The
state of Minnesota despite its frosty demeanor during the winter months, has
over the decades endeared itself to the rest of America, if not the world, by
giving us artists such as Judy Garland (Grand Rapids), Bob Dylan (Duluth),
Prince (Minneapolis) and The Andrews Sisters (Minneapolis) and The North Star
State and more specifically the city of Minneapolis, has now given us another
good singer – songwriter, by the name of Sheri Hixon.
The number two song on Sheri
Hixon’s album Life Stories, catches your ear, not because of the arrangement nor
really because of her accompanying musicians, pianist Jeff Victor or trumpeter
Stephen Kung, it is the voice that causes you to bend your ear a little closer
to the mellow vibe. An alto with vocals that remind you of those creamy milk
chocolate commercials you see on television, because they just flow so easily,
as she poses the question “What Are We Gonna Do?”
Ms. Hixon is fond of quoting Brenda Russell, whom she considers a mentor, “The music is already in the universe, we are just vessels that it is channeled through.”
“When I began to truly listen to this gift, I began to reach out. I began to try and connect to people who I respected and to whom I listened. I would email people and she (Brenda Russell) responded. She did some mentoring, whether she realizes it or not and therefore I refer to her, because I honor that connection that she allowed to occur. It provided me with the ability to reflect upon where it (Sheri Hixon’s musical ability) was coming from. I will sit down and I will hear the music and the lyrics together. If something pours out in ten minutes, an entire song, and if I am hearing most of the parts then I know it is a good song. If I have to work at it for long periods of time, it generally just stays on paper and I might remember the melody and I might not,” she says.
“What Are We Gonna Do?” is however, one of the rare
songs that Sheri Hixon composed, which runs contrary to her usual creative
process. “I wanted to call that one up. As a social worker I wanted to have
something that would speak to people more from a social welfare (perspective)
and that is kind of like “What’s Goin’ On,” with Marvin Gaye. I wanted something
that spoke socially. I probably (worked on) that one for about six months and
then one day it came tumbling out. Normally, I do not say, hmm I want to write a
love song today or I want to write a song about relationships. It doesn’t work
like that. I might be walking outside and I will hear something from a forklift
or something and I will say wow that sounds like a bass. The interesting thing
about “What Are We Gonna Do?” is the bassline came first. I normally have the
vocals first, but I had to lay the bassline, before I could even work on
vocals,” explains Ms. Hixon.
Sheri Hixon’s induction into music was cultivated early in life, by a mother
whom she says was inspired by The Jackson Five.
“I have been immersed in music all of my life
and I guess people just arrive at different things at different points in their
lives and this is my time to arrive with the music where it is. I have been
singing my entire life. I guess I consider my (voice) and the flute to be my
instruments. I started singing when I was five and my mother was inspired by the
Jackson Five and we went to nursing homes. Initially, I sang and there was a
requirement in the family that we all have some sort of instrumentation, so I
tried piano (she laughs) and the instructor was just brutal. Flute was my second
choice and I was in a marching band and concert band. I was a band geek while
growing up. The big thing in the neighborhood was a church called