MsCotray

I was raised in the lower east side of Manhattan, also known as "The Hill". I grew up with music; my father always played a lot of Motown and loves singing as well so I was surrounded by it. I always thought I had a pretty good voice but I was too young to determine that for sure, so I was shy. I was apart of the chorus in junior high school and was given a few solo's so it was then where I gained a bit of confidence to pursue my interest in music. In high school I was also in chorus and I started singing with a group of girls, very unsteadily, and always changing members. We had a couple of close calls with producers but nothing solid, so it didn't really work out. It was then that I decided I would build up my voice, and confidence level so that I would be strong enough to be a solo artist. I went back to listening to the music I grew up hearing, the kind that I could actually learn from. People such as Gladys knight, Natalie Cole, Luther Vandross, Michael Jackson, the spinners, The Delphonics, Marvin Gaye, Whitney Houston, Mariah Carey, Prince, and the almighty Jennifer holiday (just to name a few). I studied these artists and their music heavily. Knowing what it took to be a great artist with longevity was very important to me. I gathered what I could, combined that knowledge with my own vocal technique and created a sound that was right for me, where it felt natural. I was once told "take the church out of your voice", when I hadn't ever sang in a church choirs. Soul had been a major ingredient in my approach, which was more than likely unexpected being as it may that I am of Hispanic background. (Who ever said we didn't have soul?) R&B was just my niche, it was apart of me, and I wouldn't try to be something I wasn’t. During that time I went on countless auditions, slept on the streets for days at a time, all to turn a dream into reality. When that didn't work out I began pushing myself to write lyrics, “who better to describe my life thru music than me”. I wanted to separate myself from the norm. Nowadays it seems as if almost anything is acceptable in this industry, so I’m striving to raise that bar back up to where it used to be. As an artist who can sing and compose her own lyrics, proudly enough these abilities have helped me to grow as a person. Every song I write is derived from my life experiences, and it shows all the sides of who Ms. Cotray is. Fun songs such as “Redlight”, “Baby come over tonite”, and “A lil bugged out” show my playful side while heartbreak songs such as “I'm waiting for u” and “Show me how ur gonna get to my heart”, tell a story of pain, desperation, the aftermath of loves failures and the scars it can leave behind. The more emotional songs like “All u need and more” and “I'll say it with words” really tap into my sensitive side on a different type of level, showing my strengths, weaknesses and vulnerability. These are all things that I've lived, breathed, felt, been thru, and learned from, and the fact that I can use all of my life’s joys and trials to make something beautiful to share with people, makes me feel extremely gifted. If I could have it my way, I would like to be known as a noted singer/songwriter/inspirationalist (which isn't a word but so what)/free spirited woman who makes music because of the love she has for it. That's the mark that I want to leave, not just on the industry, but on the world.
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