Noreen Crayton’s, Make Me Over, was released to worldwide radio promotion just a few days ago and the response has been enormous. Noreen spoke of the response, “It’s only been a few days, but wow”!
Noreen provided some thoughtful answers about her life and music:
How would you describe your music?
Melodic, soulful, spiritual and filled with lots and lots harmonies lol
What has been your greatest opportunity in your career so far?
I’ve been fortunate to have a lot of opportunities throughout my career
but I think I am most proud of the fact that Ronnie Milsap recorded a song
I co-wrote (with Greg Tornquist) and that it was the lead single on his
gospel cd and then right after that I was fortunate to win the Independent
Music Award for best gospel song for the song (I wrote all by myself),
“Walking In The Faith.” Those two opportunities provided me with exposure
and showcased me as a writer. It really helped me personally in that it
allowed me to realize that what I was doing wasn’t crazy lol.
What do you think distinguishes a true music artist from an entertainer?
That’s a good question, the differences are far more subtle then one
realizes.
True artistry is organic and comes from a very real and honest place. It
exists whether there is an audience watching or not. Some of my best work
is done at 1 AM in the morning while I’m composing a song or laying a
vocal attempting to keep my heart bared (open) so that the person who will
be listening can feel the message I’m trying to convey. Ultimately, it’s
not about entertaining but about relating and identifying with the
audience and vice versa.
Also, an entertainer has the capacity to turn what they do onstage during
a performance into an art form. Think about Michael Jackson and what he
did and how his work touched millions of people, it was amazing.
So there are no differences really, it depends on the person and how
deeply they’d like to delve into the gift they’ve been given.
What do you want to always be remembered for?
I’d like to be remembered as an artist that stayed to true to the vision
given to her and that her music reached the very heart of someone and
helped them heal even a little bit.
What advice would you give a music artist who is just starting out?
Just keep writing and working in public. If you hear a word or phrase
that strikes you in a very unique way, you’ll know it has meaning because
it impact you….write it down. Carry a notebook or record the phrase on
your phone. If you hear a melody in your head that just won’t leave you
alone, do the same thing……you’ll eventually have to deal with it and
hammer it out. If you are given the opportunity to execute in front of
people, try not to turn it down. Just do it even if you suffer from stage
fright like me (smile). The thing is don’t stop the flow inside you, give
in to it even if you have to do it late at night when the kids are sleep
or when you come in from work exhausted, rest a little bit then hammer it
out even for an hour. You’ll be really happy you did.
Where do you see your artistry going in the next 5 years?
I’d like the music I do reach more people, my prayer is to write or
co-write something that will help transform a generation. Some of the
things I see and read about in the news is just heartbreaking. I’m
beginning to feel that human beings don’t even like one another let alone
feel for each other and themselves. I’d like to be part of something far
bigger than me. Write or co-write or work on something artistic that will
change people’s hearts and minds so that we all realize we are here for
one another and that we all work for the greater good and from the heart.
Anything else you really want to say?
Thanks for listening to what I’ve
released so far, there’s more to come, I hope you enjoy it and I hope it’s
something helps you get through the day.
Thanks for sharing, Noreen!
