Conversation With Serena Foster

Q: Hey, can you tell us a bit about where you come from, and what made you want to start a career in music?

A: I am a born and raised Southern California girl, who is based right here in Los Angeles. The reason I started a career in music was because I grew up in a musical family. Ever since I was four years old, I would sing and dance to my favorite singers’ albums like Britney Spears and Hilary Duff. I knew at a very young age, this was what I was destined to do. 🙂

Q: Did you have any formal training, or are you self-taught?

A: Yes, growing up my very own dad, John Foster, was actually the person who taught me how to play guitar at the young age of nine years old. Then at age sixteen, I begged my parents for piano lessons and began to take lessons with the legendary Simi Valley teachers Dave Watkins and Chrys Berri. I also took vocal lessons from Dave Watkins at age sixteen too, which have shaped me into the singer I am today, in fact I just had a show prep lesson today with Dave. 🙂

Q: Who were your first and strongest musical influences?

A: Definitely Britney Spears and Natalie Cole. At four years old, one of my favorite songs to sing was Nat King Cole’s “Orange Colored Sky”.

Q: You have just released your new single, ‘Favorite Place’. Is there a story behind it?

A: Yes, I wrote this record with my producer Cory Barker here in LA.  We are both in serious relationships ourselves, so naturally we decided to write a song about love. My boyfriend, Jesse Zelaya, easily inspired my portion of inspiration for this song. <3 🙂

Q: Can we expect a new EP or even an album from you in the near future?

A: Yes, it is definitely in the works.

Q: What do you feel are the key elements in your music that should resonate with listeners, and how would you personally describe your sound?

A: My key elements in my music are my voice and its unique style. Also, I would describe my sound as electro-pop. I also refer to myself as a pop electrified.

Q: Do you feel that your music is giving you back just as much fulfillment as the amount of work you are putting into it, or are you expecting something more? 

A: 100% yes, full fulfillment is always achieved. When it’s not, that is when you can tell it’s time to try new things with your art.

Q: Could you describe your creative processes? How do you usually start, and go about shaping ideas into a completed song?

A: My creative processes are truly all organic and only stemmed from inspiration and inspiration alone. It all depends on what I am feeling and what I am writing about. It can start from a melody, or a chord progression, or even just a beat or simple sound. 

Q: What has been the most difficult thing you’ve had to endure in your life or music career so far?

A: Hmmmmm, probably handling rejection. I heard an incredible quote by Steve Harvey recently, and it really resonated with me: “Everybody has a turn-back moment. You have a moment where you can go forward or you can give up. … But if you give up, the guarantee is it will never happen. … The only way the possibility remains that it can happen is if you never give up, no matter what.” – Steve Harvey

Q: On the contrary, what would you consider a successful, proud or significant point in your life or music career so far?

A: A very proud moment in my career, would be playing my most recent show at the Hotel Cafe with my bass player, Danny Knapp. After a two year hiatus from playing live music, getting back on stage, and seeing the entire front row of my friends and family singing my songs, was truly just so special. Nothing can compare to that feeling. Nothing.

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