In a THN exclusive, Scott J. Davis speaks to Canadian singer-songwriter Brooke Turner who has had her music recorded and mixed at Record Plant Studios, home to Justin Bieber, Rihanna, Chris Brown and many others. The talented artist has also seen her music featured in the film Wedding Bells and TV show Degrassi.
SJD: How have your family reacted to your career choice and your successes in the entertainment industry in Canada and beyond?
My family has always been very supportive of my career choice, and of course with every success the support grows. I don’t remember a time when my parents haven’t been supportive of me actually, as they believe that you must always follow your dreams to be happy, and being happy is really the only important thing in life. I am very fortunate in this way, actually, I can’t imagine trying to get through this tricky industry without their love and support.
SJD: I understand you were originally headed for The Julliard School in New York, for classical and musical theatre training. How competitive is that process and why the change to pop and film music?
To be accepted into Julliard is a very hard process, which is why I originally started prepping for it at about age 8. To be accepted, not only do you have to be a “master” of two instruments, you must also make it past the other thousands of people trying to get in. It is very difficult counting that they only have a 6.7% acceptance rate, which is why I decided to take Harpsichord when I was young, to help combat the competition as many people do not learn this Renaissance instrument. For those who don’t know, a harpsichord is similar to that of a piano, however the strings are plucked not struck.
At age 14, I decided to move into pop music as I became more involved in song writing. I was fascinated at the concept of what made a “hit” song and how I, myself, could create one of my own. From there the transition was quite natural as I slowly moved away from my classical roots more towards the new and exciting pop world. Another reason why I decided to transition too is because I loved the idea of creating music that people could dance to and listen to in everyday life, and as a singer I would want to be able to perform the pieces that I wrote.
SJD: Tell us a little about your music. Who inspires you musically and what can people expect from this new set of songs being pre-viewed?
Musically I am inspired by many people like Sia, Kelly Clarkson and Katy Perry. I love the way that their music tells a story and allows them to really show off their vocals to help portray this story. I feel this inspiration can be translated into my own music as well, as when I write, one of the main focuses in my music is to tell the story and help illustrate the emotions that the song is singing about.
From my new songs, people can expect to really be able to visualize the story and feel something. Especially as they are written in sequence of the natural cycle of a relationship. ‘Run Away with Me’ is the song that starts it, it speaks about the new and exciting aspects of a relationship, whereas ‘Summertime is more towards the end of a relationship seeing it spiral down and not being able to control the outcome, then finally there is ‘Letting You Go’, this song is about the recovery that takes place once the relationship is over. In this way, I hope that my songs will allow listeners to drift on a journey, to help them through their similar life struggles and to move forward.
SJD: Your first big hit was ‘Life of the Party’ and was placed in the movie ‘Wedding Bells’. Can you tell us a little about that song, and how it became to be a successful release for you?
When I found out that my record ‘Life of the Party’ was going to be in ‘Wedding Bells’, I was very excited as that led to it being in other things as well like the TV show ‘Degrassi’. This definitely helped in the songs success as it opened the door to new listeners and opportunities. I think the reason why this song was as successful was because it’s such a fun, upbeat song. I also think it’s because people, when busy, often forget that sometimes you just have to let your hair down, relax and have fun. For that reason, I think ‘Life of the Party’ helps remind people of the importance of this, it’s also just one of those fun dancey pop songs that as my Gramma would say “makes you just want to daaaannnceeee.” haha.
SJD: Your latest songs have been mixed, at the world-famous Record Plant Recording Studios home some of Hollywood’s blockbuster movie sound tracks, Justin Bieber, Lady Ga Ga, Chris Brown and Brittany Spears. Can you tell us what it was like to work with legendary record producer Patrizio Moi, and audio mixer Dylan Dresdow, who has mixed songs for artists such as; Black Eyed Peas, Rihanna and Usher. How was that whole experience for you?
Working with that team was so inspirational as they are literally all music all the time. They are the type of people that live and breathe music, so the way they process the world is fascinating. Literally anything they do can lead to a song or a new idea for a piece of work. I think that’s why I enjoyed working with them so much, as an artist, I have similar views. It is also such a breath of fresh air as everyone that I met there was so hard working, supportive, humble and talented. I can’t wait to work on future endeavors with them!
SJD: I understand your music is being pitched to some heavy-hitting film producers in Hollywood. Do you have a particular genre of movie you prefer? If so can you explain.
My favorite genres of movies are romantic-comedies and action. I know they’re quite different, but I like them for the feelings that they can give when you’re watching them. Both let you escape into a world that you wouldn’t necessarily find otherwise. Romantic-comedies allow the viewer to feel, and almost reflect, the ideals of the movie into their own life allowing you to usually feel lighter and more free after watching. Whereas with an action movie, I love the adventure and excitement. When you leave the cinema you are almost given the feeling that you can do anything that you want in life and that you should never let yourself be held back. I love that feeling too.
SJD: Are there any actors or directors you would love to work with in the future? Any singer-songwriters you’d like to collaborate with?
Well, spending time in LA over the last few months, many of my friends that I have accumulated are actors. So I think that it would be really fun to one day be able to work with them on projects! For singer-songwriters, I would definitely say Sia, she is so incredibly talented. Not only with her singing but her songwriting as well. I don’t think many people realize how many songs she has also written for other artists too! Did you know that she wrote Beyoncé’s song ‘Pretty Hurts’, ‘Diamonds’ by Rihanna, or ‘Flashlight’ by Jessie J?
Another artist I would love to work with is Bruno Mars, for the same reasoning as Sia, he is so talented and I feel that as an artist and songwriter I could learn so much from either of them. Bruno has written songs like ‘Forget You’ by Ceelo Green, ‘Right Round’ by Ke$ha and Flo Rida and ‘Billionaire’ By Travie McCoy. As well as their own amazing songs. There are so many talented people I’d love to collaborate with – it’s hard to mention them all!
SJD: Do you get to go to the cinema much? Any films you have enjoyed lately?
I love to go to the movies, so yes, actually I go quite frequently. I love to watch the movies on the big screen with the surround sound and of course the popcorn (I love popcorn; it is my favorite food). My current favorite movie, that I saw recently, was ‘Nerve’ starring Emma Roberts and Dave Franco. I love them as actors, so that made the movie even better. I think part of the reason why this movie is so memorable for me though, is when my friends and I went to see the movie at The Grove, we bumped into Dave Franco and his friends. They were actually sitting about a row ahead of us in the movie, so that was pretty cool.
From a filmmaking perspective, I really liked the story too, as it is a very real concept for something to emerge like that in today’s society, and I also really like the twist at the end. I won’t spoil it, so you will have to go and see it!
SJD: Finally, any advice you would give to other music artists looking to make a career move?
If you are even contemplating it, do it! You don’t want to be one of those people that look back later in life wishing that you’d taken the plunge. Plus, the adventure is so inspiring. You also learn so much about yourself and your craft in the process. As the popular saying goes, “go big or go home”, life is short and every moment counts so make sure that you do the most that you can with your time!
SJD: How can people follow your career? Instagram…. Facebook etc.
Absolutely – I’d love that. People can follow me and my latest music on my website brooketurnermusic.com.
Also on SoundCloud: @brooketurner – Twitter: @brookemturner – Instagram: @brooketurnermusic – Youtube: @brookemarieturner and Facebook: @brooketurnermusic
That’s quite a few places, so I hope to see everyone there!
