Meet Quest Maker Louise Grasmere
Quest Makers are women in their 40s and beyond who've declared
"Now it's my time," and then set off on their own journeys to realize their dreams. Every month a Quest Maker is featured in the FREE e-newsletter, Your Next Quest Chronicles. Click here to enjoy archived issues.
 |
Photo: © Susan Wilson |
Quest Maker Louise Grasmere
From dancing around the edges to
deep immersion in her passion—music
Music maker
extraordinaire, Louise Grasmere began her quest - for music to be at the center of her life - when she turned 30. That journey continues even now 22 years later.
In 2000, Louise made the transition from full time to part-time as a business analyst at a local university so that she could dive deeper and deeper into music in all its forms of expression. That same year she produced her first album, No Detour Ahead. Four years later on her 48th birthday, Louise completed work on her second CD, Blue Ain’t Only Blue.
These days in addition to her work at Brandeis, Louise gives private lessons on vocal technique for all levels as well as offers workshops for choral groups and developing improvisational techniques in jazz or gospel. She plays in an African style rhythm percussion ensemble, sings with the Mystic Chorale and performs live when someone asks her to. Oh, and she's studying Latin percussion, too!
When did you decide to embark on your journey?
I was 30 when I realized I wanted music be the central part of my life. I had always played music and performed from the time I was 13 until I was 20. Then—except for taking lessons in African style drumming from Babatunde Olatunji, a really influential and amazing teacher—I stopped.
As I blew out the candles on my 30th birthday cake and looked around the room I made a wish: “I want my live to be radically different from what it is today.” I really had a kind of aching inside to be singing and doing music. The work I did with Baba and his messages of service and the importance of pursuing what you are meant to do led me to that moment. I had got a little lost in my 20’s and had gone on a different path. It took me another three years to get to a place where I had the freedom to move from Vermont to Boston.
How has your quest unfolded?
Singing and doing music meant immersing myself in it—becoming a voice teacher, producing both my albums, learning how to sing well, being a percussionist, having different bands, performing live, being part of community music with the Mystic Chorale, learning how to sing different styles of music.
How did you make time for your dream?
Being very organized is at the foundation of how I use my time. It was setting aside a lot of nights and weekends. I used vacation time, too. I would take whole days and mark them off on my calendar because you need big spaces of time to think when you’re writing music.
I also really segmented my life. I’d carve out 1 to 2-hour slots of time for a task. For me, it hasn’t been so hard because I don’t have the demands of children. It’s amazing but you can really complete small pieces in short amounts of time and eventually it does get done.
What is the one essential quality that you'd tell women to pack for their own path?
That one little tiny step after another does end up meaning a lot over a period of time. Oftentimes we look at the big goal and it’s pretty huge. For a long time it seemed to me it was impossible to achieve my goal and yet with one tiny step at a time I achieved what I wanted. It took longer and took more individual steps. It didn’t happen overnight but it did happen.
Can you describe how you dealt with any obstacles on your adventure?
I think that when I look back the biggest help was realizing that when one door closes another one opens. Often something that seemed like a loss or a disappointment was an opportunity for something else to happen. The more experiences I had, the more I realized that something wouldn’t have happened if something else hadn’t worked out.
Staying open to what other opportunities are there because one thing might end and just waiting to see what that ending will bring. If you are so set on one thing, then you don’t see other opportunities that come your way or other people you can work with.
For example, in music, musicians move from group to group. At first, I thought that the people who wanted to work with me would stay with me and there would be a bond. Then I realized that everyone is searching for opportunities and will move to the next best thing they can do and that it’s OK. You actually meet so many wonderful people and work with many great musicians over the long run.
What has helped you stay on your quest’s path?
All along I have had the words of Olatunji on my website: “One of the greatest tragedies of a life is to die with your music in you.” That haunted me for years as I struggled to cast off my preconceived notions of what my life and my music were supposed to be. I found the freedom to write only after years of singing other people's music. I am always inspired when I hear about people who hit their creative stride in the years well after their youth.
I've been working all my life to find my way to this music. I knew that if I wanted to do well, I needed to study. So I found a number of teachers who could help me. I had a lot of catching up to do because I had been self taught before that.
Each person has her own passion, her own reason for being—a drive toward something that matters to her. If you live your whole life and never pursue that passion at the end of the day, it is tragic. For me it is my philosophy to ask myself: "How do I want to view my life? What are the things that are most meaningful to me?" I want to keep exploring and not let things go by and then regret it.
What's been the secret to reaching your goals?
Determination. And the fear of disappointing myself. I don’t want to look back and realize I didn’t do something. I am determined not to feel disappointed.
What's the best advice for your quest that you've ever received?
It was from Herman Weiss, a teacher I had when I was studying music theory. I’d said that there were so many things I could do and I wanted to do everything. He replied: “Well, my advice to you is to find out what you really enjoy doing and just do that well. Let others do the rest because, there will always be someone who is going to do that other thing well.” After that, I felt I could try something and if I liked doing, do it; if I didn’t, don’t.
Olatunji always told his students that your life should be in the service of others in some way and my parents lived a life like that, too. It was good inspiration. Teaching voice lessons and workshops is very, very important to me. It is one of the things that gives me the most satisfaction. I am passing on what I know and being of service to other people who are growing.
Is there a particular quote, a movie, a book or a person that has sustained you?
My voice teacher Elizabeth Anker from the Longy School of Music, who took me seriously when I told her I wanted to do this well. I studied with her for 9 years and she gave me the vocal and teaching tools to do what I’m doing today.
Another important thing is that even though I have achieved these goals, I am always studying at the same time. You need guidance from teachers and mentors. They help get ideas flowing and build momentum. I am always doing and always studying at same time so I can move to the next level.
Looking back, what's one thing you wish you had known as you set off on your journey?
What is a measure of success? I think society often leads you to believe there is a sort of standard you’re supposed to live up to. I think though that success is a very fluid thing. It can be a lot simpler and more personal than I imagined it then.
When I finished Blue Ain’t Only Blue, I thought I’d have a lot of time and energy to promote it but then my elderly parents became ill and both died right at the end of the project. That changed the course of my life because, while I did get it out on radio stations, I didn’t have the time to take the album as far as I could I have.
It was very disappointing; yet, it was also a chance for me to reflect on what would be next. I became more philosophical about “What is success?” and "What is enough?” These are questions I ask myself even now.
Because of what happened, I’ve opened myself up to a more balanced and healthy life. I had really pushed myself so hard for so long that I didn’t know I was really exhausted until I stopped. Now I have a richness in my life that I had let go of because I was working so hard for so long. I had imagined and worked towards a definition of success that was about getting famous or at least well-known. That vision is so elusive and exhausting. I think now that success is having a life filled with music, love, friendship, family and health. That’s success for me now.
What inspired you to write “Sometimes You Bust Out Later On” which appears on your second CD?
We think that youth is a time of freedom, yet I am freer now than I ever was in my younger years. I am more willing to take risks and I am far less self-conscious than I was when I was teens, or 20’s. For me the past years have been a process of peeling away the layers to an authentic self. “Sometimes You Bust Out Later On” is my declaration to the world, that no matter what obstacles you have to overcome, you simply must pursue your dreams. (Scroll down to the bottom of the page for a link to this song.)
Where do you see your quest taking you now?
What I’m trying to do is integrate all my percussion playing with my jazz, funk and blues singing into a new style of music for me and playing the percussion on the songs I write and sing. I’d like to pull it all together into a new style that I have not done before.
That’s part of why I’m not recording anything right now. I’m trying to change the style of music I’m singing and that may take a few years.
Is there anything else you’d like to share?
What’s really wonderful is finally realizing that other people also struggle with their creativity. It’s really great to have people to talk to about the creative process and what you’re thinking about, your successes and what you’re struggling with. It’s finding like-minded people—teachers or others who are doing what you’re doing.
I have that with my Latin percussion teacher, Andres Espinosa, and my partner Linda who is also an African style percussionist and the leader of the Mystic Drummers ensemble. I also experience it in the workshops I take all the time.
Click on the pink play button to hear Louise sing what I've come to think of as Your Next Quest's anthem, "Sometimes You Bust Out Later On."
(Click on the pink play button. It may take a moment to dowload.)
Learn more about Louise, her albums and her music. Visit her website, call her at 781.643.5712 or send her an email.
 |
 |
| No Detour Ahead | Blue Ain't Only Blue |
If you'd like to read the essay and the Journal Sparker inspired by Louise's interview, click here to enjoy the March issue of YNQ Chronicles.
What you can expect to find in every issue of YNQ Chronicles