Meet Mavis Swan Poole, a North Carolina native with an extensive resume working with a wide variety of artists such as Lauryn Hill, Gladys Knight, Sheryl Crow, and more. Her single, “The Assignment” has received over 600,000 streams and she’s recently performed at the SXSW festival and at the NYC City Winery alongside Chrisette Michele.
With a thriving music career as a Studio session Recording Artist, performer and music teacher, Mavis was kind enough to share a few secrets to her success.
Q: What are 3 ways you have turned your passion into a career?
A: My obvious passion is Music, but I also love teaching. I am a Middle and High School Music Teacher, which gives me the best of both worlds. Secondly, I am a Studio session Recording Artist, which means not only do I make my own albums, but I am also available to sing on the projects of others. Finally, I am an International
Performer, which means I perform on stages and platforms all over the world. These
things keep me busy doing what I love, but also shape the career that I’m grateful to
have.
Can you elaborate on how you have navigated the process over the years?
A: Honestly, I just try not to think about what I have to do as “work”, since I enjoy it so
much. I also don’t think about how much I have to do, I just do it. These things
definitely keep me moving forward. I have learned that organization is the key to
navigating it all for me. I often have to organize (and reorganize) things to keep up
with being a Musician, Teacher, Mother, and Woman. Having things in order allows
me to quickly get to whatever it is that I need in a timely fashion, and keeps my life
together successfully.
Was there one point you contemplated throwing in the towel?
Absolutely! I have a quote on my laundry room door that says, “I was going to throw
in the towel but then I remembered how much laundry I already have.” Lol. There
are times that things get heavy for me, not just as a Vocal Musician, but just as a
person. Sometimes things get very “real”, and I have to find inspiration in my
children, my will to achieve a certain level of success, and of course, music. It’s not
about the times I’m down so much as it is about the capacity and desire to get back
up and push on.
New Music
To listen to music by Mavis Swan Poole click the image below!
