Kacee Clanton shared their story and experiences with us recently and you can find our conversation below.
Good morning Kacee, we’re so happy to have you here with us and we’d love to explore your story and how you think about life and legacy and so much more. So let’s start with a question we often ask: What do you think is misunderstood about your business?
Experience tells me that most people see the life of a professional singer as something glamorous; something so inspired, it exists on some creatively cosmic level. After all, we were born to do this, so it follows that it must come naturally, smoothly; a blessing 24/7. Right? Well, not quite. While it can be glamorous and inspired at times, and some performances make you feel like you’ve touched the cosmos, and while it is indeed a blessing to be walking a path that feeds our souls, it is a far cry from a smooth and natural ride. This misunderstanding isn’t because people are obtuse; it’s because what they see is the result of years of study and practice and discipline; years of criticism and negativity from those who would sit in judgment; years of managing our vocal health, living in silence, which can be a lonely and isolating place; years spent navigating self doubt, insecurity, financial instability, aggressive competition, and the lifelong search for an open window where there are only closed doors. I wouldn’t trade my gift or the deep human experience it has afforded, but I would be lying if I said there were never times I wondered if it would have just been easier to become a doctor.
Can you briefly introduce yourself and share what makes you or your brand unique?
I am a singer, songwriter, stage actor, producer, and a master vocal & performance coach. I hail from Northern California, where I first began studying classical voice, but relocated to Los Angeles to pursue my career as a recording artist and commercial singer, living the bicoastal life in NYC when Broadway came calling. I’ve toured worldwide with various artists as a background singer, had an extensive theatre career, released 4 albums, and appeared as a singer and/or songwriter in multiple films and TV shows. In 2021, I moved my life and career to Tennessee, and currently live in Franklin, where I continue as a vocal coach, session singer, and recording artist. My amazing career makes me uniquely qualified, as I bring to the local marketplace decades of experience across multiple platforms in the entertainment industry. I’m enjoying working with gifted engineers, producers and artists in the studio, and focused on building my coaching roster, working with young singers and established artists alike. [Artist website: kaceeclanton.com / Coaching website: vocalperformancecoach.com]
Appreciate your sharing that. Let’s talk about your life, growing up and some of topics and learnings around that. What was your earliest memory of feeling powerful?
I was 17 years old when I left for University. A kid, really. I attended a private school and quickly learned that I did not fit in. The school was full of the sons and daughters of the wealthy; I was on an academic scholarship. Students loved to party; I did not. The women wore cardigans and pearls; I wore dog collars and was goth before goth was even a thing. Frats and sororities were powerful social constructs and threw their weight around like lords of the flies; I found them to be ridiculous, irrelevant, and full of bullies. The Conservatory of Music was classical and conservative and they let me know early on that I wasn’t welcome. I wanted to enter the music therapy program, but I let the powers that be convince me I wasn’t right for it. So I studied language and law and filled every spare hour with Conservatory classes. I was BUSY.
I auditioned for and became a member of the Oriana Choir, a choir for women, directed by a man who changed my life. He was raw and honest and read me like a book when I first arrived. It was simple at first, telling me I was a mezzo soprano and not an alto, as I had been misled to believe for years. That revelation opened an entire world for me, doubling my range. At my audition, he said he wouldn’t tolerate lazy singers and my ear made me lazy. I was mortified, but realized quickly it was a compliment of sorts. My ear was so good, I hadn’t bothered to learn to really read. He introduced me to the mind/body connection I desperately needed. He said I had twice the natural gift of most of his singers, so I would have to work twice as hard, a work ethic I employ to this day.
He was true to his word. I auditioned many times to be a soloist with the choir, but it wasn’t until my senior year that I actually got one. When that happened, every member of the choir who didn’t like how I dressed or that my head was half shaved or the fact that I was not a voice major, protested. Loudly. I dug my heels in and stood in my make believe power, but inside, I was devastated by their words. That’s when it happened. Out of nowhere, at a rehearsal, the director asked me to come down front. Again, mortified. He stood next to me and asked me to face the choir, then he said something that turned make believe to real power. He said, “I want each of you to take a long look at her. She has worked twice as hard as any of you and deserves this solo, but all I’m hearing is your complaining. I want you to REALLY look at her and memorize her face, because you will hear her name and see her face down the road. This one is going places and you’d be smart to support her. She may be your boss one day!” LIFE CHANGING. To this day, when I’m feeling beaten down, I can still hear him saying those words and I know I’m imbued with power and I will survive this.
If you could say one kind thing to your younger self, what would it be?
If I could tell my younger self anything it would be to speak truth to power; use wisdom, but stand your ground. Tell your family that you want to attend a performing arts college and not study law. When they say music is not a viable career, don’t be afraid to tell them how it feeds you and who you are: you are not a lawyer or a doctor or a secretary; you’re a performer and you will move mountains if they will simply see you and support you. And when everyone around you underestimates you, because they will, focus on the work and show them who you are. No one is more powerful than your truth.
So a lot of these questions go deep, but if you are open to it, we’ve got a few more questions that we’d love to get your take on. Whom do you admire for their character, not their power?
The Queen… Dolly Parton. She comes from the humblest of beginnings and has built an empire as a mega successful, prolific songwriter, a 10-time Grammy Award winner, 2-time Guinness World Record holder, a savvy business woman and a uniquely vibrant performer. But that’s not what enters my mind when I hear her name. I think about her authenticity, compassion and generosity. I think about the Imagination Library and her ability to look into the hearts of people and see who they really are. I think about how her philanthropy has touched countless lives, and how when catastrophe strikes, she is the first to open her heart and her wallet to help ease the suffering in some way. Yes, she’s a musical gift to humankind, but her heart is what makes her the Queen.
Okay, we’ve made it essentially to the end. One last question before you go. What is the story you hope people tell about you when you’re gone?
When I’ve shuffled off this mortal coil, I hope people say I inspired them in some way… to be brave and walk through their fear, to stop worrying about the past or the future and thrive in the now, to challenge themselves to be better than they ever thought they could be, to step out in faith and become the artist they were born to be.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://kaceeclanton.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kaceeclanton
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/OfficialKacee
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/c/KaceeClantonOfficial
- Other: Coaching website: https://www.vocalperformancecoach.com
Link Tree: https://linktr.ee/kaceeclanton
Image Credits
Gene Reed
Joan Marcus
Mark Kitaoka
