Cathy is a 30-year veteran teacher-composer-producer-performer. Critic Zan Stewart of the Los Angeles Times summed up her talent: "In Control: Jazz singer Segal-Garcia's style leans toward heavily melodic vehicles that show off her flowing, at-ease, rhythmic sense ? A voice that's soft and warm as cashmere." Visit her website: www.cathysegalgarcia.com
"I had many friends who stopped performing because of club owners or other business people. If I let situations that other people seemingly controlled stop me, that would stop my individual spiritual progress ?"
My life is a total reflection of where I'm at spiritually, and the responsibility for its growth is mine. Period. If I'm not at the level that I desire, I haven't done something I need to do.
Dear Cathy - Wonderful advice from a superior vocalist and vocal coach. As I often say (to the point where I'm sure I bore people) the best jazz musicians (including singers) not only know what they are doing but do it with a unique voice. To have a sound and style that are unmistakably your own is a prequesite of greatness in jazz. Pop singers generally "present" a song, whereas the true jazz singer "creates" one. Your comments regarding spirituality and growth are essential to a singer finding their own voice and learning to turn a "presentation" into a "creation."
Roger Crane
10/24/06 12:56 PM
Cathy's advice to always try to complete the "cycle of action"--don't stop with the idea or "dream" but develop it and follow up on it--is perhaps the most crucial requirement for being or becoming an artist, or for realizing any of your dreams, for that matter. But as she points out, this can be very difficult, and I think it raises questions on deeper levels: Where does the passion and energy necessary to complete "the cycle" come from? I don't believe it's a simple matter of "self-confidence." I think Cathy alludes to the true source in her mention of where she's at "spiritually." This of course is a very personal thing and may or may not refer to traditional religious beliefs, but the implication might be that, if we find ourselves with unfilled dreams, perhaps we don't really know "where we're at" and where we really want to go. Or maybe, it's more a matter of knowing we are at least on the right path...
Peter Hata
Cal State LA
01/23/07 2:37 PM
Cathy, I commend you for your positive attitude because as a jazz lover the situation gets me down. I can't imagine putting up with some of the crap heaped on performers. I break my butt to try to get out to the gigs and support the music, but more and more clubs, to save space and gig money, demand fewer musicians in the group and ban certain instruments. Electric bass instead of a standup. Keyboards instead of piano. Those things I can almost live with. Now they're driving out drums entirely. And of course you have all those one-man bands backed up by a variety of computer technologies. It reaches the point where the product becomes so adulterated it's just not worth doing or hearing. They're inflicting mortal wounds on the product. It may be better to set up in a park or a street. Ivan Goldman http://ivangoldman.blogspot.com/
Ivan Goldman
03/07/07 9:42 AM
Blues is to jazz what yeast is to bread -- without it, it's flat.
– Carmen McRae
Q: Why did the harmonica player leave his harp on the dashboard of his car?
A: So he could qualify for a handicapped parking space.
