Nnenna Freelon : A Jazz Star's Path of Purpose
08/20/21 • 38 min
Jazz vocalist Nnenna Freelon believes in following a “path of purpose,” and hers has led to multiple GRAMMY® Award nominations and performances at The Kennedy Center and The White House among other prestigious venues. Her path took a very different turn after the loss of her soulmate and husband, renowned architect Phil Freelon, which prompted her to question everything she thought she knew about living, dying, faith, healing, and her art. Nnenna’s experiences led her to a new journey, down the path of grief. Today, she’s sharing her voice once again through a heartfelt new album (Time Traveler) and a powerful, poignant podcast (Great Grief with Nnenna Freelon). In this honest, inspiring, and deeply moving conversation, Nnenna reveals how it has felt to rediscover and raise her voice anew, how she has balanced the life of a performing artist and mother, and why it’s crucial to define your own vision of success.
Links from the episode:
- Nnenna Freelon website: https://www.nnenna.com/
- Great Grief with Nnenna Freelon podcast: https://www.wunc.org/podcast/great-grief
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She Rocked It is a media and mentorship platform where creative, courageous women rock it together. We are eager to learn from, listen to, and lift one another up — driven by the belief that women’s voices are essential. On our podcast and Instagram Live interview series, She Rocked It host/founder and creative entrepreneur Karen Gross gets trailblazing women leaders, creatives, and entrepreneurs to reveal how they rock it – and their insights may surprise you. Their behind-the-scenes stories, best-kept secrets to success, and actionable tips are sure to inspire the rockstar in all of us!
Please subscribe and leave a review!
- Join our community at https://www.sherockedit.com
- Join us on Instagram @sherockedit
- Download our FREE guide “SECRETS TO ROCKING IT”
- Ready to transform your creativity into a career that rocks? Check out our group mentorship program, Rock-It Launcher!
If you’d like to join us for future podcast recordings and other empowering live events, head over to our website and subscribe to our email list! https://sherockedit.com/
Jazz vocalist Nnenna Freelon believes in following a “path of purpose,” and hers has led to multiple GRAMMY® Award nominations and performances at The Kennedy Center and The White House among other prestigious venues. Her path took a very different turn after the loss of her soulmate and husband, renowned architect Phil Freelon, which prompted her to question everything she thought she knew about living, dying, faith, healing, and her art. Nnenna’s experiences led her to a new journey, down the path of grief. Today, she’s sharing her voice once again through a heartfelt new album (Time Traveler) and a powerful, poignant podcast (Great Grief with Nnenna Freelon). In this honest, inspiring, and deeply moving conversation, Nnenna reveals how it has felt to rediscover and raise her voice anew, how she has balanced the life of a performing artist and mother, and why it’s crucial to define your own vision of success.
Links from the episode:
- Nnenna Freelon website: https://www.nnenna.com/
- Great Grief with Nnenna Freelon podcast: https://www.wunc.org/podcast/great-grief
—
She Rocked It is a media and mentorship platform where creative, courageous women rock it together. We are eager to learn from, listen to, and lift one another up — driven by the belief that women’s voices are essential. On our podcast and Instagram Live interview series, She Rocked It host/founder and creative entrepreneur Karen Gross gets trailblazing women leaders, creatives, and entrepreneurs to reveal how they rock it – and their insights may surprise you. Their behind-the-scenes stories, best-kept secrets to success, and actionable tips are sure to inspire the rockstar in all of us!
Please subscribe and leave a review!
- Join our community at https://www.sherockedit.com
- Join us on Instagram @sherockedit
- Download our FREE guide “SECRETS TO ROCKING IT”
- Ready to transform your creativity into a career that rocks? Check out our group mentorship program, Rock-It Launcher!
If you’d like to join us for future podcast recordings and other empowering live events, head over to our website and subscribe to our email list! https://sherockedit.com/
Previous Episode
Divinity Roxx : Bass, Beats, and Beyoncé
Divinity Roxx has raised her voice -- and her bass -- as a Grammy-nominated recording artist, composer, and musician. She’s rocked it onstage alongside Beyoncé as her bassist and musical director, and has appeared on countless television shows including The Grammys, Saturday Night Live, and Good Morning America. Divinity’s career as a bass player skyrocketed after meeting the legendary bass virtuoso, Victor Wooten -- and in this revealing and rockin' interview, she shares (and sings) the song that first captured his attention! You’ll also hear behind-the-scenes stories about Divinity’s hip hop roots; how she abandoned journalism for a full-fledged music career; and why she’s now focusing her talents on children’s music. You’ll no doubt be inspired by Divinity’s courage, creativity, and pursuit of big, bold dreams -- and how she’s committed to spreading light wherever she goes. EPISODE BONUS: A live performance of her latest single, “Ready, Set, Go!”
Links from the episode:
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She Rocked It is a media and mentorship platform where creative, courageous women rock it together. We are eager to learn from, listen to, and lift one another up — driven by the belief that women’s voices are essential. On our podcast and Instagram Live interview series, She Rocked It host/founder and creative entrepreneur Karen Gross gets trailblazing women leaders, creatives, and entrepreneurs to reveal how they rock it – and their insights may surprise you. Their behind-the-scenes stories, best-kept secrets to success, and actionable tips are sure to inspire the rockstar in all of us!
Please subscribe and leave a review!
- Join our community at https://www.sherockedit.com
- Join us on Instagram @sherockedit
- Download our FREE guide “SECRETS TO ROCKING IT”
- Ready to transform your creativity into a career that rocks? Check out our group mentorship program, Rock-It Launcher!
If you’d like to join us for future podcast recordings and other empowering live events, head over to our website and subscribe to our email list! https://sherockedit.com/
Next Episode
Sonia De Los Santos : Singing Out for Hope
For the final episode of our first season, we are thrilled to share an uplifting message of hope by way of the acclaimed children’s musician and singer-songwriter Sonia De Los Santos. Originally from Monterrey, Mexico, Sonia moved to New York City with the dream of becoming a singer; within a few years, she was touring the world with Grammy Award-winning group Dan Zanes And Friends. In 2019, Sonia was nominated for a Latin Grammy for her family music album, ¡Alegría!.
Her recent release, Esperanza, is a bilingual collection of vibrant, all-ages songs that explore hope, joy, community, togetherness, curiosity and celebration, written during a time of great change in all of our lives. In this heartfelt and candid interview, Sonia shares the behind-the-scenes stories of following her dream to the Big Apple; how a community of women supports her success; and how she transformed a hateful comment into the deeply personal song “This Land Is Also Mine.” And, after years of performing with her band in renowned venues and festivals (Lincoln Center, Carnegie Hall, Lollapalooza, Austin City Limits, and more), she shares how she has pivoted to rocking it right at home.
BONUS: Check our YouTube channel (link below) for Sonia’s She Rocked It exclusive live performance of Esperanza.
Links from the episode:
- Sonia De Los Santos website: https://www.soniadelossantosmusic.com/
- She Rocked It EXCLUSIVE live performance of Esperanza: https://youtu.be/WkBDXJTb_I0
—
She Rocked It is a media and mentorship platform where creative, courageous women rock it together. We are eager to learn from, listen to, and lift one another up — driven by the belief that women’s voices are essential. On our podcast and Instagram Live interview series, She Rocked It host/founder and creative entrepreneur Karen Gross gets trailblazing women leaders, creatives, and entrepreneurs to reveal how they rock it – and their insights may surprise you. Their behind-the-scenes stories, best-kept secrets to success, and actionable tips are sure to inspire the rockstar in all of us!
Please subscribe and leave a review!
- Join our community at https://www.sherockedit.com
- Join us on Instagram @sherockedit
- Download our FREE guide “SECRETS TO ROCKING IT”
- Ready to transform your creativity into a career that rocks? Check out our group mentorship program, Rock-It Launcher!
If you’d like to join us for future podcast recordings and other empowering live events, head over to our website and subscribe to our email list! https://sherockedit.com/
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