Joy Graysen

Short Biography

I grew up in New York and I began singing as a baby in my car seat. By age 3, my father Sam, had me singing in three part harmony and playing the piano, guitar and ukulele by ear. My first stage performance was at age 7 at a benefit for Cerebral Palsy. I have devoted my entire life to the pursuit of truth and beauty through music. My early influences include Carol King, Cher, Diana Ross, Aretha Franklin and of course, Barbara Streisand. I would spend minimum of 3 hours a day singing in my room, on my knees with giant speakers point blank in my face, imitating these amazing women. I learned to copy them exactly. That taught me many ways to use my voice, and gave me tremendous vocal freedom. As I grew I became more and more aware of songwriting. I became fascinated by Sting and The Police and his ability to write profound yet accessible lyrics while also creating juicy, singable, AWESOME melodies. Billy Joel, (my homeboy!) also inspired me tremendously. My dreams brought me to LA LA land. I loooove it here in beautiful California. I don't understand why everybody doesn't live here. After spending so many years developing my voice, I was confident that I knew how to sing. I would let the songwriting experts do the writing. So I always searched for songs that not only had fantastic melodies, but also that I could relate to lyrically. It became more and more important to me that when my voice was heard, it would reflect what was in my heart of hearts and my spirit. That was not always easy. I REALLY wanted to have my own voice.I finally found that voice when my friend, manager and mentor Bill Overton, convinced me that no one knew what melodies I loved to sing or what words I needed to say better than I did. We wrestled over this quite vigorously because I did not feel equipped to write the kind of songs that I wanted to sing. But Bill kept encouraging me - nagging me, if I’m honest.... Finally, I acquiesced and with great trepidation, decided to give it a try. So with the help of a songwriting teacher, I began learning the craft of songwriting. Bill was right, I did have it in me. Now I really only sing my own songs. Occasionally I will sing someone else’s but that is rare. Since then, I have been singing, writing, recording and performing. I have also created a vocal studio where I pass on what I know and what I have learned to other singers. My students are all ages and at all levels of experience. I begin with the premise that everyone can sing naturally. But for many, because tension, fear and insecurity affect the voice, it can become strained and forced. Proper pitch is difficult to maintain and singing can be uncomfortable without the right guidance. The result being that the voice everyone has naturally, disappears. With the exercises and concepts I developed, I can return one’s voice to its natural state. I then show singers that they can communicate the ideas and emotions of a lyric with relaxation passion and honesty - a communication that reflects one’s own individual personality. Singing becomes extremely rewarding because the physical and emotional restraints are removed.I have many students now of all ages. Everyone from celebrities to beginners. I especially love working with young singer who haven’t yet been tainted by bad habits or insecurities brought on by “others’ opinions”. They are empty canvases.One of my proudest moments as a vocal coach was watching my student Allison Iraheta advance to the 4th place in season 8 of American Idol. She signed a huge record deal with RCA/Jive Records toured the world with Adam Lambert and Orianthi and her career is blossoming. She is DA BOMB! My goal is to have my voice heard. Not just the sound of my singing voice - but my inner voice - or my spirit, which also becomes woven into the fabric of every student I teach. I want people to feel what is being sung about, and to recognize who they are on the inside as a result of hearing that voice. I want people to be inspired to follow their own dreams, their own hearts, their own spirits. I want people to remember their kindness.