Featured Interview
Sheree Sabelle: Well first, I'd like to say thank you for featuring me on your site.
Mel: How did you become interested in music?
SS: To answer your first question, I was born in love with music. At the age of three, you could find me walking around singing Whitney Houston, or Toni Braxton, and I love Boys II Men, and still do. Actually, my mom told me that one day when she went to the Post Office, I saw a guy who looked just like Wanya, and started shouting, "Mommy look that's Boys II Men". It's a funny story, I laugh every time she mentions it.
Mel: How long have you been writing/composing music?
SS: I wrote my first song at age eight entitled “On The River”, and entered a young composer’s contest when I was eleven. These songs are strictly piano pieces, but I’ve been playing the piano since I was five years old. My mom took me to my first piano lesson on my sixth birthday. And I am SO thankful that she did!
Mel: What instruments do you play? Do you sing?
SS: I use to be in the school band and chorus, so I know how to play the recorder... everyone in third grade had that as their first instrument, and then from there I decided to move on to playing the clarinet. But the piano was the first instrument I learned to play, then after being in church and school choirs I started taking formal vocal lessons. But there are still a few more instrument that I want to learn how to play, like the violin, and the bass guitar. I love string instruments.
Mel: When was your first time performing in front of a large audience?
SS: I have been performing in front of an audience my entire life but my first really big audience had to be at my piano recitals, and from there the list continues.
MM: Who is supportive of your music career? Any negative feedback?
SS: I must say that my family has been very supportive of my music career, and I love them for that. I love all of the art forms, and I have been active in each one at some point in time, so me being a composer/songwriter/vocalist, just an all around artist, is no shock to them at all.
MM: What makes you different from an ordinary recording artist?
SS: That’s a really tough question because all recording artists have something unique about them. But that’s why I am different to any other artist because my compositions are an expression of who I am so when you listen to a piece I’ve written you are getting to know me, Sheree Sabelle.
MM: Where do your musical influences come from?
SS: My work is heavily influenced by classical styles of music mixed with blues and a sprinkle of pop in between. Just listen to it and you’ll hear it for yourself. I like to write what feels good to the soul and makes you feel something from the inside out. To me music isn’t just something you hear it’s something you experience, and that’s why different people can interpret one song in different ways. I love it when you talk to someone about a specific song that you haven’t heard in a while, and you automatically remember what was going on in your life during the time period when that song was out. It’s an experience.
MM: Where does the name "Sheree Sabelle" originate from?
SS: My name “Sheree Sabelle” came from my first name which is Sheree, pronounced like (Sherry), and Sabelle I got from playing with the pronunciation and spelling of my grandmother’s middle name “Sybil”. But you pronounce Sabelle (Suh-belle).
MM: Would you consider yourself an "underground" artist or an "indie" artist?
SS: I would say that I’m both an underground artist and an independent artist because my music isn’t something that you would hear everyday, it’s definitely unique and at the moment I’m an unsigned artist.
MM: Do you currently work with anyone in the music industry? Have you met anyone important in the music industry?
SS: I have had the pleasure of working with the Grammy and Emmy Award winning producer, Cynthia Daniels. She has worked with living legends like; Chaka Khan, and Julie Andrews. I can also say that when I was an intern at Def Jam Records I saw Justin Bieber for about 30 seconds in passing, and met Nick Cannon in the elevator, that was pretty cool.
MM: What genres of music do you like to listen to?
SS: That’s a terrible question, (smiley face) because I listen to everything. I love all types of music; Classical, R&B, Blues, Pop, Calypso, the list goes on. If it makes me feel something, I’m listening to it.
MM: How does music influence your personal style?
SS: With regard to my personal style, I wear what makes me feel comfortable, confident, and beautiful. There’s nothing worse than going somewhere and feeling out of place in your own skin. You have to be comfortable, because if you’re comfortable, you’re not self-conscious, and if you’re not self-conscious, you’ll be confident. And confidence is an outfit that will forever turn heads when you walk in a room and that kind of beauty never goes out of style.
MM: If you could collaborate with any recording artist, who would it be? If you could write music for any recording artist, who would it be?
SS: I’m actually going to combine two of your questions with one answer. If I could write or collaborate with any recording artist it would be Ms. Alicia Keys. She is my musical role model. When her first album came out I was eleven years old and seeing another female from a classical music background playing the piano, with an old school style was like a breathe of fresh air to me. I always felt like I was the only one, but then when I learned about her background and heard her music, I felt like there was someone else who understood me not only as a musician but as an individual. So, Alicia if you’re reading this contact me because I would love to work on a track with you.
MM: What do you like/dislike about the music industry?
SS: What do I like or dislike about the music industry... well I would have to say that as a like, music is a world of its own, and it’s a blessing to have so many different outlets for artists to share their work and connect with other people. As a dislike, I have no dislikes because if you focus on dislikes especially in this industry you’ll miss out on the positive opportunities that may come your way, and once you’ve missed an opportunity there’s no getting it back. You have to stay positive and focused. And this ideal goes for all industry’s of work.
MM: Where do you see your musical career headed in the next 5 years?
SS: In the next 5 years I see my music being well known internationally, and continuing to grow even from that point. People will know the type of artist I am, and I feel that I’ll introduce a new sound to the music scene. This is just the beginning.
MM: What advice do you have for young women who are looking to pursue a career in music or the entertainment industry?
SS: My advice to young women looking to pursue a career in music or entertainment is for them to do their homework and continuously learn and develop their skill, while figuring out what sets them apart from the rest and harnessing that individuality. It’s also important to be confident, smart, and focused but always humble.
MM: Where can we hear your music?
SS: You can catch my latest single “Give It Up” on Jango Internet Radio. Just type in “Sheree Sabelle” in the artist search engine.
SS: To hear more music by me you can visit my website www.shereesabelle.com, Find me on Facebook, don’t forget to “Like” my Facebook page, and follow me on Twitter @ShereeSabelle.
MM: Where can we find you on the web?
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