Bionce Foxx, a radio personality on V103 and iHeart Radio in Chicago, interviewed Dr. Margena A. Christian and Darryl Dennard, host of the radio show Chicago Speaks, about their time working with pioneering publisher John H. Johnson at the empire known as Johnson Publishing Company (JPC). Dennard is a former co-host of the EBONY/JET Showcase, a talk show centering around guests who graced the cover and pages of both magazines,  that was produced at JPC. He worked on the show from 1987-1991.

Register for free event at DuSable  http://bit.ly/JPCEmpire

Chicago Defender story November 6, 2018

Chicago Defender story May 1, 2019 or full issue of newspaper

​Chicago Sun Times 04/15/2019 article

Dr. Margena A. Christian joined her former Johnson Publishing Company colleague, Charles Whitaker, Dean of Northwestern University's Medill School of Journalism, on Chicago's WTTW Chicago Tonight with Phil Ponce on April 15, 2019, to discuss the rich legacy left behind by the empire that John H. Johnson built. 

Since Empire: The House That John H. Johnson Built was released on November 6, the Rev. Jesse L. Jackson, Sr., who wrote the book's foreword about John H. Johnson, his late mentor and "godfather," has been committed to helping me promote and push the message about the man and his mission. Just recently Rev. Jackson's Rainbow PUSH Coalition invited me during its Reunion Day to not only discuss the book during its live broadcast but to also have a book signing on December 8 following the telecast. The book was most recently featured in Richard Prince's Journal-isms Book Notes: Holiday Offerings.

On Sunday, November 11, the Raymond A. Thomas Art Studio hosted the official book launch party for Empire: The House That John H. Johnson Built, five days after its nationwide release. Located in Chicago's "Black Metropolis," also known as the historic Bronzeville neighborhood, the studio is housed in the Bronzeville Artist Lofts, home of Gallery Guichard, the preeminent gallery of art co-owned by Andre Guichard. Raymond A. Thomas designed Empire's cover. He served as art director and creative manager at Johnson Publishing Company--under the direct leadership of its pioneering founder John H. Johnson--for more than two decades where his work appeared on the covers and in the pages of EBONY and JET magazines. Valerie Goodloe, who served as a photographer for EBONY and JET, took pictures for the evening along with Ajuma Muhammad. Check out some recent coverage, including The Chicago Defender, The Journal of Blacks in Higher Education, Richard Prince's Journal-isms, and  WVON 1690 Talk of Chicago (Real Talk Real People with Chatdaddy).

 www.margenachristian.com/book.html

EBONY gets up close and personal for its October issue with Sen. Kamala Harris (D-Calif.), Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms and Sen. Cory Book (D-NJ). A tribute to the Queen of Soul Aretha Franklin, which I penned, is also featured.

This was taken during a meet and greet, following Aretha Franklin's performance at Ravinia in 2015. She told me how much she liked my hat.

Issa Rae's award-winning HBO series, "Insecure," returns for a third season on Sunday, August 12. Taking front and center on EBONY's September fashion issue, she's hoping to change the way African-American women are viewed in television and in film by presenting multi-dimensional perspectives. In this issue I caught up with Grammy Award-winning performer Bobby Brown and wrote a story about his highly-anticipated two-night BET mini-series, "The Bobby Brown Story," airing September 4 and 5. He also discussed his new life and the importance of having someone in his corner during his  darkest moments.

 Bobby and I during media interview at Wintrust Arena in green room. Later that day the Grammy Award-winning singer appeared with RBRM before a sold-out concert at Chicago's Arie Crown Theater. He revealed that he lost 60 lbs. by watching his diet and cooking with his own natural products. Learn more about Bobby Brown Foods. BET's The New Edition Story and The Bobby Brown Story were the network's highest ranking in its history.

Getting married is easy but staying married is a different story. Mara Brock Akil and her husband, Salim Akil, pulled it off and celebrated 19 years of wedded bliss this year, something a bit of an oddity in show business. Noted for their work with top-rated TV shows such as Being Mary Jane, Black Lightning, The Game, and Girlfriends, the duo's next series, Love Is__, will center around the early stages of their relationship. Catch the OWN dramedy on June 19. Also pick up the June issue of EBONY where I spoke with the show's leads, Will Catlett and Michele Weaver. Nicole Weaver, Michele's mom, was her biggest cheerleader on both Twitter and Instagram.

When it comes to high-profile relationships, things aren't what they used to be. It isn't that couples today endure more stress behind closed doors than those who came before. It's just that folks in the spotlight now must deal with more drama thanks to social media having their business in the streets and in the tweets. If you haven't already, check out this cover story I penned where many of these lovebirds have proven that anything worth having is certainly worth fighting for...even if it's each other. 

It's always a pleasure to speak with a fellow St. Louis native even when the interview is conducted via a phoner well after 10:00 p.m. This article appeared in the December 2017/January 2018 Power issue of EBONY.

The 1990 film Mo Better Blues also co-starred filmmaker Spike Lee along with Denzel Washington, Giancarlo Esposito, Wesley Snipes and Jeff "Tain" Watts.

When I learned about Bill Nunn's death from an Instagram post by filmmaker Spike Lee, I was hurt. Then I immediately thought about the conversation I had with Nunn and Lee six years earlier. It was the 20th anniversary of Lee's jazz film Mo Better Blues where Nunn played Bottom Hammer, a bass player.

Everyone agrees that Nunn's portrayal of Radio Raheem was easy to remember in Lee’s 1989 film Do the Right Thing. The role won him notoriety as the young man whose death caused by a police chokehold sets off a riot. Strolling through his neighborhood, carrying a boombox that blasted Public Enemy's song Fight The Power, Radio Raheem wore gold rings on both hands, one bearing the word love and the other hate.

On the day of that interview, I couldn't help but recall how Nunn was quietly, away from the spotlight, fighting the power in a different way. He mentioned his battle with cancer and asked that I not reveal it in the Mo Better Blues piece that I was writing. The Morehouse College grad wanted to talk, to laugh and to simply look back at that moment in 1990. Nunn spoke with pride as he discussed Lee, the kid at Morehouse who told him he wanted to become a filmmaker, succeeded against the odds to do so and became the keeper of his Morehouse brothers in an industry where Hollywood wasn't checking for Black folks.

A teacher at heart, the Pittsburgh native explained how his health challenge allowed him to be still enough to bless aspiring actors through the Bill Nunn Theatre Outreach Project (BNTOP), which provides a platform for underserved Pittsburgh public school students to gain access to theatre arts and work with seasoned veterans within the field. One of the core components of the BNTOP is presenting the Annual August Wilson Monologue Competition where high school students perform monologues from Wilson's 10-play Century Cycle.

Radio Raheem used music to fight the power; Bottom Hammer showed it was all about that bass. Bill Nunn brought the noise--a resounding melody--to both characters by doing the right thing. Here's that full interview.

Margena A. Christian: It has been 20 years since the making of Mo’ Better Blues. What are your thoughts?
 
Bill Nunn: Oh, God, is that scary!
 
Christian: Can you believe it's been that long?
 
Nunn: No, I can't. I really can't. I thought I was old then.
 
Christian: This movie was nearly fresh off the heels of your performance as Radio Raheem in 1989's Do the Right Thing and then you played Bottom Hammer, a bass player, in Mo Better Blues. How did you prepare for your musician character?
 
Nunn: It was really one of the greatest experiences of my career, because Spike didn't want us to be looking bogus, so we all had teachers. Spike set me up with a good friend of his dad’s, who is also a bass player. He's one of the well-known cats in New York named Michael Fleming was also in the all bass orchestra. He’s a great bass player from New York. Spike got me together with Michael. We started maybe a month or two before shooting the film and then he stayed with me during the whole shoot. So, I was actually learning how to play the bass at the same time that we were making the movie, and it was incredible, because we also had like a small budget where we could go almost nightly and hear some of the best music in the city. It was an incredible. Really for me, it was one of the most incredible experiences of my career. It was just awesome.
 
Christian: During your scenes, were you actually playing?
 
Nunn: No, but I was in the area.
 
Christian: You were improvising? You knew how to do the movements, but the sound was actually somebody else?
 
Nunn: If you were a bass player, and you were looking at my hands and listening to the music, you would say, ‘Well, he could be playing. He's in the right area.’ But, actually, I wasn’t playing the bass for that film. No way. That was Branford Marsalis’ bass player, and I can't think of his name right now. He used to play off a lot because he was so good. It was hard to try to keep up with him.
 
Christian: I found old production notes. They revealed that you learned to play so well, or tried so hard, that you callused your hands. Is this true?
 
Nunn: I blistered my hands. They were bleeding, so I disappeared from Michael for a couple days and he told on me. Spike was like, ‘What's going on?’ I said, ‘Man, my hands are bleeding. I've got to take a break.’ He said, ‘Yeah, you take a break. You know, November so and so.’ That was like the day after we’re done shooting. Yeah, that was quite a lot on the fingers. Until you develop that callus, you develop blisters, sometimes if you have to go through a lot. There was a lot of playing involved. So that’s a true story. Not calluses on my hands, but I had blisters. Calluses, some, after the blisters. You’ve got to work through the blisters to get to the calluses. I got through them and I got something. You know I was able to just keep playing. I was in an incredible amount of pain. That gave me a break from Michael Fleming. He was really tough.  Michael thought the movie was called Bill Nunn: A Man and His Bass.
 
Christian: You said you guys were given a small budget to hit the jazz clubs. I understand that from a couple people, you all thought you were a real jazz trio at one point and tried to go up and play?
 
Nunn: Well, we could jam a little bit. We would go on stage and stuff, fumbling around. As long as we had Jeff “Tain” Watts, we could really play. It would start sounding half way right. Yeah, it got really serious.
 
Christian: You thought you guys sounded halfway decent?
 
Nunn: Well, in a kind of garage way. You’ve got Jeff “Tain” watching and playing with you. You can make it sound good. As long as we had Jeff, we were in the ballpark.
 
Christian: Whose idea was it to go up and actually play at the clubs?
 
Nunn: We didn't. We didn't go out to any clubs and do that. We’d be filming the scenes in the clubs. Just between takes we’d be standing up there and we’d just start jamming around. All the audience would be there. It was all the extras from the films, and they would just be watching us. We’d be going for it. We were trippin! We were all well dressed, and we looked the part.
 
Christian: Tell me about your character. I know Spike gave you guys a creative license to kind of do what you wanted. What did you bring to your role?
 
Nunn: Well, I kind of always had that bottom. You know, the rhythm section of the music. So, I was really, really happy and flattered to be the bass player. I used to play percussion when I was younger and I would always play the bottom section because I was pretty consistent. I could get a good strong beat and keep it. I felt like I was that guy who probably could have been a good bass player if I had gone in that direction. Michael Fleming told me that I was able. I probably could have played a gig by the time we were done shooting the movie, but I was just so burned out. I never really picked up…well, actually, I do sometimes pick up the bass around Christmas time. I might do a party or whatever. I’ll go pull out the bass, because I still have it.
 
Christian: Wow! You play for the holidays?
 
Nunn: Yeah, get a little jazz going.
 
Christian: Now what was going on in your life at the time that the film was being made? I know Spike was on an aggressive schedule where he was doing a movie a year. Like I said, if I'm correct, this was fresh off the heels of your powerful performance in Do the Right Thing. What was happening in your life at the time when you were making Mo Better Blues?
 
Nunn: I was still a young father. I mean, my daughter was maybe around 6 years old. We had finished doing Do The Right Thing. It opened that summer, and I was in New York for the opening of it. At that time, I used to stay up in Harlem, in Sam Jackson and LaTanya’s basement apartment, because I still lived in Atlanta. When I came to New York, I would stay with them. So right after Do The Right Thing opened, I pretty much stayed in New York and started bass lessons. That was like just a really great time for me. I was lucky to be able to go from film to film like that.
 
Christian: There’s that Morehouse College connection. You guys are brothers until the end. There’s you, Samuel L. Jackson and Spike, but you guys were a little older than Spike, right?
 
Nunn: Yeah, but it really blurs because they're – I mean, when you're in the art department, the drama department, you find yourself still hanging around after you're done and you're working with the kids that are coming up. Like, Kenny Leon came up behind us and so we all did theatre together. Spike was a big fan of the theatre scene back then in Atlanta. All of the theater seen came out of the Atlanta University (AU) center. And, Spike would hang around back then and come to a lot of shows and plays we did. I got to know him at that time. He would say he's going to become a filmmaker, and I was saying to myself, ‘Yeah, right,’ but out loud, I would be really encouraging to him. I'm glad I was because he really pulled it off, didn't he?
 
Christian: Spike certainly did in a major way! What made you think ‘Yeah, right’ when he said, ‘I'm going to be a filmmaker’?
 
Nunn: Back in those days, it was so different than it is now. I mean Spike was really a pioneer. There weren't any Black filmmakers around. So, do you really think you're going to be the guy? I was at a loss. I didn't know the guy Spike really was. I didn't know the kind of persistence he had. I didn't really know about Spike until I read his book, Gotta Have It: Inside Guerilla Filmmaking. Reading that really showed me the determination it took him to get his first film, She’s Gotta Have It, done. I recommend that to any young filmmaker who wants to know what it takes, it’s a really, really rough process and for him it had to be triple rough because he was Black. It wasn’t like it was 20 years ago. It is a different time now.
 
Christian: What did you remember during the making of this film? Comedian/actor Robin Harris died. Do you recall doing scenes and seeing him on the set?
 
Nunn: Absolutely. Yes.
 
Christian: What are your memories about Robin?
 
Nunn: I met Robin doing the film Do the Right Thing. We were pretty good buddies then, and I say Robin was kind of like…I thought he was a great guy. He was incredibly funny, and he never really talked about me, luckily. He was like Matt Dillon, and he would have a lot of these young comics come up and challenge him. He was just knocking them down like a gunslinger! It was incredible. He was the undisputed king. I used to love to just sit back and watch. I liked when he would do his little bits of “Being Butterbean” up on stage. Spike would basically turn on the camera and Robin would be Robin. One day me and Denzel were standing in the back, and I'm kind of like standing back where I can't be seen. Denzel steps out and I'm like, ‘Man, you better not step out there or Robin is going to see you.’ Know what I mean? Denzel said, ‘I don't care,’ and he stepped out there. Robin did about 15 minutes on his ass. I was behind the post. He was like, ‘Look at you, man! Your head looks like a question mark.’ Yeah, he just did about 15 on him.
 
Christian: I'd heard Spike mention that Mo Better Blues was his answer to Clint Eastwood’s Bird. It was a modern version of jazz and showing how people should live or should play, and just showing the reality for a jazz musician. What would you say this movie did for this particular genre?
 
Nunn: Most of the guys that we hung out with were teachers and kind of old school. We learned about the kind of code among jazz musicians. We learned how they carried themselves, how they dressed, how they played and how they lived their lives. We were, I think, the kind of jazz musicians, at least our characters were, that more or less represented the old school. We were kind of proud to display that for the audience. And, once again, it seems to be one of those films that is a love story, too. There's a lot of other things going on, apart from just music. It's another one of those films that seems to really just hold up. Twenty years later, you can look at the film, and almost other than the haircuts, it's pretty much, it could be today. It just holds up very well.
 
Christian: Do you keep in touch with any of the people who were in the movie?
 
Nunn: Yes, I sure do.
 
Christian: Who are some you keep in touch with?
 
Nunn: Spike, Sam and Giancarlo [Esposito]. I talk to Denzel [Washington] once in a while. Wesley [Snipes], I haven't seen in a while, but I mean, we’re all really cool. I'd like to see them more but I don't. It’s one of those things that we really became pretty close on that film. When we see each other, we kind of pick it up where we left it off. Most of those guys are pretty busy which is a good thing.
 
Christian: Anything else you'd like to add that you want people to know about the making of Mo’ Better Blues? Any trivia or tidbits that people would get a kick out of learning?
 
Nunn: People often ask me, ‘What is your favorite film?’ That’s a hard question to say what is my favorite film that I worked on. But, the most fun I ever had was probably this film. I mean, it was an incredible experience to me to kind of get to live the life of a jazz man for a few months. I thought it was just an incredible experience and I really had a ball on that film. Above all, and I usually enjoy all the films that I do, but I put that one really up there. It was an experience of an actor, getting to live a different lifestyle. They’ve got some beautiful photography from that movie, too. Spike really did some fashion takes in that one.
 
Christian: What are you working on now?
 
Nunn: Well, right now I'm in my home town, Pittsburgh. Three years ago I started up the Bill Nunn Theatre Outreach Project. I'm here working with young people. The first semester I worked with young elementary kids and the next semester I worked with high school kids. That’s the big thing I've been working on. I try to do at least a film a year, but I also, I'm kind of dealing with some health issues right now, which kind of have me stuck, for like medical reasons. I'm in treatment right now for cancer. I kind of have to sit tight while I'm dealing with that. But, the beauty of it is, it really gave me the chance to start this project and it kind of just has taken off and has a life of its own. It’s been wonderful working with these young people and I hope that I can do that from now on. That kind of project, I want to continue it. It's like my hobby. It's really been a great experience.

Christian: Wonderful. Thank you so much and take care.
 
Nunn: Thank you. Nice talking to you.
 
Christian: Likewise.
 
Nunn: Alrighty, bye.

DocM.A.C. signing off. Keep the faith and always trust the process. #OnwardUpward

They entered the course this spring hoping to learn innovative writing techniques to produce a multitude of content online. It is safe to say they got that and a whole lot more when 18 students landed a spot in history at the University of Illinois at Chicago (UIC) by taking the first-ever English 383: Writing For Digital And New Media course. The class is taught by lecturer Dr. Margena A. Christian.

Students explore aspects of media convergence and methods for backpack journalism. They also examine journalism ethics, standards and law along with being required to produce original content, including a final feature writing project that includes a story, images and video footage.

“When I first signed up for the class with Dr. Christian, I thought it would be just that: just another class,” said Rachel Knowles, a student in the course, “but after we began writing, I became so inspired that I went ahead and started my own blog – PrettyCityLiving. It’s been so fun to just get creative and have a voice. I definitely encourage others to take the course.”

The culminating project, a website that includes a blog component, is designed and created by each student. To view online portfolios of each student, click on his/her image above.

Richard Gonzalez, another student in the groundbreaking class, said,
"This course gave me hands-on experience that no writing course at UIC has given me before."

The university describes the course as teaching "rhetorical, practical and ethical aspects of digital writing; digital literacy, and the use of digital platforms in professional environment." Jacob Annett, also a member of the inaugural class, said, "Most English classes focus on abstract analysis and theory, but 383 gives me real tools outside of the classroom environment."

To view online portfolios of each student, click on his/her image above.

Before one can take English 383, the person must first complete English 202: Media and Professional Writing, which provides "media analysis and writing, including interviews, news, features, and public relations communications." Dr. Christian teaches the Tuesday/Thursday section. Below, click on each image to view online portfolios for her students.

The English 383 class, implemented as part of the Professional Writing concentration under the English major and minor, will be offered again in Spring 2017.  In the meantime, three additional new courses in the Professional Writing program include the following: Editing and Publishing (ENGL 382), Technical Writing (ENGL 384), and Advanced Professional Writing (ENGL 381), a course also taught by Dr. Christian.

For more information about this UIC course or any others listed, contact Dr. Jennifer Rupert at (312) 413-2217 or e-mail at [email protected].

We want you! Let's keep making history.

Most people hear music, while a select few actually see colors in response to sounds. This is known as synesthesia and only 4.4 percent of the population has the rare neurological condition, generally linked to creativity, in which auditory information is translated into the ability to see colors.  Late legendary pianist, composer and bandleader Duke Ellington was a synesthetes. Grammy Award-winning singer, songwriter and producer Pharrell Williams has often candidly spoken about being one as well. Singer and musician Teresajenee should be added to that small list with big talent.

The St. Louis native first won acclaim when she hit the music scene in 2007 with the international house music dance tune Remember featuring Osunlade. Since that time, she has amassed quite a following after releasing two albums and two EPs, including last year's the Lower East Side Live EP, where it is just her mellow voice, seducing the piano while captivating a New York audience. Four years ago she was named St. Louis' Best R & B Artist by the Riverfront Times and has performed at festivals like SXSW.  Teresajenee says everyone seems to know her music but now she is ready to change some things. It is time to put a face with the sound.

Do you answer by the titles singer and musician? Any others? I'm a “Musician Singer Pen” on the internet, but I consider myself to be a musician first. I sang in talent shows as a little girl, but I got my start playing the organ and piano in church. Singing is a part of me but I would feel incomplete without my instrument.

What upcoming projects are you working on? When might we expect them? I’m working on the second part of my Color Therapy Series. The first one was Electric Yellow (EY), about happiness and light. The second installment is Lavender: The Love Album. It's coming this year.

You mentioned your color series. Is this symbolic of anything? I believe in the connection between mood, sound, and color. I didn't know what synesthesia was as a child, but when I played piano, every note had a color and an emotion attached to it. I practice aromatherapy daily to help me with my moods. My moods have color.  Chromotherapy is the formal term for color therapy. Color therapy alters your feelings through hue. I wanted to do an album trilogy with a color as a theme for each album. I'm even working on an aroma collection to go with each color to complete the experience. I want each album to give you a different and amazing feeling. 

Where are you based these days? I float around a lot, but now I'm in Atlanta, working on the album.

Why did you leave St. Louis? It was hard, you know. I lost my grandmother in 2008 and my dad in 2012. I lost my two best friends and I just kept working to cope. I was angry and I wasn't dealing with it. Then, I had a breakdown in July 2013. That was it for me.

Did leaving St. Louis help you cope with so much loss? Yeah, I mean, it gave me a fresh space. I needed that space to process everything that happened.

Where is most of your fan base or following? Europe by far. They show me so much love. They really keep me alive. New York, LA, Memphis, DC and Sydney, Australia.

What songs are you most noted for performing? Tahitian Vanilla, In Your Eyes, Cleopatra Love & War. Breathe is a record I've never released.  I’ve only performed it live, but it'll be on the next project.

You mentioned that people know your music more than your face. Does this bother you? It didn't bother me then because I didn't want people to see my face. I was in church and doing secular music wasn't acceptable. I was able to hide and it worked for me. Plus, I was scared of fame. I'm still scared. Now my records are being played in all these countries. My name is out there, but no one knows my face. I'm finally ready to step out and change that.

You grew up in a strict Pentecostal family. In some ways did that make you want to rebel or walk the straight and narrow? I rebelled. I rebelled so much, the good kind of rebelling though. I'm sure my parents would've thought otherwise. Too bad they never knew.

Your mom is a popular gospel radio announcer in St. Louis and she works heavily with gospel legend Bobby Jones. Does this feel awkward for you, considering you perform secular music? Um…I think it was more awkward for her because she came from that world. She was a soul singer before she came to church. She accepts what I do, but there’s still hope that I’ll release a gospel album.

The competition is stiff these days in music. Describe your sound. Describe your fashion style. Soultronica and Rock are how I described my old albums, even EY. That's the best way I can say it. My brain goes a mile a minute. I can't stick with any one sound. I can't dress in one particular way. I evolve. My music and style does the same.

What makes Teresajenee stand out from other artists in a sea of clones? I don't know. I don't know if I stand out to be honest. I think it's really about the music with me. I just think I give people music that connects to them and it works. That's all I can do.

Who are some artists that you’ve opened for and/or performed with? Solange (twice), Eric Roberson, Hiatus Kaiyote and Black Spade

You’ve  performed in New York. Is England on your radar anytime soon? I'm in New York a lot. They show love. I actually look forward to my first time performing in England after this next album drops.

Finish this sentence. Music is what saved my life.

Finish this sentence. If I didn’t have music, I would’ve died.

How did music save you from possible death? I attempted suicide some years ago. I have a hard time speaking on it which is weird because it's so easy for me to talk about at my shows. You know, I thank God. I can't even imagine being alive without God above and music here to get me through.

Finish this sentence. If I could perform with one person, it would be with my Dad.

Finish this sentence. If I wasn’t a singer, I would be a teacher.

Some say that music has healing powers. Do you agree?  Music is powerful because it controls the human spirit. It affects us in ways that is beyond us. Yes, I believe it evokes healing and building. I also believe, in the wrong hands, music can cause destruction. Not all sound is whole. I believe that. I’m very cautious of what I open my spirit to, especially music.

Peace of God is a beautiful song. What inspired you to write it? My father was fighting cancer when I wrote it. I was emotionally dark during that time. It was also a lot going on with my music and people and it was too much. I just remember collapsing back into a chair in my living room after coming back from the hospital. I had nothing. It was silent when I was in the living room when I heard this song. Like, it was the full song, lyrics included. I was crying because it was so beautiful. I don’t take credit for writing  that song.

Do you have a ritual or something you do before every show? I need silence. I need to meditate. If I can't get peace and quiet at the venue, I get it at my hotel before the show. And I always pray before I go on stage. That is important to me.

What college did you graduate and what was your major? Tennessee State University. I have a B.A. in Speech, Communication, & Theater with emphasis in Mass Media.

Do you think a college degree is important to be a musician? What made you want to finish school? I do not think a college degree is important to be a musician, especially today when so many musicians are successfully self employed. Finishing college was a big moment for me, but I did it for myself. I also knew that someday I would like to go back to school. I felt like my degree would open those doors for me.

If you were stranded on a deserted island for the rest of your life, what three CDs would you take and why? Okay, this is difficult cause I hate listening to one thing for a long time anyway. Milton Brunson & The Thompson Community Choir is my favorite gospel choir. I would take their “Best Of” CD because I wouldn’t be able to decide. I would take N*E*R*D’s  Seeing Sounds even though my favorite album of theirs is Fly or Die. Seeing Sounds has Sooner or Later and I love that song. Erykah Badu Live because that is one of the great live soul music recordings of my generation and I never get tired of it.

Is it a struggle being an indie artist? If so, how and in what ways? It's unstable. You get a lot of e-mails for opportunities. Some work out but many fall through. The ones that fall through, it sucks because those are the really good ones. It's not glamorous in indie land. I've slept on couches in Cali. I rode a Greyhound for 18 hours after a show on the east coast. You need to be a little crazy to be an artist, and grimy, especially if you're a girl. That diva shit won't work.

Do you ever feel the need to work a 9 to 5 while doing your music? I do and I have. Many artists do this until their shows become consistent or they get relevant. We do what we have to.

What kinds of  9-to-5 jobs do you or have you worked? I did retail as a side hustle sometimes. My main job was as a church musician. It kept me close to the music. Plus, I had the freedom to travel 5 days out the week for shows. I've been playing organ/keys for churches since I was 16.

When did you know you could sing and how did you learn this? It was in me. Both of my parents were singers. My parents said I was singing as a baby. I was singing in church. When I was five, I was in my first talent show. It just went from there.

What instruments do you play? Are you a self-taught musician? I taught myself Hammond organ, piano, and drums (a little). I studied all the clarinets and oboe in school.

Who do people compare your sound most? Does it irk you when this happens? I heard Amel Larrieux a lot when I first started. Amel is one of my faves. I haven't heard anyone outside of her and I haven't heard that comparison in a long time.

What is the best advice you ever received as a performer? From whom and how did it change your life? The best advice was a memory I had from when I was in theater at college. I had stage fright as a singer when I first started doing shows. I remembered that I was confident being on stage as an actress and to treat my shows like a play.

You mentioned how your theater training helps with stage fright. How so? In theater, you have to get into character. You have to become this person you're portraying. I separated myself from Teresajenee. I treated Teresajenee as a character, even though Teresajenee is still very much me. That's how I got over the fright. Every now and then I have to go back to that place. 

What is music missing today? Authenticity. People who believe in themselves enough to be themselves and not a trend.

How can people find out more about you? My website is teresajenee.com.  I’m at facebook.com/teresajenee. My Twitter and Instagram are @stereoteeje. You can stay connected to me via email by joining my elist at teresajenee.tumblr.com/elist

DocM.A.C.'s Top Pick:
Peace of God-If you've ever lost someone or something in your life, this song will help you learn to surrender. It speaks to the letting go and letting God process beautifully. Change is inevitable. Embrace it.
 
DocM.A.C. signing off. Keep the faith and always trust the process. #OnwardUpward