One on One with Ms. Carole Troll ~ Jazzy Diva

In life there are those who attempt to leave their mark on the world by doing drastic things to garner attention. From releasing the latest explict pics, channeling their inner anger for all the world to see and the like, many ignore the gift of leaving a lasting legacy for years to come. 



As Sir Isaac Newton quoted, "We are standing on the shoulders of giants" and it is more evident today that we need more examples to help steer the next generation into the correct direction. Here at LIRM the universe has managed to allow our paths to cross with an amazing and classy individual in the form of Ms. Carole Troll. 


This amazing vocalist has performed to sold out venus and has done it without losing her identity and remaining classy.  Check out this amazing One on One with her and experience for yourself the lady that is Ms. Carole Troll. 


Carole, give our readers a little background into where you come from ie Hometown, background etc. 

I am originally from Missouri, but I have lived in New York for a long time. Like many of us, I come from an ethnically diverse background and I pride myself on that diversity. My mother was a classical vocalist, and my dad was a golf pro and manager of one of St. Louis’s most influential country clubs. 

If my mother had her way, I would have been like Kathleen Battle and my dad would have been thrilled if I had been the first woman of color to win a PGA tournament!  But I would sneak into the basement and listen to Dakota Staton, Billie Holiday, Sarah Vaughan, Joe Williams, and Nancy Wilson. The writing was on the wall!  Between that, musical theater and dramatic films, they were doomed to being the parents of a jazz singing actress.

Being that many would love to meet someone of your caliber, how important is it to gleam from those who find someone to steer them in the proper direction? Do you have any memories of meeting any great role models who had a lasting impact on you? 

While I have worked with many talented and successful people, my greatest role models were my parents. I don’t know how I would have been able to become the person I am today without the fantastic parents that filled our home with music, funny and gifted people, and extremely professional people of color and from all walks of life.

Our gatherings were like a cross between scenes from “Auntie Mame,” and a day at the United Nations. When I was much younger, I was influenced by Pearl Bailey who I had the great fortune to meet. During a conversation I had with her she told me that my job was to learn and grow every day of my life, and that the only way I would fail was to stop trying to achieve my dream. My dream has never been stardom. It always has been to work in the craft that I love. As long as I am learning and growing, I am achieving my dream.

Amazing advice! Being a professional singer/performer, how do you prepare for a performance? Do you have a regimen that you follow?

It really depends upon the project I am working on. One thing remains consistent throughout my whole professional career. I need rest before any performance! I have a special CD that I use to warm up and prepare my voice for any audition or performance. The CD is “Gershwin Live” which is one of the many vocally triumphant recordings of the late, great Sarah Vaughan. She sings Gershwin like nobody’s business and because it was recorded live at the Los Angeles Philharmonic, it really pumps me up! I love hearing all of the applause and crowd reactions to her vocals. She is by far my favorite vocalist! I only regret that I didn’t have the chance to meet her.

Having connected with you via Twitter. How important is the social network in moving ones business/brand forward.
Twitter is an important social networking vehicle for artists in my opinion. I love the way that you can connect with people regarding everything from politics to food. For artists, it is a way to inform your fans in real time of your engagements and upcoming CD’s and merchandise. Recently it has been a wonderful tool for union members and those who support them. As a member of 3 unions and one who feels that there is an all out assault being conducted on the middle class in this country, the need for Twitter seems to be growing each day.

Since unions and progressives don’t get the air time and headlines that people on the right of the spectrum are receiving, Twitter has been a fantastic way to get our message out without depending upon the mainstream media. You will not find me on Facebook, however. There is still a zone of privacy however small that I must carve out for me and my family. I don’t believe Facebook offers that space. I know others love it and I am cool with that. It’s just not for me.

Nothing wrong with that one bit. Carole, we are living in a time where is seems as though the real singers are being looked over for more of an image. What do you think can be done to change this plight? 

I believe we are all victims of a corporate culture that has permeated every aspect of our lives. Sarah Vaughan realized before she passed away that her looks were preventing her from getting the visibility that a star of her caliber should have garnered. She felt that had she been smaller in size and her face had been prettier, she could have taken her career to another level in television and films.

Can you imagine not having had the talents of Ms. Vaughan or Ella Fitzgerald today simply because they didn’t look like Beyonce’ or Rhianna? How tragic that with the overwhelming amount of talent they had, they realized how superficial the music and entertainment industry was becoming. It’s stunning to think about.

Increasingly however, all artists are circumventing the corporations and getting their music and work directly to the people through Twitter, YouTube, and all of the other social networking venues. I believe that going directly to your fans through these tools can help artists who are determined expand their fan base and free you up to work on your craft. A loyal and dedicated fan base that believes in your work will help spread the word and will keep your honest to your goals and dreams. And if you truly love what you do, you won’t be consumed by the need to have an over the top image that frankly nobody can keep up for long. Be good to the work, and the work will be good to you for a long time! 

Judging from your daily tweets, lawmakers and politics is close to your heart. Where do you think we are in the world today in this area?

I believe that we are at a turning point in this country and the world. We live in exciting and dangerous times. I am not sure any of us were ready for all of the changes that are swirling around us, and yet here we are. Personally, I believe that we are being tested by the forces of history. We will either stand up and take this country forward and lead the world into the dawn of a productive and progressive century, or we will face some very dire consequences. We can no longer let the very few at the top drain us of our resources, moral commitments to our fellow citizens and our treasure.

We must demand that the lies and misperceptions that have ruled the day for more than thirty years be stopped, and begin to lift up the poor and stabilize the middle class. We truly can’t live in a country or world where the have not’s dramatically outnumber the haves. 

We are closer than we think to that reality. The veil has been lifted on our preaching of true democracy and not practicing what we preach. I try to speak out every day because I am convinced that it is our duty to speak out and make an impact while we are on this earth. When I can’t raise my voice, I raise my wallet. My family and I have been very fortunate. I don’t think any of us should rest until we do all we can to open doors for those who are less fortunate. So I speak out about politics, education, fundamental fairness and equality. Hypocrisy drives me batty!

We live in very stressful times. Share with our readers how you handle stress and criticism?

As a performer you deal with stress and criticism every single day!  Any time you put yourself in the public eye by virtue of your talent, you are going to be evaluated, compared to others and told things you may or may not want to hear. The way that I deal with all of it is by surrounding myself with the love of my husband and family, and the very small circle of close friends that I have had for many years. We talk, we laugh, and we eat (far too much at times). I love to watch old movies that make me cry because I can relieve a little of my stress through the eyes of other actors and directors. It has a way of keeping me relaxed.  

You can be seen performing in various venues, which do you prefer? Large arenas or more intimate surroundings. Why/Why Not?

I love small intimate clubs! It is important to me to relate to the audience in a setting that brings them in, holds their attention and conveys a story. When you leave my performance, I want you to feel that it was a very personal connection. 

Don’t get me wrong, I love walking into a theater or arena that is packed as well! It’s a thrill for any performer, but I prefer a small club where the audience is relaxed and eager to let me entertain. Second to that, I love working on any set or in the recording studio. I am a process kind of girl. I’ll let you in on a little secret. I love getting paid for my work, but when I get the chance to work with a great director and wonderful actors and musicians…I would pay them for the experience! I love what I do at all levels!

How important is family to you?  

Family is everything to me! Simply everything! My husband is my best friend and the family we share is the most important element of my life. I am not complete without my family.

What sets your gift/brand apart from others?

I am a throwback from the early days of entertainment. I would like to record everything live in the studio and I wish we could have kept the old studio system in tact in terms of cranking out films with wonderful character actors that were aligned with studios like MGM, etc. 

What was abhorrent of course was the racism and sexism that in many ways still lingers in small part today. The history of people of color and women are so rich and full of stories yet to be told, we are missing out on sharing those stories globally. Instead, we are spitting out a fair amount of trash because we are playing to the lowest common denominator, and using people’s troubled lives as soap operas without scripts. We are making a small number of executives very rich by tuning in to train wrecks on steroids.

I am in pursuit of a pure sound, a wonderful multi dimensional character role, the opportunity to work with talented artists from all walks of life. If I had to share with you the one thing I think sets me apart is my need to stay true to Carole at all times. When you have been given the gift of talent in any form, the way you honor that is by being the best “you” that you can be.

What can we expect from you in the near future?

I am researching music for a new CD and hoping to do a little theater this summer. I intend to work in a couple of jazz venues by mid- summer.  Now that there are so many new shows being filmed in New York, I would like to secure a couple of roles.  But my bread and butter roles are in commercials! Commercials have been very good to me and have allowed me the freedom to work on all of the other things I love to work on! While they can be an annoyance to many, commercials have been the backbone of much of the financial security that my family and I gained. It has allowed me the freedom to be an independent artist and the ability to produce the kind of music that I am proud to share with fans.

We live in a time when everyone wants to be something and strive for relevance, what would be your advice to them?

My advice is to go find something that you are passionate about and pursue it with all of the heart and determination you can. Life is so short and fleeting, you must love what you do! There will be many stops and starts on the road to your goal and jobs that you must take in between in order to build a cushion for those days you will falter. But find mentors, network, connect with others who are working in that field and then go for it.

In order to love what you do, you must love who you are. Spend quite time with yourself and really get to know “you.” We are complex beings with many facets to our personalities. Until you are able to get to that quite place, you will never really know what your desires truly are. Go there, to that quite place and find yourself. You will be amazed what awaits you there.

Ms Troll is living proof that if you remain comfortable in your own skin and stay true to the gift that has been bestowed upon you, you can make major inroads in this thing called life. We salute her for her passion and drive to remain true to the cause of originality.


http://www.caroletroll.com/