My Name is Rachelle Martin, and I am Chelle. I was born in Reno, Nevada and am the younger of two children. My mother tells me I showed an interest in music at an early age by rhythmically playing a set of pots and pans any chance I could get. When I was two years old, my father was killed in a tragic accident while on his way home from a hunting trip. The pickup truck that he was a passenger in was struck by an oncoming train and he was killed instantly.
To help encourage my musical talent, I began piano lessons at the age of six. I fell in love with the ivories and was captivated at the thought that I could express my feelings through the beautiful sounds of music.
We moved to Denver, Colorado when I was in third grade. Since my arms were too little to play the saxophone, I started learning the clarinet.
I was just starting sixth grade when my family relocated to Sandy, Utah, where I began to learn to play the electric guitar, and the saxophone. In eighth grade, I learned to play the drums and bass guitar. In ninth grade, I realized that I could play any instrument that I picked up by ear. In High School, I was very active in concert band, marching band, and jazz band.
My senior year in High School, my family moved to Spokane, Washington, where I am still currently living.
At 25 years old, I began having flu like symptoms, with joint pain, swelling, and severe daily muscle spasm. It seemed like no matter what doctors I saw or antibiotics I took I just couldn’t shake the feeling of having the perpetual flu. With multiple tests and visits to various doctors, as well as emergency room visits, I was finally diagnosed with Behcet’s disease.
Behcet’s disease is a rare, chronic, auto inflammatory disorder of unknown origin. Its manifestations are thought to be caused by vasculitis resulting in damage to blood vessels throughout the body. As a systemic disease, it can also involve visceral organs such as the gastrointestinal tract, pulmonary, musculoskeletal, cardiovascular and neurological systems. This syndrome can be fatal due to ruptured vascular aneurysms or severe neurological complications.
For the first several years of battling this disease I sank into a deep depression. My body became weaker and I gained great amounts of weight from all the various treatments that were administered in trying to keep my unique disease from attacking my internal organs.
It wasn’t until my grandma, who was like a second parent to my brother and I, my aunt, and my 15 year old border collie died, all within a year, that I made a choice to either “start living or start dying”. I kept my focus on the people and things that inspired and motivated me. The things that kept me smiling, and my music. Dealing with as much as I was, creating my music also gave me an outlet. Creating a piece of art in the form of sound, giving it some feeling, emotion, and a good story… you can turn that into a really great song.
Having a special connection to music my entire life, I know listening to the right tone or beat, can somehow rebalance your heart, mind, and soul. I started to focus on my passion for both life and music and I threw myself whole heartedly into my music.
One of many great sayings is said that “A musician never stops making music until the music stops in them”. Having 11 different physicians, I see my doctors more than my own family and friends. I can say that I have, and have had, some great doctors that have been helping me along the way. There was a time I stopped believing in myself, and some of my doctors continued to believe in me. They never gave up the positive outlook for me. They helped me to keep the music in me alive.
Links To Music:
http://www.soundcloud.com/Chelle-47
http://www.twitter.com/Chellemartin47
http://www.Facebook.com/Chellemartin47
Exposed Vocals: So tell us your story. Where did you grow up? What made you decide to become an artist?
Chelle: I grew up in several places. I was born in Reno, Nevada and lived there until I was about 8 years old. From
there we moved to Denver, Colorado, then to Sandy, Utah, and ended up in Spokane, Washington my senior year of High School. I still live there today.
I’ve always loved music and decided to become an artist the moment I realized I had a passion for it. I’ve had many other jobs, but I always come back to music.
Exposed Vocals: How did you come up with that name? What was your inspiration behind it?
Chelle: When we were little, my brother would say re-shell instead of Rachelle, and so he started calling me Shell. Growing up all through school I went by Shelly and my friends would sometimes use Shell, too. I have some friends that live in Scotland, and one day one of them gave me a wee nickname and starting calling me Chelle. She told me “It gives your name a bit of a tartan twist”, and it just stuck. So I really have always related my name to Chelle, in one form or another.
Exposed Vocals: What do you think about online music sharing? Do you ever give your music away for free? Why?
Chelle: I believe online music sharing is very important these days because, realistically, online music is the future. Most of the music listened to these days is accessed online, so growing and adapting with the times is very important. It not only gives an artist access go a huge community, but access to some great tools, as well.
I know that music can rebalance your soul and heart, bring inspiration, and a smile. If my music could bring a smile to just a single person and make them happy, then I would give music away to whoever needed to be uplifted, or inspired at the time.
Exposed Vocals: Since everyone was a start-up once, can you give any smaller or local bands or artists looking to get gigs and airplay some tips?
Chelle: Well, I’m still learning about getting gigs and airtime. From what I know at the moment, I would say get yourself out there on social media as much as you can. Get people listening to your stuff and it can open doors from there. Ask me again in a couple years and I may have a different answer for you.
Exposed Vocals: Where do you usually gather songwriting inspiration? What is your usual songwriting process?
Chelle: Most of the time I hear something I like, I run with it and the rest comes falling into place.
For inspiration, I believe you are your music. I find my inspiration by thinking about the people and things that have influenced me in my life, and why they mean so much. In the process of that, music happens.
Exposed Vocals: Do you have a band website? What online platforms do you use to share your music?
Chelle: Yes I do have some websites, I am on SoundCloud, and Twitter, as well as Facebook.
SoundCloud: http://www.soundcloud.com/Chelle=47
Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/ChelleMartin47
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/chellemartin47
Exposed Vocals: If you were given half a million dollars and a year off, what would you do? How would you spend it?
Chelle: First, I would go on vacation, but then wouldn’t everyone? To be honest, my ideas on what I would do if I came into some money are always changing. The one thing that never changes is helping out our community. I would donate money to community education and instruction programs to help kids learn music.
Exposed Vocals: How do you find ways to promote your music? What works best for you?
Chelle: I must say I am still learning how to promote my music, but the best thing I found is to get involved with the music community. Talk with people, listen to their music, give and get feedback. If you’re curious about things and techniques, don’t be scared to ask. I firmly believe that knowledge is power, so the more you know the better you can be.
Exposed Vocals: So, what’s next? Any new upcoming projects that you want to talk about?
Chelle: For now I will be working on more songs to complete my Album.
Exposed Vocals: If you weren’t making music, what would you be doing?
Chelle: When I was a kid I always wanted to be a firefighter, just like my Uncle. In 2001 I had the opportunity to get trained with the smoke jumpers out in Missoula, Montana. At the time my mother pleaded with me to not do it, as she was convinced I was going to get killed. So I didn’t. I think I would have been a firefighter.
Exposed Vocals: How do you juggle the rest of your responsibilities while trying to stay ahead in your music life?
Chelle: When things come up, I take care of them and spend any free time I have on my music. I am a person who takes one day at a time. I think it’s better to go with the flow, and roll with the punches, instead of swimming up stream and finding you haven’t gone anywhere, and have wasted all that energy in the process.
Exposed Vocals: What should fans look forward to in 2016?
Chelle: Thanks for listening, more great music to come.