Meet APRIL SNOW of Wonder Women LA!

From Lookin’ For Trouble’s album release at Arcadia Blues Club, April’s friend Michael Kloda captures a beautiful soulful moment.

April Snow is the driving force behind Wonder Women LA and a soul singer, songwriter and recording artist. She has opened for Isaac Hayes, and 5-time Grammy nominee Marcia Ball, and has performed back-up vocals for Chaka Khan. April is a 2013 inductee to the Blues Hall of Fame, and sings lead vocals with Lookin’ for Trouble Blues Band.

April answers:

What is empowerment to you? As a woman and as an artist, I feel that “empowerment” is keeping informed about my communities, activities, and groups, then using the information I collect to form opinions about issues in those environments, and lastly, feeling that I possess the strength and voice to speak up in regards to those issues.

What does being an artist mean to you? I think that if you define yourself as an artist you are committing to using your voice via the arts. This can mean painting, poetry, music, dance, comedy, any artistic outlet. I believe that artists have a responsibility to inspire people, communicate with people, and to change and touch other individuals and their surrounding environment. I can tell you that some of the toughest moments in my life have inspired art, and I can tell you that experiencing someone else’s art has also had the ability to make me feel understood or moved in those moments. It’s powerful stuff.

What is your career? What are the greatest challenges and greatest rewards of your career? Advice to others embarking on similar career? My career in the arts is as a singer-songwriter. I also work in event production and marketing.Some of the greatest challenges to me as a singer-songwriter are to stay inspired and creative, and to keep my integrity about what my time and talents are worth.

On the other hand, the rewards are amazing. There’s the impact that singing and songwriting has on my mental health and well-being. It’s so therapeutic to channel my emotions into writing, or blow off stress and steam by belting out a song. Aside from the psychological benefits, the biggest reward has to be making an impact on people. Touching someone’s heart or soul with my art, that’s a pretty awesome feeling.

My advice to aspiring singer-songwriters would be to make music every day. Don’t let a day go by that you’re not playing, or singing, or writing, or at least listening. Listen to everything; other music, sounds, lyrics, poetry, and your instincts and heart. Don’t be concerned with what is popular or marketable, just make what you like.

What would you say to your 8-year-old self? I would tell her not to listen to negativity. When I was around that age I loved to sing but I had someone make me feel as though I was not any good at it. It didn’t stop me from singing but it did prevent me from pursuing it as a career when I was younger. I would also tell her, you are beautiful just the way you are, with your crooked pinkies, and your freckles, and even though your brother calls you fat. It’s not your outside that makes you beautiful anyway so focus on your character not your body, and those little things that make you different don’t make you ugly, they make you human.

What would you say to your 80-year-old self? I think I’d just want to know what advice she had to give me!

What would people be surprised to know about you? I have three little-known facts to share with you: 1. I am a recovering alcoholic, and have been sober for over 5 years. 2. When I was 20 years old, I weighed approximately 250 pounds, I lost over 80 pounds for my wedding in 2005. 3. I dropped out of school at age 15 and got my GED. I went back to school in my late 20’s and I am working toward a law degree.

What is your favourite quote? I don’t have one favorite quote, but this is one I often quote in regards to art: “Don’t think about making art, just get it done. Let everyone else decide if it’s good or bad, whether they love it or hate it. While they are deciding, make even more art.” – Andy Warhol

Here’s a link to a song. It’s called “Look Out” and I wrote it with the help of my guitarist Greg Conte. This recording means a lot to me because it is the first original song that I ever got to record, and I happen to really love this song. Look Out

*****

I just think the world of April! What a positive force in the world she be! 🙂

April has fans of all ages! Santa Clarita Blues Festival 2014 Photo by Mary Adler Travis

April brings it to everything she does! She played with her dad at The Fabulous Fifties. Photo by Jordanne Dervaes

Find more sights and sounds from April here:
www.AprilSnowMusic.com

http://www.facebook.com/aprilsnowofficial

http://www.twitter.com/aprilsnowkass

And see her at Wonder Women LA on September 7th at Arcadia Blues Club!
You can find out more about the show and the rest of the Wonder Women LA lineup here!

Click for tix to Wonder Women LA!