We recently had the chance to connect with Sahffi Lynne and have shared our conversation below.
Good morning Sahffi, it’s such a great way to kick off the day – I think our readers will love hearing your stories, experiences and about how you think about life and work. Let’s jump right in? What do the first 90 minutes of your day look like?
Mornings are such a lovely time for me. When I was younger, I wasn’t such a morning person. But now in my 50’s, I really enjoy waking up, having my first words be “Thank you,” and getting my body and mind moving with yoga, meditation, and a walk. I then make a nice cup of cacao and ground myself for the day. I am grateful for every day I am alive on this lovely planet, and it’s a good routine to remind me of this fact every single day.
Can you briefly introduce yourself and share what makes you or your brand unique?
I am an international medicine musician, singer/songwriter, and vocal coach, offering my music, meditations, and teachings as medicine to illuminate our connection to our own inner landscape. They/them pronouns, please.
My original channeled music and spirit-inspired performances have gratefully taken my melodies around the world, from South America to South Africa. As a private vocal coach, I teach those interested in deepening their relationship with their voice using my own “Vocal Ladder” method of teaching. Through my online studio, “Vocalize Your Soul,” I have been excited and honored to have helped hundreds of students all over the world find their authentic, divine singing voice for over a decade.
With a performance degree from The Peabody Conservatory of Music, a #1 house music song in South Africa (with over 2 million streams on Spotify), six independently released albums, an Individual Artist Award in Solo Performance from the Maryland State Arts Council, a recent Baker Artist Award nomination from the Greater Baltimore Cultural Alliance and a recent grant from “Making Her Mark Foundation,” I am very grateful and honored to call Baltimore home.
Find my music, website, and social media outlets online by searching “Sahffi.”
https://www.sahffi.com
https://www.instagram.com/sahffi
https://www.facebook.com/sahffi
https://www.youtube.com/sahffilynne
Appreciate your sharing that. Let’s talk about your life, growing up and some of topics and learnings around that. Who taught you the most about work?
Definitely my father, Dick Work. (Yes, his last name is WORK!) Being the son of a WWII Air Force pilot and a member of the National Guard himself in his younger years, my dad always expected the best from me and my sister. He often was harsh, yet now that we’re both older, we’ve talked a lot about why he was the way he was. He told me he never wanted me to have to rely on a man to get by in this world, and I very much appreciate that realistic viewpoint. Growing up, he taught me to always do my best, work hard, and work in integrity. I appreciate him very much for these lessons and I believe he is the reason why I’ve been able to live as a full-time artist for so many years. Thank you, Dad!
What did suffering teach you that success never could?
It’s always an amazing feeling to get a compliment. One that I often hear is, “you have such an amazing voice!” It makes me feel good to know that my voice uplifts those who hear it. However, I think many people would be surprised to learn that I didn’t start singing until I was around 24 years old. I was always a quiet kid, yet when I hit puberty, sadly I endured many sexual assaults. These experiences robbed me of my voice in my younger years. Luckily, as a young person in the 90’s, I ended up in a rock and roll band and my inner rage was released! My first singing voice was full of anger and sadness. Yet it was in this time period of my life that I actually realized I HAD a voice, and I could use it! I am grateful for the power of song to connect us to our own truth to now be able to sing all my emotions. As I look back, I see how my suffering opened the pathway to connecting to my whole self through my musical expression.
I think our readers would appreciate hearing more about your values and what you think matters in life and career, etc. So our next question is along those lines. What are the biggest lies your industry tells itself?
I know I have an unpopular opinion here, yet I think the model of streaming isn’t good in the long run for musicians. I’ll start back in 1999 when I learned about Napster. Back in the 90’s, it was a goal of many musicians to get their music played on the radio, not only because it would mean they had “made it,” but also because it would mean they would be getting a stream of revenue from their music via radio play and music sales. When I was introduced to Napster in ’99, the person showing it to me was super excited, saying, “you can get ANY song you want for FREE!” I knew right then that this was really bad for musicians. Free? How would musicians pay for their recordings, their gear, their music lessons, let alone their food and rent? My friend scoffed at me and said musicians can get jobs like everyone else, clearly not understanding how much being an artist is already a full-time job. Now over 25 years later, the main way people consume music is streaming on Spotify, which pays $.0035 per play, but only after the first 1,000 plays. This is truly robbing artists of income, literally! Yet musicians have told themselves that getting the listeners is more important than getting paid. For me, I am extremely grateful to have a remix of a #1 song from 2010 on Spotify called, “Summer Breeze,” which has garnered over 2 million streams. Back in the day, if I had a song that had sold 2 million copies, I would have seen a significant amount of money from my work. Now, after splitting with the label, co-writer, and producers, my cut is barely enough for one month’s rent. It’s a hard pill to swallow. I am also grateful to have messages from fans in South Africa weekly; one last week said to not forget that I am a “legend,” which is amazing to me! It’s really blown my mind that my song has resonated so completely on the other side of the world. My soul feels like I accomplished something I set out to do in this lifetime, which is a huge accomplishment for me. However, my physical body needs to be paid for that level of accomplishment, and it just isn’t happening in this current model. I don’t think we’ll ever go back to paying $16 for an album or $.99 per download for a song, yet I do hope this streaming model doesn’t last forever. Musicians are valuable members of humanity that need to be fairly compensated for their gifts they bring to this world.
Okay, we’ve made it essentially to the end. One last question before you go. What is the story you hope people tell about you when you’re gone?
My hope is that when I’m gone my students will remember how I helped them find their path and people will remember the music I leave behind in their hearts. The Maya Angelou quote, “People will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel,” is my guiding light as I walk this life.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.sahffi.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sahffi/
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sahffilynne
- Twitter: https://x.com/sahffi/status/1863961370355441803
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/sahffi/
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/sahffilynne
- Soundcloud: https://soundcloud.com/sahffi
Image Credits
Main image by Jaguar Soul Media, 2024
