Making an album – It takes a village!

In her May “Grace Notes” column classical crossover contralto Grace Foley shares the exciting story behind her new album and how you can help support her journey.

Back in 2020, I released 3 singles, 2 of which I recorded, JUST in time, before the Pandemic hit, and the other I wrote and recorded from home. I had no intention of featuring these tracks on an album at the time.

As 2020 progressed I found that music became my saviour. Every day I got up early, went for a walk, came home, showered, and then headed into my office. Never before was I as disciplined with my business. We were forced to stay at home and I was forced to keep busy. Music gave me this. While I received 100’s of Netflix recommendations, I only got around to watching a handful of them! In terms of productivity, I was never more focused.

My weekly concerts on Facebook and Instagram gave me daily goals. On Monday mornings I chose my setlist for the next concert. I was always sure to keep adding new material to keep both me and my audience interested. While I practiced, the hours melted away. The songs took me away from it all and my vocal agility really improved at the same time. Don’t get me wrong, there were several times every single day when the weight of the lockdown hit me. I’d finish practicing a song and, suddenly I was back to reality again. I missed my family and my friends. I missed walking into town for a sandwich and a coffee. I have always loved nothing more than to throw on a coat, head out the door with my notebook and move my office to my favourite café. I would sit at the window and watch the world go by as so many ideas flooded my brain. This was my little escape. That café has now closed and another business has taken its’ place.

Certain songs connected me to the people I couldn’t physically touch. I longed to hug my parents. I ached to spend time with my friends. I missed just leaving the world behind over a long lunch with a loved one. Music saved me again. Some songs made me feel closer to these people, others forced me to release my sadness at missing them. Some songs allowed me to send love and hope to people online, and others told a story that had nothing to do with the pandemic. We could escape our harsh reality for a while.

I think the phrase, ‘Where words fail, music speaks’ has never been truer than during this past year. Music allowed people to connect at online concerts. Music reminded people of the past and gave them hope for a brighter future. Music accompanied the many awful images and stories we saw on television on a daily basis. We cried, we danced, we laughed, we remembered, we grieved. Some of us said our forever goodbye to someone we love. I only sang at three funerals during the pandemic but the memory of them will stay with me forever. There was no hugging, no handshakes, no outpouring of physical comfort from the community. Families entered the church in small numbers with masks on, although, even a mask could not cover up the deep grief these people suffered. Us Irish are known for giving our dead the most wonderful of sendoffs. This all stopped. This was not right. One of the only things that felt ‘right’, was the music. Music gave the same comfort it always has given. It allowed the grief to flow. The music connected these mourners with the one they had lost. How incredible is that?

Now that I have said all this you may wonder how this all comes together. Well, I couldn’t leave this year behind without paying some sort of homage to music; the music that became a safe haven for me. I wanted to keep many of these precious songs in one place, in a type of time capsule. I decided to make an album.

I began saving as much as I could but soon realised I still need a little help getting this project over the line. I truly appreciate the support of my incredible fans, family and friends and my hope is that this supportive village can come together to turn this dream album into a reality. A fellow artist told me about Rocketfuel which is a great platform where the artist doesn’t simply ask for donations, but also offers a range of special products and experiences that supporters can purchase. Every single bit of support means the world to me and gets me one step closer to capturing my lockdown story in one special place. Will you come on the last part of this journey with me? You can check out my ‘Rocketfuel Mission’ here: https://rocketfuelhq.com/grace-foley