Today we’d like to introduce you to Aliyah René.
Hi Aliyah, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstory.
I didn’t grow up knowing that I wanted to be a singer, necessarily; from childhood piano lessons to elementary school band to middle school orchestra, I ricocheted from ensemble to ensemble like a game of pinball.
It was only in high school that I began singing places outside of my room. I joined my high school chorus and sang in a talent show for the first time. I found myself enthralled – singing felt different from the other instruments I had learned. My voice was me, my own flesh and muscle, that I could use to create my own sound.
In college, I pursued two degrees: a Bachelor of Science in Neuroscience and Behavioral Biology and a Bachelor of Arts in Voice Performance. Performing in front of others was steadily becoming less nerve-wracking as I racked up hours in choir, solo lessons, and performance ensembles. I studied in the classical tradition and learned vocal techniques that I would continue to employ far beyond college and the classical music sphere.
The first time I sang at a jazz jam was entirely by happenstance; I found myself at a cigar bar in Stone Mountain, GA, and was invited up by a welcoming pianist. The only standard I knew at that point was At Last, so I shook out my nerves and sang it. I didn’t know it at the time, but this was the start of a love affair with jazz music that would shape the next three years of my life.
Since that first time, I have doggedly pursued jazz in Atlanta. Joe Gransden’s Jazz Jam at Napoleon’s in Decatur was where I discovered an incredibly supportive network of jazz musicians. Since the early days of attending as many jazz jams as I could, I have found myself performing jazz at various venues across Atlanta: private weddings and events, The Velvet Note, Block and Drum, Roaring Social Alpharetta and Decatur, the Chamblee Farmers Market, and Chamblee and Vine Wine Tasting Room.
I am so excited to continue evolving and growing into an artist. I have been so fortunate to meet so many incredible musicians and I am grateful to feel like a part of this thriving community. If you are looking for a jazz and soul-infused sound for a private event like a party or wedding, I’m your gal!
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?
I have been immensely fortunate to have the support of several mentor figures in my career thus far, without whom I am certain my current achievements would not have been possible. Even so, I have faced my share of challenges.
Time management can certainly be a challenge. I work full-time at a tutoring company during the day, so it is in the after-hours that I can rehearse, perform, write, practice, etc. Additionally, I have a second job as a staff singer at an episcopal church; I love singing choral music and it makes me a far better musician, but it does also take up a fair amount of time.
Additionally, I am challenged by new, non-musical skills required to grow as an artist. I have never been particularly adept at web design, but I taught myself the basics required to design my own website. I am not an experienced social media manager, but I continue to learn the ins and outs of managing my own internet presence. There are so many facets to forming a musical identity!
Lastly, I can sometimes struggle with the vulnerability inherent to being an artist. It is an extremely intimate act – to lay it all out on the stage and give absolutely everything you have. It takes strength to be open and fully yourself in front of a crowd and know that anything could happen. However, looking back over my journey the past few years, I am proud to see all of the ways this aspect of performance has cultivated a greater musical confidence and sense of self.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
My name is Aliyah René, and I am a singer. I sing across multiple genres, but I am primarily known for my work in jazz music. I am most proud of my versatility as an artist – I was trained classically, have sung in multiple musical theatre productions, currently work as a choral staff singer in an episcopal church, and have learned guitar and piano as a means to accompany myself in various styles. I am influenced by folk, classical, and musical theatre stylings and incorporate these into my sound as a jazz artist.
I specialize in singing pieces with shifting centers of tonality/unique harmonic compositions. My history of choral singing helps me here, as years of learning to hold my part down have helped me do so amid unique musical forms. Two examples that come to mind are “Very Early” by Bill Evans and “Joy Spring” by Clifford Brown (lyrics by Jon Hendricks); through their progressions and disjunct melodic lines, they create a fascinating experience for the listener and a very “in the zone” experience for me as the singer.
I feel that my musical adaptability sets me apart and translates to my vocal freedom and spontaneity on stage; I attribute being raised on a diversity of style and genre to my distinctive improvisational tendencies. One of my absolute favorite feelings is discovering a new way to sing a song in the moment and getting the sensation of being in the groove.
Is there a quality that you most attribute to your success?
I think passion is the essential characteristic for a musician. Why do we feel so drawn to music? Why do all of this work?
Passion for the work makes it feel less like work. I am deeply passionate about music in all of its presentations: a form of community, a storytelling device, a catalyst for change, and an intrinsic mechanism for connection. It brings me joy to do something that feels so inherently true and right, and I feel like that translates into my performance.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.aliyahrenemusic.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/aliyahrenemusic/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/aliyah.rene.music
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@aliyahrenemusic
Image Credits
Drew Lafferty
Chip Davis
