Alice Marie is from New Jersey, she's more than a singer/song writer, formerly an English teacher, magazine editor, and television producer who can relate to various situations. Her music speaks truth and sheds light on many different issues.

When did you first know you could sing?

I knew I wanted to sing when I saw Olivia Newton-John in Grease. I couldn’t get enough of her. I bought all her albums (with my mother’s help, of course) and sang along with her night and day. As far as ability, winning a contest in eighth grade made me realize other people liked my singing too. And it’s still a process, getting to know my voice and its range, its different inflections and moods. Singing to, and with, my daughter has brought out a whole new level of awareness and comfort.

How long did it take for your CD to get produced?

Technically, Equilibrium, my debut EP, took five months to make, but I also say it took 31 years of living, striving, failing, searching, praying, and writing.

What is the title of your latest CD?

Angels Near, which is named after a song about my relationship with New York before and after 9/11.

Where do you get your inspiration from?

The first thing that comes to mind is my love of words and finding the perfect metaphor to express a complicated and seemingly inexpressible feeling or thought. There are so many things that influence me, from other artists like Tori Amos, Kate Bush, Peter Gabriel, Loreena McKennitt, Vienna Teng, Jo Davidson, and Shauna Burns to books, bumper stickers, and butterflies (can you tell I like alliteration?). I think when you’re paying close attention to what’s before you, anything can be inspiring.

What made you stop teaching?

It’s interesting you ask that because I’m embracing the teacher in me more than ever through my podcasts and with my daughter. I’m just not in a traditional classroom anymore. I was very young when I started teaching and I burned myself out quickly, grading for hours and days on end, taking on extra responsibilities without thought for balance. Also, once I started publishing articles, I was hooked and wanted to do it full-time.

What magazine were you the editor of, and tell us a little about your responsibilities?

I was associate editor for Channel magazine, a lifestyle and entertainment magazine in South Florida. I wrote local and national celeb profiles, booked shoots, wrote headlines (one of my favorite things to do, especially when it involves puns), edited and proofread the entire text, attended galas here and there, and “suffered” through massages for a spa round-up.

As a television Producer what were some of the shows you produced?

I produced for a Miami-based show called The Times, which was a local version of The Daily Show with a little Dateline thrown in. It was such a fun job, not only because of the kind of writing I did but because of the warm, funny, and brilliant people on staff. It was a relatively short stint, but I’m still in touch with some of them.

Can you tell us about Podcast and why it's such a rave?

If you told me a few months ago that I’d be podcasting, I would have checked your temperature or something, but it has been such a revelation for me. The ubiquitousness of the iPod is obviously helping, but I think it’s appealing to listeners for the same reason indie music is making an impact. Podcasts are very democratic with little or no control from a media conglomerate, so while the content and quality can vary greatly, that also means there’s some beautifully honest, uncensored stuff out there. I feel very much myself and at home in this medium, and it’s turned out to be a more joyful and spontaneous way to say what I used to say in essays.

Do you donate to any charities or volunteer your time?

My husband and I like to donate to Save the Music and a Jersey City-based charity called Hudson Cradle that cares for babies whose mothers cannot care for them because of drug problems.

Where do you imagine yourself to be in five years creatively?

Doing a radio or television form of Let’s Get Metaphysical, teaching
workshops and recording new CDs that incorporate all these mantras that keep showing up and and doing something completely unexpected!

In closing I would like to say thank you for being an inspiration to so many people!

Thank you, Nicole, for such thoughtful questions and the opportunity to share my answers. Best of luck with the anthology.

Namaste,
--
Alice Marie
_http://www.AliceMarie.net_ (http://www.alicemarie.net/)
_http://www.MySpace.com/AliceMarieMusic_
(http://www.myspace.com/AliceMarieMusic)

Have spirituali-tea with me every week by listening to Let’s Get Metaphysical. Details are on my Podcast page. iTunes subscription also available through
_http://www.AliceMarie.net/podcast/_ (http://www.alicemarie.net/podcast/)