Interview with Edel Meade

Interview with Edel Meade – vocalist, songwriter & educator  in field of jazz, folk and contemporary music, from Clonmel, Co. Tipperary, currently artist-in-residence at John’s Square, Limerick

Edel and I know each other since 2005 when we started studying Jazz Vocal Performance at Newpark Music Centre in Dublin.

We were both in heaven that first year singing and rehearsing almost everyday and doing what we love!

Enjoy!

Connect with Edel:
www.edelmeade.com
www.edelmeade.bandcamp.com
www.facebook.com/edelmeade
www.instagram.com/edelmeade

Support this podcast:

www.patreon.com/confidenceinsingingpodcast

0:40

I’d like to welcome Edel Meade to our podcast today. How are you?

0:47
How are you doing? I’m great. Delighted to be here. Thanks very much for the invitation.

0:51
Oh, you’re very welcome. Let me introduce you to our audience and and set up what we’re going to talk about today. So for anybody listening Edel Meade is a vocalist, composer, songwriter, producer and educator from clonmel County Tipperary. She is an original artist working in the field of jazz, folk and contemporary music. And she’s currently artist in residence at John’s Square Limerick. We’re going to talk a little bit about your latest project in a, in a while Edel. but she’s, Edel just brought out her new album Bridget’s and Patricia’s which was released on International Women’s Day to critical acclaim, which I’m delighted about for you. And it’s a stunning collection of original composition reflecting on what it means to be an Irish woman living in 21st century Ireland. Thank you so much for joining us. My pleasure. So Edel I just wanted to let everybody know we actually studed together we study jazz music in Dublin. And it seems like a lifetime ago doesn’t

1:51
it does Aideen, but like I can remember it’s so well like, I can remember it awesome. You know, finishing a day in college, and then we’d walk up and Newtown Park Avenue and we’d be getting the bus back into Dublin. And we’d be like singing songs on the bus. We were just in our element, like singers, you know, following their passion. And I remember we had some laugh, you know, that’s that first year, it was it was some laugh things got to be tough after I think first year was no, that first year was very memorable for all the right reasons.

2:20
It really was I was just so happy to be there like doing rehearsals as part of your kind of working day within school. I mean, it was just like, what you’re actually making music during the day as part of my education? Oh, my

2:34
God, I was the exact same like because you know, had come from always wanting to be a singer and, you know, going for lessons and music being a hobby for all of a sudden the full focus to be on music. Yeah, it

2:46
was a dream. It was a dream. And for me, I went back to to do that course in my 30s. And I know you were going back in as a mature student as well. Yeah. So I would love you to tell us a little bit more about that leap of faith and how you kind of had the confidence to trust that instinct within yourself that you wanted to do so much more with music.

3:09
And well, yeah, it was, I suppose, like yourself Aideen it was yet a kind of a long, long journey to finally you know, getting to, to Newpark in the first place. Because I always loved singing as a child and as a teenager, but I didn’t know anyone who was a singer. And like, I never heard of anything really except for classical singers or opera singers in college. So I didn’t it just didn’t seem like there was any opportunities there for me. So for those reasons, I pursued a degree in journalism with Irish, in DIT Aungier Street. And all of the time while I was doing my journalism degree. I mean, all the journalism I was doing was about music. I was going to gigs. I was interviewing musicians, like my passion was music. And I joined the Gardiner St. gospel choir in Dublin. It was in my second year of the journalism degree. That was amazing, because I was with all these brilliant singers and the arrangements were brilliant, redeeming really soulful, uplifting, like gospel pop music, and I loved it. And then I was so lucky. I had an opportunity to study in Chicago for six months as part of my journalism degree. And when I did some research into the college, Columbia College, Chicago, like they had an incredible journalism and broadcast journalism program. But then it turns out, they had all these amazing jazz programs and different, you know, blues and contemporary styles of singing. So I just wrote a letter to, or was it an email? I can’t remember if there was emails back then. Yeah, there was. I emailed my, the head of like the Faculty of Arts or the dean or something and do it and I said, Listen, I’m really considering a career in music. Is there any chance I could take some of the music programs while I’m there? And he was so good. He said, Yeah, as long as you know, you keep up with your, your your grades in the journalism courses. So that was a that was like, I suppose an introduction to Newpark in the sense that I was doing my course called styles for the contemporary singer. And that was with this amazing woman called Bobby Wilson. And we were learning, you know, Motown and we were learning just all these different styles, but but singing them in the class. And she was just a really charismatic lady. And I suppose like, our goal for that class was to take our assignment, I should say, was to take a song, you could take any song at all, but you had to arrange it in a totally different style, and performers. So I took the Clash song, “Should I stay or Should I go”, and which is, you know, a punk rock kind of a song. And did it as a slow bluesy song this really kind of sultry thing, and performed it and like with a bands and other people in my class doing backing vocals, and I was just in my element, you know, when there was another class yeah vocal jazz, which, which, it actually wasn’t really, we didn’t learn much about Jazz at all. But we did some nice, we did some nice songs on it. And it got me listening to jazz. And I guess it was after it was after my experience in Chicago. I just like I was alive when I was doing my music, and it didn’t really make sense to go back to just, you know, writing and sit in front of a computer all day. And that just seems like because I was doing a lot of freelance journalism at the time. And I just felt like, Oh, my God, I might change to the computer. You know, when I was getting that work, I was just like, oh my god. It’s so it wasn’t my passion. So um, I knew that I was going to audition for Newpark. And it meant so much to me like, I practiced so much for that audition, because I didn’t know if I’d get in and I didn’t know who else would be the competition. And I just worked so hard. And when I got in, like, it just it meant everything to me, it was what I wanted to be doing.

6:59
It’s amazing. I’m so like, it’s such an amazing journey. Like for anyone going into music. It’s like, I’m sure that your family and friends were, were kind of wondering, what is Edel doing? You know? It’s not something it’s not all that encouraged within Irish culture, is it?

7:19
That’s true at all my parents, my parents were, were not impressed at all, you know, at the time, and, like, certainly my friends who would have known me through school, and everything, for them it would have been no surprise. But yeah, there were people on the course saying what I never knew you were a singer? you know, yeah. And, yeah, but I didn’t, I didn’t care. I just I listened to myself, my heart. And that was it.

7:44
Um, so yeah, it’s a really amazing story. What would you say to somebody else starting, you know, at the same stage, you were at, you know, kind of with that, that dream or that wish, but feeling like, there’s no point because either there’s no career in it, or I’m not getting support from my family. What would you say to someone who’s seriously considering singing?

8:09
I would say, listen to yourself, like it’s your life, and take it step by step. I think there’s there’s a few really interesting things that you’ve mentioned there Aideen, and, like, with regards to career or no support, like for anyone pursuing singing, there’s all sorts of different reasons why you might pursue it. Like, it doesn’t have to be that you want a career for from it. I mean, it, people would have said to me very early on, it’s going to be difficult, it’s going to be difficult to make the living. So you need to be prepared for that. But like singing brings so much joy and fulfillment by itself. You don’t have to necessarily be I don’t know, like, what what is a successful singer these days? You know, there’s different ways of measuring it, but just as long as you’re happy, and I mean, it’s your life at the end of the day, and no one can tell you what to do with your life.

9:07
Absolutely. I think, yeah, I think you do learn by doing and what you said there about taking it step by step is important. Like we test out this, the with, how much we want to do something. And it’s interesting, because I actually, I had been in America as well, America was one of the reasons I ended up in Newpark. First of all, I did some singing in high school with my cousin, when I was in a jazz ensemble, which back then to them just meant that you were singing slightly jazzy I mean, we did this land is your land. This land is my land that’s not jazz now by any stretch of the imagination, but we were doing jazz dance, you did the jazz hands. I don’t know why, just because of the dancing that they call it jazz. And then I when I was in San Francisco, I studied jazz music as well before just the year before I went to Newpark. So it’s funny how I think energetically there’s probably more respect for that genre within the US, and you know, it’s interesting that we both had been there to kind of get the confidence then to do it within Ireland.

10:12
Oh, that’s so interesting. Yeah, I never thought of I never thought of it like that before. Yeah, that’s really interesting. Aideen I remember as well, you were just you such a fan of Anita O’Day. You just loved her over as much I still

10:29
I haven’t listened to her for ages, but I do love her. It was actually you know, one of my friends who lives in Wexford know Melanie O’Riley. I’m sure you’ve met Melanie have Yes. Yeah, she’s a big fan of Anita O’Day. So she I think she did some stuff with Anita like, did a whole gig around Anita O’Day music. So I, I had kind of moved them away from jazz music myself, and kind of moved on to other kinds of contemporary singing. So she’s not been in my mind as much. Yeah, yeah. Yeah. I loved her sense of rhythm? She’s just amazing the way she sang?

11:04
Totally, totally. And I read an amazing book actually about her hard times hard lives. It’s an almost a biography. High Times Hard Times. That’s what it’s called. Yeah, it’s brilliant. But I’m thinking as well, at the end, you remember, we went off on our adventure over to London as well to study with an Anita Wardell. And you know, we were just following our path and just kind of going on all these little adventures,

11:32
not knowing where they would lead, but just yeah, we were taking it one step at a time. We were and that was actually your idea. I think that first trip to London.

11:43
Oh, my God. And I know I’m remembering why it was because I was a journalist. And I was getting sent promotional CDs, and Anita had just released her album, Noted. And when I got sent the CD and the press release,

11:57
that’s a great album. Oh, my goodness, I love that album. Oh, yeah, absolutely. Okay, well, look, let’s talk a little bit about your album because, you’ve just released your second album. Tell us a little bit about it, and where your inspiration came from. And,

12:16
well, it’s totally different to my first album, this album, Brigid and Patricia is a solo album. So it’s, excuse me. I wrote all of the songs, and I’m performing everything on the album. And I guess, having worked as a professional jazz vocalist for over 10 years, I just felt, oh my god, this music. I just felt that it wasn’t resonating with me anymore. I just felt all of the lyrics that I was singing were completely disempowering. They’ve all got the same theme. I mean, basically, you know, these are songs that are written by incredible songwriters who happens to be Jewish American males, and they were writing these songs a lot of the time for African American women. And then I found myself singing them as a woman from Tipperary. And it just kind of got to a point where I was like, What am I doing? I’m singing all these songs about how I’m nothing until I have my man. And then that in it said in a different way. And I mean, that’s what most of those songs are about. To put it, to summarize, you know, and I just was like, Oh, my God, and I was, you know, turning up, I was getting booked for gigs. And I remember, you know, there was one particular guy who used to book me for gigs, and he’d say, make sure you wear a red dress tonight, this kind of thing. And I was just like, what am I doing? And I just felt like, I, I suppose I had done a tribute to Joni Mitchell, who I love, I’m such a massive Joni fan. And then in 2015, I did a tribute to Billie Holiday, who I really admire, But, I suppose all the time it was leading up to Who am I? What do I have to say musically. So I wanted, I wanted to go and write my own music. And of course, I had done that in college and after college as well. But I had a group the Swoo Bep project, and I suppose that was more kind of contemporary jazz, or it was probably it was probably coming out of Newpark, the sort of music that I thought that might have appealed to kind of people who would have been marking me in those exams, that kind of thing. So anyway, I realized that there was a new MA in songwriting that had a brand new course, taking place in the University of Limerick. And when I saw that, I was like, oh, that could be really cool. I had been teaching loads. And anyway, To cut a long story short, I moved down to Limerick to do the course. And as soon as I got there, I started writing songs. And after I wrote the songs, I kind of looked at them and was like, What are the common themes here? What are the common threads and it was very clear that there was a very strong theme, what does it mean to be a woman living in 20th century Ireland, and you know, for example, there’s a song about Bridget Cleary from my hometown well, just outside my hometown of clonmel. She was burnt alive by her husband in in 1895. He said that she was a fairy changeling. Do you know and then there’s there’s a there’s a spoken word piece that is written I suppose as a response to misogyny everywhere and, you know, even includes just comments, you know, made by the former president of America and this kind of thing. And, and then there’s another piece that’s an ode to Oliver Cromwell, which was written as a as a response because during my time on the Masters, I came across a book in the library that made me aware of the fact that Oliver Cromwell had sent 1000s upon 1000s of Irish people over to the Caribbean in the 17th century. And I couldn’t believe it when I realized my surname, Aideen, is hugely popular on the island of Montserrat, today in the Caribbean. And that dates back to the 17th century. So I suppose like with the album, I was really just trying to understand who I am, like here I am, because I had been singing all this music that was meant for African American women. But do you see what I’m trying to say? And I was like, who the hell am I through all this,

16:27
I mean, I can really see your, your journey so clear there. And I think what you’re saying about the jazz style, I mean, all that Tin Pan Alley songs. And a lot of the songs were written for musicals, and then made into kind of slightly, they were just a structure that people use in order to improvise. And to have a bit of fun with the jazzy kind of, they would just change the harmonies and do all that. But the original songs were, they were written to cheer people up during the Depression of the 1930s, they didn’t really address anything. And they were mainly written by men.

17:01
I’d say like, 98% of the more I mean, I can think of Ann Ronelle who rose Willow weep for me. And Billie Holiday would have written a couple of songs, but no, like, you know, the 95% anyway, would have been written by males. And yeah, like, we have to ask ourselves, well, I certainly feel I have to ask myself, why am I singing this music today? What, how is it relevant today? Some of the songs are I mean, I think for example, if a singer was to record Strange Fruit, unfortunately, that would be as relevant today. You know, and for all the wrong reasons. But yeah, most of those show tunes. I just thought they’r a bit of fun. But Exactly,

17:42
yeah, they’re a bit fun. And I think, as well, your journalism background, and when you were talking about how you just took somehow came across a book about Oliver Cromwell, how many people would pick up a book about Oliver Cromwell to read, you know, so you obviously have a deep connection with where you’re from, and you know, you’re you, you have an interest in researching and history and stuff like that. And you can see that in the themes of your songs.

18:07
I think, Aideen, somewhere deep within me, I’m, I’m a truth seeker. And whether it’s a good thing or a bad thing. It’s very hard. I don’t really tell lies, you know, and I can be quite blunt. Just in my personal life. So that definitely, yeah, comes through in my music as well. Like, yeah, and it’s from the journalism too, because we would have been really trained to edit words, and there’s no room for anything other than, you know, the bare essentials. who, what, when, where, why, how so? Yeah, I’d be quite ruthless in terms of, yeah, honesty,

18:43
honesty, this beautiful, I love that. And I think that you’re coming to that strength, I think there’s a human power in acknowledging what’s real for you. And, and being really honest about that. This is a very honest album. And it’s hard to listen to in places because of the themes. But it’s such an important message and it’s a part of that women’s experience that isn’t sung about very often.

19:10
Yeah, yeah, that’s it. I mean, I’ve been really blown away by the response because I didn’t know how people were going to take it it is it’s definitely hard to listen to in places and it was very intense in the recording studio. You know, there’s one part in that Oliver Cromwell song where I suppose like it kind of sounds weird out of context, but I’m nearly vomiting like I, the sound of vomiting. I was just, I wasn’t holding back because I was trying to like, you know, recreate aurally the experience of families being separated of, you know, a mother being left with a child and the father and another child being sent off. And just yeah, trying to put that into sound. So I’m really just thrilled that it is an independent release and that there was nobody telling me what to do because I didn’t have to tone it down in any way. And yeah, definitely in some places it’s it’s intense.

20:13
it is and how, tell me a little bit about the response that you received? And how, was that a surprise to you?

20:20
Oh, my God. Yeah, a huge surprise, Aideen, the response has been amazing. I’m blown away. Like, I think every major newspaper in the country in Ireland has given me like a really strong review. And it’s been played across like RTE Radio 1, RTE lyric FM, Radio Na Gaeltachta and loads of different stations around the country. It’s just the messages that I’m getting from people, whether it’s from reviewers, or from DJs or from people. They just kind of keeps telling me like, how courageous it is, and how brave I am. And people keep saying to me, thank you. And that’s so interesting and unexpected, because when I was writing the music, I was just thinking about me, who am I? You know, I wasn’t thinking about oh, someone is gonna say thank you. I was, you know, so it’s, it’s really interesting, but I suppose, like, that shows I what we were talking about earlier, like music and singing is so valuable. It’s so valuable, and it moves people in a way that money might not, like if if I was to give someone say 10 euro, if I just said, there you go, they might have the same reaction as if they listened to my album, you know, you can’t really compare? No, you

21:40
definitely can’t. Because it’s an emotional response that people are having. And like, we are always exchanging energy. And money is kind of the most basic exchange, where we think we’re doing good, you know, like giving money to charity or something like that. Yeah, what you’re saying is by you tapping into what was really, really real for you, your gift to the world isn’t, you know, philanthropy, it’s it’s raw honesty, and that’s having the response that you didn’t ever expect, but it’s very deep.

22:12
Yeah, yeah, I’m still I’m still really taken aback by it all. And I suppose, it’s being Irish and it’s probably an Irish thing as well. I kind of every time I get a message or something like that I’m kind of going. What did they watch? Or I’m going, they don’t mean, you know, just that, sorry. But anyway,

22:34
I know, I really, I understand where you’re coming from. And we all struggle from time to time acknowledging and knowing our own value. You know, and I think the fact that you went back to college, to study music was a way for you to say I value my, my dream, and I value myself enough to not just take the road that everyone else travels, I’m going to take a different road that’s in alignment with me. And then over the last 10 years, you’ve been honing your craft, and now it’s like the flower blossoming at the surface. Do you know what I mean? Where it’s Edel, and only you that and all the experience and your qualities that you’ve, you’ve learned to how in your voice and in your presence and in knowing who you are as a person have come to fruition?

23:28
Yeah, like, we learn so much about ourselves through through singing. And through the music, Aideen, I’m sure. I’m sure you’d say the same. I mean, I remember again, just going back to college, and you were so interested in color, and you used to be like, I mean, appearance in the sense of wearing colors that sort of, you know, suit your aura and this kind of thing. And I think a singer as we’re more sensitive to the senses, generally speaking, and what happens over time is, I think the more attention and focus that you bring to your singing practice, you become just more attuned to subtleties in the world. Like for example, lots of my good friends are singers. And then you know, I work with singers all the time teaching. And I feel that as a people it as a group of people if I was to generalize, so many of us are activists or speak out against something that’s wrong, or like we’re all animal lovers. So many singers are vegans. Um, I would say generally, we’re a very sensitive bunch. So I feel that you see the world differently when you when you when you focus in on something like that. And of course, we’re dealing with with our voice which is in our bodies. So I mean, being a singer if you actually want to take it seriously you really have to mind your body and work from a holistic perspective. So for example, I mean, I can be a bit lazy or a bit relaxed about it from time to time. But if I was, you know, doing gigs, like, pre COVID, or post COVID, I’ve got to be really mindful of what I eat on the day of a gig, you know, and what I drink, I’ve got to be mindful of who I’m dealing with, or how I’m spending my time. In other words, you know, it’s really important to be going for walks, it’s really important to be drinking lots of water, like there’s a tea that I love called throat comfort, it’s one of those Yogi teas, and, you know, I’ll eat light, definitely avoid, you know, any mucus enducing food. So when you’re kind of paying attention to all that stuff, then like, I suppose moving on from that, you know, you might have an interest in essential oils, or you might have an interest in yoga, it kind of it kind of develops, have you say, Yeah, I found that also,

25:59
I would, I think what I’m, what’s resonating for me is the sensitivity. Yeah, and also the word message. So, to stand in your power and deliver a message through a song takes a huge amount of vocal control and emotional control. And you develop that through your natural, your daily awareness and your daily habits. So I could see the connections really strongly, and yoga and things like that bring us more into the moment. You know, that’s what Yoga means is union with life union with the moment, and I think that for real performers, but especially singers who perform, they have to find that centered place within themselves that where they are in that moment. And you have to fully accept yourself. So there’s a certain amount of almost personal development you’ve done on yourself to be able to stand up in front of a group of people and sing, like, most people will avoid it at all costs.

27:03
Absolutely, you’re spot on Aideen. But what I also feel is singing teaches us because like, I’m, I was thinking about this earlier today, when I knew I was going to be chatting to you and like my singing self, if you like, is more is much more, what would you say, I’m much, like, my posture onstage is much better than my posture in real life. And you know, when I’m on stage, like, I, I just I’ll carry myself in in the way I suppose that I would like to carry myself in life. So yeah, my singing version of me is that is the kind of version of me that I aspired to be.

27:43
We need to put ya, we need to get your strutting your stuff, like every day in the world

27:50
like wearing heels, for example, and you know, dress dressing like, yeah, you’re my singing self would be like my best self but that would be the same I suppose for anyone on stage or on on a platform

28:03
where you’re being seen in a different way? Well, I suppose there’s two aspects to it. One is, when I’m doing something I really love, I’m almost not even caring what other people are thinking. But at the same time, when you’re performing, you really, you’re really in mindful everybody’s… you want to perform so that they get the best from you, and that you’re communicating. Because I think a lot of the time, especially for new singers, they forget that it isn’t just about the sound of your voice, they forget that it’s it’s a message. It’s a communication, we’re saying something. And that’s why your album is so powerful, I think because you are saying something you don’t just sound like you’re good singer, because you’re a great singer. I mean, your vocals in this album are outstanding, genuinely, really beautiful job, beautiful job. And 10 years of intense kind of immersion in your craft as paid off. Million fold

29:00
right, though, you’re right, in the sense of the message, like people want, you know, in the media, when they’re asking me they, it’s all about the stories like they’re interested in the subject matter. So in a way, in a way me as a singer, as an individual, the craft of singing is overlooked, because that’s sort of, I’ve ticked the box that I’m delivering the message. And now they’re, yeah, they’re more interested in the message. So that’s actually really cool. I never thought about singing in that way, because we can get so caught up on oh I have to get that high note or I have to have enough breath control to the end of end of the phrase, you can forget what you’re doing it for apart from it being correct singing.

29:40
Yes, and especially when you’re teaching a lot, we get consumed by the techniques and the tips and everything. But I always say to my… I work a lot with absolute beginners and I get people who’ve only been singing for six or eight weeks to sing in concert. And the way I actually get them to do that is I get them to focus on that message. Because when your heart is in the meaning of a song, people will forgive the bad high note no problem. And they’ll applaud you for your bravery. And that yeah, that’s where I see people using singing then as a form of personal development, where they become more confident, or they stand in their power better, because they’re taking a process of learning to sing.

30:21
All that’s fabulous Aideen, and like, you’re absolutely right. Like, when there’s a group of people and when there’s an audience as well. Everyone is there to kind of, you know, to have a good, positive, shared experience together. So they want anyone who’s getting on the stage to do well. They’re behind them. They know it’s not it’s not an easy thing. So, yeah, it’s less about the individual. And it’s more about, I suppose the job, the joy of the song of the music of the shared experience, and yeah, much less about the individual, really, yeah.

30:55
And I think in Ireland, that like, the way people would traditionally have have sung songs in the pub, it wasn’t far this, you know, highbrow, you know, perfection experience. And there’s kind of a dichotomy in music these days, where some listeners want that highbrow perfection, and some people just want the raw emotion experience.

31:16
Yeah, like, I think, Oh, yeah, I know, I know what you’re saying. I’m just what popped into my head there as I was listening to you was, like, there’s a big difference between singing and between performing and not everyone who, who, you know, might enjoy singing lessons would need to be a performer. Like, for example, you know, I haven’t done a gig, a real gig in ages. I mean, most people haven’t done gigs with with the pandemic, but like, I’m always singing around around the apartment, and it brings me joy just to be like humming along. And that’s not me performing. And people, even if they want to go for singing lessons and explore their voice and connect with their voice, for their own personal joy. I mean, that’s wonderful. For some people, they want the opportunity to get on stage, and they like to be to be seen and you know, heard in front of others. But that’s, I wouldn’t, I wouldn’t say that that has to be the end goal. Yeah,

32:17
yeah. And there’s a lot of value. I think what we’re saying is we’re, there’s value in the person development of yourself within your singing, there’s value with just enjoying singing around the house. there’s value in singing at the local pub. And then there’s the there’s value to using music to express a message like you’re doing with your album.

32:39
Yeah, yeah, there’s, there’s so much isn’t there. And like, the thing is, as well, I suppose, if a person does want to perform on the stage, well, then in a way, you’re inspiring somebody else to go and pursue their voice, it’s the kind of the community aspect of it again, and it’s just a good thing to do to express yourself isn’t and I mean, it’s just it really just, it kind of regulates the moods, and it helps us to relax and to focus. Like, it’s just yeah, it’s so enjoyable.

33:09
It is it is, and I mean from the psychology end as well, it helps your left and right brain interact. And we know it’s very good for our general health and your oxygen levels in your brain. And it’s very good post COVID, apparently, as well, for people who’ve had breathing issues. So I’ve seen some some, some teachers in the UK are running classes, specifically for people who have suffered with COVID to learn singing just to improve their breathing. Yeah everybody listening, yeah, I mean, we must have convinced you all by now to start singing

33:49
Sorry, no, go on. No, I was just going to ask. Sometimes people ask me only very occasionally, they feel they might feel like a little bit shy about singing if they have housemates. Or you know it you know, if you’re in a house share situation. And like, it’s not just your family, type thing. They’re people who you’re living with, but they don’t know ya, and if they might be trying out singing lessons, but they feel a little bit kind of shy about practicing where they can be heard. Have you had, have you had that?

34:23
Absolutely. And even in my family? I mean, I wouldn’t have practiced if my anybody was in the house years ago. Yeah, you got you have to get over that. And I think it’s, uh, you know, we need to ask permission. When we’re in, we’re in shared spaces, and particularly during COVID we’re kind of in each other’s faces a lot. So letting someone know that you’re going to practice at a certain time or something. So that person has the opportunity to go out for a walk or take your opportunities when you get them because it’s so important to practice is so important for singing if you don’t improve if you sing once every three weeks. You sing. you improve if you sing every day or most days.

34:57
Yeah, yeah, no, that’s it. It’s about It’s about fine, just make making something that will work for you. Like when I was in college. Just more recently doing my masters. I used to get up super early in the mornings. And I knew that the college would be open early. And I used to be in there two hours before anyone else would really be around. And it just meant that I got my practice done. I most people wouldn’t have, you know, I mean, to do all that much practice, but I had things to do. And it was just in my living environment, I wasn’t sure who was going to be around. So you can you can always find ways to make it work.

35:34
Absolutely. I definitely. And I’d encourage people to, to figure that out. Because it’s not it’s we can’t just shut ourselves up like that. I think it’s there’s so much to all this. I mean, I could talk to you for another hour. I agree, because we’ll have to do it again sometime. But we’re kind of getting towards the end of our allotted time for this podcast. And I’d like to thank everybody who’s listening. And just definitely get in touch with myself or Edel, if you have any questions or comments, and we both teach, so you’re welcome to contact either of us for a singing lesson and try it out. So, tell us a little bit about how people can get in touch with you. Edel, how they can get your album maybe what kind of platforms it’s available on. And that kind of thing, I’m

36:17
sure yeah, so my website is probably the best place to go to Edelmead.com. And certainly, you can order a CD from the website, or book a singing lesson. Or if you want to get a digital copy of the album, band camp is the best place to go. And I’m available on all the usual social media platforms. Fantastic.

36:41
It’s great to have you here. And we’re going to play a song from your album next. Would you like to introduce it and tell us a bit about it? Yes. So

36:50
um, this is a song I wrote called Hold on. And this one is actually probably one that’s a little bit different from the other songs on the album. It’s got a very positive, uplifting message. And I wrote it shortly after the passing of Aretha Franklin, a singer who I absolutely adore. And I guess I was, I was, I was looking at some of the songs that she wrote. And just I wanted to honor her incredibly soulful sound, and also sort of pay a bit of a tribute to Carole King, who’s another wonderful songwriter. And so I was kind of looking at some of the work that they would have both done. And this is a song called Hold on. Well,

37:31
thank you so much. Edel for joining us. We’re going to play hold On at the end now and it’s been an absolute pleasure to have you with us and I hope we get to do this again. Thank you so much.

37:40
Thank you so much. Aideen.