A Conversation with Marsha Bartenetti

Your journey into music seems serendipitous, starting with friends urging you to audition for a band. Looking back, what pivotal moments or decisions do you credit with shaping your musical path?

Looking back, I can see that I was fearful of so much throughout my life. However, I have continued to challenge my fears and push through, including the very start of my career when I first got into music. I was scared to death to audition for the band. I pushed through my fear and got the singing spot! There was something deep inside of me that knew I was meant to do this. My deepest self-awareness always turned out to be stronger than my fears. And throughout the years I have had magical experiences because of it.

You mentioned being deeply inspired by Gospel and Blues singers for their ability to convey truth and emotion through their music. How do you infuse these elements into your own songs?

There is definitely a spiritual element to my music and life. When you are doing something for something greater than yourself there is much satisfaction. That’s not to say you don’t have to do your part in preparing for those moments. Because you do. As in any sport or artistry there is much work involved to keep your instrument in shape, to be self- aware, and to stay motivated. Before I sing I always ask God to allow the music to come through me.
I am simply a vessel through which a lyric or message is relayed. I tune into the more universal energy and truth so my “ego” is not front and center, but, rather, the truth of the lyric and the emotions attached to a particular song are before me. This is when the magic happens.
When I tell the truth in a lyric and sing it with my full intention, what happens is, the audience is then able to take it in and allow it to resonate with THEIR truth and understanding. Their own experience resonates within them and it is then not about me, the singer, at all! It’s a wonderful transference. And the reason I do what I do. And I am so grateful when that happens. I feel then that I have “done my job.” Music is a healing art and goes directly to the heart. I want to be an instrument for hope. For love. Through music.

As an artist who prioritizes the emotional impact of your music, how do you navigate the balance between vulnerability and performance?

This can be a very fine line. Because the emotional impact must first come from me before it reaches an audience, I have to have access to some deeply painful, at times, personal experiences. That is not to say that I will step onto a stage and cry through a song I’m singing. I do the work of crying through songs when I rehearse privately. If a certain song makes me cry when I first hear it, it is often a message to me that I need to sing this song. I go through the raw emotions as I navigate each line of the lyric. And allow myself to cry through it as I continue to learn it. I need to know WHAT the song is about, WHO I’m singing to, and WHY I am singing it. By the time I’m ready to perform it, I will have integrated its’ meaning and my connection to it. It won’t be as raw, and I will be able to perform it. The vulnerability will still be present, but I will have created a bond with the material. And that emotion I have integrated will always go far beyond my personal experience when I perform it– It becomes universal. At the end of the day, being a performer we are mirrors and reminders of our humanity. That is why I also believe artists are so courageous. We dare to mine the deepest parts of our soul’s love, longing, fear, joy, and then give it away. I recently recorded a song about this idea by Abbey Lincoln called “Throw It Away”. I love the song’s message.

Could you share a bit about your process of reimagining classic standards from different decades into a more contemporary sound?
I will take a 60’s or 70’s “Classic” and listen to the arrangement. (Yes, the 60’s and 70’s songs are now classics!)
I ask myself why this particular song has attracted me to it again. As per usual for me, the lyric is the thing that inspires me…and if it still moves me years later – I can find the universality to it. I get together with my producer and try different musical themes and instruments we might use to highlight where I want to go with the feeling of the song. As much as we may find new rhythms or musical themes, we still keep the essence of the tune.

Your admiration for artists like Jon Batiste and Jacob Collier is evident. How do you think their work influences or inspires your own creative process?
Jon Batiste and Jacob Collier are so open and available that I can’t help but be inspired. To be so free with their creativity and emotional life is rare and beautiful. Their generosity of spirit touches me deeply. They make me laugh with joy at their musical choices and freedom. By listening to them, I am more aware of where I can open up more in my own playground!

Winning Best Vocalist at the American Songwriter’s Assoc. International Contest must have been a career highlight. Can you describe the emotions and thoughts running through your mind during that time?
I remember getting the call letting me know I had won. And for Best Vocalist, not Best Song, or Lyric, etc…At first I didn’t believe them. We had had so many “NO’s” up to that point. I was thrilled. It really was a highlight. Up to that point, my husband was really the leader in our career, and I had frankly felt invisible at times. This acknowledgement for my voice, particularly, was huge for me. Unfortunately, it was shortly after that that my husband and I split. I had never done music on my own before that, and this was a big step. We were so young. To sing on my own at that time was frightening. ( again, desire to push through my fears was stronger than my fears) It made me grow as a person, as a singer. And I met some influential people from having won that award who helped in my moving forward.

Your choice to recommend Jon Batiste’s « World Music Radio » album showcases your appreciation for diverse musical styles. How do you think exposure to different genres informs your own music?

Listening to Jon Batiste is like being in a musical playground. I get so much joy from hearing all the different textural choices and melodic choices he makes. I feel freer just hearing his music.

Playing at Vibrato in Bel Air sounds like a dream venue. What about it makes it particularly special for you as a performer?
Herb Alpert’s Vibrato is a very special venue here in Los Angeles. Not only is the room beautifully created, with a welcoming seating arrangement for audiences to enjoy the music and luxe sound, but the food is absolutely delicious; a fine dining experience. Clearly this club puts entertainment in par with or above the restaurant and performers are treated with great respect. Herb Alpert’s daughter, Eden, and the club manager Hussain Jiffrey, make sure they bring in the best entertainment. I am so fortunate to have performed there several times. We always sell out, and my audience is loyal. How lucky am I?

Your decision to swap lives with Taylor Swift for a day is intriguing. What aspects of her career and experiences do you find most compelling, and how do you think they would differ from your own in the music industry?

Ha ha. I know that seems like a strange choice for a day swap, but Taylor Swift, the few interviews I’ve seen of her, and her documentary, Miss Americana showed me this young woman who truly loves music and loves sharing herself through her music. She is aware of the power of what she brings to her audience, and her appreciation for her loyal audience and uses it for “good”. She is a straight shooter. She may be in front of 30,000 fans, but her “patter’ to the audience is very personal. And her message is to remember who you are. That you matter. That if you feel different, that is not necessarily a bad thing, but to honor who you are. She is so generous to those who work for her and others in need. An important contribution, to me, is that her message is positive. And we need that now more than ever. I applaud her success. I hope she has the same success in her personal life, as difficult as this must be to navigate.

Certainly, she has reached a global success. The heights of which I have not experienced…but we do share what we believe is the power of music to heal the world.

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