Since Téja picked up the bass guitar, she's lit up stages playing with artists such as Musiq Soulchild, Janelle Monáe, JID, Lil Yachty, and more. We talk about her musical journey rooted in big-band jazz and “old-school soul” as well as becoming the first African American and the first woman to hold the leadership role of Music Director at her church.
Téja has over 20 years of live performance and touring under her belt! She's performed on six continents, on varied illustrious stages including the Grammy Awards, the White House, Radio City Music Hall, NPR Tiny Desk, and much more.
Her story is a masterclass in passion and perseverance, inspiring the rhythm in your soul and the bass line of your dreams.
Learn more about Téja here www.helloimteja.com
The Loose Connection podcast is Hosted by Chris Leonard & Kyle Chirnside
email us at looseconnectionpod@gmail.com
Follow us on Instagram , Facebook,
Since Téja picked up the bass guitar, she's lit up stages playing with artists such as Musiq Soulchild, Janelle Monáe, JID, Lil Yachty, and more. We talk about her musical journey rooted in big-band jazz and “old-school soul” as well as becoming the first African American and the first woman to hold the leadership role of Music Director at her church.
Téja has over 20 years of live performance and touring under her belt! She's performed on six continents, on varied illustrious stages including the Grammy Awards, the White House, Radio City Music Hall, NPR Tiny Desk, and much more.
Her story is a masterclass in passion and perseverance, inspiring the rhythm in your soul and the bass line of your dreams.
Learn more about Téja here www.helloimteja.com
The Loose Connection podcast is Hosted by Chris Leonard & Kyle Chirnside
email us at looseconnectionpod@gmail.com
Follow us on Instagram , Facebook,
I want people to remember that I truly respected their music and I wanted to play it from my heart. I want every artist I work with to always feel like I brought passion to their stage and joy and honor and respect. That means a lot to me because, as an artist, I would want to feel the same way.
Speaker 2:Welcome back to Lose Connection. I'm Chris Leonard, joined by Kyle Cher inside.
Speaker 3:So in class today, if you didn't know, I've been teaching at Webster University as a junk professor for professional development too. I always ask the students. I'm like, hey, you know, what do I need to listen to? What's new, what should I listen to? Because I kind of like to stay up on things. So I listen to the new Vultures album with Thai dollar sound and Kanye Don't know what to quite think about that. It's a place in in the top five of Spotify. I don't know what top five that is, necessarily, but yeah, it's up there. The new Yeet album, yeet, which I don't know how that's up there.
Speaker 3:And then I ended up putting on the new little Yachty because our guests referred to it as Pink Floyd. And, come on, I'm a Pink Floyd fan. I love dark side and the wall, like I love all the Roger Water stuff. And it was interesting to me because we talked about creatives and there was a time in the podcast that you're going to hear we talk about.
Speaker 3:You know where hip hop or rap came from. You know the back in the day, the party, the DJ, the MC. It's more than that. Now these artists are starting to get into more creative ideas. And you even talk about Tyler the creator and a lot of live bands going out. So you brought on your friend and I listened to this album and literally if you took little Yachty's voice out of this, it would be a funk Pink Floyd album. I'm dead serious. If you haven't listened to it, give it a shot. Just because of the music involved with this thing. It's a far cry from what rap used to be for sure. I mean, I'm sure you've heard the same thing with like Tyler and everything else you started to experience.
Speaker 2:Yeah, absolutely yeah, no. So I brought on my friend Tasia. We did two tours back together. I want to say around the 2009 ish era, maybe 2007, somewhere in that range. She was out touring with music sold child. I was supporting the headlines on those two tours. Neo was on one of the tours and Anthony Hamilton on the other and she was just very electric fun bass player. She went on to do a bunch of other stuff with like Chrisette, michelle, janelle, monet, jid, recently Lil Yachty, and then we also talk about she had a departure there in a little bit for a little while and she went home and led, was like an MD and stuff at her church, which was interesting as well because of that particular church she was the first female and she was also the first African American to be in that position as well. So we got to get to that a little bit and you know, I think we kind of pushed the envelope, chris.
Speaker 3:We did like, I think we we asked her questions that she wanted to answer that no one has asked her before. That's what we try to do here. So, guys, check out our socials. Check out our Facebook, our Instagram, our Tik Tok. Tell a friend If you're enjoying loose connection. If you're not enjoying loose connection, please get ahold of this DMS at one of those socials.
Speaker 2:That was connection pod on just about every platform and we look forward to hearing from you and hope you enjoy this episode. Taysha, what's the earliest remembrance you have of picking up an instrument?
Speaker 1:Well, I was nine, I took piano lessons for like two or three months and my sister, my mom, my sister and I did it. I have a sister, one of my sisters. We're a year apart, so anyway, we took it for three months and then we stopped because we didn't practice enough. But my first time touching a bass was sixth grade. I had to pick an elective and I picked orchestra, just on a whim. And the first day of class the teacher was like picking an instrument and all the girls went to the violins. And I was like well, I don't want to do that and I've been tall. I was tall early, I'm five, 10 now. And I was like, oh, I would play the tall violin. And my teacher was like well, no, don't you know, you don't want to play violin like the other girls. And I was like, no, I don't want to. So he's like well, I'll let you play the bass if you're going to be serious about it. And after a week he realized that I would be serious about it and then he was very encouraging.
Speaker 3:But was there some sort of?
Speaker 1:anti streak.
Speaker 3:There's some sort of like enthusiasm for this huge instrument to like did you see it? And you're like yeah.
Speaker 1:It was just interesting to me, this big violin. It was tall, I was tall, it was different and none of the girls wanted to play it, so I had to play it, just because of that.
Speaker 3:I really think kids should play piano and I feel bad because I didn't put the piano in my kids life, like we had one sitting there all the time. It was more of like a decoration than it was an instrument. But I think piano covers so many aspects notes, treble and bass and percussive stuff as well, so rhythm and I think that's like a huge launching pad for children. I couldn't do it Like I have a keyboard, mic computer sitting on a keyboard right now and I can't play it.
Speaker 2:Well, it's great to picture.
Speaker 3:It's good, that's good. Thank you, casio.
Speaker 1:No, I mean, I do think every child should be exposed to piano and, like even, I mean, that's where I learned initially how to read music. You're right, treble, bass, bass, learning rhythms, and even it was just three months for us, but that was the catalyst for me.
Speaker 3:Was it a music family?
Speaker 1:No, I'm really. I'm the only musician, especially working like a professional musician in my family. My mom, I believe, in high school she played clarinet for a little bit, but she was like a flaggett in the band. In order to be an auxiliary she had to have an instrument, but that was just for a couple of years. I think my grandfather, I believe he, played saxophone a little bit in high school, just you know. But there's no, I'm the first official professional musician in my family.
Speaker 3:That's cool, chris. We should break that down, because I think there's a cool story in that, because I was the only musician in my family too, and I felt like the black sheep because of it, because it was this weird art that I pursued and it wasn't like a sport or an academic. Music was like you kind of. You're kind of like the stand out of the family of like, oh, she's bringing the big bass, I'm making it today.
Speaker 1:Well, I know, my sister, they tease me a lot. So I played in and I started bass in middle school and then I was tapped into a performance arts magnet program for high school, for the jazz program. But in order to be in the performance arts magnet program I had to play in all of the bands year round. So marching band and symphonic band and I'm in. My band director was like well, you already played bass, so you should probably play bass instruments all around. I was like I'm not playing sushi for them, Like there's no way, I'm gonna know.
Speaker 2:I played hold on, I played, I played in high school. So, similarly, I had to get a fine art credits and singles. Like man, what am I going to do, right? And so I go to the music teacher and you know, she's like what do you want to do? And it's like oh, I want to play drums. She's like yeah, you and 20 other people want to play drums. She's like, she's like she's like tell you what she's like. What I need is a tuba player. You know, I was like I don't know how to read music or play. She's like I'll teach you. And I'm like all right, so like, so, like study hall period, like third period, I come down. You know she like hand wrote out, like you know the notes, like you know one, one, two, one, three, like the mouse or whatever, and I sat next to the Barry sacks and it's like I just listened to him for pitch.
Speaker 2:I played by number and I played for a year. And the funny thing is like, so they didn't have a tuba player for the while in the orchestra, so they didn't have a actual, proper, proper tuba. All they have is a fiberglass sousaphone for the marching Right. So that's what commodity, that's what I started on, oh my God. And then they're like halfway through the year oh, we got a tuba player, let's go get like an upgrade for brass tuba, you know. And I played on that for the rest of the major year. So I did play sousaphone and tuba for a year by number in high school.
Speaker 3:You look like a sousaphone kind of guy.
Speaker 1:I ended up playing alto sax, Mr Joyce, who's the band director, the jazz director. He was like picking instruments. I picked alto sax. I had to go to summer school before ninth grade so I could learn it and I picked it up pretty quickly and I ended up being like the first freshman section leader.
Speaker 3:No way Crazy, that's awesome.
Speaker 1:Because you know, like when it was time for they were opening up the auditions for section leader, and I was like, well, Mr Joyce, what are the requirements? And he said it's usually an upperclassmen. I was like, well, is that a rule? And he was like, I mean, what do you say? And I was like, well, I would like to apply. I don't know, I've always just had to test the boundaries.
Speaker 2:I'm sensing a theme there, given some of the other stuff that's coming in your life.
Speaker 1:I love to. I don't know, but anyway, I was a co-section leader so there was an upperclassmen also, but I was the first freshman. I think it was the only freshman who ever went out for it. I'm like there's a rule that I couldn't right, that's right. And then over the winter break he's like I need an oboe player for to find a band. He's like I think he should take it home and learn it and so so I picked up oboe. So the part of the story about siblings, it's funny because my sisters were all like cheerleaders and stuff and so I was the weird sister that was at the park under the tree. My sister likes to tease me Like she's like we're so embarrassed that you're over there under the tree playing your oboe.
Speaker 3:Hey, kids are mean, Kids are mean and that's why I brought that up, is because the sousaphone, the bass, like that's not even what the music kids choose. Is that the cool? Yeah, that's not even the cool. The music kids, you know, they do a sax, they do a trumpet, they do a drum, Guitar, yeah, guitar. And so you were choosing and then you said oboe and I was like oh, let's go Like oboe. And what is it? Double bassoon.
Speaker 1:Yeah, yeah, bassoon, yeah, double reeds, yep.
Speaker 3:Double reed instruments and they're crazy because in early times they were the soloist, they were the highlight of the orchestra was the double reed. But everyone thought they were so silly. In school you were like, oh, you play a double reed.
Speaker 1:Sounds like a duck yeah.
Speaker 3:But all those old cartoons and everything that was like, made for like. I remember I'm going to go ahead and say it Bugs Bunny was probably the first time that I really even heard. I was like what is that instrument?
Speaker 1:Oh yeah.
Speaker 3:Like the Elmer Fudd thing, because that was like bassoon and oboe. That was how they talked, that was how they communicated and it was so interesting to me. But then I was like when I chose my instrument I was like I can't play that, I can't be seen carrying that to school.
Speaker 1:I was like it's okay.
Speaker 3:Hey, all us dorks turned out. Okay, let's go ahead and clear that up.
Speaker 2:Yes, what was the first time you got to an electric bass?
Speaker 1:That was so middle school, I started on upright bass in the sixth grade for orchestra, and then the orchestra program was dismantled for funding. And then eighth grade. So I went back to I was a nerd, so I was taking all these advanced academic classes. I just I for an elective. I was truly a nerd. I took math for fun, dork. So eighth grade, I remember I was some into the band room and very similar to your story, chris.
Speaker 1:We didn't have any tuba players for the marching band and they had. The school had an old Fender bass and the teachers, like I understand that you used to play bass. He's like do you think you could play these bass parts for me, for my marching band? And he was like, take this, you could take the guitar home If you, if it comes back to you, will you come play these parts? I was like sure His name is Mr Allen and we had a little. Somebody would carry a little like 25 watt amp and I would march with the marching band and play the, and that's that's how I got the attention of the jazz program at high school and so I picked up electric bass eighth grade and then I was not allowed to play it Once I got to the jazz program it was strictly upright. Only again because, mr Doris, you know, big band was used purists. And then around 10th grade where I started gigging, that's when I started playing both like pretty much full time.
Speaker 3:That's how teachers sell it. They're like, hey, you can take it home, you can take that bass home. Well, you would try.
Speaker 1:Yo, my friend, I have a friend. He's a bass player. He plays bass right now for PJ Morton right. But he has his Fender like 70, 70 something Fender, p bass that he got from a school. A school with his, his school was throwing it out because it didn't have any strings and they thought it was no good.
Speaker 1:So, they're like we're going to throw this away, you can take it. So he took it and he took it home and his he didn't like it. So his dad was like we'll go to the music store see if we could trade it for something new. He got to the music store and the people are like yeah, you can have whatever you want, whatever bass in here you want. So he little kid him is like yes, I can get this nation. And his dad is like why are you all willing to trade, you know? So he didn't let him trade it. And they, you know, now, of course, for free, he has this. You know, it is all in union with strings, but the school didn't know. They just thought it was broken and they were about to throw it away. How crazy.
Speaker 3:That's what he's saying. That's a great story. Thank goodness her dad be in there, because you know he would have chosen, like a Fender or one of those BC rich warlock basses. Hey, can I have the one shaped like a machine gun?
Speaker 1:Exactly, exactly, and the recent story that came up.
Speaker 3:Were you born and raised in Atlanta, then no, I'm from Miami Florida. I've heard of it yeah.
Speaker 1:It's a little town, you know, but yeah, I've been. I've been in Atlanta 14 years now. I moved right after actually after the music social gig was over, I moved here full time. But yeah, I've been here 14 years.
Speaker 3:So it's crazy, miami has such an eclectic culture. Yes, and I think as a bass player, that's probably really rad, because you have all the Latin cultures, all the American cultures and even, like, the Southern blues culture. How is that? Like when you first started experiencing you started. You started gigging in 10th grade. Yeah, like what? What drew you to it? You probably went and saw Axe Play and you were like, oh yeah, I want to do that.
Speaker 1:Well, I honestly the program I was in the music program, the magic program I was in it. It was part of that program. So, like Mr Dorsey would kind of focus shows around town to work for the county. And then it was there that I was seen by this local jazz musician and he started having me complain. His band, my mom, would come chaperone me because of course I was too young.
Speaker 1:And so I kind of that's kind of how I got into the gigging scene in Miami. I was doing just a lot of like jazz stuff older, a lot of older jazz musicians but and then I started that's kind of was my foray into gigging and I didn't really understand, like I didn't have an understanding of what gigging was really. You know, it's just, it's just fun. Oh, you paid me to have fun. Like I didn't. At that time I had no understanding of touring or being a full time musician. Like the only job I knew with music was to be a music teacher, and I knew I didn't want to be a music teacher. Like I knew that you know. So I didn't have an understanding that this is like something I could do as a for a living or as a for a living or as a lifestyle.
Speaker 3:So what were the pros and cons of the old heads seeing this young girl come in and rip bass Like how was, how was the reception from them?
Speaker 1:They were kind, I will give it to them. I, I, those guys and I don't know, because they were. When I say old, they were like old, like 50 plus, like they were older guys, me so well, I mean for a 16 year old, oh yeah, for me. I'm 40 now. I'll be 40 in March, so 50 is not old to me, but at 16, these guys were ancient, you know, and no offense, cowley.
Speaker 1:No, you know, I was just like, oh, so they treated me pretty kindly. It wasn't until I got a little bit older and started playing with guys around my age where I started feeling like not received. Yeah, but those gentlemen were kind to me and maybe because my mom was around, you know, maybe she was a buffer for that too, but yeah, it was just I, just, it was also new and shiny to me, so everything was just exciting at that time. I remember, like my first I went to a music store it was Mars Music Back then and my first amp was like an amp head B8, 15. And I was just like, wow, I have an audio amp, you know, and I don't have these schools amp anymore. And yeah, Funny story.
Speaker 3:I worked for St Louis Music and I was a tester for the bass amps. I'm not a bass player by any means but I did all the amp-aic stuff here in St Louis before everything moved to. I think loud or whatever bought amp-aic and they moved most of their production away. But it was the reissue of all the cool classics like the SVT Pro or the SVT Classic, the T-Pro, the 4-Pro, the Preamps, the Flip Top one of my friends. So I redesigned the Flip Tops and it was really cool to.
Speaker 3:I've never been an amplifier guy but it was really cool to see the understanding of the history of amp-aic to begin with and how huge that is to bass players. Like I didn't understand that when I first started working there I thought I was just working at a factory that built music stuff and I thought I was cool. But the history of amp-aic is so dope and it's cool to hear bass players like get excited about that stuff. It's a different world than guitar and drums and stuff like that. Bass is like a very focused instrument. It really is.
Speaker 2:How did Venus come about and what?
Speaker 1:was.
Speaker 2:Venus.
Speaker 1:So Venus was, and I hate to say it was, but we're not functioning as a band right now, but we were a band. We all actually met Working for music. So, child, we were part of his touring band back in the day. The majority of us were, and we went by another name back then. We were, and when we were music we were called anime Okay, and then, when that ended in, two of us so most of the girls lived in Atlanta a J&I both lived in Florida and we both moved to Atlanta at the same time and we decided we want to make our own, do our own thing.
Speaker 1:And it was we just decided. I remember we were in, we had started tongue, so we had done a small tour with music in Japan, and that's when we had started kind of talking about how they abandoned and we were like, well, what can our name be? And it was the whole minute from Mars, whatever, from Venus thing, every like that's it. We could be Venus, you know, and so we're like one day. And so then we, j and I, actually moved to Atlanta. I didn't believe he just decided to go ahead and do it and so we were together. I mean, we officially broke up last year because, yeah, tracy on was the last person to move away. She moved to Vegas officially last year, I believe and so she's a keeper player. Yeah, and the pandemic, jen the guitar player, moved back to Cleveland, so that was like the start of the end, but yeah, Well, okay, so I didn't All right.
Speaker 2:So I knew, I knew, when you know we you and I tour together with music so much out and Anthony Hamilton and I knew that you know music had his whole all female band yes, so you. But so that's that's how you guys formed, that it wasn't like you were banned and he brought you guys along how to.
Speaker 1:We all met it being a part of that band and be the chemistry that we formed. We just the five of us it was seven of us on tour, but five of us decided to move forward and you know we really bonded well on tour and decided to To do our own thing after that.
Speaker 2:So do you guys? Did you guys not know each other before you all came together at music? Soul child.
Speaker 1:No, not really. I, jay and I and Jen and I we met okay. So back in I believe it's 2006, when Beyonce had her first like worldwide like search for Women for her band and I'm a bride beg. My mom was like I have to audition, so we drove to Atlanta to Start an audition. Was that center stage? Not, not center stage. That's it LA. What's someone here? It's also a C. Anyway, it's a rehearsal hall here and I was having to be in line and standing next to this girl. We just started talking. It was Jay Latoya, the drummer, so we met in line there and then Jenna Shea jit, excuse me, jay was in line with her friend Natalie Reagan's. It's a piano player and Jen came to talk to Natalie and we got we all just kind of met there that clearly none of us made the Beyonce band fast forward to 2008, 2007.
Speaker 1:That's when I first got called for the music soul child gig, when he was still in Philadelphia and he was working with some girls in the DC area and they're that bass player didn't work out. They flew me up to Philly the audition. I made that band rehearse with them. He fell out with the drummer, decided he didn't want to do the girl band thing anymore. I came back to Miami 2008. He moved to Atlanta, decided he went to do the girl band thing again. He wanted to have new auditions.
Speaker 1:They called me up to come back and I they were like do you know any girl musicians? And I was, like I know a job reading Jay Latoya. And I know a guitar player named Jennifer Bliss, you know, and I just remember Jins day, her name is that art or like it's a cool name, like that's her government name, jen bliss. Like what a what a name, right. And then, jay, we had nice dual friends this was us both being Floridians and so I reached out to a friend that knew her and anyway, so they both end up coming to the auditions. And that's how we but no, we didn't formally know we had played again, we didn't know each other as people really at all. It's just got worked it all out.
Speaker 2:That's awesome. I was a. It was a fun tour as well. You said that was that was like your first tour with music. I was out there with you. Yeah, I'm on the road.
Speaker 1:That's awesome, yeah it was the best time of my life. It was just I. That was the first time my eyes are really open to like wow. Yeah like there was no way I was cuz I when I left for tour. I was working and my tour ended and like he cuz music changed bands and we Went home and I was like yeah, there's no way of going back to this regular life anymore.
Speaker 2:So you hadn't even done like a van tour or anything like that, was you so? So this is like we're playing theaters like. This is like Fox theater and Right, actually actually that tour Started or ended actually, and say, loose the Fox theater camera, which, yeah, like that. But that level of shows, I mean tour buses, couple trucks, like I mean that's a, that's crazy.
Speaker 1:We I mean we started in like November of the 20 2008 rehearsals and then, like our first tour run was with neo, we opened for neo.
Speaker 2:Oh, I was on that tour too. We weren't. Yeah, we did two tours together.
Speaker 1:Yeah, and then we went, like we went, we did a European run. I mean, I spent my 25th birthday on stage at the O2 arena in London. Like I went from you know, doing small local gigs of Miami to the O2 arena on my 25th birthday. You know like awesome. We went to Japan, we went to Indonesia, we did you know so there was I just never in. I had no understanding of that kind of life like Before you know, that's one thing.
Speaker 1:I mean. Miami's a cool city, but like the live music scene isn't like Booming like that, you know, like it's maybe because they're so far south, I don't know, but anyway, yeah, there was no way I could. I was gonna, Just didn't want to go back to regular life.
Speaker 3:It sounds like a whirlwind, like they just put a lasso around you and just drug you through the, the touring lifestyle, like immediately. It was that's incredible I mean Even even from your enthusiasm from 6th grade and feeling all the little moments of highs that was the one that broke you, to say I can't do anything else but this, this is what I know it just I just Okay, so, like, okay.
Speaker 1:So the first time I ever if I'm honest, say the first time I ever pondered like touring, so it was like 2005. I was back then. I was like huge neoselfing, which why Working for music so, child was like a dream come true because, like I was obsessed with neosoul and I was in target, I was buying, I was looking for some new CDs right, this is aging myself, like I was gonna buy some new music. And Back then I was a huge hidden beach record spin, like anything they put out. I was Obsessed and I saw this CD and it was had the hidden beach label. There was a new artist, like they're calling it neo gospel, and I was like this looks interesting, let me buy it. And then I got home and I started to have buyers with more. So, like what if I don't like it? I was scared to open the package because you know what she'll open the package. You can't return it, it's yours.
Speaker 1:So so I was like and I was like let me go check her out on her myspace to see if I can hear the music before I open the CD here I'm aging myself again at myspace. So I go to her myspace page, check out the music, love the music. But at the top scrolling on her myspace, it's like auditions for a band, for touring band. I'm holding auditions, you know. I'm like wait, what is this, you know? And I read the information. I told I was a mom, I have to go. And my mom's, like what are you talking about? Like what does this mean? I was like I have to go audition for this. And she's like well, if you go, you have to take your sister because it's summer break.
Speaker 1:Like, and my mom had a cousin back then that lived in LA and so if she talked to her cousin they let us come for a week up there, for, you know, summer break. I went to audition, I made her band. You know, I'm just like what does this mean? Like I made the band and it was the first gig I never had because I made the band and then the funding got pulled because Jill Scott released a new project. So like as a new artist, she couldn't afford out of state band. So but that was the first time my mind was like open to like Whoa, like I could do something like that. So then fast forward to the next year, the Beyonce edition. I'm like clearly this is what this is made for me. You know, and I went to audition, I didn't make that band and so you know what's the music? The music, so child was the first tour gig that actually stuck, you know, and After that did I knew there's no going back, there's no going back to my desk job. So what's the dynamic?
Speaker 3:between your mother Asking you if you're doing this thing and you just continually going and trying out and not giving up, did she see your determination? And she was like, oh my god, I'm so sorry, I'm not gonna go to the audition. And she was like oh my girls, she's coming back home, thank goodness. Or would she like?
Speaker 1:I think she thought that I was gonna give it up after a while. You know, um, you know for my. You know, as most mothers are, they are concerned for your well-being and also want to make sure you're gonna be a functioning adult and Make good money. And nobody in my, like I said, don't come from a family. My mom's a nurse. She has a very practical job. You know like she Right now is that I'm a typical A person with AFi that I speak to when I understand a person's Good circles are害anta.
Speaker 1:You know, a good circle. I seem to be atanized. Yeah, my father was a police officer. You know, like they had very Pactical jobs in this lofty and it's supposed to be playing anymore. I went to mom and let me take my bass my first year. She's like okay for that. Anyway, it's time to focus on school. So it's just, I didn't initially. I'm sure it didn't look like it made sense, but my parents, they always they do if you make up your mind about something. They were supported and I just believe in myself and they believe in me.
Speaker 3:That's good. Did you find yourself explaining what your vision was to your parents and that's why they stuck with you and backed you on it? Did you find yourself trying to explain yourself and be like I swear it's going to work out?
Speaker 1:Yes, often I will say my dad was a lot more like okay, if you're going to do it, do it. My mom was a lot more like okay, you always go to school to be a nurse.
Speaker 1:All right, teja, what are you doing? So when I decided to move to Atlanta, my mom was not happy. I decided to move to Atlanta. I moved after the gig was over and I had no context. I had no, nothing lined up. I just moved to Atlanta on a whim, because I just felt like God said go to Atlanta to pursue music full time. So I did and my mom was not initially happy with that. She was like that makes no sense, but it's worked out. But she's just being a mom, she's just being a concerned parent. And I'm still the oldest child. I didn't leave home. I went to college in Miami. Still, I went from Miami, I went to university in Miami. So I never really left, and so they also. It was probably something she had to process too Me actually going away for real.
Speaker 2:How long did it take for you to feel comfortable on stage, you know, with like being a soul child on that level of show and audience, and did you instantly feel like I'm at home? And it was that. You know all the people out there. What was that like?
Speaker 1:To be honest that I did feel comfortable right away, like I think it was excitement and it just felt like I don't know. Also, big stages to me are a lot less scary than small stages. It's small stages, like small rooms, where you can like actually connect eyes with people to terrify me, like I don't actually want to see you. Like when you're at a big stage people are far away and you could smile in general directions and people think you're looking at them but you're not like you know that's. I mean you can just feel the energy. That's a lot. It's just to me it's more exciting. The music, I mean I remember man pan. I remember, I can remember it so clearly.
Speaker 1:Her show with music was in Seattle and it was just, I think of course I was nervous, but I was more. It was more exciting. It's like Christmas Eve, like that's how it felt. Like Christmas Eve to me is more fun than Christmas day because like it's the anticipation of yeah, that's how it felt. I can see it so clearly in my mind. Like I think that overrode the nerves. It was just like I can't believe this is happening, like kind of feeling, like I'm be paying me to do this, like I would gladly do this for free. I mean, back then maybe I was doing it.
Speaker 3:Don't say that out loud.
Speaker 1:When I look back on when I was really, you know, making it, you know, but I didn't know any better at the time. So you know what?
Speaker 3:I revert to that too sometimes because there is a certain aspect of this thing we do where it's like man, I could just do this for free for the exhilaration, but it and we've had a lot of discussions, chris and I, on this and other podcasts where it's like I don't know, and on this and other podcasts where it's like you can't sell yourself short because this is a, this is a talent and it and it's like sometimes your ambition will outweigh the paycheck because you want that thing so bad, yeah, yeah, and you're like I'll do it for free.
Speaker 1:That's been me in a couple of times.
Speaker 3:Yeah, for sure.
Speaker 1:You learn, you learn, I'm a wiser.
Speaker 2:So then you let's see. So I got to run into you while you were out with Janelle Monet.
Speaker 1:Yes.
Speaker 2:Which was which is funny like, didn't know you were going to be there. So you know I live in Philadelphia. The Democratic National Convention was in town, was the year that Hillary was nominated, so whatever, whatever year that was I'm at this point but and so we did. We did a bunch of parties in town and Janelle Monet was playing. We were at the Barnes Museum, which is like this is like fancy art museum type of place, sounds fancy and and the cool thing for me, like, leading up to this is like I knew Janelle Monet was playing, did know you were there, I had actually designed the show, I had designed the lighting, I designed everything for the show so cool, you know.
Speaker 2:And so I was there. Just got to oversee the projects and like, and we're getting back lined together and at the time Janelle Monet had this vibe of like everything had to be white. Every mic stand, every amp, every instrument, like, everything was white. So, like, like Kyle, every mic stand, we had to take white e-tape and just wrap and stand your white e-tape like just, or, you know, or gaff tape or whatever, everything was white, right.
Speaker 1:I'm sorry, my charger came off, so excuse me for a second, are you good? I'm sorry. Okay, sorry, you're good, I'm sorry.
Speaker 3:Yes, I think every artist goes through that white thing because, looking at, looking at a stage where you have like all white cabinets, a white drum set, even like the Marley or whatever goes underneath it, there's something like it's like elegant, almost you know what I mean Like there's something elegant about it when they do like a color scheme like that, but it is a pain in the ass.
Speaker 1:Right, elegant for the artist, pain for the crew.
Speaker 2:But there, but there was one thing that was not white and that's what stuck out to me. I was like, oh shoot, I know who that is. There was these neon green strings emanating off of this white base, and that was T-shirt. I was like, oh my goodness, yes, yes.
Speaker 1:And I had to like. So by then I had been working with her for a few years because at first I could only have white strings, and then later on she started to loosen up a little bit and they thought they liked how the neon strings glowed. So then that's how I was able to get them to pass. But yeah, that was. And I mean so we go back to my mom, right, so fast forward, like as 2013, and I've been in Atlanta for three years after moving to pursue music full time, and I was like I moved to really because I was like I need to go back on like touring. So three years go by and I'm playing around town but I'm not, I haven't been back on the road. And I was like I remember it was December and I was like feeling like depressed. I'm like maybe I should just like give this up because, like I'm going to be 30 next year, the following year, and I like maybe this is just not for me.
Speaker 1:So earlier that year my mom had been, she had gone to Essence Festival and she called me from the festival and she's like Teja, there's this girl on stage and she has. She's black and white and she has a band and I could just totally see you on stage with her at Essence Festival and I'm like mom, that's phenomenal. And I was a huge. I had been a fan of Janelle since college and I'm like it's phenomenal, I knew all those guys in her band, like I knew of them, they had been with her for a while. I'm like mom, like I just kind of pooped on my mom. That's, you know, she already had the band. It's not going to happen. No, you're going to, I can do this.
Speaker 1:So now, this just shows you how my mom you know, once she, once I decided the life I was going to live, my mom became supportive. But anyway, she's like no, I know you're going to work with her. I could see it so clearly and I'm just like, yeah, mom, whatever. So that's back in July of that year, so fast forward to December, and I'm going to quit music. And I get this call from this guy and he's like Teja, like Janelle's MD, is looking for you. And I'm like, how you know? So so I get the call, I make the band fast forward to June or July of the next year for Essence Festival, prince headlines as an Esence Festival and request that Janelle opens for him. So just as my mom had envisioned the year prior, there I was on stage at Esence Festival and Janelle's band so like, so it worked out, yeah.
Speaker 3:Chris, let's talk about that. That's something that you like to talk about is kind of like envisioning something and it just happening. Yeah, from a point of like, from your lowest point of thinking that you're going to quit, but then there's a vision and like you just get it. We've had Brandon Blackwell was the same way, you know like, where the dude just like climbed the ladder to get to Kendrick Lamar. That's what he wanted to do, so and he got it.
Speaker 1:Yeah.
Speaker 2:Well, you know what I listened to you in another episode or another podcast that you had done and you referenced. It's a who knows you type of business and we've had some other people kind of talk about that. I can only imagine being in the band world, the musician world especially. You know, as you're jumping around, what have you experienced in the world of being a musician on the who knows you as opposed to who you know and kind of the difference, the difference there?
Speaker 1:Well, yeah, I just think it is a boiled down to really and truly like, like the reputation you set up for yourself, like people are always, I feel like. It seemed like like I need to meet the who's. Who would I need to meet? But it doesn't matter how many contacts you have, who it's like, who knows you, like what, and like they know you by your reputation. Like, for example, in this case, which you know, the guy who put me in touch with his MD was somebody I subbed at a church one time. I moved at Leonard. I didn't even remember this guy and this is no shade to him, but I just, I didn't remember playing at that church. Like, I just, I just, it's just a one time thing, you know, like, but I like what? If I had shown up that day late, or if I hadn't learned my part, or if I had a bad attitude because the person I replaced the Janelle's band was, not was a killer musician. They just didn't vibe with him, you know, like personality wise, and so they needed a new bass player.
Speaker 1:Like what if the guy you know, when they were looking for me, the guy couldn't have been like, oh, I met her, she's a jerk, or oh, I met her, she's not a good musician, or she. You know, like I, I didn't. I knew every, every musician in Janelle's band. I knew of them. That didn't help me get that gig. It was the what they knew. You know, what they knew of me. You know, and it's just like you always should be putting yourself out there in the best way possible because, like, your representation does precede you and it's all about what people can say about you when you're not in the room. That's how. That's sometimes. How you get in the room is by who you are outside of the room.
Speaker 3:So yep, A great writer once said it's it's not who you think you are, it's who they think you are.
Speaker 1:Yes, exactly yes.
Speaker 3:And we've we've been all doing this for such a long time we noticed that technical ability is a small fraction of what people look for in touring folk and it's the be able, the hang, the get along, the, the be able to be conforming, learning, the drive, like those things are almost more than the technical ability for the long haul.
Speaker 1:Yes, it really is. Nobody wants to be on a tour bus with somebody that they hate. No one wants to go on tour bus with someone that's smelly or that's dirty.
Speaker 3:That's my feet. That's my feet. Sorry, no, but what does this mean?
Speaker 1:matter. You know people because there's, there's a billion trillion super talented people on the earth. Right, it's, we don't nobody cuts the corner according to the market on talent. Like, there's people who play circles around me, I'll be the first to tell you, you know, it's just. But there's other factors, like are you going to, are you, are you going to respect the artist's music? Are you going to have to? Can you play the part that is there and not insert your personality into it? You know like, for example, janelle's music, especially at that time, is very specific. Like they her producers, she and her producers had a sound and they wanted it that way and there was. You know, like, are you going to respect it? Are you going to respect the music? Are you going to? You know, can you, but then we can only wear black and white and sound check on stage it was white. You know, like, are you going to respect that? Like, are you going to?
Speaker 2:Well, just even like so, like stage presence, like she's a very choreographed in her mannerisms of what she does on stage and I know all of you guys on stage were, you know, and I don't know how much it was like hey, move this way, or whatever, but like you almost have to show, show out but not show off.
Speaker 1:Right, yes, yes.
Speaker 2:Yes. There's an art to that to like like supporting the vibe but not being the vibe that everyone's pulling to. Like that's a thing.
Speaker 3:It's a live movie role at the end of the day too. So like I think the look that people I mean it's hard to do in like your father and your mom, you know nurses and stuff, like they don't go off that. But this it could come down to your look, it could come down to your, your personality that you just walk in with without saying anything Like and at some point it's like almost sometimes it would feel discriminatory. You're like oh man, they didn't like me because I had this stupid beard or I was too old or whatever the case may be. But it's almost like a known factor in this business, especially with musicians and a hired role. It's like you have to fit the mold the mold you mold to the thing. It doesn't mold to you.
Speaker 1:Yes, I can, I really want to. I'm glad that you said that, because just being a woman musician that factors in a lot has factored in a lot into the kind of gigs I get and like what. And then being a black woman has factored into that and then being a full figured person has factored into that a lot. And even being a tall person, there's been gigs I have not gotten because of my height. They've not I've not gotten because you know it's like Janelle, I really I always have to, like I'm going to like give her so much respect because, like for the type of pop gig that it was, like pop level gig, like I really felt like she just allowed me to beat me, like I didn't have to conform, I didn't have to have a certain look as a woman bass player, like I didn't.
Speaker 1:You know, at the time I was the only girl musician in the band and I just felt respected as a person and not, you know, it wasn't my look at all. You know that. You know, later on she ended up inviting more women into the band later. You know her later albums, but like that, time particularly you paved the way.
Speaker 1:Well, I really appreciate her and you know, because you know I just appreciated that a lot, you know, for that type of gig and that type of market, like I, you know, I mean I remember when I auditioned for the Beyonce gig, I was pulled aside and said I had the talent. I didn't have to look, you know, I didn't, I wasn't edgy enough when I didn't look cool enough, you know, and I'm not edgy. So you know and you know, and I think you know, especially, like guitar players are supposed to be hot, you know, and maybe I didn't, I wasn't hot.
Speaker 3:I always refer back to the Robert Palmer band, simply yeah.
Speaker 1:Yeah, no, I know definitely, I'm definitely not.
Speaker 3:So for people that don't really think about this, being a musician in that style of pop act, it's look, it's presence, it's an equal opportunity. Is it really equal opportunity? And it's funny that we have to talk about this because the nurses and the police officers out there don't understand this. It's like it could almost be empowering or discriminating, depending on the thing. But you'll never get like, they'll never tell you oh, we're not going to do this because you're a full-figured black woman. But they'll be like ah, you're just not the look we're looking for. But you can't do that at fucking Chick-fil-A you know what I?
Speaker 3:mean you better not yeah, right, so it's a weird line that we're still playing, that everyone else is not playing with their game and we kind of almost take it as take it for like it's okay, but it's not. But in the view it is. But everyone has to be really conscious about what they say and do and like I think it's been getting better, yeah, since I started touring and but it's still there. It's still like this weird underlying factor. Do you ever feel like is there a point when you feel I mean, obviously Monet made you feel empowered, is there anything that made you feel inadequate because of the opportunity that was put in front of you? And is it hard to shrug off man, like as an old white dude, like I have things that I can't shrug off, but I'm sure for you it's like completely different.
Speaker 1:I remember I was hired to do a music video with it and this is. It was an indie artist, they weren't even a major artist, but they wanted like an eclectic band and I did the whole shoot right, a whole day of shooting, and at the end of the day the manager comes and the ear will live it and they you know I'm in the ear shot, I can hear this is not the kind of girl I was talking about, you know and she, like they didn't put out the video with me and like they reshot it.
Speaker 3:Oh shit.
Speaker 1:Jeez, I was like I was doing a whole day of shooting and the artist is cool with that, you know.
Speaker 3:And when, when the powers I became, they were livid at who they picked for the girl which is me, do you almost feel, do you almost feel responsible for that at that point, where you like oh, it's me, it's me.
Speaker 1:I mean I I definitely cried, but I was just like I can't. I mean I didn't hide who I was. I mean I thought it was hired because of who I was, you know, to find out that. I mean there's another time where I was a respected producer, was putting together a band and they said they wanted women that were trying to want to make like a woman band like, like like a mint condition right, and I go, I audition and I'm asked to ghost play and they hire a model to. They want me to help learn to play and they want me to record the parts. They want her to front front it. And I was like, are you, are you kidding me? Like what, hold on.
Speaker 2:For some people who might not know what ghost play is, and I want to make sure I understand the context of this so they wanted you to be side stage playing while the person on stage was the the favorite girl.
Speaker 1:They wanted me to play all the parts, record all the parts. They just didn't want me, to my face, to be there. They wanted her body and her face.
Speaker 3:They wanted a more racially ambiguous looking ethnic girl, you know and you know there's that equal opportunity bullshit again where it's like you can't say nothing.
Speaker 1:But this is the producer saying we want serious musicians, we want it to be a band, but they didn't. They didn't really want it to be a band, they just wanted a look. You know, and I just was, I was out there and I'm like, are you kidding me? No-transcript, she doesn't even play, like. She doesn't even play, she like. But the look mattered more, you know, and I feel like I don't know.
Speaker 1:Here's my thought process there was an artist that I had to work with that I was never allowed to stand directly next to them because I was much taller than they were and they thought him being a man it was going to be emasculating. So I'm never standing directly next to him in pictures. I'm always, you know, because I was too tall and I wasn't allowed to wear heels because I couldn't be any taller than what I already was. You know, there's, you know, a lot. I mean I'm like I said I'll be 40 in March. Maybe I didn't say but I'll be 40 in March. So, like, ageism is also a thing too, you know, like they want. You know, I actually thought that was going to put me out of the running with Lil Yachty I am. I was shocked when I got the call for that, but Yachty was also. I will give it to him. He's 26,. Right, he's young. I'm. I'm a good 13 years older than him, but he really respected us Like he wanted he. It was all women, but he really. He said he wanted musicians, I could play and he wanted to give he wanted. He said he wanted. He's always been supported by strong women and he felt like he, it was his job to also give opportunity to women that wouldn't get the opportunity otherwise.
Speaker 1:You know, and I just knew that my age was going to cut me out. I just knew that my, I mean, I am not, I, I am not the cool dresser. You know, like I, you know I'm not, I'd pull disclosure. I had very like I knew who, like very little about Lil Yachty outside of him being a Sprite commercial. You know, like I, you know it's just I don't, you know I, but I found out about I was like I didn't think I was going to be cool enough for that gig, you know, and so it's like to get the gig.
Speaker 1:It was, it was great, you know, but he just allowed us to be who we were as people. So that was, it was a blessing and just, you know, it was a blessing. I just totally counted it out. Before I even got the gig, I was like there's no way, like there's no, I mean, yachty has like 8,000 cool pairs of sneakers and I think my, I have these highlighter Adidas that I I feel like are my cool shoes and they are my one parent pool, speaking of the thing, I'm kind of glad.
Speaker 3:I'm kind of glad this came up because I'm teaching a class at Webster University here as professional development for film and media and audio students that are going out into the field, and even me as being behind the scenes, like a lot of things you said. If I would have been in an ear shot of that, I don't know how I would have handled it, because I wouldn't have taken too kindly to it and and I talked to my students about it today actually and I'm like sometimes you just got to shut your mouth and see if someone's going to have your back. Like sometimes you can't say hey, that's not cool, that's not appropriate, that's like personal. But if hopefully somebody has your back and will speak up for you and that'll allow you to kind of have a voice, because I think you know in in this industry, if you go at it alone you might not get the gig. Oh yeah. And then back to where you, where you spoke on it's, it's who you are and if, if you keep speaking up about that, it might tarnish, yeah, you're going to be difficult.
Speaker 3:But dang dude that. I've been in the area of poor situations where things got either racial or sexual and I in my younger days I just lost it and I was like no, but now I can like approach it better and like determine whether it's like something that we have to deal with or that's not what we have to deal with. And it's so weird trying to explain that to people that work at normal jobs. Hey, to say it at a normal everyday job is like they don't have to do that. They go to the HR and that person like oh, yeah, right.
Speaker 3:Has to watch some videos. Right, there's no way to show it. Has to watch some videos and fill out some forms. Like that doesn't go down in our business and it's like every man for themselves, every woman for themselves and hopefully, like you said about Yachty, at least you have the support of a person in a position that can have a voice for you when you probably should just shush.
Speaker 1:Yeah.
Speaker 3:Oh, it's so, it's so annoying, it's so annoying, so speaking of that vein.
Speaker 2:You took a departure in your career, or a left turn or whatever In 2019, I like how. So on your website, you said you wanted to evolve that a new path of leadership, and you were hired as the music director at Decatur City Church, which is part of North Point, which is Andy Stanley right, you were the first African-American and first woman to hold this position, and there's obviously a lot to unpack right there. But I want to first touch on you wanted a new path and leadership, and then we can talk about some of the other stuff there. So what drove you into that mindset?
Speaker 1:Just thinking about my career and where I went to head and like so, like, definitely, like music direction is. That was the next step and I, just when the opportunity came, I was like, oh, because they're.
Speaker 1:The production levels in this church are high, you know high and I was like, man, if I could, and I had been like a contract musician within that network for a little bit and I was like, if I could, you know, if I could just start there, I hope I could parlay that back into you know, like, like back into the tour world or like, like my dream gig would be like to be like the like the house by director for like a late night show. Like that would be like dream, you know.
Speaker 2:like you know what's called D-Track up and see if he needs some help. Up there it was. There's some buyers.
Speaker 3:We got hookups at 30 Rock. We all know it.
Speaker 1:That would be like the dream nine to five, you know, like it's, it's I can, it's I don't know. But in order to get there, I need I just needed some experience as a music director. And when that came, when it came to me, I was just like, okay, let's, let's go, like I, I. It was kind of presented to me Like I. I remember when I was, when the music director at the time was quitting, and I remember the, his boss, the director, programming director, like send an email out to all contractors saying hey, if anybody might be interested, you know, reach out. And I remember seeing the email and be like, oh, yeah, probably not. Like I don't have enough experience for that.
Speaker 1:So when they I was personally invited to to apply, I was like, oh, okay, let's see. And I just thought they were just doing the, you know, like the what do you call it? The PC thing, like, oh, let's just, you know. And I started figuring I just apply it because it will, it will look good, you know. And I didn't actually think I would get it. And when I got it I was like, oh, okay, let's go. So, so, yeah, but I really wanted that experience. I wanted, I really wanted that experience and I was hoping that that would help me like prepare me for my when I come in the future.
Speaker 2:Yeah, I mean, the thing that stood out to me is, I mean, well, yes, it's a big deal being the first African American, at least in that in that church doing that. It was actually more the woman side of it I think. She was stuck out to me because you know, again, atlanta is the South, right. So being the first African American in the church, one of the things, maybe not the biggest of a deal, but you know the non-didominational Southern Baptist-ish Christian world of the South, I mean at least I mean I grew up in that environment like women were not allowed at any form of leadership, you know, like only a male role thing or whatever, and so I mean that's a barrier to have been broken of you know what was probably a wrong thing to be pushed for so long, right. So I mean, like did, while the people came to you and wanted you to try, was there any pushback that you felt at all from either Kaka Gesh or the people, or was it? I mean, what was the environment like?
Speaker 1:So that church has eight campuses, you know, and East Daly is very popular. It's a very big church. The campus that I work, decatur City. That campus is in a neighborhood is in Decatur. As far as the greater Atlanta area, decatur is probably one of the more progressive sides of town. So the main church is in Alpharetta, which is, you know, not as diverse.
Speaker 3:I would say A fluid, a little more like that, not diverse. So good, so good. It's cool, I'm used to it so.
Speaker 1:So it made sense for that campus to be the first campus to extend a job like that to a person of color, to a woman. You know, and I can't say that I'm not the first woman in leadership in the church but in the music department.
Speaker 2:Sure, sure, sure.
Speaker 1:Yes, like that was. I was the first and there was a lot of I felt pushback. Okay, and I saw a lot of you say I felt pushback from some of the other campuses, from some of the other musicians in the campus that maybe didn't know who I was, like you know, and then some who thought I didn't belong because I didn't come from that world here who is a secular world musician, coming into our space and she gets a leadership role. You know, like that's. I felt a lot of pushback in from that, in. You know, like who were you don't? You know, I don't know I only been playing in that network for a couple of years. You know you're not one of us?
Speaker 2:You're not one of us.
Speaker 1:I was that one of them, but I didn't you know. It's not my fault.
Speaker 3:My comeback would be the to. That is like look how much you emulate the secular world, like you guys. What exactly you guys want that?
Speaker 1:That's exactly. You want this experience, you want that. But so maybe there was a little bit of jealousy there too, you know, and it wasn't from everyone.
Speaker 3:Yeah, that's a good expression In V.
Speaker 1:Yeah, but you know, and at the time when I got the job, I like I was still working with Janelle. So like one of the one of the stipulations I had was I had to finish out my contract year with her. So we did, which meant I had to go to Coachella. We did Coachella that year. I had to go to the Grammys. We did the Grammys that year. Like I had to go finish out our year. Our European tour. Like we did my show, jazz Festival, like I was like, yeah, I'm not, I have to finish those out. So here I am, you know they're watching. I met church on Vithun on Sunday and then on Tuesday I'm. You know they, they. It was a lot of ruffled feathers at the beginning, but I I can't be worried about that At this point in my life. I'm used to ruffled feathers.
Speaker 3:Fast forward. Now you're with little Yachty. Maybe you have to go back to church.
Speaker 1:Oh my gosh. Yeah, well, I don't work there anymore, but but like, not on staff. But if I were, oh, my gosh there would have been a big, they would have. They would have. There would have been a lot of issues.
Speaker 3:Got some explaining to do.
Speaker 2:What did you, what did you learn about yourself in that pursuit of looking for a leadership role and having to change, just being the I don't know I'm not degrading like being an ambassador, but like your support personal stage, right, you're just a piece of the thing, as opposed to now. You're responsible for the thing you are. You know you're responsible for people and you're responsible for delivery and and and presence and all these things, not just for yourself. You know like what was what? What did that do for you?
Speaker 1:Man, like definitely what I learned most is about is the people management. That's the thing I didn't expect. I was like I'm a musician, music is fun for me, this is easy, I can, I love arranging, like that's, that's, I just thought, no, the job. And so like, for example, in this, in this network, the band is never the same every week, like it's different musicians every week, you know. And so I'm having to put together people, figure out personalities who works best with who? Who can bring out who you know, and this is every week, every Sunday. You know where it's a different set with different people. And then having to manage, like I used to be one of you and now I'm your boss, and so now that was also like difficult.
Speaker 1:Like person you know, like making, like learning how to keep my feelings out of it or like learning how to be okay with not being friends with you anymore because I have to tell you what to do. Now you know, like that was as a person who was a people pleaser, who loves people, to love you. You know like having you know to now be like no, you have. No, I have to be in charge of you right now. I can't play with you in the green room anymore, like I have to make sure that you're on time now. You know like that was difficult. I mean, learning Ableton was difficult for me, but it was something I really, I really that's that's the main thing I really wanted to learn was like like learning how to build tracks and stuff. I really wanted to get that best go set underneath my my belt so that really helped a lot there.
Speaker 1:But yeah, I think out of anything, the music part to me is the easiest part to me because that's what I love to do. It was just learning how to manage people and actually learning how to be in a corporate type of setting again after being like so free spirited for so many years, having to like get used to going to meetings again and like having to answer to someone.
Speaker 2:I said to myself again, I mean because it's, I mean, right, wrong or a different, and then not to dig into this portion of churches or business, right, I mean, you know, whether you're the believer outside doesn't matter, churches are business, right, and so there are the rules, there are. Here's what, what we want to look like, here's what we want to sound like, you know, I mean like I know, like you know I worked in, you know mixing in a non-denominational church, right, and like we would literally have meetings of like what does Valley Point sound like? What, what is the sonic signature of this church? Yes, you know, like, did you ever, did you ever find yourself at a crossroads of like, you know the church, and it didn't have to be this church.
Speaker 2:Right, because this is, I'm not, and anything I'm saying has nothing to do with any Stanley or his church. Right, right, right, this is church culture, things that happen, right, but having to be like ever at odds with what you felt was right or wanted to do, versus like nope, I have to now push this I don't know how to call it agenda, but like this experience that I'm being told to, this is the experience we have to deliver, even if I feel that this is, musically or the better, I don't know like. Do you know what I'm saying?
Speaker 1:Yes, that's something you had to learn to squash right. Like your person, like no, it's true, like and and and, while I was at that campus, like we had a specific person that it was like I forget the, so we're something my words are failing me right now but it was basically like a prototype person, like this is the person that you know attends this church and this is the kind of what they would want to hear and this is what, like we had to build a creative on this idealistic person, and sometimes I understood it, sometimes I didn't, sometimes I agreed with it. Most times, in my heart, I did it, but you know, like, I had to just kind of like learn how to take myself out of it and just do the job that I was hired to do, which I think is important, because everything can't be, you know like. You know it's not always about me and what I think you know like and it's it's part of learning how to work on a team, it's part of learning how to work with different types of people, which are all valuable skill sets that I could take anywhere.
Speaker 1:You know, like you know I might one day work with an artist and just because I'm the MD doesn't mean I have full control over everything. I have to take what the artist, you know, what they believe and I have to make it work according to their vision. You know that's it's my vision. Doesn't matter as much as the artist. So let's just replace artists with church, like my vision doesn't, like I'm hired by this church to do this job.
Speaker 3:So I know, I noticed that my church too it's the same thing. I work at an inner city church here, pretty large one in St Louis, and a lot of the musicians are hired in the MD kind of has to take a path of it's not about you, it's about the vertical and not the horizontal.
Speaker 1:Yes.
Speaker 3:And and you almost lose your individuality, not as a player, but how you present the music. And and now I understand, after being there for five years it's about let's just be honest, it's about the spirit, like the spirit tells you where it's going to go, and I think that's an interesting, interesting approach to musicians that are trained because they're not used to taking that approach, like it's more stylistic or artistic, but church is more of a. It's still that, but it's called spiritual and there's lines that are drawn like that. It's pretty cool. What I want to talk about is, all of a sudden, church is done. You are in a live band for a hip hop artist named Lil Yachty Lil Yachty so how is that experience? So one, you're Ableton stuff, you guys are always playing the tracks, and we talked off air before we started recording how it was like a Pink Floyd experience, now yes and how he wanted to take the music a different direction, got a live band. How was that for?
Speaker 1:you One. I thought it was really cool, like witnessing his excitement with music and like like his this new, this new, like I feel like it's like a new door in his artistry for each, like what, what? Watching him be all like he's discovering all this stuff and it's like so it's so cool to like watch that because I just remember how music made you know, like, made me feel when I was discovering it. So like to see his excitement with that and then seeing how passionate he was, like he was there from the first day of rehearsals up until the very first show. So like we started rehearsing in the January.
Speaker 1:Our first show with his new music was like second first week of March and from day one of rehearsals he was there. Like I've never really rehearsed the artist in the beginning. He was there making sure that he had his producers that work with him on the album there every day, making sure that the tones are right, that the parts are right, like he really wanted it to feel like the music and so that was, that was. That was really like. It was really encouraging for me because I mean, personally I don't vibe.
Speaker 1:I feel like I don't vibe a lot with most current music, like I'm very old school in my heart, like you know, and like new music is so I don't know just really inches my ear as much. But this I felt like was right in my alley. I'm like, oh, it's like real parts, it's real baseline, it's like you know, and see him be so serious about it and like interested in like the, the creation, like it was inspiring to I don't know. I feel very inspired and I was like, oh, look, I mean I maybe feel a little old and like, look at his head, like you get it, you know what.
Speaker 2:Do you, do you? Is he? Is he influenced by Tyler, the creator, at all? I mean, yeah, they're friends, they're friends.
Speaker 1:They're very close friends and I know that he referred to him a lot, got a lot of opinion from him, like Tyler was able to speak into his show, like you know, even the like we did mostly festivals and stuff until his tour and I know that Tyler saw one of the festival shows and encouraged him, you know, to make some changes for his tour. That would, you know, help the show kind of evolve.
Speaker 2:Yeah, everything you said reminded me of we talked to five one. He was like a tour accountant or whatever out with with Tyler the creator. And same thing. Tyler would come out to the show in rehearsals. He's like, oh, that's not, I want it to be Pantone 202. Or you know, I mean like he's that. He's that level of creative in his art and and it's an experience you know that that that type of thing. So that like it sounded like almost the same headspace.
Speaker 1:Yeah, yachty was very intentional, eva. All his auto tunes had to be specific. They needed to be dotted, just like the, and they were per per song. It was really cool. I would, if you haven't had a chance to go, listen to it. It's a really eclectic album. Like it's really it's him, it's very much Lil Yachty, but like I thought it was really cool how he brought himself to that, that style of music and kind of I don't know. It was really interesting.
Speaker 2:So the correlation I saw between you know, a Tyler creator, and Lil Yachty is that, like you know, like I, you know, when I saw you work with Lil Yachty I saw you around a tour of them I was like I'm gonna go listen to them. I'm like I don't get this Right. And but then you're all seem feeling I had the same feeling. Yes, I am old, but also I have 15 year old daughter too, right? So I do my best to try to relate to the stuff that she listens to, like she's into, like, yeah, lois Evert and Big With a Hood and stuff like that, right, and so it's like I'll bump it in the car, right, you know, and I may not love it, but like I'll, you know, I just do my best to relate, right.
Speaker 2:So I remember the first time I'm like, okay, let me dig in Tyler creator, listen to it. I'm like I don't, I don't get this, I don't understand it, right, so completely. And then when I experienced his show and I saw the art and everything that came together, it was like I get this and then I could go back and I could listen to the albums and enjoy it. So did you have any similar experience of like maybe hearing because you didn't really know who Lil Yachty was. You know much of his stuff, but then now you experience his live show when he's curating with it. That live connection with his music is radically different than just having consumed it on Spotify or wherever.
Speaker 1:No, it's true. And also he is a beast of a live performance Like and watching his interaction with his fans, it's insane. And like he really like for this tour, he, he, he, he footage, a lot of the bill himself, like he really wanted to have like an immersive experience. So like he had huge screen and he had all this artwork done. And he like he because he said he really he hadn't toured in like five years, maybe seven years, and he said he really wanted to give the an experience to his fans, like you know he wanted them to to have an experience. And so like watching his passion for that passion for his he really does love his fans and he appreciates them and watching how he really wanted to also immerse them in this new world that he's created, was it was inspiring, Just even just it was inspired.
Speaker 1:You know I hadn't been on, I did, I hadn't been on a road since 2019. So, like getting back out there with him, like I felt like it was, you know, my, my first time back. Just like he paid, it was his first time back and like I just I don't know it was encouraging, you know, to just see, to see like, to see him be courageous and stepping outside of his norm Because his new music is not like to his old music and he did embrace all of his music on tour. Like you know. He started out with the with the new album, had it in middle set with the DJ to to kind of incorporate his old music that his fans love, and then ended with the with the new album again. So it was like full circle moment for him and watching Tyler did a similar thing.
Speaker 2:Like he had a B stage, so like he did his current album all on the main stage and it's like I'm gonna go over here, I'm gonna do this thing over here, we're gonna go old school for a minute and like he did, he's more like hardcore you know, stuff out there, you know, and then went back to the stage and, you know, finished out his current stuff.
Speaker 3:So yeah, I think it's crazy because I'm old and remember how people used to write off DJs and people wrote off electronic music, especially musicians, and then that kind of flooded into the general public where they didn't think that they had more to offer than what you heard on the record.
Speaker 3:And I like how you explained it, that he's a creative yes, you didn't say, oh, Lil Yachty the rapper or whatever.
Speaker 3:Like I think that is how this music is going to progress past people thinking that it's just a track and a dude with a mic.
Speaker 3:And the creative aspect of these people isn't, like most of these people, just bang it in the car, Like they don't get to experience a true rap show, hip hop. I don't know, I still have a problem calling it hip hop because I'm from the 80s and like I got run DMC and public enemy on my wall right now and some of the five elements aren't quite there, if you know what I'm talking about. But I think the creative point of those artists is going to be more prevalent and I'm glad you got to experience that, because I remember when Lil Wayne went out and took a full band, people didn't receive it very well, but now it's almost like they want that and artists like Tyler and Lil Yachty and even Holy Cow like the Drake tour right now is blowing up Like those artists are. That's what they are. They're not just rappers from Brooklyn and they're not standing at parties with a microphone with the DJ Like. They have a creative vision for where their music is going. It's not about a thing.
Speaker 1:And to be a part of that, like you're in the band, Like I and his first band at that, like you know, like it was just great. I will, I will be great. I'm forever grateful to have been part of his first like a first for him and part of like creating beauty and like art with him and a time where he felt most vulnerable, because this, this was a vulnerable time for him. That this album was a vulnerable album for him.
Speaker 1:He did in the pandemic, you know, when we were all shut down, he, you know, he decided to reinvent himself and like, try something new and he put it out against, I think, probably pretty certain. He probably got pushed back from his label because it wasn't his typical, you know, and he had to prove to them and to everyone that this is what he wanted to do and that it was going to be successful. And I'm really proud of him for that and I'm honored to have been a part of that journey with him. And you know, he's forever evolving and changing. He, like he says himself, he gets bored easily, so, like he likes to go to the next thing. So he's, you know, I know he's working on something new with James Blake right now and so you know, I think this album was what it was.
Speaker 2:Well, you know, he's vulnerable, but not as vulnerable as Andre 3000.
Speaker 3:Oh, no, it's not. No, it's not Please.
Speaker 2:Sorry, sorry, sorry, sorry, respect Anyway.
Speaker 1:Maybe in the future. Maybe in the future we'll see Lil Yachty with the kazoo, who knows? But you know.
Speaker 3:Oh man, All right. This is a song I wrote in a high rise in New York that I wanted to fall asleep to.
Speaker 2:All right. I want to reminisce on an experience that Tasia, you and I shared. Oh, all right, so to set the stage, literally and figuratively, so right. So, for those who don't know, at the end of tours there are pranks, typically that happen on the last night of a tour. The audience is oblivious to this and sometimes the audience is not a part of it. I don't know if things just happen and maybe this has gone away. I haven't toured in 14 years, so maybe the pranks and the tour pranks have gone away.
Speaker 2:I'm not sure, but it was the thing when I was touring, and so I was mixing monitor for the headline act, which is Anthony Hamilton on this tour, and then Music Soul Child was the support act and Tasia was out there, and so you all had an all-female band. You had two dancers and there was a middle part of the show where music takes its break. It goes off stage and you rest up or whatever, and there's some choreography, dance and you guys are jamming and whatever you guys are doing, I thought it would be hilarious. Actually, I thought it'd be hilarious to come out there and dance with you all on the last night, but I was like I got to do more than just come out there and dance with you guys. I was like I got to go to the next level.
Speaker 2:We happened to be touring theaters and I may or may not have come across a wig in a dressing room when we were in Detroit and I was like, hmm, when can I use this? So I may have comradeered a wig from a theater in Detroit somewhere and then we'll come up with another tour. And I was like I gotta go full out. So all day off I went to Walmart, I got this bright yellow skirt, I got this blue shirt, I got sunglasses and I had it all planned out like the whole tour, except for music, knew that I was coming out on the stage right, because like people, like cameras ready and everything, so, so I come out on the stage, I'm out there for like five seconds at best. I started doing the Macarena because that's all the only dance this white boy knew how to do at the time and you could do the worm I've seen you, I could do it now.
Speaker 2:I could do that. Then actually, pretty Ricky actually taught me how to do the worm, but anyway, that's a whole. That's a whole.
Speaker 3:That's another box of worms.
Speaker 2:And meanwhile everyone thought it was hilarious Minus music security guy who didn't didn't recognize me, he didn't recognize my hairy legs under the skirt or my, my goatee or anything like that. He comes running out on the stage like, basically practically picks me up and like drags me off the side of the stage and I was barely out there for not even, not even a minute. So he did, he did his job. I'll give him that music was pissed. His manager was pissed at our tour manager. Bill Reeves at the time was like he's like, yeah, it was funny. He was like you got to apologize, right and and then like to make it. Even when I came out during Anthony Hamilton said to the exact same thing. So it wasn't just pumpkin music, but I thought it was freaking hilarious. I think you guys are all busted up. Laugh at all stage.
Speaker 1:So, yeah, my music I mean it was in security Was his brother at the time read yeah, read was yeah. We thought it was hilarious. I'm like I thought I loved it last, so I thought it was great.
Speaker 2:Oh man, it was. It was funny. So like I dug up some pictures, I sent him to Tays and I sent him to Kyle. I'll, I'll, I'll post them on like our socials and stuff Once this thing comes out, because they're like crappy old pictures, so like they're like self-impactors, so like they're all pixelated, but you can still get. You get the vibe, and it was. It was fun though. So I was like and you know what's funny is so I was thinking about like having no attention. Stuff was like I kid you not, like and I remember this once I saw you at Genome Onee, like you're the only one that I actually remember from that band Like just think you're, just you have a very electric personality and and like obviously the strings help too with the colorful. There's a right like that that sticks out and and so I've enjoyed, like kind of like you know, watching your career. So, yeah, I'm like I would be fun to like experience and work together. So it's cool, we got to do that one night together, you know, with Genome Onee.
Speaker 1:So yeah, well, I was excited that you remembered me so like, thank you so much, like it makes a lot to me that you remember and that you know you'd be your, your kind to to me. You know, and I used it. Like you mentioned talking to Kev, like you know, it wasn't, that wasn't yours first Rodio, but like I felt I never felt it like she did like less than you know or like, oh, she doesn't know what she's doing. I find you didn't know what I was doing a lot of time. You know like, but you know I just it was fun, I just have fun happy memories of that and you are one of fun happy memories I I enjoyed meeting you then and like I enjoyed being on the road with you all and so like I'm honored that you remember me even now. So like, thank you, like it means I got?
Speaker 2:I got two questions. I don't want to cut even a question. I have two questions to end this out with, but I'm. If you have any other questions, kyle, before I ended out with two questions, do it All right. So the first one would be having spent, you know, a majority of your life at this point, you know being a, you know, professional musician. What's, what's something you know now that you wish you knew when you first started.
Speaker 1:Definitely to save my money, amen. Yes really and truly, I wish, I, I just I really wish I just understood that I should pace myself and that I should plan for a rainy day or a rainy pandemic.
Speaker 3:Famous. That's some shirts right there. She's famous.
Speaker 2:All right. And, Teja, if you could define your legacy how you'd want to be known, how would you define that?
Speaker 1:That's a nice question. I like that. I would like to be known as someone who I want people to remember that I truly respected their music and I wanted to play it from my heart. And like I want every artist I work with to always feel like I brought passion to their stage and joy and honor and respect Like I've won.
Speaker 1:Yeah, that means a lot to me because, as an artist, I would want to feel the same way and I I, you know anytime I get an opportunity to play, it really is a blessing, like it really does feel like a blessing to me and if, like we've talked earlier, like you know, I'm always just like, oh, I get to do this.
Speaker 1:Like you know, I never want to lose that feeling and like, anytime, even if, whether it's a local gig for 20 people or I mean I'm not, I don't think I've ever played for 20 million but let's say, one day I get there right, like I never wanted to lose this, that feeling, like that, like honor, that I get to do this and I get to bring this experience to others, and I always like, yeah, I want people, if they look back on my career, I want them to feel proud that they had me work with them and proud that I would like I could bring that that kind of you know, respect and passion to their, to their show, to their music. Like I hope that you know, when you know, when people I'm not in the room, people be like, yeah, I want her around because she made me feel good and she made my music feel good.
Speaker 3:I think I think it's really fun that we got to share a just a portion of your story, because I really hope that this inspires, you know, our listeners and it's definitely inspired me because we heard a little bit about your trials and tribulations through it and I feel like your positivity is going to push you to just keep doing this and be great at it. So I'm just really excited that we got to share your story. This is this, is this is why we do it, and I know it's just a portion and it's your professional life and and stuff like that, but it really put a lot of things together for me. One even when we've started out and you said you were the only musical person in your family. I was that kid too and I still can't explain that drive, but to hear someone else talk about it, the way that you did was was enlightening to me to know that it's okay. So thank you.
Speaker 1:Thank you, no, I you all. Even inviting me to be here today was inspiring for me.
Speaker 1:It made me feel like somebody wants to talk to me, you know like because I I thought you'd feel it in a rut, you know, or you feel like like this is beginning of the year for me. I'm just trying to figure out what my year is going to look like, and so this I was, like it felt, very validating. So thank you, thank you all for having me on. You know, like it made me feel really good, so like thank you.
Speaker 3:Chris, chris and I come across so many interesting people that don't have a platform to like talk about it. You know, and I think it's interesting because, like I said, we we find little bits and pieces throughout everybody's stories that matches a lot of us out there and that's important to know. That it's okay, it's all okay. We have ups and downs, there's a struggle, there's a success and, like you said, I even talked to my class about that today. I was like, saving money, doing your taxes being correct, this, this entertainment business thing, doesn't work like everybody else's normal job. Right, you know, and it's important that we talk about it and at least someone will hear that and go. You know what? I probably should set up a little account or, and that's perfect, you affected one person and that person will be like yo. I listened to this thing and like she went through the same thing and her goal was to like, save for the future because, like, like you said, you never know when you're just going to be sitting around. Thanks, thanks, covid.
Speaker 1:Right. None of us could have described what they had. That's crazy.
Speaker 3:But thank you so much, appreciate it.