Andromeda: 5 Things I Wish Someone Told Me When I First Became An Artist

Find your flow— Throughout a career in music, there will always be new things you have to learn, things you have to adapt to and things that change and you might not like all of them. Learn how to flow with the industry while holding onto your identity. I like to make lists of pros and cons or things I can commit to and things that are deal-breakers. This helps to guide me as I decide which things to participate in and which old things of mine to let go of.

As a part of our series about “5 Things I Wish Someone Told Me When I First Became An Artist” I had the pleasure of interviewing Andromeda.

ANDROMEDA was born into a musical family with Jazz musician parents Steve Turre and Akua Dixon and spent her youth backstage touring with Jazz giants like Dizzy Gillespie and Max Roach. She was among the last Raelette to sing background vocals for Ray Charles. Internationally, Andromeda performed with the Jazz big band at Tokyo Disney and on tour as an independent artist throughout Asia, Europe and Russia. In New York, she was part of the company of the acclaimed immersive show, Sleep No More. She wrote and performed her own one-woman immersive show at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival. Andromeda attended the Berklee College of Music.

Thank you so much for joining us in this interview series! Can you tell us the story of how you grew up?

I grew up between New York City and Montclair, NJ with my parents and brother Orion. I like to say I spent my life Growing Up Jazz. Both of my parents are Jazz musicians (Steve Turre and Akua Dixon), my brother is a Jazz musician, two uncles and an Aunt… Jazz musicians. Instead of summer camps, I spent my childhood on tour going to all the Jazz festivals my parents were performing at with iconic musicians like Max Roach and Dizzy Gillespie. Having this incredible opportunity really shaped my worldview and planted a deep desire to follow in my parent's footsteps.

Can you share a story with us about what brought you to this specific career path?

It seemed really natural for me to become a Jazz singer with my background — plus I love Jazz and had a natural propensity for it. But there was always something inside holding me back from really putting myself out there as an artist. During the pandemic, I realized that I had spent most of my life trying to live up to the expectation I had of who Andromeda Turre was supposed to be. I was trying to fit into a really traditional definition of Jazz which made me feel inadequate. I knew I was never going to be the next Ella Fitzgerald or Sarah Vaughan. But I am wildly creative in other ways. And I have a lot to say as an artist through my original music, my show concepts and my poetry. My music still has a lot of Jazz influences but also has elements of pop and rock music. I decided to drop my last name and just perform as ANDROMEDA to give myself the freedom to pursue what feels right to me.

Can you tell us the most interesting story that happened to you since you began your career?

When I was 25 I moved to Japan to sing with the Jazz big band at Tokyo Disney. It was only supposed to be for a few months but I ended up staying for nearly two years. It was such an incredible experience getting to be immersed in a culture so different from mine for so long. I learned to speak basic conversational Japanese and read and write Katakana. I made so many lifelong friends and truly cherish my time there. I can’t wait to go back!

What are some of the most interesting or exciting projects you are working on now?

Right now is a very exciting time for me with the relaunch of my career as ANDROMEDA and presenting a new look and sound. There’s a lot of work going on behind the scenes trying to put that right team together — musicians, producers, agents, managers etc.. that are the exact right fit for me. I also run a program I created called Growing Up Jazz where I teach U.S. History through the lens of Jazz. Being able to share often unheard perspectives with adult groups, businesses and students alike is really fulfilling.

Who are some of the most interesting people you have interacted with? What was that like? Do you have any stories?

My first job that I dropped out of college to take was singing background vocals for Ray Charles, I was a Raelette. Watching the caliber and consistency of his performances up close really set an expectation for what is acceptable on stage from the very beginning. His business acumen also opened up my mind to what was possible for me and got me to think of myself as a businesswoman as well as an artist.

I often work at Saturday Night Live and have had the opportunity to sing for some incredible performers but watching Jennifer Lopez was definitely a highlight. She really knows who she is as a person and as an artist and watching her steer and self-advocate so professionally was a masterclass. I have so much respect for her.

Where do you draw inspiration from? Can you share a story about that?

My inspiration is always a divine gift. It comes in stillness and in deep thought. Often when I try to force myself to create something, it’s difficult. Most of my songs just come to me, I’ll have the whole thing written in 20 mins.

How have you used your success to bring goodness to the world?

As a younger singer, living life on tour, I always made time to find orphanages to spend time at. Reading or playing with the children and helping out where it was needed. I sometimes organized to bring books, toys and clothes through my church as well. Right now I travel less and being a professional singer has allowed me to have a work schedule where I have more control over my time and can choose what to do with it. I am currently the acting chair of the idea committee, the inclusion, diversity and equity advisory committee for the town where I live. Being able to advocate for and amplify marginalized voices within my community has been a really powerful and inspiring experience. I look forward to being able to grow this work as my career expands.

What are your “5 things I wish someone told me when I first started” and why. Please share a story or example for each.

1. Find your freedom.

No matter where you are in your creative journey, I often notice that many artists, myself included, tend to follow what we are naturally good at within our creative idioms or let other expectations shape which aspect of our creativity we decide to pursue. I want to challenge any artists reading this to really do some deep listening to themselves and see if their creative practice matches their inner desire. For me, I knew I would be a singer, but I always thought I had to be a Jazz singer in the traditional sense because my parents were Jazz musicians and I was good at singing Jazz. It’s just now at almost 40 that I’m able to peel off that expectation and step into who I really want to be. I will have to work a bit harder to get to the place I want to be ultimately, but living in that freedom is a feeling like no other. There can be so many voices in your head saying “you can’t because…” it might not be a family expectation like mine, it might be perceived limitations due to your age, weight, religion, skin color, etc… What would you do without those filters? Don’t let the fear of starting over stop you. I believe in you!

2. Find your balance.

While living in Japan I learned of the concept of IKIGAI. It’s the intersection where what you love, what you’re good at, what the world needs and what you can be paid for exists. Finding that balance in your art can really make it more fulfilling and more sustainable.

3. Find your flow.

Throughout a career in music, there will always be new things you have to learn, things you have to adapt to and things that change and you might not like all of them. Learn how to flow with the industry while holding onto your identity. I like to make lists of pros and cons or things I can commit to and things that are deal-breakers. This helps to guide me as I decide which things to participate in and which old things of mine to let go of.

4. Diversify your skill sets.

One thing that has kept me afloat as a working musician for the last 20 years is being able to wear a lot of hats under the umbrella of music. I have worked as an artist, but I have also worked as a wedding singer, a background vocalist, an arranger, a copyist, a music director, a composer, a percussionist, an emcee etc… finding different streams of income within your artistic idiom not only can help keep you afloat in a gig economy but also deepens your insight to various aspects of the industry. The more you understand the better you will be able to direct what you want once you have your seat at the top.

5. Find your tribe.

Some people are blessed with family and friends that are solid right from the beginning but all of us still have to find or expand upon our tribe. Be intentional about who you let in your inner circle. Those that you share mutual respect and love with, hold on to them. Especially in music, people are not always honest with you, times can be tough and opportunities can be fickle. Having a close team around you that you know is always going to be there for you, see you for who you are, encourage and champion you and also tell you the hard truths is critical in keeping your sanity throughout this journey.

You are a person of great influence. If you could inspire a movement that would bring the most amount of good to the most amount of people, what would that be? You never know what your idea can trigger.

This might sound oversimplified, but I think a lot of the issues I see in the world boil down to a greater need for sharing. Sharing power, sharing space — both with other humans and with the earth/animals, sharing resources, sharing ideas, sharing perspectives, sharing responsibility, etc… I never saw things this way until I became a Mom. Having to remind my kids about sharing all time, that became my lens. I’m watching the news like “guys, can you just share?!”. I know it’s a very basic level concept that needs a lot of nuances, but I think broadly if people would approach their daily activities with an attitude of sharing, it would have a great impact across the globe.

We have been blessed that some of the biggest names in Business, VC funding, Sports, and Entertainment read this column. Is there a person in the world, or in the US whom you would love to have a private breakfast or lunch with, and why?

This was such a tough question because there’s a long list of people I would love the chance to sit with. But I managed to narrow it down to two.

I have always admired Sting, I’ve seen him in concert too many times to count and it’s always powerful. I would love to talk with him about how he has guided his career through the decades, choosing which artists and musicians to work with and how he has worked with management and agents to stay working while holding onto his identity as an artist. He’s one of the few artists I’ve seen that over time as worked with new artists without losing his sound or totally given up his identity to fit the times. That’s a skill set I would like to know more about.

I would also love to talk with Bjork, I’m a huge fan of her artistry and her music. I would love the chance to talk with her about how she creates the shape and decides the soundscapes for each concept she presents in each album because they are always different but also always uniquely her. I have so many questions about her artistic process but also more technical questions as I know she’s very hands-on with the production aspect of her music. Especially as a woman in this industry, I respect and appreciate the space she has created as an artist, the boundaries she has broken and the doors she has opened for other female artists.

What is the best way our readers can follow you on social media?

I am most active on Instagram. I don’t really use the other social media platforms. You can find me at @andromedaturre

This was very meaningful, thank you so much! We wish you continued success!