I Am Woman, Hear Me Roar

I love the arts!  All forms of it, really.  But I do hold a special place in my heart for music.  There is something to be said about the way a song can make you feel.  How it can empower you. Enhance your mood.  Move you to accomplish things you didn't know was even possible.  This is what music does for me.

I think about all of the genres of music that I love.  Classical, Latin, Rock, Dance, Pop, Folk ... my list is endless!  Today, though, I sit here listening to music that was created by talented women.  Women who have, and still do, pave the way for others to create and grow.  Some women are more relevant and recognizable by popular standards.  While others are standing strong and creating even if no one is listening/watching.  It is these women, that I often feel more connected to.

I had the amazing opportunity to meet Noe Venable, a very talented sing/songwriter, when I was in my early 20s.  I had first heard Venable at an Ani DiFranco concert in Columbus, Ohio.  She was the opening act for DiFranco.  I fell in love instantly.  Her music moving, alive and sincere.  I can honestly say that was the best concert I have ever been to and the memory of it is still so fresh that it doesn't feel like it was a decade ago!  A few years later, a friend and I made a trip up to Ann Arbor, Michigan to see Venable at an intimate little venue called The Ark .  Her performance was awe inspiring. This is when I met her.  We talked for a few minutes, and she asked if I was an artist.  At the time, I didn't know a photographer was patiently waiting to be awoken.  I let Venable know how much her art moved and inspired me.  Not realizing how much women like her, would help shape me to be the camera artist that I am today.

My advice to anyone wanting to create.  Make sure your work reflects you.  Make it honest, pure and unwavering.  It can be hard not to compare yourself to others, I'm guilty of this.  Your work should reflect your individuality.  How boring would this world be if we were all the same.  I love the music that pours out of artists like Venable and DiFranco.  Not because their work is different from what's trending, but because it is not the same.

Are there any musicians who have inspired you?

Feel free to click on the playlist below to hear a few of my favorite tunes created by some phenomenal women: