”Becoming captivated by ones musical talents is a special gift to both the listener and the musician. For minutes among tracks after tracks, you and the musician combine lifes emotions and beautiful melodies together. This is what one feels when they listen to the sounds of Esperanza Spalding. You hear hope, you feel moved, you see beauty.” ~ymib.com

If you have not ever heard of Esperanza Spalding, then you are in for a beautiful treasure. A young, natural, bubbly songstress, instrumentalist, and vocalist who plays the up right bass as she creates melodies that will simply make your heart melt. An intelligent young woman who was homeschooled and one who is reaching out and teaching her peers the rhythms of her passions. She is an inspiration to both the old and the new, and with a name that translates to mean “Hope”, how can you not make an impact on those that you touch. “Based on what I know about myself right now, what I really want to do is reach people. I want to make great music, but I also want to use that talent to lift people up, and maybe show them some degree of hope where there might not be any in their lives. My name means ‘hope’ in Spanish, and it’s a name I want to live up to.” -Esperanza Spalding

Her latest self -entitled album “Esperanza” will give you warm chills of inspiration and would make great company for your creative nights. From the smooth sound of “I Adore You” & Ponta De Areia” to the spanish melodies of “Cuerpo y Alma”(Body & Soul), and the poetic lyrics of songs like “Precious”. This is an album that any creative being and music enthusiast should not be without. Every track is pure beautiful art!

Ok, here's the beautiful Esperanza Spalding...Enjoy!

ymib: What do you love most about teaching the Bass at Berklee College of Music and what do you hope your students remember most about you Also, was there ever any difficulty in gaining respect with being so young as well as being a female bass player?

Esperanza: My favorite part of teaching there are the moments when a student discovers something useful they weren't aware of before...and, the moment when they start teaching themselves.

Actually, I haven't had problems getting the respect I would ideally like to receive, but, I have had problems being consistent enough to expect respect.  It is hard if not impossible to be in a class room consistently when I'm touring.  and, even though a student may understand why I'm gone, I can sense that subconsciously his/her mentality changes towards our studies when he realizes I decided to be somewhere else during our class time.   "Teacher" is a very auspicious title.

ymib: If you had to pick one, what song would you say you enjoyed recording the most from your latest self entitled album “Esperanza” & why?

Esperanza: I would have to say "If That's True"  we, really got to speak freely on that tune. I love the conversations that are happening during solos. They are very revealing of our musical personalities.

ymib: Are there any other styles/genres of music or cultures that you would like to experiment more with in your music and future albums?

Esperanza: Yes, I find Ethiopian music terribly beautiful and exciting.

ymib: Favorite affirmation or inspirational quote?

Esperanza: "You may not get everything you earn, but you have to earn everything you get"

ymib: What things do you like to do to keep your spirit, beauty, and health balanced?...Also, being that we celebrate Natural beauty here on ymib, we would love to now how you take care of your beautiful natural curls(any favorite products/regimens, etc.)?

Esperanza: Well, I try to meditate as many mornings as possible, and I run at least 3 times a week.  keeping a sugar-free diet and drinking LOTS of water keeps me feeling good and healthy.  For my curls, I use an Organic Jojoba Conditioner and pure olive oil.  They seem to like those two things.

“It was just hard for me to fit into a setting where I was expected to sit in a room and swallow everything that was being fed to me,” she recalls. “Once I figured out what it was like to be home-schooled and basically self-taught, I couldn’t fit back into the traditional environment.” -Esperanza Spalding

ymib: We have lots of mothers on ymib who home-school including myself, with that said, Do you feel that the home-school life gave you any more or less advantage with your take on life and music career, and what is your take on your home-school experience?

Esperanza: Well, homeschooling really depends on the child in question.  I am a fiercely independent person, so my mother being gone all day, and leaving me with my books was perfect for me.  If my mom had been a more typical home-schooling parent, that is being home with me every day, and walking through the studies with me, I think I would have gone insane.  Learning how to discipline myself in respect to absorbing and familiarizing myself with a set amount of material within a set time-frame, I think was VERY helpful for my life as a musician.

ymib: What are two most important lessons about life and/or womanhood that you learned from your mother?

Esperanza: Don't abuse or underestimate the power of my sexuality or femininity. And, don't expect others to fix my messes or problems.

ymib: What would you say is the most creative spot in your home?

Esperanza: My living room. Everything happens there.

ymib: What would we most likely find you doing to express your personality & creativity when you are not playing or teaching music?

Esperanza: Reading, watching movies, or writing music, gardening.  I think, other than spending time in nature, family, and friends, those are the pastimes dearest to my heart.

ymib: If you could go back in the past and ask someone a question, who would it be and what would you ask them?

Esperanza: I would go back to the garden of Eden and find out verbatim what was said about those apples.

Her Favorite Things:

Book: Right this second- "Flight" by Sherman Alexie

Song/album: Minas - album by "Milton Nascimento"

Food & Beverage: Homemade fruit smoothies and I can't think of a favorite food, I have TOO many!

Movie: Right this second- Hudsucker Proxy

Travel Destination: The Oregon Coast