styles?
I write and play what I love to listen to. My latest CD Scenes From the Avenue, showcases a variety of styles. My producer, Bobby Read, is a master musician and arranger. He helped me get inside the songs and provided a framework in which the talented musicians I recorded with contributed their best while being true to the musical style of each song.
Where does your inspiration come from?
Hearing great music. Listening to lyrics that move me. Looking around at what is going on in the world. Kindness Don’t Rest Easy was inspired by the everyday acts of kindness that are both visible and often go unnoticed in this fast paced world. It is also a prayer for people to reach inside and show compassion to those in need.
Have you ever thought about having your music in tv and films?
Yes I am working on that now. Producers may contact me directly about licensing my songs for a project they are working on.
You have a very active life- You perform, write, spend time in the studio and promote your shows. You also have a 12 year old son and an entrepreneur husband Seth Kahan How do you do it all?
Improvise of course! It is constant balancing act. I try to be sure to play my guitar everyday. Sitting in a quiet room with my guitar and working with a song… I’m in heaven! It is easy to disappear into the complex logistics of putting this all together…the booking, PR etc. I try to remember that the reason I am doing all this is to share my passion for music with people and hopefully bring a bit of heartfelt inspiration to them.
On a personal note we are going to Nepal in the next couple of months to adopt a little girl! I just returned from a weekend seminar with the amazing Tony Robbins. He helped to remind me what I have always known deep inside that all you need is passion and focus and anything is possible!
Do you support any charities with your music?
I support the work of Amman Imman, ammanimman.org - A program developed to bring water to the people of the Azawak in Niger, Africa. AI builds wells so that 1000’s of people can access the water they need to survive.
I am also volunteering my time as a music teacher with Kids Power a non-profit organization that provides educational programming for 275 youth from underserved communities in DC.
Other organizations I support are:
A Wider Circle - a nonprofit organization with programs addressing the needs of adults and children challenged by homelessness, poverty.
Womenade - an organization that helps support a variety of basic needs of DC residents.
I was also a part of A Help for Haiti Fundraiser at BlackRock Center for the Arts in Germantown, MD