About
Composer/Vocalist/VisualArtist
Odelet was the product of a split home and grew up straddling multiple musical worlds. Her father in Detroit was obsessed with all things Motown, funk, and soul, singing in church choirs and barbershop quartets. Her stepfather in California was a lover of old-world country music and worked as a lyricist. Discovered at an early age by a vocal instructor of classical and opera, Odelet was told that she was a jazz singer, a rare thing, and was offered a mentorship pro bono in order to teach her how to care for her instrument. While studying visual arts at Portland State University, she lent her unique vocal abilities to a myriad of musicians working in various genres, from harmonizing for country and new folk acts to wailing grunge and punk. These eclectic experiences culminated in the cutting of her first record, a 19-song avant-garde exercise in minimalism titled “Experiment.”
Everlasting Tape Productions
Some time ago it became clear that, to stage the proper backdrop for what she had in mind vocally, she would need complete creative control. This led to the creation of “Everlasting Tape Productions,” the focus of which was the Golden Era, specifically the recording techniques of the ‘60s and ‘70s and a style of arranging that predates the solidifying of genres.
“Listening to Odelet reminded me of hearing Billy Holiday for the first time ... that feeling of discovering a completely unique singer.” – Mare Winningham, singer/actress, currently starring in “Girl from the North Country,” the Broadway play based on the music of Bob Dylan
A New Dawn in Music Visuals
Being a visual artist as well as a composer, Odelet took the task of creating music videos very seriously, leading her to think outside the box. “I was determined to create something that, rather than distracting from the music, actually focused attention on it and allowed for a deeper listening. I sort of think of the film as dreamscaping.” The film she’s referring to is “Everlasting Tape Vol.1,” a series of song-length vignettes compiled into a short documentary. To date the film has been selected for screening in more than 40 film festivals internationally and has won 16 awards, including four for best original song or score.
“‘Everlasting Tape’ serves a silent protest …Odelet’s original score accompanies some of the most formidable aesthetic movements in cinematic history … there’s a sorrowful and profound socio-cultural critique at play here … intertwined with the soulful stylings of Odelet, the sound of personal freedom.”
–Adrian Perez, Founder of the Lonely Wolf International Film Festival, London, U.K.
Photo Gallery
