Music's Week: What inspired you to become a musician, and what was your journey like getting to where you are today?
Pamela Edwards McClafferty: My family has musical inclinations. I began singing and writing in a journal at 11 years old, sang on scholarship throughout Europe at 17 and majored in music at the University of Arizona. Thereafter I received a scholarship to the Los Angeles Civic Light Opera . My professional singing career took me on tour through out the United States with a variety of singing groups, appearances on the Johnny Carson Show, and to the studio to record an album which still sells on Amazon. As much as I loved music, my heart and soul called out for me to write a story I had worked on while on the road. The story turned into a bestselling novel which also took me on a journey into the fashion industry where I sold my designs on 7th Avenue to Bloomingdale and 90 specialty stories. Ultimately I founded Spellbound Pictures with my husband and best friend Producer/Writer Mark McClafferty and produced award winning films and comedies. One day, Mark read a story and poem I had written years before and urged me to put music to the poem/lyrics and expand the story. Mark was my champion and thereafter introduced me to Stanley Clarke. Stanley and I became collaborators on Artland the musical which took over a decade to complete. It’s now in New York and London!
Music's Week: Can you tell us about your creative process when writing songs? Do you have any rituals or habits that help spark inspiration?
Pamela Edwards McClafferty: I always create the music from the lyric. I hear the words in music.
Music's Week: What was the inspiration behind REFLECTIONS, and what do you hope listeners take away from it?
Pamela Edwards McClafferty: The world’s children inspire me. They touch my heart . Guns. Violence. Wars. I wish people would look at themselves through their children’s eyes. The world would be a better place for it.
Music's Week: How do you balance your artistic vision with commercial considerations, such as what will appeal to fans and what will get played on the radio/streaming platforms?
Pamela Edwards McClafferty: I don’t think about the commercial aspects of each song. With Reflections, we used piano, guitar, violin, viola and cello. We made it simple for a reason. Lain Roy Roy a gifted singer sang the lyric and Tzuriel Tong the violinist answered Lain with the emotional strings. Simple. This is not the arrangement many people would chose, but I wanted Reflections simple. Emotional soaring strings accompanying simple questions. I hope Reflections will give rise to some thought.
Music's Week: You've collaborated with other artists/musicians in the past. What do you look for in a collaborator and what's your favorite collaboration experience so far?
Pamela Edwards McClafferty: A musician who challenges me, who understands what I’m thinking sometimes before I do. The most gifted, generous musician I know is Stanley Clarke.
Pamela Edwards McClafferty: I always create the music from the lyric. I hear the words in music.
Music's Week: What was the inspiration behind REFLECTIONS, and what do you hope listeners take away from it?
Pamela Edwards McClafferty: The world’s children inspire me. They touch my heart . Guns. Violence. Wars. I wish people would look at themselves through their children’s eyes. The world would be a better place for it.
Music's Week: How do you balance your artistic vision with commercial considerations, such as what will appeal to fans and what will get played on the radio/streaming platforms?
Pamela Edwards McClafferty: I don’t think about the commercial aspects of each song. With Reflections, we used piano, guitar, violin, viola and cello. We made it simple for a reason. Lain Roy Roy a gifted singer sang the lyric and Tzuriel Tong the violinist answered Lain with the emotional strings. Simple. This is not the arrangement many people would chose, but I wanted Reflections simple. Emotional soaring strings accompanying simple questions. I hope Reflections will give rise to some thought.
Music's Week: You've collaborated with other artists/musicians in the past. What do you look for in a collaborator and what's your favorite collaboration experience so far?
Pamela Edwards McClafferty: A musician who challenges me, who understands what I’m thinking sometimes before I do. The most gifted, generous musician I know is Stanley Clarke.
Music's Week: What's your favorite part about performing live, and how do you prepare for a show? Do you have any pre-show rituals or routines?
Pamela Edwards McClafferty: I don’t perform. I only write lyrics and music. . I prefer the life behind the scenes.
Music's Week: How do you think your music has evolved over time, and what do you hope to explore in future projects?
Pamela Edwards McClafferty: It gets richer with time. I think I will always hear the lyrics and the music will always tug at my heartstrings until it is heard.
Music's Week: What's been the most surreal or unexpected experience you've had as a musician so far?
Pamela Edwards McClafferty: Not knowing where the music comes from. Lyrics come from living, music comes from a mysterious place that caress the words.
Music's Week: Who are some of your biggest influences, and how have they impacted your music?
Pamela Edwards McClafferty: John Lennon, Phil Collins, Eminem, Tupac. Their words and thoughts walk hand in hand with their music.
Music's Week: What advice would you give to aspiring musicians who are just starting out? Is there anything that surprised or intimidated you when you were first starting out?
Pamela Edwards McClafferty: Barry White told me he was inspired listening to nature at night. So I listen to nature’s sounds at night. I also feel and I think about the world around me. The lyrics come from what I see and the music comes from what I feel and I call in the mysteries of the “heart” to combine the magic.
Pamela Edwards McClafferty: I don’t perform. I only write lyrics and music. . I prefer the life behind the scenes.
Music's Week: How do you think your music has evolved over time, and what do you hope to explore in future projects?
Pamela Edwards McClafferty: It gets richer with time. I think I will always hear the lyrics and the music will always tug at my heartstrings until it is heard.
Music's Week: What's been the most surreal or unexpected experience you've had as a musician so far?
Pamela Edwards McClafferty: Not knowing where the music comes from. Lyrics come from living, music comes from a mysterious place that caress the words.
Music's Week: Who are some of your biggest influences, and how have they impacted your music?
Pamela Edwards McClafferty: John Lennon, Phil Collins, Eminem, Tupac. Their words and thoughts walk hand in hand with their music.
Music's Week: What advice would you give to aspiring musicians who are just starting out? Is there anything that surprised or intimidated you when you were first starting out?
Pamela Edwards McClafferty: Barry White told me he was inspired listening to nature at night. So I listen to nature’s sounds at night. I also feel and I think about the world around me. The lyrics come from what I see and the music comes from what I feel and I call in the mysteries of the “heart” to combine the magic.
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