Saree McIntosh has always had a passion for songwriting. The multi-talented singer/songwriter & actress humbly points out that at the time, referencing her childhood, she never took it seriously, nor had any idea where it would take her. Siting her mother as the catalyst that got her involved in piano lessons, helped by her dad, who is a musician by trade. What followed was a memorable meeting with producer Tommy Marolda, and she has never looked back! This is her story…
The Pianist
Saree recalls hating the piano when she started out. Siting the lessons to learn her musical instrument as boring. “I hated them and thought they were so boring. I learned the basics of piano and then stopped taking lessons. From there, I just taught myself chords and learned my favorite songs on the piano”. Encouraged by her father, Saree went on to learn all she could about the chords, but feeling slightly rebellious, did not feel it was critical to read music. Today the pianist can play most songs by just reading the chords. A confidence that has seen her learn the piano to the point where she can write songs and sing whilst performing.
For the past year, the singer/songwriter, has been focusing on training her vocals. Having teamed up with a vocal coach in Vegas, she has found her technique has improved considerably. “He [vocal coach] comes to my house once a week and we do a lesson, I record it and then I do it every day until our next lesson. Other than singing, I consistently take dance classes, and practice guitar/piano on my own”. As for her education, the singer/songwriter/actress daily routine sees her waking up, completing her homework for the day (online schooling), and then gets straight into her music!
Trust Me Baby
Her latest release “Trust Me Baby” is a song that Saree wrote with her father, she explains. A story that describes an man who is all talk, and no action. “He will say things like “you can trust me” but proves himself to be untrustworthy. It is from the girls point of view as she is realizing that he really isn’t a good guy to be in a relationship with”. The inspiration behind her song comes from her parents past experience she explains. Recalling how their significant others’ would say that they would change and be better to them, but in the end, they never actually followed through.
When it comes to incorporating her mixed skillset of dance, singing, and acting, Saree loves nothing more, as for her, it shows off a full range of her repertoire of skills. Highlight how since growing up singing, dancing, and acting; it would feel completely unnatural to not include them in all her work.
She explains that the biggest challenge with being a dancer is finding the confidence to believe in yourself. “Breakdancing is my main style, and since I’ve been doing it for so long, I feel pretty comfortable putting myself out there. Whether it’s a battle or a performance, if I’m breaking, I don’t feel that nervous. Contemporary, and hip-hop is another story”. Whilst admitting to not having trained in these styles for long, she explains that when she taking a class where there is a fast choreography; she has learned that simply letting go and going for it is the best approach.
Hair and Makeup: Allison Noelle
Normal Teenage Emotions
The artist opens up to never having struggled with serious mental health problems, only normal teenage emotions. “I used to be very self-deprecating. Everything that I did was never good enough in my mind. Whether it was my looks or abilities, I had crazy high expectations, and would tear myself down constantly. I stopped singing for a whole year because I was so caught up in the mindset that I was not good enough”. She explains that this threw her family for a loop as she went from being a super happy, confident girl, to not being able to sing without breaking down and crying. However she found over time slowly changing her habits supported her in changing her mindset.
Saree explains that she is not immune from losing motivation. “I’ve felt unmotivated many times before. I’m the type of person who doesn’t like being stagnant. I get bored with going through the same routine every day. Those are the times I start to lose my drive”. The singer tries to push through these moments by focusing on having fun! Highlighting how beating yourself up for not being motivated constantly only creates more negative energy. To get past this, Saree turns on a film (musical); so she can feel inspired. Feeling refreshed and ready to get back on the grind.
Her advice for students looking to follow in her footsteps it to be patient! “I have to remind myself of this all the time. I used to worry so much about when I was going to book a job, or when I was going to write a hit song, or even worrying if I was good enough”. Saree explains that thinking about it too much takes the fun out of everything. We’re young, she makes a point of noting! To just enjoy the process and have fun learning and growing in your craft. Fully in the belief that great things take time, so don’t give up! #watchthisspace
