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New York Monthly Herald. May 2006 Issue P. 9  Beginning of the article   Continued from page 8  Continues on page 10

NEW.YORK'S.DIVAS 

AUDREY SILVER: "If stardom is your ultimate goal, I would imagine you could easily end up paying a very high price."

Photos credits: Janis Wilkins

Q-Stage is an elixir of illusion. Do you bring your life to stage, meaning Audrey Silver, the human being, or the Diva in you?

Audrey Silver:  I don’t think I have a lot of the Diva in me.  It’s usually Audrey Silver, the human being, that you see up there.  But it seems that people see performers through their own lenses and imbue them with all kinds of traits, qualities that are really products of their own desires and imaginations.

 

Q-What are the virtues of a real singer?               Audrey Silver:  For me, a real singer is someone with a special ability to communicate with and connect to their listener.

Q-Do you tolerate vicious artistic ambitions?          Audrey Silver: No!

Q-What does success mean to you?                   Audrey Silver: It won’t matter how famous I get or how many records I sell.  If I’m not enjoying making the music and I don’t have a satisfying balance between the music and my personal life, I won’t be successful.

Q-To YOU, what is more important success/fame or talent.                                                                               Audrey Silver:  Success, given how I’ve defined it above.

 

Q-What do you cherish most?                                                                                 Audrey Silver:  My family and friends.

Q-If you had to write your memoirs or biography, what title would you give to your book?                                                                                                                              Audrey Silver:  Why don’t we revisit this question in another 30 years!

Q-What goes in your mind, right before you appear on stage and facing your audience?                                                                                                                      Audrey Silver:  That moment right before I go on I’m too busy with details to think of anything profound.  I’m making sure the band is ready and paying attention.  I’m thinking about the tempo of the first song. Just a couple of minutes prior to that, however, I’m generally reminding myself that mistakes are part of the texture of the song.  They are something to be embraced and built upon (this is jazz we are talking about!)

Q-And upon leaving the stage?                                                                                Audrey Silver:  Generally a barrage of self-criticism (despite what I just said about embracing my mistakes) followed by a wave of intense appreciation for the truly magnificent musicians I play with.

Q-What do you notice first about a person you meet for the first time?            Audrey Silver:  Their “energy”.  Do they seem kind, intense, neurotic, friendly ….

Q-And what people notice first about Audrey Silver?                                            Audrey Silver:  I had to ask my husband this question.  He insists that it’s my smile.

Q-Any price an artist must pay to reach for stardom?                                          Audrey Silver:  If stardom is your ultimate goal, I would imagine you could easily end up paying a very high price. 

Q-Did you pay that price?                                                                                              Audrey Silver:  I’ve been extremely fortunate.  I haven’t been driven by a desire for stardom (not that I would mind being a little bit famous!).  For me, it’s really always been about the joy I get from making music.

Q-What's next on your agenda? Performance, concerts, deals?                    Audrey Silver:  I’m working on a new recording.  No release date planned as of yet.  I have quite a few performances coming up, all of which I’m excited about.  But I’m particularly looking forward to a date I have in December at Sweet Rhythm (formerly Sweet Basil) in The Village.  It’s a wonderful venue that has had many, many of yesterday and today’s jazz greats on its stage.