Born in New York, the first song Jane can remember hearing is “Barbra Streisand’s ‘People.’ This powerful standard set the tone for Jane’s own musical development, as she shares “I have always liked ballads performed by truly great singers. Karen Carpenter, Joni Mitchell, so many others all left melodies in my head as a child, so it’s no wonder that melodies have been the driving force in developing my own singing style.”

“When I was around 10,” she continues, “I pretended I was on Candid Camera, singing at the top of my lungs in my parents’ garage, As a teenager.” Jane went to an all-girls summer camp in New Hampshire and, she notes, “ended up landing many of the lead ‘male’ parts in musicals because my voice could reach so low. It wasn’t until college that I bought a guitar and started singing seriously, starting with some coffee house performances.”

Jane’s debut recording, GRACED, was released in 1999, and she plays live whenever possible, noting “My greatest gift as a performer is my presence and my favorite part of being a singer is to perform in front of people that know about what I am singing about. To see people’s hearts open just through my songs is so great. Over and over again, I have seen people cry, be moved and touched, connecting into their own heart. I love to connect with the audience, to make eye contact. It is a shared experience and exchange that is unmatched.”

A BRIEF INTERVIEW WITH JANE STERLING

Q: You were born and grew up in New York, then went to college in Washington DC. After living briefly in Tucson, Arizona, you moved to Seattle and trained in Movement therapy, even becoming part of a improv theatre group. So, what made you decide to become a professional musician?
A: When I moved from Seattle to Ashland, Oregon, there was one question I had to answer to myself: “What makes you truly happy?” The one thing that was certain was that I loved to sing. I used to walk down the streets singing. I was happy. I decided to go for it. I saw this incredible singing teacher who not only taught technique, but also worked on an emotional level; as a result, my voice changed drastically over a year and a half. I owe Pilar Montaine for my voice. Then, I started recording - more out of fun than anything else - and began to realize how much I loved to create music. I’m not one who knows how each song is to sound from the beginning. It is a process of creation, mainly working kinesthetically since I am not really a technical musician. My music is created by feel, by how my nervous system responds.

Q: What inspires you to create music?
A: I have always written from whatever is present in the moment. I pick up my guitar and just start improvising. If I learn a new chord on the guitar, that can inspire a melody. Both words and melodies come generally together. Maybe the melody solidifies first. What inspires me is my exploding heart.

Q: Do you have a certain compositional routine?
A: I definitely have to be in a creative mood. If I would pick up the guitar everyday, then maybe I’d be writing more, but generally it is when the spirit moves me.

Q: How do you prepare yourself before a show?
A: I definitely eat light and stay away from dairy. But most of my preparation is to connect with people to get grounded.

Q: What is the theme or basic inspiration of your new recording, FALLING INTO LOVE?
A: (Spiritual teacher) Gangaji has inspired me to write and sing about Love. Love is who we are.

Q: How does this new recording differ from your previous release, GRACED?
A: FALLING INTO LOVE has a feeling that every song can land in the heart. The melodies are more varied with the percussion and cello adding to the rhythms. The harmonies are fuller, the music is interesting to listen to as well as the vocals. After the first CD, I had people telling me to write faster music. Each song has its own flavor. Not everything sounds the same. I feel more connected into this CD with my heart in everyone.

Q: Lastly, is there anything else which you’d like to tell us?
A: I have had many people tell me that my songs and voice are healing to their heart. I offer FALLING INTO LOVE as a vehicle to discover themselves. We have all been searching for love, and once we stop the search, what is discovered is that Love is always here, as us. My music opens my heart and I offer that to everyone. To let the tears fall, and the heart to crack.