SAMANTHA TESTA: THE FORCE BEHIND THE VOICE

When I met Samantha her voice had a warmth that filled the room and that was only when she was speaking. She was born in Montreal and is now living in Ottawa, but has been actively making her rounds from LA all the way to Nashville TN. She has done work with producer Steve Dady and recently recorded two new singles, “Bad Ass Man” and “Tongue Twisted”, which are available now as free downloads. I highly recommend everyone to take advantage of her generosity. The songs are rocking and display her unequivocal talent.

Samantha Testa is a self taught musician and a force to be reckoned with. She is currently on the road with her “Up Close and Personal” tour. She has performed all over Canada and the US and through her music not only entertains everyone but actively uses her voice to give back to the communities as well. She is a voice with a heart.

After a show in Ottawa one evening she had met a woman who worked for the Children’s Wish Foundation. She had contacted Samantha later and asked if she would be interested in helping her out. Samantha soon became an ambassador for the foundation in Ottawa.

Samantha said, “Who doesn’t want to help out the children? I think it is always a great idea to give back. Let’s face it giving to others is a gift to yourself as well.”

I asked her if she ever met any of the children and she said, ” I haven’t really met a lot of them but there was an event where one of the girls came, she was mute and blind and sat patiently through the event and listened to everything going on around her. When they got to her they shared her story. She wanted a hot tub. It was really emotional to sit and watch the people listen. Some one in the audience was moved to the point he even offered to pay for her new hot tub”.

She also has done work for the Light the Night, Leukemia Foundation to which she unfortunately has direct ties. She went on to explain that her cousin was diagnosed about two years ago with Leukemia. His parents became more involved and she felt compelled to put her music to use in a positive way. There is no bigger motivator than helping someone close to you.  

Through these experiences she grows as an artists, builds a fan base and connects to the people. This is what the business should be all about.

“Without the fans there is no one to listen”, she explains.

Samantha has a voice and she feels she has something to say. Connecting with her audience is how she gages her level of success. She wants her audience to know who she is on the inside and out. She pours her heart into her songs so the people can feel her heart on the stage.

I asked what goes on in her mind when she is up there singing and she said, “If I can connect with the audience on an emotional level and make sure they walked away entertained, I know I did my job right. It took a lot of practice and a lot of time before I could really open up. But it is all about being genuine. There are sometimes when your doing up beat songs and you see people dancing. Then there are times when you can literally see the emotion on someone’s face and it is incredible to see them really drawn into a song the way you were drawn to it when you wrote it”.

Every artist has their influences and those influences play a huge part in helping new musicians become who they are. Samantha is no different she says through out her career she has studied live performances on YouTube in order to see what they do to engage their fans. Because she has been on both side. At times she is in the audience watching her idols and wanting to feel entertained and connected. She feels role models can have a huge impact on her own career.

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She said, “I like to say that I have listened to everything. But I remember I started off in Blues and I knew some musicians in that genre and I got really into it. Then I started doing some jazz and my vocal coach was a gospel singer. That mix continued to help me grow. I loved anything from Muddy Waters to the Ramones. I now idolize Kelly Clarkston so I listen to her a lot. I think I listen to more modern music now mainly to keep up. But my influences have a wide range and I think that is necessary”.

The music industry is by far a tough business and it takes a lot of passion and love in order to keep trudging forward. But like most performers in this business when asked what keeps her motivated she replied, “There is nothing else I’d rather do. Nothing makes me happier or has the same drive to it. Often people ask, do you have a back up plan? But it doesn’t scare me to dedicate my life to some thing I am passionate about. I’d be scared if I dedicated my life to something I have little interest in. BUT music is how I breathe it is not a job”.

Samantha Testa has some big dreams and she is taking huge leaps in order to make her aspirations come true. She has already achieved huge strides in her career with a future even brighter. Keep your eyes and ears open, she is here to stay, and has the talent to become a household name.

http://www.samanthatesta.com  

By: Rebecca Hosking – hoskingrebecca@gmail.com

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