Joan Hammel was nominated five times for Pop Entertainer of the Year by the Chicago Music Awards. The Illinois Arts Council placed Hammel on their Illinois Arts Tour Roster of artists. Her first full length CD entitled joanland, a collection of 11 original songs performed by Hammel has garnered Grammy nods in four different categories.
How long did it take you to put the material together for your debut CD?
Oh God, well, I would say a very specific effort of two years of really writing and then starting to record it.
Tell me a little about the “America” project after 9-11?
Well, the “America” CD came about because I worked on another project with the producer on a recording for Princess Diana after she passed. The producer called and asked if I would sing on it. He wrote the words to that song. America’s song is the melody of an old time Irish melody, “Danny Boy,” or “Londonderry Aire.” So we recorded it with just the keyboards; it became this sort of underground thing in New York. Then I started getting letters. One of the most memorable being from the widow of co-pilot of the plane that hit the north tower saying how it helped her and from the mayor and the governor, firemen and different people who over the course of time said it helped heal them and now there is part of the website for the Flight 93 Memorial in California.
What else do you want to do?
I definitely want to finish the second full-length CD–that is important to me. I also just finished the second to the last draft of a demo video that was put together. Two small pieces have to be inserted, but it is mostly finished. I received a grant from the Illinois Arts Council to wander down this new path; hopefully, it will help other artists as well. For me, it is a combination of online, mail DVD that in two minutes summarizes your career—a commercial of music to continue bookings in a new way.
What inspires you?
Excellence inspires me and it could be in any field, in any way. I was able to perform during the Winter Olympics in Salt Lake City and to see the athletes there at the top of their game is stirring. Of course, listening to music is always inspiring.
What advice would you give other artists?
My advice would be to write as much as you can. Don’t feel like you’re a failure if you are not doing that full-time. It’s Ok to pay your bills with another job and still continue to enjoy music or whatever your art is in life.
