For the past two years Barbadian jazz singer Janelle Headley-Newton has stepped back from performing. She found herself bored, drained and uninspired.
She admits that it was a struggle to even get out of bed and that she had lost the desire to do anything at all – much less anything artistic.
“I had no idea what was wrong with me. I was paralyzed, despondent and disillusioned. I remember one day sitting down and wondering what happened to the bright-eyed girl I used to be”, she said matter-of-factly.
“The only conclusion I could come to was that I was no longer as open and free as I used to be. I had closed myself off from the wonderfully unpredictable world of possibility”.
Janelle is now home in Barbados – very active, very busy and inspired. She decided to get up, dust herself off and try something else. She started baking, taking photos and painting again. Janelle is still working up the courage to dance again and, yes, sing again, but she calls herself “a work in progress”.
After being in Canada for a year and a half, she returned last October and two months later, started a bake-to-order bakery. Then in February of this year, she helped to launch Honey Jam Barbados, and in March she started on her newest project: Operation Triple Threat: Sing. Dance. Act.
Six-week workshop
Janelle started Live Breathe Music back in 2005, a company dedicated to offering quality training to aspiring vocalists and musicians in Barbados. Initially it took the form of a music school, offering private lessons. Now, it is project-based, allowing her the flexibility to run workshops such as Operation Triple Threat while running her bakery and planning other events.
Operation Triple Threat is in its inaugural year and started two weeks ago. It is geared to children between 11 and 18 years old and is an intensive six-week summer workshop that offers training in singing, dancing and acting. With the help of some of her colleagues, Janelle has designed the performing arts programme to facilitate young Barbadian performers’ becoming versatile.
“The camp has been going great so far! The children have been going home raving about it to their parents and are even enjoying the fact that they are being stretched beyond their limits. We’ve got a really talented bunch.”
Held at the Black Rock Cultural Centre, Janelle says: “I saw a need for young Barbadian performers to become proficient in more than one discipline if they were seriously considering careers in the entertainment industry.
“While it’s great to be a really good actor or a really great singer, more frequently directors and producers are requiring performers do several things well. I am just doing my part to help some of the young talent here.”
The tutors are local and international performing arts industry professionals: “Some of the tutors, I taught at the Barbados Community College years ago or I worked/performed with [in Barbados and Canada].
“Two of my sisters are also involved: Julia will be conducting dance master classes and Joy-Anne will function as a social worker, using art therapy to address the emotional needs of students.”
Janelle is from an artistic family. Her parents Pamela and Trevor Headley are dance, music and photography enthusiasts. Her sister Julia is a dancer, Joy-Anne is a visual artist and Jamila plays several instruments. She also has cousins, aunts and uncles who have always been involved in the arts.
Janelle said her parents were a little skeptical at first about her choosing music because she kept shifting from one career choice to another. At one point she wanted to be a psychologist, and then she contemplated becoming a visual artist or graphic designer.
At Queen’s College, she was in the junior and senior choirs and performed at several music events as a teen, so when her parents realized she was committed to studying music, they allowed her, at 17 years old, to leave right in the middle of sixth form and go to The King’s University College in Alberta, Canada, for classical voice training.
Vocal tutor, songwriter
She then made the switch to York University’s jazz programme, where she obtained a Bachelor of Fine Arts Specialised Honours Degree in music, and was on the dean’s honour roll.
“Many times I considered giving up my studies. I felt really bad about being a financial burden on my parents. I kept thinking about my younger sisters, who all wanted to study abroad, and I had no idea how my parents would be able to cover those expenses.
“However, it turned out that each of my sisters completed their A-levels, and each received a scholarship or exhibition, so the financial load was less than we anticipated.
Even though Janelle is taking a break from performing, this artist from Bagatelle, St James, who has performed at numerous events in Barbados including the Barbados Jazz Festival and also at various venues in Canada, is still respected as a singer, vocal tutor and songwriter.
Janelle’s view is that there needs to be a real music industry in Barbados.
“Barbados’ musical activity has increased tremendously, even within the last five years. I am very happy to see that there are so many bands and solo artistes of varying genres playing their hearts out on any given night of the week, but I’m not quite sure we can call it a music industry yet.
“There still isn’t much of the infrastructure in place to truly develop and capitalize on our talent, or enough financial backing to export it successfully. There certainly isn’t enough support personnel, who are crucial to allowing artistes to thrive – such as lawyers who are specifically trained in entertainment law, music publishers, publicists, stylists, experienced managers and so on.
“I always knew the industry was a tough one . . . but it is one thing to ‘know’ about it and another thing to experience how really hard it is. So, yes, it is much harder than I expected.
“I’ll say this: the music industry isn’t for the faint-hearted or the delicate soul. Those who thrive are thick-skinned.”
Janelle is thankful for the support from many of the musicians and artistes she has met through the years. Some of them have become my closest friends, she admits.
“You see, the music industry is all about networking and teamwork. Even if you are a solo artist, the band is your team; unity and musical chemistry are crucial. I have encountered many insincere people during the past seven years, but I am also blessed to be able to say that I met some great people who have not only helped me to make some good recordings but have become trustworthy friends.”
Janelle admits that she is not where she thought she’d be on her journey.
“I never thought the day would come when I’d lose interest in singing or songwriting.”
At first it was puzzling to her, but she can say that her journey has been somewhat better since she decided to “step outside the box of my own making and colour outside of the lines”.
Growing up, she always loved artistic things. “Now it makes total sense to me why focusing on just one thing would eventually no longer ‘work’ for me.”
Janelle is trying to get better at balancing work and play – getting in a good movie or going to the beach, as opposed to working until her body literally shuts down on her. Her husband Neil, also a musician, often has to give her “the look”, she says, before she shuts off the computer and turns off her phone.
If she ever decides to perform again, Janelle would love to share the stage with John Mayer. Her other music icons include Joni Mitchell, Jill Scott, Fred Hammond, Bobby McFerrin, Lizz Wright, Maxwell, Sade, Adele . . .”I could go on and on,” she says.
“Each artiste offers something unique that I admire.”
Ten years from now Janelle sees herself doing pretty much the same thing – that is, challenging herself with a new business venture or performing-arts-related project.
“Hopefully”, she says, “Operation Triple Threat would be celebrating its 10th anniversary!”
