by Connie Lacy
I’m used to doing research when I write my books. For some of my previous novels, I've done interviews with "experts" on various subjects, including such things as the behavior of horses and 19th century trains. Because the main character of my forthcoming time travel novel is a female rock musician, I decided I needed to interview active musicians to give me insight into what my character's life would be like. I interviewed four working musicians about the creative process, what it's like performing, the challenges and some of the behind-the-scenes "grunt work."
One of those musicians is my son Kyle Lacy. Through him, I was introduced to three women musicians who could provide insight into what it’s like to be a woman performer. Like Kyle, Mel Johnston, Yannie Beliziano and Amanda D’Amico are based in New York City. All of them are supremely talented singers, songwriters, musicians and performers who stay busy performing at venues around NYC and elsewhere. Huge thanks to all four for sharing their experiences and knowledge.
It's important to point out that while I've used some of their experiences and anecdotes in my book, my characters are entirely fictional. No character in my book is based on a real person.
Here are brief bios and links to all four of these impressive musicians and performers.
Mel Johnston is a vocalist, songwriter, and teaching artist based in Bushwick, Brooklyn. She is the leader of the rock and blues band Mel and The Tall Boys. In addition to her work as a band leader and songwriter, Mel has also performed extensively all over the country as a background vocalist. When not performing or writing new work, she works as a teaching artist and provides instruction and songwriting mentorship to students of all ages.
You can check out music by her band, Mel and the Tall Boys on Spotify here:
Or check her out on Instagram here: https://www.instagram.com/mel_johnstonx/?hl=en
Yannie Beliziano is a multi-instrumentalist performer, songwriter and vocalist from New Jersey. Raised in a household with both Belizean and Italian cultures, Yannie fell in love with every aspect of music at a very young age and honors her cultural identity in a unique sound that has begun to captivate listeners from all over the world.
She had her start in TV and Film, being featured in Sesame Street episodes and starring in the Feature Film “Dragon Tales; Let’s start a Band” at 4 years old. After attending American Musical and Dramatic Academy NY, she had her Off-Broadway debut at 20 years old in “The Office! A Musical Parody.” She then moved on to originate roles in a National Tour and Regional show, all while simultaneously cultivating her sound as an artist and producer. She has hit the ground running and has been releasing a consistent stream of singles every 6-8 weeks. You can catch her performing every week at various venues all over New York City.
To see what Yannie is up to, you can find her music links and social media links on Linktree: https://linktr.ee/YannieBeliziano
Amanda D’Amico is a Boston-born New York City-based multi-faceted performer. She earned her degree in Musical Theatre and has since been seen onstage regionally in roles such as Julia Sullivan (The Wedding Singer) and Jeanie (HAIR). She spent 7 months singing at sea aboard Disney Cruise Line as part of their Mainstage Cast. Now, while auditioning and waiting tables in NYC, she sings regularly at weddings and popular live-music venues in New York City, including singing lead and backup vocals with a rock band.
For more on Amanda, you can check out her website here: https://www.aedamico.com/
Or check out her Instagram page here: https://www.instagram.com/aedamics/and tour to support
Kyle Lacy is a guitarist and singer from Atlanta, Georgia and was born in 1990; however, his time machine made a quick refueling stop in 1956 and he was quickly infected with the DNA that gave birth to Rock’n’Roll. His debut album The Road to Tomorrow was released in 2020 by Brooklyn-based Dala Records. The album was described as “A fine mix of soul, blues, gospel and rock ‘n’ roll that deserves a larger audience” (AddtoWantlist), and the single “Low and Slow” earned multiple spins on The Craig Charles Funk and Soul show (BBC). Kyle is currently the musical director and touring guitarist for the Harlem Gospel Travelers (Colemine Records). He also has cheekbones for days and hair that Elvis stole (remember that time machine?) His 2nd solo album, Pleasurecraft, is now available everywhere. He most recently completed a full band tour to support his upcoming release The Record Hop EP and looks forward to the full release coming March of 2025.
For more on Kyle you can visit his website to see his electronic press kit or check out his social media pages.
Electronic Press Kit: https://www.kylelacymusic.com/epk
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kylelacymusic
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/kylelacyband
My new novel will be published this spring. To keep up with publication news and other book news, you can sign up for my monthly newsletter here.