Cue To Cue has hit the year mark you guys! I thought what a better idea than to have the person who helped me kick it off help me commemorate this milestone! Ray Lyell is joining me on today’s episode to help celebrate and to continue the conversation!

Ray really opens up in this episode and this episode takes on a whole different direction than any episode I have done before. Ray doesn’t leave anything on the table in this episode and lets his heart be seen in the most beautiful of ways! I know you will get a lot out of the episode! It gave me all the feels!

In this episode:

• How artists can remain in alignment with their purpose as they build their careers

• How to use your creativity to empty yourself so that you can be fulfilled

• Why we need to start thinking about the business aspect of arts as a service to others

• How to get yourself out of feeling stuck and into doing

• What vocalists may be doing in their performances that could be costing them their connection with the audience or listener

A little about Ray:

Ray Lyell came to prominence with his band, The Storm, in the late 1980s. Ray Lyell and the Storm released their self-titled debut album in 1989. Its first single, Another Man’s Gun, scored No. 6 on the AOR charts. The second single released by Lyell, Carry Me, was a Top 40 hit on the CHR charts and still gets airplay in Canada. Lyell was nominated for a Juno Award as Most Promising Male Vocalist in 1990. Shortly after the nomination, he began an international tour in Australia.

In 1992, Lyell sold the rights to the name “The Storm” after a legal conflict in the United States. Desert Winds, his next album, was released under his own name, even though the members of the band continued to tour and perform with him. Gypsy Wind was the album’s first successful single. In 1994, Ray Lyell traveled to Nashville, TN to begin working on his third album, Working Man, with writers, Billy Crain and Todd Cerney. Working Man was released in 1995. A decade later, Lyell released his fourth album, Running on Faith, with CMC Canada.

In 1996, Lyell developed The Dynamic System of Vocal Teaching. His experience as a performer, with thousands of shows under his belt, meshed perfectly with his ability to coach singers toward better and healthier vocal performance.

In an effort to expand his own knowledge, Lyell has studied with some of the most prominent vocal coaches in North America. He continues to teach, write and record out of his studio.

In 1987, radio station, HTZ-FM sponsored a songwriting contest. Ray Lyell won first place with his song, “Take This Heart”.

Later that year, he co-wrote with Paul Hackman of the band Helix the title track to their album, Wild In The Streets. The success of Wild In The Streets earned Ray Lyell a gold album. He also co-wrote tracks on half-ALIVE and It’s a Business Doing Pleasure with Hackman.

Ray Lyell wrote all of the songs from his four albums, with an occasional collaboration with other writers such as Billy Crain.

Did you enjoy the podcast?

What spoke to you the most today?  Let me know by leaving a comment below!