Tell us about yourself and your music
My name is Frederick A. Landy and I am a Entrepreneur where I own my nonprofit Landy’s Gospel Creations-LGC which has celebrated ten (10) years to date, 2009-2019. It was my first ever cd back in October of 2009 that brought about my non profit,. I am a Educator, where I’ve been a fourth grade teacher to college professor. I am a Recording Artist, having been a 2018 Mid-Michigan Gospel Best top 10 finalist & 2019 West Michigan Humanitarian (Douglas Blocksma) award recipient. Lastly, I am also a Motivational Speaker. I was
born October 23rd in Charleston, South Carolina to the late Mr. Allen and Mrs. Tarrela L. Landy-Dunbar. I have been God-anointed and appointed in music ever since I was around the age of three and a half, as recognized by my family. Deemed the ‘music connoisseur’ as one of my major taglines within the music industry, I wear many hats, as given above and which can read about more on my official website, www.fredericklandy.wix.com/official. My music is soulful. Though categorized as a contemporary gospel artist/soul artist, I lean more on the soul side. Yes, I am a soul artist. I look to reach my audiences and move their souls to action, to appreciation, to love. It is my mission through motivational speaking, singing and just in life overall, to be an inspiration to all such in a way that others follow their dreams and make them a reality.
Talk to us more about your latest release
My latest release is entitled “Four.” It was originally released on February 02, 2020 (02.02.20). This would make my sixth (6th) cd since coming into the music industry back in 2009. I am proud of this cd because I believe it shows my growth as a singer-songwriter, musician and producer. Yes, all of my songs were written by me. The instrumentals were all arranged by your’s truly and also mixed and mastered went through my own record label Gospel United Empowerment [G.U.E.] Records before being released. To explain the title of this cd, it is name “Four” because that number represents the relationship between Earth and man. It represents life and the things we go through. With being in the music industry, I’ve lost four major people in my life and that is where this cd title is really giving credence to.
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What inspired you to write this release?
What inspired me to write this release was that with by the time this release was set to be shared with my fans, I had lost both of my parents with just turning thirty (30) years old. Many of the songs on this cd, when you stream and download them, have those emotions within them. It was about time to release another cd. When my maternal grandmother, who raised me, passed back in December of 2016, I thought I would never sing again. She was my heart, so yeah, I did this cd to pay homage to her and again as I said the other three major losses in my life up to this time in my life.
Describe the writing and recording process
The writing process for me is very random, yet right on time. I could be traveling and a song could come to me and as a matter-of-fact, “Brown Paper bag Boy” on my newest cd Four is a prime example of that. I was literally driving down the street back in December of 2018 and I saw a boy maybe about thirteen or fourteen years old walking down the street with a brown paper bag in his hand, in the middle of winter. So living up North, many know that the winters can be brutal. So with him walking fast, he turned the corner and it all came to me, these lyrics just a little taste,
“Brown Paper bag boy/
where are you going?”
Just saw you turn the corner/
Got you an order.”
So yeah, that is the writing process for me. It’s things that I may see and they have great impact on me.
Secondly, the recording process happens at my personal recording studio, G.U.E. Records. I set up the studio app that use through my laptop. I get the headphone and mic levels to where they need to be. I have assistants that help as well. From there, I get in the booth, that can be easily packed up, because my studio is mobile in it’s capacity, and the magic begins to happen. I first make sure my instrumentals have been converted to mp3 status before adding my backgrounds. Yes, we record background vocals first, because this is the track that I will use for various gigs, concerts. Once that’s done, I mix and master. Once it is where I believe it should be and sounds good, then it is converted from wma to mp3 and put into it’s proper folder for further use. Then finally it is onward to recording the full track version that will be released to the fans and supporters to buy on music streaming and downloading platforms. As with the background and instrumental track, the same is done here, it is mixed, mastered and converted to mp3 and ultimately celebrated and then released.
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Any plans to hit the road?
I do look to possible hit the road and tour my newest music beginning late April 2020. I will be calling it the Frederick A. Landy “En Plane Sight” 2020 concert. It will be a concert where I look to inspire all to bring their dreams from out of the clouds, hence “En PLANE sight” and bring them down to the ground “PLAIN sight.” This is with the intent to encourage my fans to action and let them know that yes, their dreams can become their reality with just a plan and some passion. The dates, times and locations will vary. They have not been decided upon yet, but it my goal to travel to the Southeast U.S., Northeast US, Midwest and even the Caribbean Islands, possibly the U.K. and South America as well.
As an indie artist, how do you brand yourself and your music to stand out from the rest of the artists out there?
As an indie artist, I brand myself and my music to stand out from the rest of the artist out there through just having a look that is totally me. I am more on the suits and sneakers side of style. This is meaning I look to wear combination of clothes, shoes and accessories that many may not see as conventional, traditional. That has always been me since I was young. I have always been a trendsetter in that area. I also have a look that is model status aesthetically, cosmetically, so hair, face and my presence, height that is always amplifies what I wear. Yeah. I brand myself along those lines just as a public figure, an influencer, in general. By means of my music, I have a signature falsetto note that I always hit at least two or three times per song. This alone will always let people know that it is my music or me being featured on someone else’s music. I did not know what my signature was until 2013 when I was doing some visual studio work to release some cover tracks on my YouTube channel. It was during this recording that I found myself constantly hitting this falsetto note and from that time, I knew that would be my signature as the ‘music connoisseur.’
Who have you been listening to lately?
Who have I been listening to lately? Wow, aren’t you all very inquisitive? No, just playing, so yeah, I am a well-round music listener, so I don’t just have one genre or even one artist of one genre that I listen to at a time; it can be many, but in a nutshell here is who I have been listening too. Moses Sumney, Lena Waithe and the movie “Queen & Slim” put me on to him. I love Laura Mvula. The series on the Oprah Network “David Makes Man” put me on to her. Let’s see, as for rap, Roddy Ricch is my dude and so is da Baby. Currently for mi gente, the Caribbean Islands, I have Tito Puente and the Bueno Vista Social Club on repeat and last but definitely not least, I love gospel above all, of course, so Mali Music and my favorite contemporary gospel artist, J Moss always stays on repeat in my playlist.
Who are your biggest influences?
Who are my biggest influences, let’s see. So with regards to my music, Mahalia Jackson just for the sake of that strong soulful take on music and her delivery tactics, man!!! Anthony Hamilton and John Legend have always been my greatest influences, but James Brown and Al Green as well with regards to stage presence and crowd interaction. Yes, but jut in general, from the home base, my maternal grandmother, Rev. Sheldonia Brown, was the one. She recognized my musical abilities. Got me my first piano at four years old. When James Brown wanted to sign me at ten years old, February of 1999, she was the one right there stating the case. Yeah, my maternal grandmother could sing as well, just as many on my mom’s side of the family. I come from a singing family. So yeah.
Tell us about your passions
My passions exist to be good food, no I’m just playing. Actually I’m not, but on a more serious note, I have been in Education for over ten (10) years, so educating and inspiring young people is where it has always been for me. From the classroom to the performance stage, yes young people are my audience. Those two to twenty; twenty to sixty. Just people in general. I’m all about building up humanity by means of encouragement, correction where necessary as well. Music is my passion obviously. Fashion is another passion. Lastly, I have a passion for athletics as well, tennis and running to be exact. So as you can see, it is quite diverse in it’s giving with regards to the passions that I have, but these are they.
What else is happening next in your world?
The next thing that is happening in my world is with my fashion line REVIVAL, which was officially launched back in October of last year, 2019, I now have shoes to add to my line this Spring 2020. They will be unisex athletic sneakers with the signature REVIVAL green, grey and white color combo. The name of them will be REV 1’s, where REV is short for REVIVAL. They are going to be released on 03.19.20 (March 19, 2020) via Aliveshoes, so yes, go to my YouTube channel www.youtube.com/frederickalandy to see that promo video and take advantage of the discount that I am giving for the first three weeks after the launch!! Yes, I am super amp’d about this accomplishment!!! Not only that, I look to release a beauty line of body washes and body whips going into the summer of 2020 and tentatively have my own show, The Frederick A. Landy show in the Fall of this year 2020 that will have themed nights highlighting individuals and topics along those lines. It’s going to be, as we’re saying around the studio “Lots of fun!!” So yes, many things in the works.
Thanks for an awesome interview, Frederick A. Landy
Connect with Frederick A. Landy
Website: http://www.fredericklandy.wix.com/officialFacebook: http://www.facebook.com/frederick.a.landyTwitter: http://www.twitter.com/FrederickALandyYoutube: http://www.youtube.com/frederickalandyLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/frederick-a-landy-m-a-4ab9b343Reverbnation: http://www.reverbnation.com/frederickalandy
