The other night I popped into a club to check
out an artist I never saw. She describes herself as an "acoustic pop
musician & artist." She supported this statement with her refreshing
voice and catchy guitar. Throughout the hour she constantly delivered through
her original works and creative arrangements of cover tunes. Amberle is on her
way to becoming a first class Second Life entertainer.
I should start by saying that Amberle's voice
is flawless. She constantly demonstrates impeccable pitch and vocal control.
Every vocal run was a succession of deliberate perfectly chosen notes. Never
did they feel forced or like she was searching for the correct pitch. Most
importantly, every run was timely and appropriate to the music. Amberle has the
talent to throw these runs in every verse of every song, but the savvy to hold
them for the perfect moments.
Amberle also has an impressive vocal range.
Although her low end is not always as strong, her phenomenal breath-control
allows her to push through and hit her low notes. The only area where she could
use some improvement is in her diction and enunciation of consonants in some of
the songs. To be completely fair, the only reason I found it distracting was
because I was looking for a flaw.
There was also great range in Amberle's guitar
playing. Her style ranged from soothing and subtle to upbeat and poppy from one
song to the next. She performed "Counting Stars" with such inflection
and rhythm that it brought all of the power of the original without missing the
full band accompaniment. Her arrangement of Carly Rae Jepsen's
"Curiosity" was the song that really showcased her talent on the
guitar and her gift for vocal control.
Amberle played Yellow by Cold Play when I
requested it. She said it is one of her favorite songs. She proved it with her
handling of her interpretation. Amberle gave the song such a soothing touch
that added a delicacy the original could never reach. Her crescendo at the
bridge was moving with an emotional weight that made me feel as though she
could have written the song herself.
She performed two original songs during her
set. Both were well composed and heartfelt songs of unrequited love. Her lyrics
spoke to common emotions using direct and earnest language. "Never Let You
Know" starts with her soothing finger-picking that embraces the listener
as it transitions into heartfelt strumming. My original note was that the
lyrics felt juvenile yet relatable; this was quickly explained when she announced
the song was written at 14. The second original, "Unmine," carried
the heartbreak of losing love with an upbeat rhythm that left me feeling
hopeful in spite of the pain.
Amberly closed with "Killing Me
Softly." She plays a beautiful inviting intro before kicking into a more
jazzy rhythmic strumming. She sings this song like she has lived it. Again, her
control is astonishing. She sneaks the perfect notes in from underneath the
melody.
My only major complaint during Amberle's set
was the sound quality. When I mentioned this she said she was in the process of
buying new equipment. I also suggested not to run her fan during her set
because it created a distorted warble. However, her talent and energy broke
through the distraction to deliver 60 minutes of pure entertainment.
I suggest that the next time you're looking
for a live show you check out Amberle Janniah. You won’t be disappointed!
Check out her schedule at https://tinyurl.com/yc9nyve5
Also be sure to visit her Soundcloud at https://soundcloud.com/amberle-janniah
Interview with Amberle Janniah
I sat down with Amberle in her home to get to
learn a little more about her. The first thing I noticed was her full band
studio set up. "Wouldn't be my place without some sort of place for
music," she said with a smile when I commented on it.
Sean: So let's start with, what was your
introduction to the SL music scene?
Amberle: I started performing on SL last year
because of a few friends, from Paltalk, that convinced me to come back here.My
account is around 5 years and 7 months but I've probably played on SL for only
about 2 years, even less.
Performance-wise I've barely reached the 6
month timeframe.
Sean: I'm glad they convinced you to sing for
us. How did you come to SL in the first place?
Amberle: The way I got my first gig was a bit
special too, but we can talk about that later. Regarding your question, I
discovered SL through a good friend of mine, Jane, who knew I loved playing
games. Not that SL is much of game, since i consider it much more.
Amberle: At first I was hesitant, but when I
read about Second Life I got curious and that curiosity still keeps me here up
to now. Lots of things to learn.
Sean: That is very true. We tend to put a lot
more of ourselves into it than we would Fallout 4 or World of Warcraft.
Amberle: I agree with that. SL provides a
creative output that has no limit or clear objective. It's awesome.
Sean: I want you to tell me about that first
show, but first I want to ask, were you playing shows in RL before you took up
the SL Stream?
Amberle: I have played RL gigs but never just
me. It was always with my former acoustic band. In RL, I focus on vocals.That's
one of the reasons why it's a preference to pursue acoustic sets. I get to
practice and make up for lost time, if you could call it that. XD
Sean: Do you play any other instruments?
Amberle: Yes, I also play the piano but I've
always been partial to the guitar. XD
Sean: I get that. If I could play the drums
for an SL set I would.
Amberle: Would be an interesting set. XD
Sean: So let's her about that first SL gig.
What made it so special?
Amberle: Well, an acquaintance I met at O
Lounge convinced me to play at Lyrics... nothing out of the ordinary, just a
couple of songs to see how people would respond. It turned out pretty well and
Mace Paul, who was listening, asked me to play another song because she wanted
someone to hear me. I didn't know that the person was a venue owner. Mind you,
I had to do it on local because my net was acting up and it wouldn't let me
stream properly. Anyway, Mace TP-ed Brindimere into the venue and the rest was
history. That was the start of many shows.
Sean: That's awesome! Can you describe how it
felt that first time you played for an SL audience?
Amberle: I may seem more comfortable on stage
now but I'm actually glad that I still feel some things that resemble the first
time I played for an SL audience. It was nerve-wracking and scary, at first,
then you feel a warmth that just encapsulates you and urges to just open your
mouth and sing.
Time flies by so fast that you don't even
realize how many songs you've done until you are prompted to check the time.
Sean: I know what you mean. It's those nerves
that keep you focused and awake. There's an old theater adage, "I never
want to go on stage with an actor who isn't nervous."
So how
do you pick the songs you want to learn?
Amberle: I listen to the radio.
That's just it.
I wish it were a more fancy picking process
but straight up, I listen to songs on the radio or anything on the net.
Sean: You have such creative arrangements. of
your cover songs. How do you come up with them?
Amberle: Now that's a bit more complicated to
explain for me.
When I listen to a song, I tend to break down
the things that I like and not like much about it. And when I play it on the
guitar, I focus on what I want to bring out of the song and emphasize on it. It
doesn't come easy all the time. Sometimes, if I really wanted to cover a song
and nothing really sounds nice to me... I usually listen to different takes on
the song. Every cover of the same song is a different highlight of the beauty
of the melody and the meaning of the lyrics.
Sean: Yes! Well said!
Amberle:That eventually points me to something
that I can use and brings a lot of elements together.
Sean: What are you favorite songs to play?
Amberle: Wahhhhhhh! That's the hardest
question you've asked so far.
Sean: (laughs)
Amberle: I don't know how to answer that
question without taking a million years.
Sean: I mean, I've already told our readers
about your treatment of Yellow.
Amberle: My originals are definitely a part of
the list. They're an extension of me, even if the songs weren't about my
firsthand experience at all.
Sean: I know exactly what you mean!
Amberle: Killing Me Softly, I feel is my most
ambitious take that I'm very much in love with, so that's part of the list too.
Adele songs too, hard as they are. They just
get me going. XD
Sean: I feel that way when I do Bowie.
Amberle: At this point, I am very much tempted
to say that everything on my song list is... but there are a few that take
precedence over some others.
Sean: So you mentioned your originals. What is
your writing process?
Amberle: I would describe it as organized
chaos. There are times when I can finish a song within minutes but there are
some that are reflections of bits and pieces of different days.Maybe even
years. Back then I'd always have a small notebook handy. Not it's either I
write on said notebook or doodle on my phone. Perk of technology. :D
Sean: So what else would you like the readers
of SLE to know about you?
Amberle: Hmmm, second hardest question of the
day. Apart from which are my favorite songs.
Sean: I am a hard hitting journalist.
Amberle: Honestly, there's not anything about
that they wouldn't hear in my music.
Sean: That's a great answer!
Amberle: If anything, I'd like people to
listen, even for a couple of songs. And hopefully after, they'd get a firsthand
experience of what I want to achieve through my music: for my audience to feel.
Sean: And they can do that by clicking on the
link to your schedule I've included in the article.
Check out her schedule at https://tinyurl.com/yc9nyve5
Also be sure to visit her Soundcloud at https://soundcloud.com/amberle-janniah
Posts
