Cut You Down: The Unforgettable Voice Welcomes GRAMMY® Nominated Singer/Songwriter Glenda Benevides

Scott Leon Smith: 

Celebrating the human sound. This is The Unforgettable Voice. Part of the Electric Secrets Variety Podcast. I'm your host, Scott Leon Smith.

Welcome everybody. I am so excited to move into a different part of The Unforgettable Voice. We've talked a lot about storytelling already with singing and how to perform a song. And now we get to look at songwriting and what goes into songwriting and the voice of songwriting and putting your voice to a particular song.

And with me, I have Glenda Benevides. She is a singer songwriter and she's going to talk about her music, its message and her work with young people to help find their authentic voice.

Glenda, great to have you on the show. How are you doing?

Glenda Benevides:

I'm great.Thanks, Scott. –Appreciate you.

Scott

All right.

Glenda

…for bringing me on here, yeah.

Scott

Alright No problem. I'm excited. So tell us about your new single and its message and how you develop the song.

Glenda

Okay. Well, the newest single this year that's being considered for Grammys is called “God's Gonna Cut You Down.” I did not write this song. This song is, I decided to do something a little new this year and I just really love the song. It was really dynamic and it's a classic.

It's been around for years floating everybody from Johnny Cash to Marilyn Manson. I mean, you name it. Everyone's kind of taking their shot at it. I hadn't, what I had seen was if there was any other females that had done the song, I found out later, yeah, Odetta had done it years ago.

But anyway, I decided I wanted to take a shot at this. So kind of to your point though, I'm going to interject. I may not have written the lyrics on this, but you still are writing it on some level if that makes sense.

Scott

Oh, yeah. Absolutely. You mentioned Johnny Cash and I mean his American Recordings. I mean, that's basically what he's doing, taking, taking those things and making them his. So what are you doing to make this song yours?

Glenda

Yeah. Well, first of all, I'm bringing a female voice to the conversation, which is a whole

another take on it. And then as kind of connecting to what you were talking about as far as authenticity and stuff, you bring who you are to that conversation. And that's how I look at writing. That's how I look at singing. I'm having a conversation with you, not having a monologue. I'm having a dialogue. It feels like a monologue sometimes, but it's really a dialogue, right?

Scott

Yeah.

Glenda

So I just really wanted to bring that more feminine aspect of my interpretation, but I'm adding, I kind of sing it in a very similar key. I think we did an E flat, but that's kind of a lower key for me. So it's just really get that, oh, that piece kind of sound. So yeah.

So I decided that I was going to just go ahead and do it in my key in that key and then have my own interpretation of it. So that's going to reflect your authenticity. That's going to reflect who you are as a person.

Scott

Okay.

Glenda

Period.

Scott

So for my listeners who aren't familiar with this particular song, what's the message of the song itself?

Glenda

I don't know the actual definition, but basically what it's about is it's kind of a warning.

It's like a gospel warning. God's going to cut you down. You can do this. You can do that. You can throw your rock. You can hide your hand working in the dark against your fellow man. Right.

That's about what we're up against right now. So I thought it was kind of timely. But you can do all that, but hey, God's watching and he's going to cut you down. Someone's going to cut you down. Keep on with that kind of attitude, that kind of way of being.

And I just I loved it and I thought it was quite poignant. 

Scott

It's a big part of our culture, songs that are cautionary tales. And it's different than what is usually out there now, which is more self-celebratory. I make all the money.

I get all the women. I drink all the, you know, it's just such a focus on narcissism really.

But I mean, yeah, and it's just like, even if you're not a spiritual person, there's something to gain from a cautionary tale about the consequences of your actions. I think anyway.

How would you advise? Well, actually, let me, let me word it this way: How does a singer find their authentic voice? I've heard that when I've taken voice lessons and singing lessons, the authentic voice. Can you tell my listeners a little bit about what that is and how you find it?

Glenda

Yeah. That's a… that's a layered question, but I'll, I'll jump out with my first thoughts. My first thought was, how do you find your authentic voice? Well, you are your authentic voice. And it is a journey to you and not from a narcissistic, you know, place, self-serving. It's more of who am I asking those questions of yourself daily. What turns me onWhat's my passion? What's my purpose? You know, am I serving the community? Am I serving others?

You know, coming from that perspective, of course, being mindful that you're helping yourself, that you're elevating your own spirit, your own desires, your own passion. And once you're jumping into all that, you're going to start to find yourself. 

You're going to go, Oh yeah, well, I like to sing a little bit like this or I like to write like this or whatever. And I would say just do that. Jump out, see what happens, you know, and continue down that path and you'll, you'll settle in.

I mean, it's taken me forever. I mean, I've gone through so many styles of music looking for, you know, where's home. And then I, what I realized was home was no matter whatever style I'm doing, that's where home is. If I'm turned on by it, you know, or if it's, if there's a message that either I'm writing or I'm taking from someone else, then if I can relate to that, if I can vibe with that, that's, that's part of my message, then that will be your authentic self sharing.

Scott

Would you, would you call that you're ‘singing’ authentic voice? How is your ‘singing’ authentic voice related to your songwriting voice? Can you describe that, that relationship?

Glenda

Yeah, it can be one and the same. I'm, I'm hoping, you know, I mean, I, I, I, as you go along, you get a little bit more pickier  like, well, I don't really want to sing that or that melody doesn't resonate with me. And then hear the lyrics, that's that really, that really says, says something like don't don't rap or sing something that you don't believe in. Like I just put it that way. If you don't believe in it, don't, don't do it. Don't touch it. Don't go there. Cause you will get a backlash, you know, and that's part of the authenticity too, right?

Your like checking in like, yeah, ‘I really believe in that’. Or I really, ‘I really see where that needs to be uplifted’ or spotlight, you know, a spotlit, um, that type of thing. And then then just align up with that and then go that direction. That's, that's what I would say. And don't be afraid to change, you know...

Scott

oh, yes, yes. We, uh, I think singers, especially when I was young, I remember this. Uh, and I'm sure you do too. There were singers that you patterned your voice after, you know, singing along with them in their music. And then it got to a point where you're either, you want to find your own authentic voice or people are telling you, you know, ‘you're singing too much like Johnny Cash,’ or ‘ You're singing too much like Aretha Franklin,’ or you're trying or you're trying to sing like these people that you know, you need to find your own, your own thing was there was like, what did, who did you pattern your voice after in, in the beginning? Like who did you like to sing to?

Glenda

Well, who I sang to and what I liked were to early days were two different things.

Yeah. Um, I came up in a rock era. I came up with, um, uh, top 40 and then I went into, you know, R and B hip hop, you know, so I, I've covered a lot of genres. I've also, I co-write a lot of music with, um, another writing partner of mine that's new age style.

So, you know, there's, there's a variety of things that I came up through. Um, you know, and then when you're doing top 40, um, which was an awesome opportunity for me to find myself, which is great because you're doing anybody from, you know, Whitney Houston to, you know, um, Def Leppard. I don't know.

Scott

Oh, yeah. Oh, yeah.

Glenda

A variety of things, right?

Scott

Mm hmm.

Glenda

So I, I think as a singer, a young singer, I really, um, wanted to make that, that song sound like that artist because that's what was required really. Um, they didn't tell me that, but I wanted to make sure I sounded like Madonna or Whitney or whoever, you know, yeah.

And so, and then that's not true for everybody, but I did for myself and then I just, I kind of practiced and crafted my lifestyle, my life, voice, my life around that until you got, till I got to a place where, uh, in the nineties and I said, “Oh gosh, Glen, you know, yeah, you're getting paid for all this.” But I said, you know,” if you want to have a sustainable life in music, which I did, um, you need to write music.”

And I was like, I don't know what that, you know, and that's, and that's how I started. I go, okay, you know, that was the coaching I gave myself. You know, it's like, oh, my friends are doing original music.

And you know, so, but it's obviously not a requirement anymore.

…

Scott

We're talking with Glenda Benavides, professional singer, professional songwriter. And I want to ask Glenda that it's a lot of singers and a lot of young people who sing and want to make music part of their lives don't know about a lot of the various opportunities that singers have outside of doing musicals on Broadway or being a pop star.

Glenda, can you tell my listeners a little bit about what you do as a professional and

what your professional life is like?

Glenda

Oh, that's a, that's a two-fold question.

Scott

Yeah.

Glenda

You devil dog.

Scott

Oh, hey. I ask the tough questions.

Glenda

That's right. You know, a day in life, I think for me has been, and as you know, Scott, it's really important to practice your craft. You have to.

Don't think that you're just going to step out and be famous and all this other stuff is, you know, there, there's so many elements that come along with that. And if you're starting out as a young person, I would say get vocal coaching right away.

If you're, find yourself a singer, get a coach, practice, practice, practice, practice, make sure you're fine tune, be ready, be ready for that opportunity, you know, and, you know, and be a professional. What does that mean?

You know, like really, if you're really striving to get paid, you know, if you're really striving to be the best that you want to be, then you need to act like that. You know, if you're, if your brand is, I'm, you know, a, I'm a Broadway singer, let's just say that.

If I, you know, if I'm going to do Broadway, then what do other Broadway people do? You know, go to New York, study it, read up on it, find out, ask questions, find yourself amazing theater vocalists. They will tell you what they do and how they do it. And hopefully, and, you know, and then model yourself after that until you find you, you know, I mean, some of it's just technique.

Some of it's just, you just got to do the work.

Just got to practice, right? It's just, you know, you just have to. Nothing comes easily in our industry. Nothing. I'm sorry. I still, you know, I grow and I evolve every day. I ask questions. I, I practice. I met a fact I was just practicing before I got on with you. And you know, I have a fabulous vocal coach. I've had a vocal coach all my life. He worked, he's out of the UK. His name is Fred O'Neill.

Fred is a pretty prominent vocal coach and singer himself. He worked with Susan Boyle for 10 years. 

Scott

Oh, wow.

Glenda

Yeah, he's fantastic. And you know, I've just gosh, I've been with him for about three months now and I've just jumped leaps and bounds, like, with my mid to upper range. I mean, super, super strong. So anyway, that's, that's, that's kind of what I do daily.

I'm always looking at there–There's periods where you write songs and there's periods when you sing songs. You know, there's periods when you record. And those are all different time frames and I'm fortunate to have a good producer thatI work with here in the studio.

He and I, a matter of fact, I'm supposed to record today. I'll just see how I feel about it. It's called “Unbreakable.” It's one of my newest songs that I'll be releasing this year. And then next year will be Grammys for that song. But, yeah, but this year it's “God's Going to Cut You Down.” So, hopefully that answered your question.

Scott

Oh, yes, I mean, it's so easy for young people, especially in our culture where they are conditioned to sort of be all about themselves, to sort of fall back on their talent. And they have so many people telling them how talented they are. They don't understand the grind of having a coach all the time so that you can take good care of your voice and expand your range. And you need someone to tell you when your authentic voice isn't coming out, when you're trying to sound like somebody else.

So, everything you're saying is, is apropos to what we're, what I want my listeners to

get out of out of this segment is not only what makes a voice unforgettable, but what you have to do if you want to make vocal music a part of your career or a part of your professional life. So, everything you're saying is absolutely spot-on, you're right on target.

Let me ask you about your book. So tell me about your book and its message.

Glenda

Okay. It's called Courage: Find Your Fire and Ignite Action in Your Life. And I call it, I think I would define it as a teaching memoir.

Scott

Okay.

Glenda

Yeah, so I, I, it kind of came as a joke actually. Right.

Scott

That's okay.

Glenda

Yeah. It was like, “Yeah, I can write a book. Yeah…How  hard can that be? Right.

Right. Partially, because I had a friend that had been writing a book for like 10 years and I was like, seriously, 10 years, like, what are you not doing? Like what are you not doing? How lazy are you? Right? That was my judgment.

And so I, I thought, okay, well, “Glenn, put your money where your mouth is. You know, what do you have to offer?” And that's kind of how it started.

And I thought, well, I have a lot of people asking me, how do I do this? How do I do that?

How do I bad ass, da da da, right? And so I thought, okay. So I thought, set down and went, okay, I guess I'll just do an outline and I'll write a chapter a day and I'll do it in 15 days. And I did.

Scott

All right.

Glenda

And I proved it to myself that you can write a book, you know, yeah, it was my own personal goal, you know, and I did realize that yes, there are other people that write professionally and they do a lot of research. So a lot of stuff can take time. So to not just dismiss the–like “you're lazy. You're not doing crap,” you know. So I totally got off that, right?

Scott

Yeah.

Glenda

Yeah.I totally got off that. And no, I wrote it in 15 days. And then I, of course, you go back and you read it, read through it. But I made myself–the game that I played was a chapter a day only.

Do not mess around. Don't try to do a whole book. Don't try to, you know, and then you'll find yourself winning and feeling successful. And I did. And then you go back and you read chapter one and you go, oh, no, really, that's a run on sentence.

You really want to say that, you know, and then you go, oh, but there's no way. There's more.

And then you start writing more. So that I did that for another, oh, I don't know, off and on for a month.

And then my partner decided to move out to what we were in Boston and he decided to move out to California, which is where I'm from. And so he came out here. And so of course that got waylaid. And then, and then I shared it with a coach of mine and she said, ‘this is really good.’ I'm like, “What?"

She's like, ‘Seriously, this has so much value for people.’ To help them see the trials and then the triumphs and then have, like little tools to use to help themselves get through things. So anyway, so, that's how I did it.

And then, and then she goes, you know, ‘I have a really good editor that can help you, you know, really formulate this into a proper setting with a book and everything like that.’ So we, so I did all that and set that up with–with her. And that's how the book was born.

Scott

That's great. And that also speaks to a lot of young people think they can do everything themselves. They're conditioned that way with their phones because you can do everything on your phone. How refreshing it is for me. I taught college English composition for 10 years. And it's very refreshing for me to hear that you recognize a run on sentence and you recognize when a first draft is a first draft and it's not perfect and you can't, you have to craft something, you have to talk to an editor and get somebody else's eyes on it. It's not perfect the first time out.

Glenda

Yeah. Oh, you're  right. It like, and it took a minute. It was, you know, even with the editor, because she's like, she was like, she was taking everything that I had written and then putting certain things into place. And then she said, she said to me, I don't want you to lose your voice.

Scott

Mm hmm. Yeah.

Glenda

Uh-huh. And I went, I went, what, what does that mean? You know, because it could have been, right? They ghost writers or whatever, you know, you can kind of lose your essence. And she said, I just don't want you to do that. And so I'm not going to change too much, but we're going to fix a few things, you know?

So that was really awesome. That's called playing on the team. Right?

Scott

That's, yeah. And it's much, it's refreshing again to hear someone who is okay with hearing criticism for their work and making it better. And you just reminded me of everything that we're dealing with now in the publishing–in audio books and publishing and all this stuff of folks who are, you know, using AI to write entire books and things like that. Oh, so you have no voice.

That's what--you have nothing to say. So you're going to let a machine say it for you.

Glenda

Yeah. Nothing to say.

Scott

Okay. Great. Wonderful.

Glenda

I think a lot of that's being lazy.

Scott

Oh, yeah. I agree

Glenda

That's just, the AI is set up for, has wonderful tools and can help you, but don't like, I never let anything out. Like I asked, I call my chat, GPT, call him “Chad.”

And I have, have Chad organize things for me. Like, can you set up, you know, a routine for me to do, you know, I use it like that. I don't, I don't go, you know, I tried it once. I go “write me a song” and I'm like, “no. Oh, no, no, no, no. That's just superficial crap.”

Scott

Mm hmm.

Glenda

You know, and it's stealing from stuff that's already been out there.

Scott

Mm hmm.

Glenda

So…

Scott

Stealing from everything.

Glenda

That's right.

Scott

…that’s ever been written.

Glenda

That's right. And that's a no.

Scott

Oh, wow.

Glenda

And we already hear it in music and not necessarily AI music, but we already hear it in some of the producers and stuff out there with, with young artists. They'll bring them in as, you know, just as fodder, pretty much, you know, you're a brand. You look good. You got great tits its’perfect. Perfect. So and  your 12, so we can tell you what to do. Oh, trust me. It's disgusting.

Scott

Oh, man.

Glenda

And, and so they'll bring you in and they'll, they'll, you know, because they're basically telling you what to do. So you're right. You don't have a voice and some of the songwriters, some of the producers, they're just formulaic. It's like, no, we already had and have certain artists. We had a Whitney Houston. We had. Don't be her, be her yourself. And it takes a minute to find it.

It really does, you know, especially when you're young and you're being influenced by so many things.

Scott

Oh, yeah.

Glenda

You know, self referral is better than, you know, self reference, like looking outside of yourself for validation or, you know, take some ideas. Yeah, that's great. But don't, don't just go, okay, then I'm done. You know, it's like, no, allow yourself to think a little deeper, you know.

Scott

Yeah. But it's, it's refreshing to hear this. And I see, I see it in my, in my young students all the time that I work with at the theater. We're going to take one more break and we'll come back and talk about your mentorship and your Grammy nomination. Exciting stuff. So we'll be right back.

…

Scott

And we are back with Glenda Benavides. She is going to talk to us about mentoring and mentoring young people. I do the same thing myself at the theater. And oftentimes, especially young women will turn to poetry and songwriting to express themselves.

Glenda, how do you mentor young people and how would you mentor young singers, young songwriters?

Glenda

Well, I do mentor for Grammy University. And so I get not too young young people, but more like in their 20s, early 20s or whatever. You know, I like to ask questions. I like to really find out not only what, what do they think they want, but what, what is it the skills that they want to have or how do they see themselves in their life? Two years, five years, like what, what does that look like for them?

I do all of that upfront, like all of it. And then for me, as far as being a mentor, I also create parameters. I create agreements with them show up on time, you know, all these different things because here's the things you guys:

If you can't show up, not for yourself and you don't show up for somebody else, guess what? You're not going to get the gig. You're just not, it's just not somewhat, trust me, there's like 25,000 other people right behind you, hungry, you know, ready to–ready to make it happen. So that's part of being in your industry. That's part of your skillset. It's part of everything. How do you show up? Who are you being in life that people want you or people that don't want you?

So that's part of the structure that I try to create within mentorship. And then I have them sign the agreement. And so, and you know, I give, I give, obviously I give chances. We all have things that happen or mistakes or whatever, no problem. But when it's a consistent, ‘oh, I can't be there,’ then I, then I, then what I hear is you're not serious about you.

You're not serious about you. It's not about me. It's about you. It's about you and what you want. And if you're not handling your fears or whatever is coming up for you that's allowing you to go, ‘I can't make that,’ you know, then, you know, that's a, that's a deeper conversation and you need to handle that.

And I, I'm not going to, I'm not going to, it's like putting icing on a mud pie. You know, it's like, I'm not going to handle that. And I don't, and I, I care about myself enough and take care of myself that I, that's, that's not, that's non-negotiable. That's just rude. And we have to stop being rude with each other.

Scott

Yeah. And it's like, it's almost, if you're not worried, if you're not concerned about you and that's not–and your professionalism, then you're basically asking people to carry you. 

Glenda

That's right. And you know, it's just like, and you're going to fight them.

Scott

It’s like you’re your own person

Glenda

And you're going to fight them the whole time.

Scott

Yes, exactly. I have a few people in mind that should hear this. I'm not going to go there right now.

Tell us about your Grammy nomination.

Glenda

Yeah. I was super fortunate this year. I got a gentleman down in Ecuador, Antonio Vergara. He heard my, my, my music, my tracks, my singing. And he's like, ‘oh, I want to have you on my album. Would you be interested in doing the contemporary blues album?’ And it was called The Fury.

And I said, “Sure, send me the track.” And he sent me the track. I cut it for–my interpretation–and sent it back. And he absolutely loved it. He said he cried. So he put that, you know, put that on the album. And you know, we did all the promotion for it, and…excited. And you know, we just, it was great. We got the nom and got the head nod.

So got the nod as what they say. So we were five. It's so very exciting moment when you see all the stuff come up. And you're like,I'm a part of that, you know.

Scott

That's awesome. And it's one of those things where not a lot of politics is involved. It really is about audiences liking the music and wanting and getting that recognition based on how people feel about the music rather than campaigning to get an award.

Glenda

Yeah.

Scott

It's just, yeah.

Glenda

Well, and it's, and it is, it is an industry award. So it's like, yeah. I mean, I have, I have lovely friends. Well, ‘How can I vote? I'm like, “You can't. But thank you.” You can vote by, by buying and listening and sometimes.

Scott

Yes, absolutely. Absolutely.

Glenda

Yeah.

…

Scott

All right, we're going to end with this. I want to ask you this question. This is The Unforgettable Voice. So what to you makes a voice unforgettable?

Glenda

Ooh, when it touches my soul.

Scott

Mm hmm.

Glenda

And when I'm, I'm really present to multi-layered experience. So I'm, I'm thinking of one singer right now. There's so many, but one is a woman named Rachelle Ferrell. She's an R.B. Blue–not blues, but R.B. Singer, Berkeley School of Music, you know, that type of thing.

And when this woman, when she steps on stage and her, it's her presence, it's her authenticity. It's her, she steps forward with not only her passion, but she also supports her community. And she talks about that on stage. So she's completely representing herself, like as who she is and what she's passionate about and unabashedly. And when she opens her mouth, you just go, wow, that's a five octave range.

Scott

Wow.

Glenda

And that's amazing.

Scott

Wow. Impressive

Glenda

Oh, yeah. Wow is the truth when it comes to this woman. And just, just a huge heart and a gifted human being. And when I see someone like that, I go, yeah, that's, that's a true artist all the way. And she plays piano. She writes all her own music. Like she's, she's a goddess among goddesses, just like Prince.

Scott

Yes.

Glenda

Right.

Scott

Wow Wow. In nd the same sentence as  Prince? OK. Got to check her out then. Wow.

Glenda  

Yeah. Rachelle Ferrell.

Scott

All right. That brings us into new territory with, with being an unforgettable voice. It's not just your voice. It is how you're giving back. It's how you are supporting your community and advocating and being a mentor to young people. That's part of being unforgettable. And Glenda Benavidez, thank you so much for your unforgettable interview. This is wonderful. I thank you for being on the podcast.

Glenda

Gosh, thank you. I really appreciate it to myself. Thanks, Scott. Thank you for your work and what you're doing. And, you know, and we do this together. And I just really, really appreciate you and your artistry and how you make a difference.

Scott

Well, thank you so much. We try to go out singing on this segment. Now, is there anything you could sing for us? Something that you've written? Maybe a little snippet.

Glenda

Goodness. Caught me off guard here.

Scott

Oh, sorry.

Glenda

OK, it's all good. Yeah.

[sings]

“We must look to the wind of the mountains.

We must listen to the rain of the sun.

We must all breathe for the life that we are all one.

So change, change it now.

Change it before it's too late.

Change, scream it out loud.

It's the time of change.”

Oh, my goodness.

That was like…

Scott

That was great.

Glenda

Thank you.

Scott

Glenda Benevides. So great to talk to you. I hope you'll come back on the show again sometime. I hope you had fun.

Glenda

I did. Thank you. Thank you for great questions. And that's why we do this, right?

We must really support others and help each other.

Scott

And have conversations. That's what artists…yeah. We don't talk about our craft enough, you know, and talk about making a difference, all of that stuff.

…

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