‘Sunlight for Dreams’: Interview with Felicia Farerre About her New Single

Published on: February 23, 2018February 24, 2018Author: Clothilde LebrunComment: 1

Vocalist, songwriter and recording artist Felicia Farerre recently released an inspiring and ethereal single, called “Sunlight for Dreams”. More singles will be released soon – one each month.

Felicia Farerre is well known in the trailer music area for her collaborations with various artists and companies, such as Position Music, Impact Music, Two Steps From Hell and Michael Maas. She has also worked on more personal projects with her husband, and musician, Phil Rey.

INTERVIEW

Trailer Music News: Hi Felicia ! Could you tell us about your new project this year – releasing one single per month?

Felicia Farerre: Hi! First, I want to thank you for this interview. I feel grateful for this opportunity to express my voice beyond the singing. 🙂

This new way of releasing music monthly exclusively on my website honors me, my music, and the people who care about it. It allows me to properly honor the loyal fans who are subscribers, and to share a more personal connection with them. It also facilitates more time for the creative process so that I am able to put my best work out there.

TMN: What was the creative process behind your single “Sunlight for Dreams”?

FF: This is my first single through this new approach of releasing songs monthly. The creative process for me, and I suspect for most creative people, is always a dive into deep waters. It can be a very otherworldly experience. “Sunlight for Dreams” started with a beautiful and inspiring track composed by my husband and partner Phil Rey. I took the dive and immersed myself in the track. I let it infuse until melody and words started surfacing. “Sunlight for Dreams” became a deep expression of remembering for me. A travel and visit to the sacred final breaths of those closest to me whom I’ve watched transition from form to the formless. They have been those closest to me in this life, and they have shown me the way to the river that flows through the heart of soul. Singing “Sunlight for Dreams” was a journey in and of itself; a continuation of the dive and travel. A few additional touches of orchestration for the song were added by Joe Sowrey, and implemented by Phil Rey, who also mixed and mastered the track.

TMN: Who did the beautiful artwork?

FF: The creator of the artwork is INVSBL. It is a clever name for the ever so smart, multi-talented, graphic artist and musician, Joe Sowrey (…he is indeed the same Joe mentioned above as a collaborator on “Sunlight for Dreams”). Joe has an impressive resume as a graphic artist having worked for some very well known major brands. He has graced Phil Rey and I with several of his works for our album covers.

TMN: Do you intend to release a compilation of all the singles at the end of the year?

FF: I do not intend to, but we’ll see how things evolve. I am open to the idea.

TMN: Could you tell us a bit about you, as a vocalist, songwriter, and recording artist?

FF: The vocalist in me functions in a practical sense as a sort of machine. When vocalizing I call on the editor, pitch and precision police, speaking as singing, and overall quality control. I have spent more than 30 years honing these skills, which are now, thank goodness, mostly automatic. This gives me a lot of freedom to play with various colors and shades of vocal sound, and to allow fully the emotion from the heart of my heart to lead. An epic track for Two Steps From Hell may ask for a powerful, focused sound, like a horn that cuts through, yet also sits nicely with the orchestra. An ethereal track like “Sunlight for Dreams” calls for more subtlety of sound. It is more out front, and sits as the focal point. Every nuance is detectible. It can feel akin to standing naked in the square. Singing is already a very intimate sharing of soul, but this kind of vulnerable singing takes it to another level. It requires absolute transparency of being and accuracy of performance at the same time.

I experience songwriting, and the creative process as a channeling of information from all realms and timelines. This of course moves through a cadence of filters from many experiences of being. I have been writing songs, melodies and lyrics as long as I’ve been singing, but for many years, I was very shy about sharing my work. Writing the lyrics for an album called, Sonnet for Koch Records in 2000 was a project that sort of gave me permission to share my songwriting skills. That experience will forever stand out as important regarding my understanding of songwriting and writing lyrics in particular. From that time forward I’ve enjoyed a rewarding relationship with the songwriting process.

Vocals as an instrument to fill in missing pieces of a song, and singing on songs that I’ve created from first to final note are both very rewarding for me. No matter what I’m working on as a recording artist, my goal is to be a portal of light. Through this, the listener can soul travel and experience their own divinity. I believe that all forms of art are a conduit to the divine. I always remember this and feel it is a certain responsibility of awareness as a recording artist.

TMN: What led you into music, and more specifically into singing?

FF: I was led into music and singing from before my birth (…music and singing are very much a part of my DNA). I was born into it and born to do it. I’ve had this understanding since my earliest recollection.

My father was a brilliant musician, singer and beloved teacher. He earned his Ph.D. in music and education administration. From the time I was 3 years old he was coaching me, and nurturing my innate gifts. I started demonstrating what a natural vibrato and ability to sing in tune sounded like for his classes when I was only 4 (…my ears have always had eyes). My mother is a very accomplished pianist and has a beautiful voice. She spent countless hours accompanying me on the piano, driving me to violin, piano and dance lessons. I am very blessed to have had the support of both of my parents, and my maternal grandparents as well. All of my siblings sing, and we are all involved in music in one way or another.

I started singing with my brother’s top 40 band when I was 13, and landed my first professional, recording artist gig when I was 17. I’ve been working as a professional recording artist ever since.

TMN: Do you have other projects in the pipeline? Collaborations with trailer music companies (such as Two Steps From Hell)? Perhaps other personal projects as well?

FF: I absolutely love working with Two Steps From Hell, and can see possibilities in the future for further collaboration. I don’t have specifics to share at this time. Phil and I continue our collaborative work in the epic, soundtrack genre, and I am currently organizing live events to share and showcase my ethereal, Fe / Fae (fairy-angelic-elf) music in France. I find the village churches to be the perfect venues for this kind of “vocal cinematic poetry.” Very excited to bring this to fruition.

I am also working on the 2nd edition of my vocal methodology book, Real Singers Don’t Sing to include the evolution of my understanding about the psychological, emotional and spiritual aspects of the voice. Anyone interested in this aspect of my work can visit “Once Upon A Voice” on my website.

Last, but not least, I am working with my brother Barry Gibbons and his sons on a wonderful new company they’ve started called, A-ccompany. They offer an app and music library that helps you practice effectively and perform with confidence. Their product is top notch. Beautiful tracks that utilize the impeccable talents of professional musicians and live orchestra. Singing along with this music makes you feel like a rock star and inspires you to continue practicing. Very excited to be collaborating with A-ccompany on their upcoming release of Disney material (…which I sing on). Their app is available on the App Store for iOS devices.

For more information about Felicia’s new single, and purchasing options, visit her website, and don’t forget to subscribe as well (you’ll receive a free song, and access to the video preview for the single).

For further reading, feel free to check out Felicia’s interesting blog about life, music, and singing (yes, YOU can sing too).

Last but not least, her second single this year is about to be released 😉 Here’s a sneak peek: