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ROCKIN' MOMS FEATURED ARTIST INTERVIEW with Lisa Horan  ON BEING A ROCKIN' MOM RM: How many children do your have and what are their ages? Lisa: I have three boys -- Griffin is 12, Ryan is 10, and Nathan just turned 6. RM: Did you perform/write music before you were a mom? Lisa: I did. I've always been drawn to music and began performing when I was a child. There was always a show centering on dancing or singing that I was involved with, and I remember writing my first song at the age of 10. It was called "Life, Love, and Time," and I can specifically remember sitting in my room, contemplating these deep issues, writing the lyrics, scratching them out and re-writing them over and over, and coming up with a melody. I loved every bit of the process (and still do)! I continued to write songs, "musicals," and shows throughout my childhood and continued to perform music through college and beyond. I didn't develop a deep passion for songwriting, nor did I dedicate a large portion of my life to it, however, until after my first two children were born. RM: How has motherhood enriched your music and affected your career? Lisa: While I have enjoyed a career as a professional writer for 18 years, it wasn't until my boys came into my life that I fully recognized and appreciated my passion for putting words and music together. Somehow, they opened my eyes to so many things I had never been able to see before and in their own little way, without even realizing it, inspired me to write songs. I can't really explain it, but they have been motivating factors in my songwriting career and constantly spark my creativity. It doesn't hurt that they are my biggest fans and my sounding boards (and they are not afraid to tell me the truth if they think a song needs some work!). I always imagine them saying to each other, "Oh no. Mom's got us held captive in the car. I bet she's going to break out a CD of her newest song!" Thankfully, they've reassured me that they are happy to listen. Their love and support have been critical in keeping me going, picking me up when disappointments would otherwise drag me down, and inspiring me on many levels. RM: Do you bring your children to see you perform? Lisa: While lately I've been spending more time in front of a mic at the studio than in front of a live audience, my children have come to just about every performance I've had, whether it's been an outdoor concert, a charity event, a seasonal celebration, or a performance at a church. It's always so helpful to see their sweet little faces looking up at me! RM: How have you made time to balance both careers? Lisa: Honestly, that's consistently been the most difficult challenge for me! Every day is a balancing act. Some days, I feel like I've got it together; other days, not so much! The greatest blessing to me has been that I have been able to work primarily from home and spend a lot of time with my children. That does mean recording at the studio all hours of the night, though, and usually means getting home at 2:00 am and carving time in the early morning and the nighttime hours to work around my children's schedules, but I'm OK with that. While I've spent the last five years or so getting very little sleep, now that my youngest child is in school full time, things should ease up a bit, and I may actually be able to squeeze in a little more rest! The other part of the challenge for me is juggling my songwriting career with my other career responsibilities. I wear multiple hats, and they can get pretty heavy at times. I'm a freelance writer specializing in film, music, video, and media and write for a variety of publications, including a monthly column called "Confessions of a Small Working Studio" for Mix magazine, in addition to tackling other writing-related projects for various clients (see my writing website for examples of my work); I'm the creative director of the studio at which I record (Studio Unknown in Baltimore, MD), a position that requires me to develop and launch creative marketing plans and manage writing-centered projects; and I'm the co-founder/managing partner of a new company called PopMark Media, a company my business partners and music producers and I created to help music and film professionals take charge of their careers and to aid creative projects of other professionals. We offer the full range of promotional services, from developing social networking plans to creating custom websites; music consultation services, which cover songwriting, music supervision, and production; and sound polishing services for films, videos, and other visual media projects. My responsibilities include developing marketing strategies, working with clients, co-steering the direction of the company, and co-managing day-to-day operations on every level. It's a full plate and a lot to manage, but I feel very fortunate to have the opportunities that I have and the great people around me to work with. RM: Any challenges (i.e. practice time, touring, babysitting, budget) you’d like to share? Lisa: Oh, where to begin?!! As I mentioned, fitting everything in is the greatest challenge I face on a day to day basis. I have been fortunate that I have willing family members and my husband available to watch my children when I've had to travel for an industry event, go to the studio, or meet with clients, so, thankfully, babysitting hasn't been a big issue for me. As for budget, well, that's another story. Managing a music career, as your readers know from first-hand experience, is no easy feat. I spend a nice chunk of change on submission costs, design fees for websites and CD covers, music-related association subscription costs, and travel expenses, not to mention other services that I need from time to time. It adds up quickly. The saving grace is, I've been getting licensing deals, so that is helping to off-set the costs, but it's not easy! As for time, that's yet another challenge. If only there were about 6 more hours in the day and my body could tolerate two or three energy drinks at a time, I'd be in great shape! CAREER HISTORY  RM: When did you become interested in music? Lisa: I developed an interest in music at a very early age and began my involvement with the arts (first dance) at age 6. I went on to take voice lessons, study music and instrumental music in school, and study opera in college. I've continued to take voice lessons periodically throughout my adulthood. RM: Was there anyone who inspired or influenced you to pursue a career as a musician/performer? Lisa: There have been multiple people who inspired me throughout my life. My mom encouraged me from a young age to follow my passion, and my dad was a musician and singer, so I was always exposed to music growing up. I was greatly inspired by movies like Fame and Flashdance when I was a child, and I followed many singers' careers, but, in all honesty, there wasn't one specific person whose career I've tried to emulate. I have always just felt this calling on my life and a deeply rooted passion for music and a strong ambition to pursue a career in music. RM: What project/CD are you most proud of? Lisa: I feel very proud that the work we're doing is getting better with each song, and we're getting recognition and placements as a result. I think the two songs that I am most proud of would have to be "Better for the Worst," because I really feel like it has touched people in a positive way, and "Lonely World," because I was able to do every bit of the instrumentation myself, which was a really satisfying accomplishment. It has been very rewarding to hear the favorable feedback industry executives are giving "Better for the Worst," including a Sony Music producer who is pitching the song to his colleagues and a major Nashville music organization, which will be featuring the song at their "pitch to publishers" luncheon. Listen to Lisa Horan's Song, "Better for the Worst."> It was almost as exciting to find out that "Lonely World" was chosen by a UK-based music consultancy company for a European in-store retail campaign. Both of these songs seem to be fan favorites on my Jango radio station, and I just found out, in fact, that "Better for the Worst" is Number 4 in Broadjam's Regional Top 10 Chart. RM: I really like your website! Do you feel having a blog and website helps you reach fans? Lisa: Thanks! That means a lot. I do feel that having a professional website is really helpful, especially if you're trying to attract the attention of music industry insiders, and establishing some sort of communication with fans and industry contacts is extremely important. It can be challenging keeping up with it all, but it really is necessary in today's industry. RM: What do you love about this career? Lisa: I love that my work is my passion in life. I love that I have been blessed to work with extremely talented, dedicated, and downright wonderful people. I love that I've been given more and more opportunities to share my music with people all around the world and have my music showcased in different media. I love that I don't have to sacrifice being with my children for my career. I love that the best is yet to come. RM: Do you have any advice or tips for other Rockin' Moms? Lisa: My strongest piece of advice is to stay true to yourself. It has taken me over thirty years to figure that out, and I know I would have saved myself a lot of time, confusion, and pain if I had realized it sooner. As moms, society has placed certain standards on us regarding what we're supposed to look like or sound like or be like. Not everybody is going to "get" that you're a music professional. In fact, some people will frown upon you for such a choice. I know that's been true for me in many cases. I can't tell you how many times I've had people tell me, "Oh, it's nice that you have a little hobby," when referring to my songwriting, or, even better, raise an eyebrow when I've told them I'm in the "music industry." It used to really get on my nerves and make me feel small, to tell you the truth, but I've realized that, at the end of the day, it doesn't really matter what anyone thinks as long as I know that I'm doing my best and that I'm doing what I believe I was put on this earth to do. The reality is, every one of us has a different calling, different gifts, different perspectives, and different life experiences. It's a lot easier for people to put you in the "box" they think you fit in, but it's your choice to accept the selection they've made for you or create your own. Another other piece of advice I would give is to try to balance your priorities as effectively as possible. I know for myself, if I'm not careful, I fall into a workaholic mode. I try to prevent that as best as I can by setting limits, organizing my schedule at the beginning of each week and day, learning to say "no" to things that I simply can't do (and not feeling guilty about it -- although, I'll admit, I'm still working on that one!), using my time wisely, taking a few minutes every day to remind myself that this is a journey -- not a race, and spending as much time with my children as I can. As driven as I am when it comes to my career, the very last thing I want to do is wake up when my children are married with children of their own and regret not enjoying them when they were in my care. This time of our lives together is way too important to mess up, and as they seem to be growing up right before my eyes, I'm constantly reminded that it's not going to last forever, so I am determined to enjoy it as much as possible. Finally, to further delve into the idea of getting organized, I would suggest to any Rockin' Mom that she treat her music career as just that --a career. I think creating daily, weekly, monthly, and yearly plans; setting goals; developing a routine; and making it a point to determine and honor your level of dedication to your career are all keys to success. RM: Where do you see yourself a year from now? Lisa: I see a lot of new and exciting opportunities in the year ahead. I see my music being used in a variety of new places. I see myself working with industry professionals from all around the world. I see my new company making a positive impact on both the music and film industries. I see myself fully enjoying my family, my life, and a successful career as a Rockin' Mom! For more information about Lisa Horan, visit her website: www.lisahoran.com Interview by Tiffany Petrossi, Singer-Songwriter, Mom of four and founder of Rockin’ Moms. |
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