Musings | Leah Natale

1 Rocking The Schoolhouse

This post may reveal my age but I clearly remember when Schoolhouse Rock first came to TV in 1973. It soon became an ABC Saturday Morning staple as well as my first introduction to some of the finest jazz musicians of our time.

Some of the voices behind those classic tunes included trumpeter/vocalist Jack Sheldon singing favorites like “Conjunction Junction” and “I’m Just A Bill”; also Ezra Mowhawk, the voice behind “Interjections” and “Suffering til Sufferage”; and my personal favorite pianist/singer Blossom Dearie who brilliantly sang “Unpack Your Adjectives” and “Figure 8.”

Little did I realize in-between episodes of Rocky and Bullwinkle, not only was I given a history and grammar lesson, but I was also being exposed to some amazing lyrics, rhythms, and phrasing that would someday influence my music career.

What sort of music from your childhood made an impact on your present life?

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0 Reading Music

“September In The Rain” by Sarah Vaughan, with my college music professor Richard Davis on bass.

Just after auditioning for Richard Davis’ music ensemble he said to me, “If you could read music you would be a bad mother fu***r.” I spent the next three years under his guidance and to this day he still scares me.

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0 An Accident Waiting to Happen

Let’s end Tuesday the proper way: with a laugh.

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4 Does Sex Sell Music?

Confession: I have been a mysterious performer. I don’t wear jewelry that reveals my marital status. My face is not on the cover of my CDs. It’s all on purpose though. It’s to remain anonymous, in hopes the music speak for itself.

While I’ve noticed the – ahem – younger musicians are taking the world by a storm by selling their image, a fantasy, with skin, it’s become clear we all play the skin-showing game, even the most talented among us.

If done right, a sexy image can and does sell CDs. This was evident to me in the mid 90’s when a friend bought a CD from a new singer on the scene without even hearing a note. He purchased Diana Krall’s All For You because, as he said, “she shows a lot of leg.” She created the fantasy with that one image. Wonder what he thinks of her 2012 CD Glad Rag Doll…

I was very careful while picking the “back photo” on my first album, My Someday, because it often feels the image can make or break CD sales. It’s my attempt to bring sexy back (no pun intended) by not revealing too much and keeping it classy. Second, the photo has longevity; no matter how much I change, that image has staying power. And finally, I was hoping to tap into those folks (you know who you are) who buy CDs based on the amount of skin seen on the cover.

What I’ve discovered lately though it’s a graceful, balancing act: while I long for more sales and attention, I hope it’s the music I love to share draws in the audience. And as I get more involved on-line, thanks to a gentle push from my social media advisor, I find my anonymity is slowly coming to an end.

I won’t start twerking but I may start tweeting. Stay tuned.

What do you think? Do you think a sexy image sells CDs?

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