Strung Out Episode 254: THE SONGWRITER NEXT DOOR. LESLIE BEUKELMAN

Leslie Beukelman grew up in Sandwich, Illinois.  Her parents were musicians and perhaps her drummer mother (who was performing while 8 months pregnant with Lelsie) that instilled the desire to write and make music.  

After a degree in jazz performance/jazz studies from Roosevelt University, Beukelman had a choice of a myriad places to bring her many talents.  She chose to stay in Chicago and tap into the diverse musical scene.  

As a hummingbird is able to go from flower to flower, Beukelman can be found in many different musical venues and genres.  The Chicago Skyliners Big Band, fronting the rock band the Brite Lites or making beautiful harmonies in the three-piece woman's group the Oh Yeahs. Meet Leslie Beukelman, a songbird, a songwriter, a serious musician who is leaning into the working musician trade.  Her website is www.lesliebeukelman.net.

Transcript

00:00:00:00 - 00:00:14:44
Unknown
Welcome to Strung Out, the podcast that looks at life through the lens of an artist. Your host is the artist, writer and musician Martin Lawrence McCormack. Now here's Marty.

00:00:14:44 - 00:00:37:53
Unknown
Strung Out. And we have singer songwriter and multi band human Leslie Buchanan here, a Chicago lady. And first of all welcome and thank you for coming out on. Well but it's Ken the gray August day. I was hoping we could do this outside, but, man, it's been like raining crazy cats and dogs.

00:00:37:53 - 00:01:00:49
Unknown
Cats and dogs in the Windy City. But, why don't we get started? Jump right in with a song. Tell me the name of the song. All right. You put me on the line here. Sorry. Yeah. Well, this. Yeah, I think this is an appropriate song. Has, a little bit of mentions. The weather. Oh. That's good.

00:01:00:54 - 00:01:16:34
Unknown
This is a song called Silo Song. Silo. Silo. Okay. Very Midwestern. It is. That's me. All right, we'll talk more about that. I like that, all right, let me jump in. Jump right ahead. Okay. I always I always start this one too fast. So I gotta think tempo. All right.

00:01:20:52 - 00:01:38:02
Unknown
We. The sun reflects on the sun. And the earth looks like it's on fire.

00:01:38:06 - 00:01:53:37
Unknown
And, day's work breeze. And it goes. I see the setting sun I make so far.

00:01:53:41 - 00:02:38:43
Unknown
There are times I wish I could go back to the days of summer haze. For the long pipe dreams and sunny skies. I'm thinking of the moon I'll be gone. And as I sit alone and feel the raindrops on the city. Thank you. Where is it? I'm going. Have I done a good job? And you love me and you know you know me.

00:02:38:48 - 00:02:52:39
Unknown
The sun's rays and the tides come in. It's your time to go. On the day.

00:02:52:44 - 00:03:05:40
Unknown
Feeling green as grass in my own play. Clothes. Be your memories in I keep you here.

00:03:05:44 - 00:03:34:11
Unknown
My hands and disappear. And there are times I wish I could go back to the days of the sun is for the moon. High dreams and simple schemes. Thinking of something I'll be coming. And as I sit alone. And here the rain drops on the sea.

00:03:34:16 - 00:03:42:49
Unknown
Where is it? I'm going. You have a good job.

00:03:42:54 - 00:04:01:13
Unknown
You, Now I.

00:04:01:18 - 00:04:16:38
Unknown
You know, I love. You, me. Here.

00:04:16:42 - 00:04:21:30
Unknown
Me?

00:04:23:57 - 00:04:48:41
Unknown
Very cool. Thank you. Very dreamy. I like and, contemplative. And, bittersweet. Yes. The big thing and, Oh, nice. I'm like, now that I got that out, right? Yeah. That's it, is it? It's, I recall writing it and just the feelings. Yes. Right. Yes. It it really invites in the listener. I think that's the other thing I like about it.

00:04:48:41 - 00:05:26:56
Unknown
You know, if you're honing in, you know, this, vulnerability looking over your life and, you know, the idea of the light on the silo, which, like I said, is a very Midwestern thing. And there's a specific silo I'm referring to. Okay, okay, where is it? So, this dives into my background. Yeah. I grew up in sandwich, Illinois, so it's a little bit south of DeKalb, which most folks know as Chicago to like, where if they don't know sandwich, they either know sandwich from the sandwich fair, which has been going on for hundred plus years.

00:05:27:01 - 00:05:49:29
Unknown
Or they know it because in south of DeKalb, which is where Northern Illinois University. Right. So yeah, it's about an hour and change west of the city. And it's a cool little town. It's you've been I've played the opera house. Oh yeah. Totally. Yeah, yeah. That was that's I grew up in the upper house in Woodstock. And where on that's the small towns.

00:05:49:33 - 00:06:10:10
Unknown
And probably when you were growing up, it really was a small town. It didn't have, like, any of the encroachment that we had a stoplight or two. No, but I remember there's a song. Yeah, that was a little too fun, but you know, you know. Yeah. Well, so you are you an only child. You know I have a, I have an older brother four years older.

00:06:10:18 - 00:06:32:54
Unknown
Is he a musician or inclined. He is, he just is like that's your, that's your thing. So you go ahead and yeah I'm like do you can say I want him to be a karaoke host when, he does karaoke. He's. Yeah, like, let it rip. And he's got a great voice. My mom and dad, are both singers.

00:06:32:57 - 00:06:51:10
Unknown
Okay? Did a we're in a band back in the day. My mom played drums, and she actually was an actress, trained opera singer. Growing up in the South Side of Chicago. My dad grew up in Minnesota and was more on the barbershop. Deep bass voice. Yeah, gorgeous. So I have my mom, the soprano, my dad, the bass.

00:06:51:25 - 00:07:14:30
Unknown
I'm more of a mezzo soprano. And my brother's definitely got the baritone, but. So I'm like, what are we doing here? We could be the Bjorkman family singers, which would be very cool. You know? And, you know, the how wonderful that you had parents that were musically not only musically inclined, but in the thick of it, they understood, you know what I wanted to do?

00:07:14:35 - 00:07:34:50
Unknown
My dad ended up going into computers and had his own business in sandwich, and my mom worked kind of an administration, and I, you and she worked in a couple different places at the hospital. And, also didn't help my dad with payroll for his business and his clients. And, they work together. Have they stayed in music?

00:07:34:52 - 00:08:00:04
Unknown
I'm just curious. Just, Not really. When I was growing up, they were the band, the opus five, a DeKalb County zone. They it was great. Yeah. Okay, so they have a vinyl. They have one original song on there, but it was like, awesome big bad Leroy Brown and, like some Barry Manilow. And, I wrote the songs and you light up my life, and they, they had a carpenters vibe.

00:08:00:04 - 00:08:20:00
Unknown
The. Okay. And it was great, but the band dispersed kind of after I was born. The there's a great story of my mom singing I Love the Night Lights while she's like eight months pregnant. Oh my dad's like, yes, you do. You know, like, just playing the drums, you know, I like that's so cool. Man, how cool to hear you are in utero.

00:08:20:00 - 00:08:42:33
Unknown
And you getting the full musical. No wonder you came out. Did you come out singing? I mean, I've, I mean, probably scream. Yeah. That's like it. Yeah. Big. But that band dispersed. But when I was growing up, they would sing for weddings and, you know, do, like ceremonies. So I remember they would have to rehearse and I would accompany them at home.

00:08:42:34 - 00:08:58:40
Unknown
Thank you all. I ask of you for Phantom of the opera. They had all the music. So I will learn it on piano. And then the big. Oh, we actually have to sing that, you know, can can you play that? We can, we can get and the oh, man, the one song was it, time goes by, it's the bridge.

00:08:58:40 - 00:09:21:27
Unknown
No love, lift us up where we belong I would sit and listen to them sing. That this is so beautiful. Oh, man. It's cool, though, because you, you're crying right now. You are in, like, about five different groups. Yes. Yeah. Active at the same time. I always people like. How do you do that? I'm sure as many people know, but project.

00:09:21:32 - 00:09:46:59
Unknown
Yeah. Yeah, but but different genres all together I mean that's I mean which obviously, you know, from growing up, in sandwich and Musical parents doing everything from, you know, found the opera to, to, you know, 70s rock. I mean, that's, it I know I'm not so surprised because when I was studying your bio, I was like, wow, you know, jazz.

00:09:47:04 - 00:10:19:23
Unknown
And then in a group, the. Oh, yes. And then, you know, then you have a project. I mean, why don't you briefly just walk us through everything that these different projects and, and the influence or what genre they are? Because I think it's a fascinating thing. Sure. Well, I think that being, having, variety, you know, saying yes to a lot of different gigs, being able to be what's the word I'm looking for, like not fluent, malleable, malleable.

00:10:19:23 - 00:10:40:55
Unknown
I was going to say. Yeah. Having different influences is important because, yes, one night of the week, on nights like last night, I was singing with a big band, belting out, you know, I need to Swing kind of modern big band, and that's cool. That's the Tom Garland Jazz Orchestra smoking, such a pleasure to sing with that band.

00:10:40:55 - 00:11:02:42
Unknown
And actually, Big band is kind of how I got into jazz. I played trumpet in the high school marching band and, you know, all that. And then it was time for jazz band. I was like, oh yeah, I'll play. And that's how I got into jazz, and from there started singing with the community band, but like went to serve on trumpet and one of the trombone players was my friend's dad and said, you know, sing.

00:11:02:43 - 00:11:20:24
Unknown
So they had me get in front of the band. And so I started singing with that big band, once a month, as kind of like a guest shot. They let me do Over the Rainbow, you know, and it was just like my signature song is at the Yorkville American Legion. They said, this was really great, I love it.

00:11:20:29 - 00:11:42:25
Unknown
You can't get more. So there's there's that group. Yeah. Which is great active. And I was doing musical theater at that point too. So some when I went to school at Roosevelt University, some of the, I went into musical theater and I noticed that, oh, like some of this repertoire is also being sung by this woman who's standing in front of a combo.

00:11:42:25 - 00:12:07:48
Unknown
And she doesn't have to be like, on the other side, you know, it's cool theater. No theater. I love it. We all had to play at one point, right? Yeah. But I she could interpret it differently. And then I got into more of the Ella Fitzgerald and the Sarah was on and also started listening to more modern jazz like Theo Blackman was Ben monitor and Greg, you know, who's chick who's, she's around Chicago and like her use of effects.

00:12:07:48 - 00:12:33:25
Unknown
And so I kind of got into doing that as well, in addition to traditional jazz and more modern jazz, using my voice as an instrument so that started, in college, and I was doing a band called Information Superhighway with the great piano player Robert Clearfield, who now lives, France dearly. But that was kind of more, kind of started as a modern jazz project or was a lot of singing.

00:12:33:29 - 00:13:05:14
Unknown
And then we got more proggy, you know, kind of and more lyrical content. And that was really fun, using effects and doing some looping and some, you know, crazy stuff. Delays, learning how to use the harmonizer and, you know, doubling my voice, stuff like that. So there was that project that kind of took the cake at that time when I was coming out of college, got into another band with my now wonderful partner, Jim Kasten.

00:13:05:14 - 00:13:32:10
Unknown
We had a band called Treehouse, which is now called Miss Remember. And kind of a similar thing, kind of grungy singer songwriter Jim. Right. All the all the stuff, very, very cool melodies. There's some crazy tunings. So, you know, it kind of lends to some interesting mnemonic content and, yeah. And then there's the OAS, which is my group, our group, it's very collaborative myself, Sarah Marie Young and Allison Rubio.

00:13:32:10 - 00:13:55:31
Unknown
We all play various sizes of guitars. Sarah has her baritone uke, and I have this, and I was her mini Martin. And, we all write songs and bring our songs to that, that ensemble and then I like to arrange everything beforehand. Okay. Just because I'm kind of a control freak in that way, or I hear something and it's important to flesh it out.

00:13:55:31 - 00:14:15:58
Unknown
And so then I'll have somebody that. Yeah, kind of leads that. Yeah, we all have our different method of collaborating and, we sing in harmony and do a lot of unison, which is really special. We've known each other for a long time. All have, like, lived with each other at different points, have been roommates. So it's just like that lifelong friendship and trust.

00:14:15:58 - 00:14:48:16
Unknown
And it just really comes through in the music. We just have a great time. It was never supposed to be anything other than like, let's just get together and write some songs and play. And that's been one of the highlighted projects in my career. I think it sounds like you've had, some training. Yes. And so tell me a little bit about that, because, I think it's important for especially people trying to, find their way musically as a career to, to embrace the idea that it's a little bit of school.

00:14:48:16 - 00:15:15:51
Unknown
It's not bad. It's not bad news, you know? You know, I always said that I with music school, I met so many great people at Roosevelt, the Chicago College of Performing Arts. I was there from 2000 to 2005 and, developed lifelong friendships and musical relationships. Yeah, with people who I still see today, who I still play with today.

00:15:15:56 - 00:15:33:10
Unknown
And, as far as the training, I started a musical theater quickly learned, like, I it's not what I would if I have to pay my rent. I don't want to go audition. I want to sit in the club. I want to sing the standards or I want to play my own music, you know, whether that pays the rent or not.

00:15:33:10 - 00:15:59:06
Unknown
Whatever. But. Right. Well, I didn't. Yeah. What do I, what do I want to be hustling? And I came to that conclusion and, studied jazz voice with, Patricia Barber there and, did some lessons with Jackie Allen, who's a great, great to great jazz singers and musicians, musician, singer and, but I learned how to use my voice.

00:15:59:07 - 00:16:34:59
Unknown
Had technical training with my boy. There he was, the vocal jazz director, sang in a vocal jazz group and sang in the big band and learned about jazz harmony. I mean, I'd heard what a major seven chord was, but I didn't know technically what it was, and I didn't know what the circle of fifths was going into college, but I understood, like, oh, so that thing that I've been hearing, that's what it it's, you know, so I like that you stayed local, that you didn't like, you know, you didn't, be one of those people that was like, yes, I, I needed to find myself.

00:16:34:59 - 00:16:57:38
Unknown
So I went to, you know, parks alone. I mean, I mean, you know, we stayed local one another time. Maybe I would have, I stayed local because my folks are around here and we in sandwich, beautiful. Just ranch home. They still live there? I grew up there. Yeah, but with that lawn and dug in that dirt my entire life.

00:16:57:42 - 00:17:18:59
Unknown
I have a creek in the backyard. It's a very serene. The Silo mix farm who works was one of my job. I used to mow his yard when I was growing up. That's like across the cornfield behind the house. And we live about five miles north of town. So it's very rural and country out there. So I wanted to stay close to home, and it was convenient.

00:17:18:59 - 00:17:38:32
Unknown
It made sense. This Chicago is such a great hub. I mean, you can go to New York from here. You can go to, you know, California. Sure. You can fly to Europe. Like it's an interesting thing. I mean, I agree with you wholeheartedly. I think Chicago has a distinct advantage over a lot of other major cities in the United States.

00:17:38:32 - 00:18:01:02
Unknown
And that is you can go anywhere from this town and feel pretty good about, you know, getting there and, you know, air flight, you're in you're in Europe. Can't really say that with LA. You can't, you know, New York. Sure. Great. But, you know, if they're going the other direction, good luck. But it also, it also has, enough of a size.

00:18:01:02 - 00:18:30:26
Unknown
So let me ask you that before I get you to do another song. Have you found and, you know, doing the various projects that you're able to kind of, for or living at this, it's a keeping you busy enough. It sounds like it is. Yeah. I mean, I think that's the the beauty of Chicago. And this is me talking about having lived in New York or in L.A or other big cities in anywhere, but, I, I could love that.

00:18:30:26 - 00:18:52:37
Unknown
I can do a jazz gig one night, and then the next night I'm singing some wild, you know, modern jazz, wordless singing. And then the next night I'm doing something with the. Oh, yeah, singing my own songs the following night. It's some crazy, like, art rock band, the Ham Council. It's another thing that I do that's just like, it's crazy.

00:18:52:37 - 00:19:09:27
Unknown
And it's kind of spooky, like, it's. It's, we call it nature rock because we do a song called bear, and it's all about bears, and it's kind of like a little, you know, it's like a rap, you know, just it's fun and it's just. It's really fun. It's, a way that I. It's almost like therapy.

00:19:09:27 - 00:19:30:30
Unknown
I feel like I can blow off steam and jump around and wear crazy clothes and just make you have a great sense of humor about you. Oh, yeah. Oh, yeah. I mean, you have to laugh about life is. Life is too serious all the time. And which is, you know, in, in the music business, if you don't have a good sense of humor, you're, you're doomed.

00:19:30:30 - 00:19:51:36
Unknown
I think, because, especially being an independent, you know, journeymen like yourself, and you're, you have to wear the different hats. You do. And so what I was trying to say is, yeah, being able to jump in to different gigs and have the versatility, versatility where it is much better than malleability. So, I do love the word malleable.

00:19:51:36 - 00:20:19:23
Unknown
Malleable. Just kind of you have to be malleable with the way you say it. And that's, let's try to find a rhyme with that, which I guess you could, but, let's have you, play another song and, you know, you're you're singing, you're well. And the second podcast, we're going to dive a little more into your creative how you, you know, it's, our singer songwriter.

00:20:19:23 - 00:20:42:39
Unknown
But, describe for our viewers, our listeners, how do you how do you perceive of yourself as a singer songwriter? Are you, you know, are you a serious kind of writer? I mean, or are you one of these people that, you know, you're drawing? Do you draw from any different genres? You know who who is Leslie?

00:20:42:43 - 00:21:08:41
Unknown
Buchanan. When it comes to presenting this role, I think that's a a lifelong journey. Because I think, I don't know how to answer that question. I guess, I think I draw on a lot of different influences. You know, it's the jazz influence. Now, I as far as on guitar, I'm not trained on guitar.

00:21:08:41 - 00:21:31:00
Unknown
It's one of those things where it's like, oh, that sounds cool. Let's move that shape here. What if I move here? Well, you know, so that's just very cool. I mean, we'll, we'll talk more about that during the podcast, the next podcast about creativity, because I think that you're touching on something important about using the instrument to to support your voice.

00:21:31:02 - 00:21:53:16
Unknown
Yeah. And the, the voice is more, you know, the words and the melody is more what I'm focusing on when I'm playing by myself. But, yeah, I just as far as writing, I mean, I just try to be to write something honest, write something vulnerable, you know, not I, I know I have had to write songs for a deadline, you know, specifically.

00:21:53:16 - 00:22:13:54
Unknown
And I don't really like doing that. But I do enjoy the process of that because, you know, you have to get it done. So, okay, I got to write a song and I, I've never done the thing where you write a song like once a week or dry every day, or I know that that's a great way to get the juices flowing.

00:22:13:59 - 00:22:47:02
Unknown
Well, you you sound like a, a person that's doing so many different projects that the juices have to be flowing, creatively speaking. You, you know, you're, you know, you're going. It's not like you're going into different directions. You're like, you're you're satisfying, different parts of the muse. It sounds to me, and really from a jazz background, which I find really kind of refreshing and, fantastic because jazz is such an analytical approach to music.

00:22:47:08 - 00:23:09:08
Unknown
Yeah. And I think that when I write my songs, it's like I could build a mansion of music with all of the knowledge you gain and with, you know, jazz harmony. But when I sit with the guitar or with the piano, piano, I can kind of get around a little more and know what I'm doing, you know, harmonically.

00:23:09:08 - 00:23:29:09
Unknown
But on here, it's kind of it simplifies it. So it's like, sure, you could build this musical mansion of, you know, sharp nines and flat thirteen's and all this crazy stuff, but I, I it's almost like I choose to build a quaint little home of music, when I write my songs, I love that. Well. Well said.

00:23:29:09 - 00:23:53:14
Unknown
Well, folks, we got Leslie Coleman here in the studio, and, Yeah. Give us. Yeah, give us, give us a song. What's this next? Oh, boy. Good question. I was just thinking about it. Maybe I'll do this one called many of. By the way, what a nice shade of green. How old is that? You get that?

00:23:53:19 - 00:24:14:58
Unknown
It looks like it's vintage, but I'm not sure it's not. Okay. It's, there's a little Fender Mustang. Jim and I were in, Holland, Michigan. Vacations, probably. Gosh, maybe, like seven years ago. And we stumbled into this, into this guitar shop and he said, oh, man, that's a guitar. And he and he's a guitar player. Yeah.

00:24:15:00 - 00:24:35:21
Unknown
So he's he's like, yeah, you should buy that. You should buy it. Oh, I was like, you mean, yeah. So you can play it. And he said, no, you should get it. And so I sat with it. And it's an unusual. Yes. Yeah. Excellent. Cool. Called Olive. And then I had to get a purple cable like that because it's green and purple were my colors.

00:24:35:24 - 00:24:55:42
Unknown
And, middle school. Oh, you know, it was groovy. Well, what's the sandwich? What were you what was the mascot there? It was the sandwich Indian. The sandwich Indian sandwich Indians. Well. And green and purple. Well, no, that was my. Oh, that was like, okay. You know. No, it was orange and black. Orange or black. Okay, that makes sense.

00:24:55:42 - 00:25:10:29
Unknown
But this was like, you know, if you're growing up in the 80s and 90s, it's cool. Like, I like it. All right. What what's the name of the song? This one's called? Lenny. Lenny. And I'm trying to remember the first lyric.

00:25:10:34 - 00:25:34:31
Unknown
This is this is where you're going to have to do a little editing, because I will just let it roll in. And I can't remember what the first lyric is. I just find it. Yeah, it's okay. Yeah. Cool. So yes, this song was, do you want me to talk about this? Yeah. Okay. Or later whenever. I had the opportunity to go to Greece, I went to Athens and,

00:25:34:36 - 00:26:03:37
Unknown
It was awesome. It was for a project that I was doing with this guy, Peter Himmelman. It's called Big Muse. He wrote the book. He's a great musician, wrote a book about vulnerability. And just like unlock Unlocking Creativity, and people go to corporations and, we would basically break down the walls of the, you know, tie. We loosen their ties and remember and remind them that they're people, and they would end up writing the song at the end.

00:26:03:37 - 00:26:27:33
Unknown
Well, they would write lyrics, but they didn't know that we were going to perform. So we would improvise the song nice together with the lyrics. But it was a really cool project. We had the opportunity to go to Greece and it was amazing. It was the first time I traveled by myself. I walked around and stayed a few days extra and I went to the island of Hydra and I hope I'm saying that correctly.

00:26:27:33 - 00:26:46:28
Unknown
I've heard it so many different ways, but it's off the coast of Athens. Take a ferry there. There's no cars. So donkeys and wagons, tricycles and, so this song came to me while I was just wandering on this adorable island, and it's called Lenny. It's called Lenny. All right, let's listen.

00:26:50:10 - 00:27:12:37
Unknown
Smell the rich green grass all around. Up and down. Hear the sea waves crashing on the rocky shore. As I look down a word and see things pass by. This world is full of wonder I cry.

00:27:12:42 - 00:28:02:13
Unknown
Lenny and his muse sat here sometimes when hearing birds and roosters calling in the dawn. Children's playful voices dance around the countryside. Well, this world is full of wonder. And cried. And I hope it take you with me on this side. Smells my reverie. Snap a picture in my head. Oh, we call it when I can't do.

00:28:02:18 - 00:28:13:38
Unknown
You how you call it when the tide is kind. And coming in.

00:28:13:43 - 00:28:57:07
Unknown
Cold and clear. The water washes over my toes. The still blue sea creates stillness in my soul. This peace I welcome. With my arms open wide. This world is full of wonder. Why this world is full of wonder I cry. This world is full of wonder. Open your eyes. You.

00:28:57:39 - 00:29:22:44
Unknown
So that's Lenny? Yeah. And that's beautiful. And, And, I like the little admonition that you put in there. You know, this world is full of wonder. Open your eyes. I mean, you know, entreating the listener to, you know, take a chance. There was a bit of a risk. Yes. And, it's called Lenny because Leonard Cohen, that was kind of his spot to go and so.

00:29:22:44 - 00:29:42:37
Unknown
Yeah. Lauren, I was wondering, hang out. There's a bench dedicated to them, and I'm sitting, you know, and there was a moment where I, I mean, I'm there I go. I got to get into the GMC. Like what? You know, it's cold and I have tennis shoes on. But I'm doing it, and, and there was just this moment of peace and clarity.

00:29:42:37 - 00:30:01:19
Unknown
It was like, sometimes I, you know, there's many things we can think about why we're here and where we came from and all this, the existential crisis we all have. But it felt like if there are multiple me's around here, they were all doing this at the same time. You know, I just I just had this moment of like, extreme peace.

00:30:01:28 - 00:30:22:32
Unknown
Well, and and just like I one of my goals in being a musician was I want to travel, I want music to take me somewhere. And there I was. That was kind of like, I right, did it. Yeah. You know, like I if tomorrow, if today is the last day I'm around, I did it cool. So we're going to take a little break okay.

00:30:22:32 - 00:30:33:45
Unknown
And then we're going to be back with Lesley Coleman and more of her singing and more of we're talking about her, her musical journey. You're on Strung Out.

00:30:33:45 - 00:31:02:33
Unknown
Thank you for a wonderful trip to Costa Rica. You bring such talent and joy with your gift of music. I was blown away by the beauty of the cloud forest. A side trip to a coffee plantation was a highlight.

00:31:02:38 - 00:31:37:43
Unknown
The second half of our trip. It's on the Pacific Ocean. Beautiful sandy beaches. You could walk forever. The sunsets over the ocean are absolutely amazing. The warmth and caring for all your guests is what makes this trip so special. It's been a fantastic trip. Thank you so much. You guys are amazing.

00:31:37:43 - 00:31:55:46
Unknown
Welcome back. And, before the break, I really was, resonating with that idea of, being, you know, all, all your different needs coming together from,

00:31:55:51 - 00:32:16:17
Unknown
Is that how you look at music? In a way? I mean, it's music. I mean, you have all these different little knees then with your projects on that, so, you know, and but yet you have this, you know, and I'm hearing, you know, jazz and you know, all, and you have the show, show, person and.

00:32:16:17 - 00:32:39:12
Unknown
Yeah, and everything like that. But yet you write these beautiful, songs that are very, you know, vulnerable and contemplative. So where did that, you know, I know we've touched on it a little bit, but it's, you know, I was expecting and I do hear some little jazzy, you know, chords on that as you go down, but I'm like, wow, this is kind of cool.

00:32:39:13 - 00:33:05:53
Unknown
I mean, you know, that you, you have this this part of you that's totally different from from, I'm guessing the stage. You know, I mean, it's just, you know, do you, I know with the old. Yes and stuff. You guys bring the music together and you guys kind of collaborate or work on stuff, but, is there, a Leslie, you recommend that people can see, you know, just doing a solo gig at a coffeehouse kind of thing.

00:33:05:53 - 00:33:26:43
Unknown
I, you know, there is. If she would hustle it. Oh, do you know that? You know what comes last? It's my own music. Sure. You know what I mean? That's why the jazz. I think the three of us really have. Why that project has become so special. Because we all three write our own songs, and Sarah does the same thing, like she'll do.

00:33:26:45 - 00:33:51:39
Unknown
She does a multitude of projects, and she, you know, will write her own music. And she's actually going to be releasing an EP coming up soon. But, we are able to bring our songs together in that way, and it's kind of like scratches that itch. Sure. But I do. I would love to play more of my own music solo out where I there was a period of time where I was doing my own music.

00:33:51:39 - 00:34:16:14
Unknown
I called myself Bright Light and, I had Jim playing and Brian Doherty. And who else was Michael Caskey was on drums and we had, I did the Logan Square Fest and, you know, we did some surf and yeah, I don't know why that dropped off. I think I just with the OAS, it's kind of easier to have each other to bounce it off when you're your own boss, when you're the one calling the shots.

00:34:16:14 - 00:34:50:04
Unknown
And I don't I just don't think I have had the confidence at that point to kind of continue the project that, it just felt too daunting. And I do feel now I am a more I'm a more mature woman. Right, right. Yeah. I, I'm seeing I'm finding the value in taking the self-care and, having your own thing, you know, let's let's hone in on that because I think, you know, independent musicians, love such a, a challenging life thing.

00:34:50:04 - 00:35:23:37
Unknown
More of myself, in that you're right, you usually take care of yourself less, right? Especially, when you're forging these projects in the projects make a lot of sense because you kind of always equate it to advancing little, you know, chess pieces on the board and, like, well, this one might, you know, get ahead a little bit, you know, it's, it's it's, it's a good, it's a good tap to have, you know, especially in the scene like Chicago.

00:35:23:41 - 00:35:47:38
Unknown
But, you know what? What is your, what is your thought about the future? I mean, do you see yourself then, is there a place in that, now that you are mature, where Leslie Coleman will be coming out with her own people? Or is she going to be doing something like that? Because you have you have a style that's very, unique.

00:35:47:51 - 00:36:16:52
Unknown
Well. Thank you. Yeah, I appreciate that. You know, I think, sometimes you can get caught up in your own head and be like, this sucks, you know? And but the songs that I'm playing today, I do. I actually really like them and I enjoy playing them. And I think that's also a sign of growing up is you're not so critical of yourself, you know, and I mean, why is it that creative people, you know, singer songwriters like yourself, why that little voice?

00:36:16:57 - 00:36:33:47
Unknown
Yeah. You know, I mean, here you had supported parents and everything like that, but is that little voice still around? Oh, of course. And then, of course, and even after any performance, you know, someone tell me I did a good job. I need it, I need it. Validation, please. But there you have to feel good about what you are putting out.

00:36:33:53 - 00:37:04:20
Unknown
You know, I know people are going to tell you a good job and they probably don't mean it. I know, or they do, but it's all about how you feel, you know, and I do think, and I'm not bashing music school at all. I think the level of competition to, like, get into the combo, get into the top combo or to have, you know, you know, you have these moments in your life where someone maybe makes fun of you for where you wrote, whether it was a poem or a song or like, oh, you're so full of yourself or you know, like you think you're so good.

00:37:04:20 - 00:37:31:42
Unknown
It's like, actually it's the opposite. You know, you have this input or these things that come at you when you're younger that can take a long time to shake until you finally come to that point, which, again, I think this is a lifelong journey of that. I feel that I'm chipping away and, and, you know, chipping away at those, at those, you know, the things that are holding me back and trying to just believe in myself.

00:37:31:47 - 00:38:01:58
Unknown
So I do think there is a future of, an EP of my own music. I do have some out, Bright Light did do one many moons ago. And, this is this is going to be priority. I actually jumped it back into a jazz record, which I'm currently mixing, and that'll be my next offering. Should be out by the end of this year, but do you find yourself, you know, one of these people that, you know, somebody will say, well, what genre?

00:38:02:03 - 00:38:22:25
Unknown
Yeah. And I say, I don't know. Yeah. You know what I mean? It's a very Midwestern thing to be eclectic. Yeah. And I think that's one of the things, again, I, I'm a big Chicago booster. I think the way, people that make a living living in Chicago do it is pretty much how you're doing it.

00:38:22:29 - 00:38:44:56
Unknown
I mean, today, after I see you, I mean, I'm going to play two retirement homes. Oh, 40 years of know, but but that's, you know, fulfilling gigs. They're great gigs. And, you know, in the sense that, you're, you're you're getting paid for, you know, doing a good thing. But on top of it, you're, you're working, you know, you're working and you have to work.

00:38:44:56 - 00:39:07:21
Unknown
You have to really hustle. Right? I have to say, I mean, I, after we conclude here as well, I will be going home to address the, plethora of emails that come from the gig that Jim and I are doing. We're co-leading a band called Mixed Youth and the beatniks. Music. Wow. Corporation umbrella. Which we do corporate events, weddings.

00:39:07:36 - 00:39:24:51
Unknown
So we meet with clients. You know, we do all the music details. I'm glad you're selling this part. Oh, yeah. Oh, that's that's it. That's like. And it takes a lot of energy and a lot of time, but we have such a great band and people are like oh job, you know. And not everybody says that. But we have a great band.

00:39:24:51 - 00:39:43:41
Unknown
We have a good time. We try to keep it fresh. And I, I'm actually really enjoying it and it keeps my voice and shape. It keeps my, you know, my music data entry. Well, you know, as a business owner and, and especially against my rent payer. Yeah. You and Jim are doing, you know, the the corporate.

00:39:43:41 - 00:40:10:28
Unknown
I mean, I think it's great because, again, you know, it's not like, it's not like, that's I don't know why people would even think of that as, like, some sort of selling out. I mean, you have to you have to work, right? You do. I think, you know, it does take a lot of energy. And I think, I was told by, Rob Parton was the director of jazz when I was at Roosevelt.

00:40:10:28 - 00:40:32:12
Unknown
And he was also directed the the jazz orchestra there. And so we got to spend some time together. And I really enjoyed, just his tutelage. And, that's the right word, right? Yeah. Okay. I'm just like, sometimes I say a word that's like that I use that is a very good word to use it as a professor.

00:40:32:12 - 00:40:59:47
Unknown
It was great. Learn a lot. I had a good time, but I would. One of the most valuable things he ever said to me was, yes, like do jobbing, do teaching, do whatever you have to do to pay the rent, he said. But don't ever forget to just to fulfill that thing that was yours. Yeah. And just because you're singing on a Saturday night and you know, you're singing dancing queen and firework and, oh, you know, all that, keeping in shape.

00:40:59:52 - 00:41:17:31
Unknown
But it's this, you know, your own music, so don't let that go away, because you, you have this other side of being a musician that is what you have to offer. And I think so, and I just I will always I always think of that because when I'm tired and I'm like, oh, well, I'm, you know, I'm performing all the time.

00:41:17:31 - 00:41:38:52
Unknown
It's like, yeah, but and it's wonderful. I love the gig, I love mixtape, it's a blast. But there it is really important. It's a great name for a band that's covering, like they have all these K like it's really. Yeah, it's really a good idea. And you know, the corporate corporate world, getting for those of you that are thinking, well, how do I, how do I eat as an independently position?

00:41:38:57 - 00:42:05:39
Unknown
That's one way to eat. I mean, that's a good way of getting in, your chops and, you know, and corporate gigs kind of operate at a different time from, you know, club gigs and things like that. So there's there's a lot of advantage to it. We're getting to the end of this podcast. And so now we have to look at you looking into the future.

00:42:05:44 - 00:42:34:49
Unknown
You know, you you're you're still relatively young. Congratulations. Thank you. You got you got a lot of, you know, miles ahead on, you know, what you're doing? Sure hope so. What? Yeah. What what do you want to do? I mean, right now, you're you're you're chugging along in a lot of different things, and, I get the sense, you know, and you touched on it when you, with Peter Hillerman.

00:42:34:54 - 00:43:06:15
Unknown
Yeah. About instruction, you know, is there, a teacher in you that's, kind of just yearning to break free and, go out there and, teach others the ropes or or, I mean, in that case, with those, you know, say so you're trying to get them to to emote beyond themselves. Oh, I mean, I, I, I you're you're versatility is such a important tool in and of itself.

00:43:06:15 - 00:43:26:08
Unknown
Is that something you look at? Are you thinking about that? And you're, like, giggling on the inside because this has been a theme lately, and, yes, at some point, I think, right now I have, you know, there have been a couple different offers of, of different teaching gigs coming in, and I just, I don't want to take them right now.

00:43:26:12 - 00:43:52:46
Unknown
Between the mixtape gigs and fulfilling what makes me happy outside of that, like potentially making more of my own music or like continuing with the. Oh yes, making time for Kelly. Oh and and and her crazy outfit. I love that band, by the way. Oh yeah. She's Mom Court. Yes. It I just don't I enjoy teaching I think I'm pretty good at it.

00:43:52:49 - 00:44:08:17
Unknown
And I love to connect with the student and, and definitely go into let's figure out how to interpret this song or I'm going to sing a phrase, and now you sing it back at me and let's see how we can, how we can find different ways to sing the words, or let's see how we can get inside these changes.

00:44:08:17 - 00:44:29:28
Unknown
You know, if we're working on improvising, I know that it's in me, but I just I just don't want to do it yet. Then I did teach privately for a while, but, right outside of. I've read after college and and I enjoyed it. It was mostly young kids, which is a whole different ballgame, right? Like teaching college students who are like, this is what I want to do.

00:44:29:28 - 00:44:49:28
Unknown
And I, I wasn't even thinking of it in that term. I was thinking of that more like with your peers. I mean, I have writing and opening up for and kind of, you know, because the music business is such a, a drag on some people's psyche and also just trying to get people in touch with the music again.

00:44:49:33 - 00:45:16:23
Unknown
Yeah. You know, you strike me as one of those kind of people that, you have the ability to probably draw that out of people. Maybe, maybe. But there is a point sometimes when you have to burn bridges, right, in order to move forward. So are you at the, you know, are you at the the bridge burning stage of your life or you're like, full steam ahead?

00:45:16:24 - 00:45:32:50
Unknown
I'm full steam ahead. The last thing I want to do is burn bridges, you know. And you know what I mean by that. It's like, say, say like, well, you know, I can't do I can't do this project. 17 different projects or something like that. I have to say no to one thing and like, say, know the teacher.

00:45:32:50 - 00:45:51:07
Unknown
You know, teaching makes a lot of sense. Yeah, that's a whole other. I'm not building the bridge into teaching. I'm keeping that and keeping that one with the riverbank over there. Yeah. I mean, there are plenty of times when I have to to say I really appreciate, you know, you thinking of me. I can't do it.

00:45:51:08 - 00:46:18:09
Unknown
Yeah. I've definitely. I find the power in saying no, just being like, okay, that's a form of self-care, you know? There you go. And I would love to. This project sounds great. I would love to make it a priority, but I just can't. But let me ask you, the, before we have a play, the last song on this podcast, then what is Leslie Coleman's definition of success?

00:46:18:14 - 00:46:37:09
Unknown
I think I'm doing it. You know, I think about, what I thought success was. This was amazing. I, was home for that sandwich for something in my, consumer ed teacher handed me an envelope and she said, I want you to read this. And it was something I wrote when I was a senior in high school.

00:46:37:14 - 00:46:51:53
Unknown
She said I was going to mail it to you, but I knew I was going to see you with this. And, I think it was the oh, yeah, I forgot. And I opened it and I just was like, whoa! Because everything. I want to be a musician, I want to be a superstar. I want to be famous.

00:46:51:53 - 00:47:11:58
Unknown
It's like, okay, that was my idea of success at that point, right? And just being getting out and having people know who I am and, and be playing my own music and be onstage in the lights. Okay. So fast forward, you know, you go to college, you kind of get, okay, so this is what it is. Okay, now I'm out of college, now I'm actually hustling.

00:47:11:58 - 00:47:39:13
Unknown
Oh, this is what it is. And your idea of success, I think is, you know, here it is. And then as you reach that, it moves. But again, coming full circle, like where I am now, the idea of like, being famous or something, it's like this. I'm good. Right. And just having a beautiful music community in this city and continuing to meet new people, it's like, I've been living here for 25 years and it's like still meeting new people.

00:47:39:13 - 00:48:05:21
Unknown
Obviously, people have come and going, it's, I think it's that's it. Yeah. It's having having a roof over your head. And I know this sounds really lame, but I'm able to do what I want to do. I'm able to make music, I want to make. I'm able to go on a vacation. If I want to have a great partner, beautiful friends, and I get to make music with those people at the same time, like, well said.

00:48:05:23 - 00:48:26:03
Unknown
So it's like, I mean, that's, you know, I don't need to be cheesy or like, oh, you know, I think, I think being, you know, a, you know, having a good idea of what success is in your mind is one of the things that can't teach you. Yeah. If you're a lawyer, they give you a shingle, you know, you're a doctor.

00:48:26:03 - 00:48:43:32
Unknown
You, you, you know, you go through some sort of ritual, right? That ritual is so different for every one of us. There's no, like, ladder to climb. I think there isn't a way. But I didn't, of course, that I wish. There are times when I wish I had more. I wish you know, I was doing the gig, that I see somebody else.

00:48:43:39 - 00:48:57:44
Unknown
I'm like, oh, I wish that was me. But then I also can say to that, yeah, you know, and I have this thing that maybe they wish they were doing. So it's, you know, keeping that in check. And I mean, social media can just like whack your, you know, it can make your brain go completely out of whack.

00:48:57:44 - 00:49:24:55
Unknown
You play the comparison game. And. Right. So I've just gotten to that point. And again, it's not every single day, but where I can say, you know, I'm happy with what I'm doing and I think I'm, I, I look forward to what's to come. You never know. You know. Well, I want to congratulate you on your success. And I think I think you're representing to a lot of independent musicians out there what it takes to be a success.

00:49:24:55 - 00:49:53:38
Unknown
And one of the big things is defining your success. And that young person, you know, that that young Leslie did such a great job for the older Leslie, like writing, you know, she did okay. Sending me that little blast. Yeah, this is a cool line for that. Like, well, I think it's so neat because, I think that's one of the things that's lacking for a lot of independent musicians is that, you know, come to terms with the reality of this.

00:49:53:43 - 00:50:13:01
Unknown
You know, we not everybody can be Taylor Swift. Well, not everybody wants to be how many people have like I mean, you know, you move apartments and you move those two boxes full of CDs that have not yet sold. Right. And you probably never will. You get it's like, even now, like, how do you even know one even has a city player?

00:50:13:01 - 00:50:28:44
Unknown
So I know, like with them it's like, oh, music gets away. Yeah. I will say some of the young kids though, they're getting back in the scene. And I think it's a good thing because I think people realize they got they have something physical in their hands to walk away with. You know, I cannot play a Leslie Bjorklund T-shirt.

00:50:28:49 - 00:50:48:28
Unknown
I wish, you know, oh, we should work, you know, but that it would be, you know, the we'll play us out on this one and our next podcast. Of course, we're going to get a little more into, Leslie songwriting, song crafting and, and touch, on the philosophy again of, of being an artist and being an independent artist.

00:50:48:28 - 00:51:06:45
Unknown
But give us one to get us out of this. Well, this is going to be, I think I think this one's good. What's it called? It's called what is this one called. It's kind of dreamy again I'm playing I just this is what I got. This one's called I think it's called Be Still Awhile. I don't know what the title of this.

00:51:06:45 - 00:51:22:44
Unknown
Well, I'm going to call it. Yeah, this still sounds good, I like that. I think that's that. That's the one, you know, titles. Yeah. Yeah, whatever. Oh, I have to turn it up. If you remember how this one goes to.

00:51:22:44 - 00:51:37:31
Unknown
Okay.

00:51:37:36 - 00:51:48:34
Unknown
Taking the time to take the time to unwind. I have to start this. Yeah, we'll just start.

00:51:48:39 - 00:52:14:14
Unknown
My music. Am I right? I'm taking the time to take the time to unwind. And me still unwind and open the door. Light and light I don't mind at all. If it's bright.

00:52:14:18 - 00:52:31:24
Unknown
Walk with me to the end. To you only the stars see us. Go to the moon.

00:52:31:29 - 00:52:54:27
Unknown
Take the time to take the time to unwind and be still. While open the door on the light I don't mind. And I'm only as bright.

00:52:54:32 - 00:53:12:26
Unknown
On the inside like this. Could it be you? Only a time like this. Could it be me? As a band.

00:53:12:31 - 00:53:34:53
Unknown
Taking the time to take the time to unwind and be still a while. Open the door. Let in light and mind. And only it's bright.

00:53:34:57 - 00:53:40:59
Unknown
Know to me.

00:53:41:04 - 00:53:47:17
Unknown
You may me.

00:53:47:22 - 00:53:57:34
Unknown
Know way I need you.

00:53:58:40 - 00:54:07:01
Unknown
Another cool song by Leslie Beekman. All right, guys, we'll see you on the next string now. Okay. Bye.

00:54:07:01 - 00:54:24:44
Unknown
Thank you for listening. For more information about this show or a transcript, visit Martin mccormack.com while there. Sign up for our newsletter. See you next time on Strung Out.

00:54:24:49 - 00:54:37:36
Unknown
It's so strong. Spain, we feel, makes no sense at all. The swan song wasn't part of the deal, was no good. All giving no choice. Giving us a.