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Here I Am...
Born in Trinidad and into a globe-trotting family, I spent the formative parts of my childhood in Forest Hills, Queens, New York before returning to the Caribbean region. The sights and sounds of NY, were in stark contrast to those of my eventual home; Barbados. Everything was so much clearer and brighter, yet it was really what I heard that had the greatest impact on me at the time. Nature’s orchestra expressed itself at night through sounds and vibrations that struck me profoundly.
“Your voice is like a snake, bending and weaving effortlessly through the grass. You have a gift!" -Eddy Grant
By the time I was seven I knew I wanted to express myself through sound and so, as I grew, I pursued singing with strong determination and dedication. Today I am fortunate to have toured the world as a singer, lectured at great London universities and to have authored a book on performance excellence. Working with large media organisations and with singers on primetime TV show The Voice UK added another fun dimension to my professional journey. Yet throughout my career, there was one question that kept popping up.
“How is it that, as a busy mum of three, you have been able to do what you love as your life’s work?”
The truth is, I saw no other option. For me, there was, and still is, no other way. This is not to say that I haven’t had to overcome challenges on the path of pursuit. Amongst balancing motherhood during university and other testing familial moments, one occurrence stands out as critical to what got me here.
At 17 years old while studying languages I felt deeply unfulfilled. I remember waking up every morning dreading the day ahead, apart when I would skip classes to sing in the large auditorium, so that I could experience the amazing acoustics there. The inner disharmony of what I endured in college told me it at the deepest level that that was not right for me. After years of struggle, I summoned enough courage to drop out of college to pursue what I truly loved. All of this took place without my parent’s blessing-in-advance, which thankfully came later.
But still, leaving college was the only way for me to follow my love for music and sound.
“When we least expect it, life sets us a challenge to test our courage and willingness to change; at such a moment, there is no point in pretending that nothing has happened or in saying that we are not yet ready. The challenge will not wait. Life does not look back. A week is more than enough time for us to decide whether or not to accept our destiny.” Paulo Coelho
Within 4 months of leaving, I met a musician who would change my life. Eddy Grant, chart-topping musician and member of one of the United Kingdom's first racially integrated pop/rock groups provided a career opportunity that proved a unique training ground for me. It started with me being a resident backing vocalist on his label where I breathed, ate and slept music for 3 happy years.
One thing I recognised from my experiences is that in order to do what you love, you need to trust your intuition to take bold steps, to be persistent and adaptable, even in the face of fear. Now I am able to recognise this struggle of being unfulfilled when I see people who are surviving, or existing as life is passing by, instead of them connecting with who they truly are. I believe that everyone is able to express themselves authentically. And the cool thing is, I get to use my gift to help them overcome their obstacles and create a more meaningful life through their authentic expression.
My journey so far has allowed me to exploit tools like, Neuro Linguistic Programming (NLP), Hypnosis, Thought Field Therapy (TFT), Sound Healing and Shamanic practices; reflecting my intention to be more, to serve more.
Even through my diverse life events, passions and training, sound has been ever-present. It has been the common thread which now acts as the backbone of my work. These experiences have combined to influence my coaching style to help others connect with their authentic self and express their gifts into the world.