Anne Heaton - Photo by Asia Kepka
The music of Anne Heaton can lift you up and it can bring you down, take you apart and put you back together. It's a music that contains the whole spectrum of what constitutes a life, joy, sorrow, laughter and everything in between. The one thing that comes across clearly when you listen to Anne Heaton is that 'this is someone who has fallen in love with music' and who makes us fall in love with it too. There is one line that has always stayed with me through out the years and that says so much about the human condition, from her song 'Your heart is for breaking', "And if it had been perfect [we] would not remember why we do this". That's not only great music, it's perfect poetry. AHC: You've been making music for a while now, what's this journey been like for you, its highs and lows, and what life lessons do you feel like you've picked up along the way? Anne: What lessons have I picked up along the way? The process of writing songs or making any kind of art is a process of getting to know oneself (even when you're writing about others). The greatest reward for me has been knowing deeply what I think and feel and being able to express it in a way that feels authentic. Also I always learn something new when I write a song. Sometimes when I'm in conflict about something, I resolve it by writing a song. There are so many intentions one can have for writing: expressing love, saying sorry, pointing out the ridiculousness of something taken for granted in society. The list goes on and on. The other lessons I've learned are 1) that I love adventure and 2) that you need a lot more types of skills beyond musical skills to have a lasting career in music. AHC: Do you remember your first public performance, what year it was and what it was like the first time you performed your songs publicly in front of an audience? Anne: My first public performance of my own music besides open mikes was probably around 1997 at the Starbucks on 14th Street in New York City. At the time, they paid $100 for an hour-long set. I was so excited and nervous as I was new to songwriting and I wasn't sure I had enough songs to fill an entire hour. I tried to talk enough in between songs and take bathroom breaks so we could fill it! Ha! I played that first show with my now husband and guitarist Frank Marotta Jr. AHC: Do ideas for new songs occur to you at any moment or is it more of a sit-down-and-make-it-happen sort of thing? Which comes first to you, the lyrics or the music? Anne: It depends. Sometimes a lyric with a melody just comes to me while I'm walking. The song catches me. Other times I sit down and write and see what's going on with me, more in a free write sense. Later I may go back and if it feels interesting/alive to me, I may pull lines from a free write to make a song. Sometimes I'll write a song for an event like a wedding or anniversary, then I'll gather information and see what core lyric melody emerges to be the chorus, and go from there. AHC: Do you have a favorite album or song of all the ones you've recorded throughout your career? Anne: The answer to which album of mine is my favorite is always changing. Usually it's the newest one. These days I think my favorite is Blazing Red because it was born of the deepest sorrow, of the hardest time in my life leading up to my divorce, but somehow I think this album is the most uplifting, most gentle, has the greatest capacity to help someone heal from a life trauma. At least that's the feedback I get from people. AHC: Who are some of your favorite songwriters and musical influences? Is there a particular album or song that you can't live without? Anne: The music that makes me happiest is music from Buena Vista Social Club. I don't make music like this, but I feel so happy listening to it. These days I like jazz, some Nina Simone. That said Peter Gabriel's US is the record that really cemented me wanting to become a songwriter. I don't listen to it much anymore but it was the catalyst. AHC: Do you remember the first song you ever wrote? Anne: I think the first song I ever wrote "for real" was called "Isn't It True" and it's on an album that's no longer available called "Spoken From The Heart." It's very pianistic as I grew up playing classical piano so my early songs had a lot of complex playing before I opted for a simpler approach. The actual very first song I wrote was at age 4 and it was about cotton candy, carnivals and taking ballet lessons (apparently my 3 favorite things at the time). I tried to share the song at my Montessori school but I was scolded for not singing a song people all knew so I didn't write another song until my 20s. It's amazing how we can take one negative moment, internalize it and shut down for so long. AHC: What were your early musical surroundings like growing up? What were your parents listening to and did any of it have a lasting impact on you? Anne: My parents didn't listen to much music. I heard some musical theater growing up (like songs from Fame, Annie, Music Man and Sound of Music) and classical music. My grandfather "Moose" was a clarinet and flute player with an appreciation for a great melody and big band music so he would teach me some classic American songs and Irish folk songs. I remember him showing me My Wild Irish Rose, Danny Boy and many others. AHC: What are your fondest on-tour, on-the-road memories? Anne: My fondest touring memories are from being on the road with Live From New York which included the songwriters Edie Carey, Teddy Goldstein and Andrew Kerr. I remember we always had two cars and walkie talkies to keep in touch on the road. We laughed a lot on those tours. In addition to being talented musicians and songwriters, they are such funny people. Also, we really trusted each other onstage so there was a lot of risk taking and improv which I loved. AHC: Do you have any words of advice for young singer-songwriters who are starting out and struggling to find their voice and their way in the world? Anne: My words of advice for young songwriters? There are things you have control over and things you don't. Don't get too worried about the business part in the beginning (don't ignore it but don't obsess or be overwhelmed, just take one simple step at a time). Focus on becoming the best songwriter/musician you can, expressing what you most want to say, your unique way of seeing the world. Dig deep, ask for help/feedback from songwriters you admire, find a songwriting mentor, surrender to your creative process. Trust yourself. Truly focus on where you can have the most impact. AHC: Do you have any new projects that are in the works? Anne: last year I introduced Soul Songs School, a 12-week online songwriting program, to the world! Soul Songs School supports songwriters in writing from a deep, authentic place while really honing their craft. It was such a blast! It's where I'm feeling a lot of love and energy right now, talking about ways of getting into that magical creative zone and writing from there. Also, I'm hosting my first songwriting retreat in Costa Rica this February! In terms of my own next project/album, it's slowly in the works. I've been writing short stories and some songs so we will see where that leads :) For more information visit anneheaton.com/
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