R&B Singer Teedra Moses Chooses Art Over Fame
MN: A lot of artists over the years—from performing so much—lose their voice. But your voice is still amazing. How do you keep you instrument, your voice, crystal clear? Honey? Coaching?
TM: Girl, I would love to tell you that I speak in a soft tone. And I don’t drink. And I keep a hot towel around my neck. And I’m sipping on hot tea and honey. But girl, no.
I scream at my kids all the time. I’m always screaming. I just… you know… I just feel like honestly, Danielle I feel like this is something God called me to do. You know when people say they’ve been called to preach or minister; I just think that this is exactly what I’m suppose to do with my life. Singing is something I’ve never had to train for. When I was in the church I never did. I started singing when I started singing. Before I started doing this is I harmonized a little bit, I’d sing along with the radio if I heard a song I liked. But that was it. I think that certain things are just for you and I think this is for me. God has just given me this gift and I know this is where it comes from. I don’t try to be super sensitive with my voice, I just do it. Every night I go out and sing. I pray before I go out. I open my mouth and it just comes out.
MN: How did you get into the industry?
TM: Well, my children’s father was an artist. I was that kind of young woman that was like, ‘that was his thing.’ You know. I was just going to go over here and hustle. Fashion to me was something I enjoyed. My best friend did it. It was three of us. She was the key stylist, I was her assistant and another friend was her assistant. We all grew up in high school together. So this was just a cool job. We traveled together around the world, worked with all these people. It was just cool and fun.In my life unfortunately, I’m not one of those people that set out and make all these plans or crazy goals. I just live. And that was just something I was doing and when I didn’t want to do that anymore and my children’s father and I didn’t work anymore his finances went with him and I was left with the children. I had to figure out a way to make some money. I just needed something I could do, because I’m a quitter. I don’t mean that in a negative way, but I will quit s*** that I don’t want to do. Life is too short, despite the fact that bills have to be paid. I wanted to find something I could do that I really enjoyed.
MN: But the music industry is a tough field to just drop into.
TM: I don’t know why I thought music that could be it, because it’s a tough industry. But I was blessed to make enough money to take care of my family and me to this day. This came out of love and this came out of… honestly, I was homeless. Not in the sense of living on the street, but I didn’t have an official home for my children and me. They were staying with their grandmother and I was staying with my friend or my sister. I was at my friend’s house one day. And I feel out on her bed and I was just crying out to God like, ‘please Lord; just give me a way to take care of my kids. Please.’ And this is what he gave me. I mean I would love to tell you that I wanted to do this all my life. I mean I just didn’t. I’m sorry.
MN: Wow. Didn’t know this about you.
TM: Yea, I just wanted to take care of my kids. And then, I fell in love with it. It’s like that guy that you meet and you’re like, ‘ah, OK. You’re cool. I like him. He’ll take me to dinner sometimes.’ And then you find yourself; you look up two, three dates later and are really starting to feel him. And a few months later, you’re totally in love with him. And that how it was for me and music. My children’s father would bring home all these tracks from these great producers, so I would write over them but not with intentions to record. You know, just to have fun. That was his thing, I was just trying to be a supportive wifey. And let him do that and I would just find whatever odd job I could that wasn’t 9 to 5, because I hate 9 to 5’s. And this turned into one of the greatest loves in my life. If it wasn’t for the hard times I went through with the demise of our relationship and me having to step up and be the provider I probably wouldn’t found my love for music.
MN: It’s amazing how that all worked out.
TM: Yea, it’s amazing. God is amazing. I owe everything to him.
