Meet Cherise Michelle | Artist & Scholar

We had the good fortune of connecting with Cherise Michelle and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Please tell us about your work. We’d love to hear what sets you apart from others, what you are most proud of or excited about. How did you get to where you are today professionally? Was it easy? If not, how did you overcome the challenges? What are the lessons you’ve learned along the way. What do you want the world to know about you or your brand and story?
To the untrained ear, many people might consider today’s R&B artists as lackluster. There are so many conversations bubbling around the idea that “R&B is dead” and that it is difficult to sort through the noise of soundalikes and “remember whens?” I see myself negating these kinds of allegations artistically. I came fresh out the gate with a crockpot of musical influences bouncing back and forth between Kirk Franklin, Stevie Wonder, The Elements (EWF), Hezekiah Walker, Thundercat, Anderson .Paak, Chaka Khan, Sade, Mariah Carey, and so many others. Because of my varied tastes, I typically describe my musical compositions as a soul-fusion.

As a vocalist and composer from Gary, IN with over seventeen years of experience as a performer, I am well-versed in many styles of music including Gospel, R&B, Soul, Rock, Funk, Classical, Opera, Jazz, and Theater. I did not receive vocal training until college; therefore, like many of the greatest vocalists to live, I had to perfect my vocal craft in the Black Church–a C.O.G.I.C church at that. I received a B.A. in Music at Pomona College in 2021 as the first person to graduate in my family and found an amazing job in the creative advertising industry out here in Los Angeles. These past few years have been some of the most interesting years of my short life, and I am excited about what’s on the horizon.

Getting to this point in life was not easy at all. I was only able to escape the statistics related to various parts of my identity by sheer discipline. I am extremely grounded in my faith, and my mother instilled a sense of purpose in me from a young age. While I lived on stage in school, I always remained consistent academically and made sure I planned for my future. Thankfully, I get to use both my talents and my knowledge these days to create the music I want to hear in the world. There was once a time when I ran miles and miles for vocal training and punished myself mentally for not becoming an icon like Beyonce. I have now come to realize that my artistry is sacred, and I can do with it what I want without having to be confined by the industry or billboard charts. I am serious about intentionality when creating music or songwriting, and I enjoy planting easter eggs in my music and incorporating my academic research into my music.

With the current project I am working on, I used these compositions as my first steps towards a life of healing my inner child. The compositions are wrapped in jazz-reminiscent harmonies, velvet-esque low notes, and sometimes I play with whistle-tones just for fun. I spent many nights weeping over the past two years as I grappled with diary entries from my childhood detailing events I suppressed for so long. A couple of these diary entries evolved into song lyrics I believe will help heal another person–as the songs of writers like Kurt Carr and Fred Hammond have done for me. Finding the authentic, raw emotions is important for my artistry these days.

Nice! What do you want people to remember about you?
Many of my friends, colleagues, and associates have always known me for my musical gifts. Over the past ten years they have supported my live shows, spread my music around, and encouraged me to become the best version of my musical self I can be. I have enjoyed composing and singing heartfelt songs that often mirrored prayers I whispered during my times of self-doubt, insecurities, and feelings of unworthiness. I have also had the privilege of working in the entertainment industry and learning about the process music goes through before it reaches the masses. All these musical experiences should add up to becoming a professional vocalist, songwriter, or music industry executive. However, my purpose in life has shifted drastically in the past year following my recent admission into the Ph.D. program in Ethnomusicology at UC Berkeley.

I have realized that my passion for preserving Black Vernacular music now expands far beyond what the music industry can offer me at this time. For the past three years since graduating from Pomona College, I have been researching and archiving info on the Black creative process. What was once an undergraduate senior thesis comparing my voice to Chaka Khan’s voice has turned into a full-blown investigation of how the music industry categorizes Black vocalists and American genres. I have been utilizing 20th-century African-American fiction and films to understand how we have arrived at the genres that currently exist in music. I will devote the next several years of my life to unearthing ways in which we can accurately discuss Black vocalists in the music industry and beyond.

So now, the question of my legacy returns. I hope to exist among the greats like Aretha Franklin and Gil Scott-Heron and be known for my dedication to uplifting and advancing the Black creative process in all its forms. A tangible part of my legacy will come from my music compositions, essays, and research on African American artistic movements. I want my family and friends to remember me as passionate, disciplined, and determined to keep our history relevant.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
Hmm, my sister recently visited me and I took her all over the world. If I could do it all over again, I would make sure she was in town to witness the greatness that is Black Market Flea. We’d probably stop by Harold and Belle’s for a good Southern meal. I’d like to take her to the Grove because it’s very dreamy for people who are not from California. I’d probably take her to Jazz Nights in Compton held by the amazing Peace of Mind family. We’d probably visit Something Dope’s Open Mic Night for a good laugh as well. Those are just a couple of places I frequent, but obviously, there is so much to do here!

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
I would not be here if it were not for God, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit first and foremost. Thank you, Lord! I am grateful to my mother for sacrificing her life for me to be here today. I’d love to thank my amazing siblings for keeping me humble and to Gary, Indiana for raising me. I want to thank Ms. Rachel Caruthers, Melinda Reinhart, and Mark Spencer/the Westside Leadership Academy for molding my voice and giving me space to perfect my performance craft. I want to thank the Leadership Enterprise for a Diverse America (LEDA) and the music faculty at Pomona College for setting me on my academic path. I deeply appreciate my mentors, Dr. Joti Rockwell, Gwendolyn Lytle, and Dr. Jordan McFarlane-Beau for their continued support. I want to also thank AV Squad and my music family for being the best place to work on the planet. Last but not least, I would like to thank Ralph Ellison, Zora Neale Hurston, Aretha Franklin, and Langston Hughes for providing a lens for young Black girls like me to experience this world.

Website: https://www.cherisemichelle.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dailycherise/?hl=en

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/cherise-higgins-020635153

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/dailycherise/

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@cherisemichelle4393

Other: https://linktr.ee/dailycherise

Image Credits
Michael Majors
Blayne Golden