Conversations with C. Cmphany

Today we’d like to introduce you to C. Cmphany. Them and their team share their story with us below:

C. Cmphany is a 28-year-old R&B Vocalist, Songwriter, and native from the Washington Metropolitan area! Growing up, stories poured out the same way after every performance, of accounts of her free-spirited love for singing and performance before she could even talk. Born to a musical family, her mother a singer and violinist, and her father a Trombonist; her family joined the church in her youth following her parent’s divorce, where she developed a strong presence in her church community through music. She learned the power of messaging in music at a young age. Graduating from an esteemed art school in the Washington Metropolitan area, Duke Ellington School of the Performing Arts, she graced the stages of the Kennedy Center and the pages of the Washington Post as a young trained Operatic singer before the age of 18.

After a near-complete college career studying at a Conservatory in Virginia, Cmphany chose to redirect her focus from career to motherhood and family when she had her first child in 2013. Adjusting to new changes, she still managed to perform Contemporary covers and Classical repertoire at weddings, churches, and local events and ceremonies when she could. After years of freelancing and entertainment jobs, along with enduring a long era of Postpartum depression/depression, Cmphany decided to make a critical decision and take a leap of faith. After 15 years of singing another’s story, albeit many different languages and styles, she decided to begin singing her own story.

She released her first EP in 2019 and has written and released numerous R&B singles since, with her most popular release, “We Could Be (Perfect)” released in February 2021; set to premiere its visual debut in December 2021. She is also projected to release an EP in Summer of 2022, featuring rising indie artists and producers. Cmphany is a spirited songwriter, woman and mother, with an unforgettable personality and an intricate past of pain and victory. Her R&B works merge soulful sounds with a fresh harmonic perspective for an experience filled with her musical stories of soul, humor, passion, and sexiness.

Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
My journey has definitely not been easy, but I try to remain very grateful for the things I do have that I cherish deeply. I definitely have inner-conflicts that I struggle with from pain from the past. As an adult who has two little minds, always depending on my mental and emotional strength, it’s been as smooth of a road as I am able to find contentment. One of my biggest personal struggles has been my mental health for me. I dealt with a lot of emotional trauma at a young age. When you’re young, it’s much easier to distract yourself from sadness. When I had my first son, the Post-partum state exacerbated my depression and became one of the darkest periods of my life. I admitted myself to therapy.

Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
I am an R&B Singer and Songwriter, but I was an Operatic singer for 15 years and sang in 5 languages. I also read music and can compose music. My formal music background really sets me apart because although my actual singing has always been impressive, education really gave me a solid foundation to guide my creativity. I can hear the most versatile instrumentals and start creating musical sounds around it in my head.

Where we are in life is often partly because of others. Who/what else deserves credit for how your story turned out?
My mother and my father deserve credit, first and foremost, because a little bit of that music gene flows through my blood. My mother was a singer and a violinist. She always had dreams of performing and sang part-time as the lead singer in a Contemporary/Gogo band. She took me to performances, rehearsals and immersed me in the musician’s environment early. My dad was always encouraging me and uplifting any talent I had, especially my musical power. He attended every performance he could and always encouraged me to have faith in my talent. “You have a gift!” he would always say.

My other role models and inspirations include my closest music teachers during my education growing up: Dr. Ayers, Mr. Forest, and Dr. Bond. My music teacher in High School, Dr. Mary Jane Ayers was the only white woman in our department at school but taught me a profound love of Negro Spirituals that I would not have had it not been for her nurturing of my talent. Mr. Michael Forest, an African American Tenor who debuted at the Metropolitan Opera and stood next to legendary African American Opera singers, was my teacher, safe space, and emotional support during my college years. Some days, my sadness would not let me sing, but I always had a safe space with him. Lastly, Dr. Gary Bond, years later, a devoted choir director, Brass instrumentalist, and voice coach, who introduced me to a new, loving church family, encouraged me during a time of isolation and re-ignited my motivation during my Post-partum era. I began applying to compete in Classical Aria competitions again, a dream I’d given up for years.

Contact Info:

• Email: [email protected]
• Instagram: instagram.com/ccmphany
• Facebook: facebook.com/ccmphany
• Twitter: twitter.com/ccmphany
• Youtube: youtube.com/ccmphany
• SoundCloud: soundcloud.com/ccmphany 

Image Credits
Photos @mymanbriscoe