His Face by Staci Smith – Exposed Vocals Music Review

Randy reached out to me personally to see I could use any help and since I had just 5 days ago released my new original Christmas song “His Face” I took him up on some their services.  Seemed a perfect match. 
.Exposed Vocals: So tell us your story. Where did you grow up? What made you decide to become an artist?

 I grew up in small town in Florida friendly known by the locals as the “redneck riveria” (That’s the panhandle gulf coast).   My family has a long tradition of musicians – my dad, grandmother, great aunt, uncles, aunts are all great musicians playing flute, piano, singing, trombone and its a part of our family life.  My dad always used to say music is a hobby and a passion but don’t count on it for a career so I sang in choir in high school, learned piano but it was always just for fun until later in life.  When my mother passed about 10 years, I was a bit devastated.  She was my best friend and died too young from an aggressive breast cancer.  During my times of grieving/crying, a light bulb just sorta went off in my head and I thought to myself “you know how much you love singing, and how when you sing you just can’t cry- (try it sometime!), and so for my therapy I signed myself up for some voice lessons and from there I’ve just grown and opportunities have come my way.  I heard some great advice early on, to just grow where you’re planted so that’s what I did.  I did my first solo at my local church where I joined their choir and I also decided in keeping with my personal faith what better thing way to serve than by doing what I love – singing! Music ministry gives me alot of joy and so meaningful when you know you’ve been able to touch someone’s soul through song.

Exposed Vocals: What do you think about online music sharing? Do you ever give your music away for free? Why?

I give music away for free often – its part of music ministry.  I have faith that when I’m doing the right things God will provide the funding in the manner of His choosing.  He wants us to sing and make a joyful noise so He’s my big investor and always helps me find the ways to support myself.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?

Best tip – grow where you’re planted.  Second best tip – focus on people and what your music gives to them.Exposed Vocals: Do you ever make mistakes during performances? How do you handle that?

ummm yes! I’m not naturally an on-stage look at me kind of person so when I get nervous I get afraid I’ll panic and I’ll forget my words.  I handle it by really double checking i can recite the words from beginning anywhere in the song, and often times in churches there are monitors with the words so just knowing I have someplace I could look if I needed to while I’m performing takes the nerves away. Second way I handle it – practice, practice, practice till perfect and you can do it in your sleep.  That confidence of you knowing you’ve prepared the best you could calms my nerves too. And final way I handle it – say a prayer.  It’s all about Him.

Exposed Vocals: Do you tour? Anything interesting happen on tour that you think our readers would enjoy hearing about?

So far I have only toured traveld out of my area as part of church missions group to a South Africa inter-dominational revival conference with Henry Blackaby a few year ago,  but next spring with my new EP coming out, I am working on planning that out.  I’m open to invitations!Exposed Vocals: Where do you usually gather songwriting inspiration? What is your usual songwriting process?

From my daily life, doing whatever, sitting in church listening to a pastor speak, reading and hearing about others peoples lives.   I don’t think I have a usual songwriting process other than when a new hooky idea comes to me I send myself a voice mail so I don’t forget it.Exposed Vocals: Do you have a band website? Do you have a Facebook or Twitter? Do you use Bandcamp, Spotify, ExposedVocals or SoundCloud to share your music?

Band website – check. Facebook – check. Twitter – check but haven’t really been there much yet.  Reverbnation has been my go-to  as I found it really easy to share music and use their site and tools.  I am exploring using Bandcamp, and as far as  ExposedVocals I just now finding thanks to Randy!Exposed Vocals: What are some really embarrassing songs that we might find on your mp3 player?

Hrrmm I listen to all kinds of music myself.   As a kid I was a radio top 40 avid listener so you’ll find my oldie gems are Carpenters, Andrae Crouch, i have spent years listening to Micheal W Smith while driving in my car.Exposed Vocals: If you were given half a million dollars and a year off, what would you do? How would you spend it?

I would invest in my music ministry,  do a 3rd EP, err I mean make that maybe a full CD since I’d have the funding,  I’d  visit all my relatives, and think about all the things I never have time to do like cleaning out the garage (know it wouldn’t happen just saying lol – i am easily distracted from chores.)Exposed Vocals: Any planned studio upgrades? What are you working with now?

I record in my producer Don Koch’s studio.  My studio upgrade would be to upgrade my music room with some nice built in’s and office area so I can have all my music organized and a new keyboard!Exposed Vocals: How do you find ways to promote your music? What works best for you?

I network with others I know in music ministry, use social media – those are the two that work so far for me.  I could use some promotional help 😀Exposed Vocals: If you could perform anywhere and with any artists (Dead or Alive) where and who would it be with? Why ?

I would perform with my Dad who passed a couple year ago (played flute when he was young for the Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra), my aunt Delene (plays organ), my grandmother Ollie (singer),  my cousin Mark(guitarist), my second cousin Mark(performs professionally in Chicago jazz bands), my nephew Aaron(violin), my son Josh(violin) , and nieces Stephanie(Harp), Heather(piano), Rosalie, Margaret, Hillary (singers).  My dad never heard me sing until after  my mom passed and I was an adult. I didn’t tell him I had started voice lessons  because I was shy to share with him what I was doing until I started making recordings but and he was just so moved of course became one of my biggest fans! My grandmother who was like a second mother to me is actually one of my singing inspirations and she didn’t even know I could sing either but I used always listen to her.  We have much to catch up with when we get to heaven and in God’s heavenly glorious choir and orchestra!

 My new EP “Count It All Joy” comes out in January!  “His Face” this single is one of the songs.  I have had so much fun songwriting with my mentor Kenn Mann who is a gifted music pastor!  Kenn got me started in songwriting several years ago as he has so encouraged me and believed in my calling for music ministry.  For this EP,  and Don have collaboratedExposed Vocals: If you weren’t making music, what would you be doing?

I don’t know how not to do music – tried to quit when I got discouraged a couple of times.  It lasted 5 minutes.  I said after my first solo in church – been there done that never doing it again (obviously didn’t last lol).  Scripture says “Make a joyful noise”  – that’s an 11th commandment in my book.Exposed Vocals: Do you remember buying your first album? Who was it? What was going through your head?

Yes I do!  It was Harry Chapman’s “Cat’s in the cradle”.  Not sure how I picked it though…Exposed Vocals: How do you juggle the rest of your responsibilities while trying to stay ahead in your music life?

ahh well, that’s always tricky.  I’m never ahead!

Exposed Vocals: What should fans look forward too for the rest of 2014 and beyond?

More songwriting, more recording, more live performances.  I’ve have a couple of cool opportunities I can’t yet speak about … 😉