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Friday Night Concert
Chrisette
Michele
Click
here to check out her sound
 Surrounded
by music since she was a small child, twenty-three year old singer,
songwriter and composer Chrisette Michele has been blessed with an old
soul and this Long Island bred songwriter and vocalist has a deep
appreciation for the harmonic foundations that includes gospel and jazz.
"I did my first solo when I was four years old," Chrisette remembers.
Currently putting the finishing touches on her soulful debut album, an
artistic exploration that fuses Chrisette's diverse musical interest into
a wonderland, the young artist couldn't be more pleased. "I realize that
I'm new to the music world, but I've been preparing for this moment for
long time."
Even before signing on the dotted line of her Def Jam contract last year,
the multitalented soul sister had toured with more established artists
like Kem and India Arie. "India saw me singing at the Village Underground
in New York City. She came backstage that first night and graciously
offered me a gig as her opening act."
 Working
hard in the studio writing songs and recording demos, Chrisette finished
an album worth of material before even trying to get signed. "I've been
creating songs since I was twelve, so I knew I needed the right musical
blend in order to stand-out from the many other performers trying to get a
deal."
While not hung-up on genre labels, Chrisette Michele says, "I'm excited
about finding my place amongst young composers like Alicia Keys and Jill
Scott. My goal from the moment I was signed by Antonio "LA" Reid, Chairman
and CEO, Island Def Jam Music Group, was to create a seamless album that
mixes soul and pop in a way that will have people coming back to again and
again." Favorite contemporary artists that are in high rotation include,
Beyonce, Kanye West and NAS.
Days after giving LA "goose bumps" during the audition, the young singer
found herself in a California studio called Brandon's Way having a
creative conversation with Babyface.
 Over
the course of a few days, the duo recorded seven tracks, four of which
will be heard on her upcoming release. "Babyface and I got into a
conversation about the love he has for his children," she says. "So, the
first song I penned was called 'My Joy.'
It's a song about a child speaking to his or her father, and I think it's
quite special. Observing the artistry that Babyface possesses has
hopefully made me a better performer as well."
Having grown-up in the suburbs of Long Island, Chrisette didn't spend much
time planted in front of the television. "My parents had me in girl
scouts, tap class and piano lessons," Chrisette says. "It wasn't like I
was cut off from the world, but there just wasn't a lot of media influence
in my life during those early years."
Chrisette Michele has always been true to herself. "I don't feel as though
I was the typical deacon's kid, because I was taught early on to speak my
mind and not be afraid to think," she says. "To me, that is one of things
that helped keep me focused as an artist who is trying to do something
different in music."
 A
self-described "girly girl" Chrisette says, "I have definite older child
syndrome. I helped my mom raise my brothers like they were my own
children, but I also had the pleasure of being daddy's little princess."
In addition to her own relatives, Chrisette was blessed with an extended
family that included the many folks that her mother allowed to room in
their house. "If my mother saw a homeless pregnant woman on the street,
chances are they would soon be staying with us," Chrisette laughs. "I
learned so much about the world listening to these folk's stories, and to
this day their experiences can be heard in my material."
Though already a fan of gospel and classical, it wasn't until Chrisette
Michele was seventeen that she also developed a passion for jazz. "When I
was still in high school a teacher introduced me to jazz singer Astrud
Gilberto, and afterwards my life was all about jazz," she remembers.
Majoring in music at 5 Towns College in Long Island, Chrisette cites the
nurturing sway of her teachers for where she is today. "Although I did
have talent, often that is not enough," she says. "My professors taught me
how to a professional and to be serious about my music. They taught me how
to put the music that I dream about at night on paper in the morning."
With the release of her debut album, Chrisette Michele will soon be
sharing those musical dreams with the rest of the world.
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