• The Journey of A Mockingbird
  
  
• Keep It In The Family

Q: At what moment did you realize music was your life?
A: I was 2 years old and my mom realized it. My mother thought the radio was blaring and it was me singing, “Just Call Me Angel in the Morning.” As I got older, I never sang in contest. I just started writing songs and poetry. Poetry is a good way to communicate feelings. Sometimes poems lend themselves to songs and some poetry is meant to stay poetry.

Q: How did it feel the first time you sang in front of a crowd? Did that moment seal your fate?
A: The first time I sang in front of a crowd I was really nervous. I was 11 years old. My Grandfather had cancer and I sang to him. It felt good to make him happy. I wrote the song to let him know how I felt about him. It was a really spiritual moment for all of us.

Q: Did you start singing with a band, or solo?
A: I started singing acapella when I was two. When I was thirteen, I started singing with the Rock-n-Roll Babies. We performed at dances and had concerts at lunch time.

Q: What are your musical Roots?
A: Rock, Soul, R & B, Funk, Jazz, Blues, Country, and Gospel. I listen to everything. I grew up listening to singers like Sam Cooke and Marvin Gaye.

Q: What was it like singing with Stevie Wonder?
A: Stevie Wonder is a genius, very talented. He is a perfectionist. He tested our ears to see how sharp they were.

Q: What or who inspired you to write?
A: That’s a hard question. I listen to different artists because they touch something different in me. Janis Joplin is emotional and raw. Jimmy Hendrix is the Guitar God. Aretha Franklin and Chaka Khan touch the soulful side of me. These artists reach out to me. I want to relate or communicate to people the same way.

Q: Who gave you your first break?
A: I’m a very lucky person. When I was thirteen I recorded my first album. I saved enough money to go to Seattle and cut my first album with Rick Fisher, who helped me a lot. I also worked with Pamela Moore and Michelle Rundgren, who taught me how to relate to the audience and myself.

Kelly also thinks that musicians, when starting out, should take rhythm classes and learn how to play instruments. Kelly started on the drums, then saxophone; in 1998 she added the guitar to her repertoire, and most recently, the piano.

Q: How hard is it to get started in the business?
A: It’s difficult. If you do it because you love it, the mountains always keep you high and the valley never keeps you low. You have to have the passion.

Q: What was the best and worst experience you had working with a major record label?
A: The best was working with Ann and Jeanette, (her Exposé band members). The worse experience was not having any creative freedom. Everything was monitored. We weren’t allowed to write songs. We weren’t allowed to produce anything.

Q: How did you enjoy your experience with Exposé? What did you learn from it?
A: Ann, Jeanette, and I were a great marriage. We worked and related to each other well. And it helps to have fans sing along with you, word for word, at concerts. Exposé fans are extremely loyal.

Q: When did you decide to start your own record label?
A: In 1997 I had the idea. I didn’t get it up and running until 1999.l I had to grow myself as a businessperson. I did it all myself so it took a while.

Q: Is it easy to separate the business of music from creating your music?
A: I don’t care for the business side of music but you can’t survive these days without it. But artists have to remember not to let that interfere with their creative process either.

Q: What keeps you motivated or inspired?
A: My husband, my family, my friends, reading and I love to travel. Just living life.

Q: What would you consider to be your biggest accomplishment in your career?
A: That I am still doing it. I’m still here.

Q: From your own experience, is having talent enough to make it in this business?
A: No. You must be confident, resilient, and self motivated. And you have to have a good sense of humor.

Q: Looking back, is there anything you would change, if you could?
A: No, I am who I am because of what I’ve been through. But one thing I advise every artist to do, pay attention to your gut instincts.

Q: What would you advise any musicians out there who are trying to make it into the music business?
A: My dad gave me the best advice. He said, “Don’t have anything to fall back on or you will.”

Kelly’s name is making a serious mark on the music world.

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You obviously have an inside connection at Days.
KM: Yes, it's not a bad connection [laughs].

Seriously, how did the gig come about?
KM: It was through joking around with [executive producer] Ken Corday. He kept saying, "We've got to get you on the show; you have to write a song for the show." He heard me sing at a Christmas party and liked my singing. I think I hopped up on stage and sang, "I Will Survive." Which is funny, because now my press person handles Gloria Gaynor. Anyway, I didn't really take [Ken] seriously, but then I wrote this song, "Can't Live Without Your Love" for Bo and Hope, and I brought the song in. I actually expected him to say no [laughs].

Did you write the song on spec, or were you asked to compose something?
KM: He had joked around saying, "Why don't you write a song for the show," but I don't think he felt I actually would.

But you took him up on his offer.
KM: I did. I saw the Christmas montage they did [of Bo and Hope], and I was inspired by it. I had this melody floating around and all of a sudden all the lyrics came. I finished it in three days and handed it in to Ken, and he loved it. Then one thing led to another, and he thought, "Well, you might as well be on the show." My collaborator on "Can't Live Without Your Love," by the way, is Stuart Mathis. He co-wrote the music. He's a much better guitar player than I am. I play guitar, drums and percussion. I used to play saxophone.

Have you written songs that have been heard on other daytime or prime time series?
KM: Yes, I have a song that was on Charmed, and I have a piece that was on Melrose Place.

Do you know when your episode on Days will air?
KM: I believe I'm going to be on sometime in November. Kristian (Alfonso; Hope) is on maternity leave, and she'll be coming back soon. When she comes back, Bo and Hope will have a storyline together. I'll be singing to them somehow. I don't really know what the storyline is going to be. I probably will be a singer in the background at the cafe for a romantic moment between the two of them. We're not really sure how it's going to play out yet.

Is there any talk that your character will be recurring?
KM: I will be on a couple of times a year, I know that much, as an entertainer at the club.

Have they given your character a name?
KM: I'm just me, actually [laughs]. And I'm really excited, because we have had a great response from the Days of our Lives fans about the song. I feel really lucky that they are so supportive. A few people have been writing on my Web site (www.kellymoneymaker.com) that they want to use the song for their wedding, and what bigger compliment can you get?

When people visit your Web site, they can purchase your CD?
KM: They can order the CD online, or they can call 1-866-NITESUN. It's the land of the midnight sun, where I'm from [Alaska].

How many songs are on the CD?
KM: There are 15 songs on the album.

Why did you title it, Through the Basement Walls?
KM: Well, mostly because the songs are worked out in my basement. I have a little rehearsal room downstairs. And also, the songs come from deep within me, which is my "basement." So it's a double entendre.

Have you released other CDs?
KM: I have. I few years ago I released a CD called, Like a Blackbird, which was really a cathartic experience and more of an experiment for me. I had never produced myself before. I produced vocals for other people, but this was the first time I had taken on a full album project, and producing yourself is difficult. So it was quite an experience, and I'm grateful for it. It really prepared me for this CD. I feel like with Through the Basement Walls, I've reached a whole new level. It was a lot more fun making this record, a lot more joy. I just feel blessed with all the people who helped me and worked on the record also.

Why did you choose to produce the album yourself as opposed to hiring someone?
KM: When you choose a producer, you are basically putting your life in someone else's hands. It has to be a strong trust relationship, and I don't know anyone who I have that relationship with right now. There are a few producers who I know from listening to CDs and bands that I love. There's a whole bunch of great producers out there, but unfortunately they are far too expensive. I can't afford them. And also, I hear all the parts in my head anyway, so sometimes it's just easier for me to go in and put them down. [Hiring a producer] is an extra step that I can avoid.

In terms of distribution, do you go to the major labels and say, "Hey, can you give my CD a listen?"
KM: I'm trying to decide between two independent labels right now, and who can better serve me if the album stays small or if the album does really well. I have to be able to count on the distributor to follow through. So I'm researching that right now, and I'm trying to make a decision between two companies. I had a major label deal with Expose, and I just love the freedom of being an indie artist. I love having a small indie label. But if it gets to a point where I can't handle it, or we're starting to sell a lot of CDs -- and oh, what a problem to have -- then I can consider taking it to another label and having them distribute it for me. Right now, if I'm going to starve, I 'd rather starve for myself.

When you go indie, however, do you run the risk of being stigmatized by certain people in the music industry?
KM: The problem is the industry has been unstable, and there's a lot of really talented people out there who aren't getting record deals. There's a certain amount of Britney-ism going on where they want you to be a certain thing, and if you're not that thing, you don't get a deal. I also have friends who have record deals and are very talented people, but they don't get pushed properly. Or if there are two many artists signed at once, they get lost in the shuffle. And I think that a lot of artists have turned to producing their own albums and putting them out, because they can, and they don't have to take a deal that's not a good deal. Home studios have really cut the costs, so a lot of people have equipment at their fingertips now that they didn't have before. And they're able to put out a competitive product. I also think that there is an audience that hasn't been tapped into. They don't want to hear the style of music that's played on the radio right now; they have different tastes. I know that Jewel is supporting a lot of independent artists. She has something called Soul Café, and she tours acoustically and she has local talent open for her. And I really think that's a great thing to do because she's giving back to the industry, she's giving back to the artists.

Your upcoming appearance on Days will certainly give you exposure to people who might not be familiar with your work.
KM: Yes, the power of television. I hope a few people hear the song, and they can relate to it and really like it. That's what music is about; it's about touching people. I hope that I can.

How long have you been a professional singer?
KM: I've been singing since I was 2, and I hope to sing as they are carrying me to my grave [laughs].

Did you study music at college?
KM: I went to the school of hard knocks. I've played clubs since I was 11, and I had my first gig with my own band when I was 13 and I just hit the road after that.

Do you consider yourself a singer and actress?
KM: Oh, no, I'm not an actress at all. I really appreciate the work my husband does. Sometimes he amazes me, and I don't know how he pulls it off. He's a wonderful actor, so I have a good coach and he's going to give me a few tips. Thank God, I'm just going to be singing; I don't think I'll have lines.

Peter sings. Does he play an instrument?
KM: He doesn't play an instrument, but he sings. He's kind of like Lou Reed meets Johnny Cash. I wrote the songs for his album, and I produced it as well. It came out two years ago. It was our first real music project together, and our second project in life, because we built this house together. It's a post and beam meets House of Blues. My friends say it doesn't belong in Los Angeles because you just feel like you escape the city when you walk through my front door. We're just down-home kind of people. I'm from Alaska, and he's from Michigan. We don't really have a fancy lifestyle. We like comfortable furniture just like we like comfortable clothes. My friends always laugh at me because I'm always in jeans and T-shirts. We have soap opera events to go to sometimes, and I'm just not good at dressing up. The shoes are uncomfortable. I'm just a hippie chick. I just love that fashion is back to hippie stuff right now. I'm in for a little while.

How long have you and Peter been married? How did you meet?
KM: Four and a half years. We met at a charity event in Jackson, Wy. Connie Stevens hosts a CEF Foundation fundraiser every year. I was singing, and Peter was one of the guest celebrities. I was just in [that frame of mind] that I wanted to be alone. I skied alone, I read a lot. I sang, and Peter came up to me and said, "My name is Peter Reckell, and I think you are a wonderful singer and I'd like to hear more of you." I said, "Thank you," and I walked away. I had no idea who he was. I'm not much of a television watcher. My friend was like, "Oh, my God, don't you know who that is?" I actually wasn't very nice to him, either. He kept following me around and I was, like, "What do you want from me? I'm not a glamour puss." He asked me out on a date. We both got home to Los Angeles and had our first date. We were inseparable after that.

Did you have a big wedding?
KM: Oh, no; we eloped. We eloped to Tahoe and got married out on the water on a rock. The man who married us was our pastor, our florist and our photographer. He was very talented. When we came back to town, we had a party for our friends and family. April 18, 2003 will be our fifth anniversary.

That's a milestone anniversary. Do you have any plans as to how you will celebrate?
KM: Usually on our anniversary we like to stay home. I cook a lot, and we are completely alone when we're home, so it's nice. So that's probably what our plan will be, to hang with our dogs --Tobey, aka Mama, and Eddie -- and watch a movie and just be together.

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