Music possesses a unique ability to evoke emotions, transcend boundaries, and unite people across cultures, languages, and backgrounds. It serves as a universal language that resonates deeply within individuals, stirring feelings of empathy, compassion, and understanding. Through its rhythmic beats and lyrical messages, music has the power to address social issues, spark conversations, and inspire action for positive change. Whether through protest songs that fuel movements or anthems of hope that uplift spirits, music has the capacity to amplify voices, and foster a sense of unity and solidarity among communities. Its transformative nature allows it to transcend barriers and connect people on a profound level, making it a potent tool for social change and a catalyst for creating a more compassionate and inclusive society. Artists like Marven Gaye, Gospel singers, Bob Marley, Andrei Dai, and India Irie all come to mind.
As a part of our series about stars who are making an important social impact, I had the pleasure of interviewing Ashaala Shanae.
Ashaala Shanae️ is an Expert Celebrity Vocal Health, Performance Pedagogy, and Voice Monetization Coach with over 20 years of professional experience providing vocal health, voice, and purpose confidence building, vocal pedagogy and performance mastery, vocal health instructor certification, and voice-wealth-generating methods within the Public Speaking, Entertainment, Media, Edutainment and Digital Course Creating Industries.
In addition, Ashaala is also known as a professional Singer-Songwriter-Producer; International Speaker and Clinician; Influential Digital Course Creator; Author; Creative-Entrepreneurship Mentor, and Mental Health Advocate. She is the Founder and CEO of the elite voice optimization, coaching mentorship, and instructional agency, Vocal Wallstreet®️, which has generated well over 7 figures in revenue since its inception. Ashaala is also the Visionary of LOVESTRUCK, INC. a 501c3 non-profit organization that provides safe-space support, community, and resources to creatives struggling with suicidal ideation, as well as mental & emotional health challenges.
Ashaala is a voting member of the Recording Academy®; SAG-AFTRA®; and has worked as a staple artist vocal development consultant for record labels such as Universal Musica, Peermusic; & Sony Latin. In addition, Ashaala has made guest appearances on numerous media, television networks, and podcast platforms, such as The Grammys and David Letterman Show on CBS; Showtime; BET; NPR — TinyDesk Concerts; Telemundo; Univision; Social Proof Podcast with David Shands; and Inside The Vault with Ash Cash on Earn Your Leisure Network; TEDx Stages; and numerous online and printed news publications. Ashaala has been fortunate to work with major music and public figure acts, such as a Grammy Award Winning Soul Icon, Betty Wright; Award-Winning Music Icon, Patti LaBelle; Award-winning Gospel Artists, Yolanda Adams; Erica Campbell (of Mary Mary); Grammy Award-Winning Latin Icon; Jon Secada; Grammy Award-winning Artist Q Parker (of the R&B Group ‘112’); Grammy-Nominated Best New Artist Tarriona “Tank” Ball; Award-winning Hip-Hop icon, Trina; as well as Award-winning speakers and edutainers such as Nehemiah Davis; Dr. Dharius Daniels; and has gained the liking of many high-earning entertainment entrepreneurs such as Rick Ross, as well as a plethora of others.
Thank you so much for joining us on this interview series. It has been said that our mistakes can be our greatest teachers. Can you share a story about the funniest mistake you made when you were first starting? Can you tell us what lesson you learned from that?
It’s so funny that you ask this. One of the funniest mistakes that I made as an entrepreneur was undercharging a client. I had the opportunity to work with a very well-known person in the music industry. I was very excited to support them and show them everything I can do. I confidently told them that my rate was $1000. I knew immediately from the look on their face that something was wrong. I’m grateful for that experience because prospective clients told me they couldn’t hire me because at $1000 they could not believe in my ability to serve them.
This is a lesson that I hold dear and share with my mentees to price your services according to the transformation you can provide. I often work with leaders in their market and train professionals who know what it costs to work with someone of my caliber. I had to work through my own relationship with pricing and worthiness to charge rates that align with my experience and the type of clients that I serve. It sounds counterproductive, but my funny story is about losing a client because I didn’t charge enough.
What would you advise a young person who wants to emulate your success?
There are so many people who get up every day with regrets about not using their talents and gifts because of limiting beliefs, imposter syndrome, poverty and ‘lack’ mindset, phobias, anxiety, self-sabotage, low self-worth, and fear of rejection. The reason I advocate so much about the betterment of being vocally expressive is because I see what this does to so many creatives that come through my business, and how it has affected their mental, emotional, vocational, financial, and even physical livelihood. My goal is to inject purpose, greatness, and value through vocal expression one voice at a time!
Is there a person that made a profound impact on your life? Can you share a story?
In 2020, I experienced severe loss. I lost my father the day the country shut down from Covid 19; two months after that, I lost my mentor and Godmother, the late legendary Betty Wright, whom I toured with for 17 years. That same year, my mother was diagnosed with cancer and caught Covid and we almost lost her. To add to that, I lost two employees, one from Covid and the other from a car accident. Seven friends died, and I went through a tremendous breakup with someone that I was involved with for 5 years. This crisis caused me to experience severe PTSD and Anxiety due to grief and triggered an extreme fear of dying. Because of this, there were many days I dealt with insomnia, anxiety attacks, and fear of driving. I thank God for therapy, family, my faith, and supportive friends who stuck by my side and continue to stick by my side in support to this day. I’m a lot better now, but I continue to maintain self-care and emotional support through therapy.
How are you using your success to bring goodness to the world? Can you share with us the meaningful or exciting causes you’re working on right now?
I became a Mental Health Advocate due to the fact that I had so many clients who were creatively talented but were struggling with depression, anxiety, suicidal ideation, and emotional challenges. I also have a few close family members who battle with mental health challenges and have seen how lack of education, healthcare resources, and comprehensive treatments hindered the creative, social, financial, physical, and vocal wellness of my clients and family members. Mental Health in the black community can no longer be a taboo as we have seen since the pandemic a rise in suicidal ideation and actual suicidal rates increase in black families, especially our black and brown men. These are our fathers, uncles, brothers, cousins, husbands, significant others, bosses, and coworkers. We can no longer turn a blind eye to safe space counseling in the form of psychotherapy only for “crazy” people. The narrative has had to change as more and more of our creatives are turning to drugs, sex, alcohol, self-harm, violence, and suicide to self-soothe. This is why I created LOVESTRUCK INC a 501c3 organization that helps creatives cope with the challenges of emotional and mental health challenges as well as suicidal ideation through reliable resources, community programs, educational tools, empowerment events, and accountability.
Can you share with us a story behind why you chose to take up this particular cause?
In the early stages of my career as a professional singer, speaker, and music teacher, I developed vocal nodules on my vocal cords (nodules are little calluses that grow on both sides of the vocal folds) that caused me to lose my voice. As a result of this, I went into a deep state of depression and anxiety, as I could not speak or sing for almost 2 months. Losing my voice also caused me to lose a lot of money; in addition, I had no health insurance at the time and could not afford surgery to remove the nodules. I had to figure out a way to heal myself holistically without having to go “under the knife”. I decided to apply my degree in Music Education and Vocal Pedagogy, along with seeking more knowledge and understanding of the anatomy of the human voice completely changing the way I ate and treated my body; and using it to holistically heal myself from nodules. Fast forward nearly 20 years later, I now operate a highly successful Vocal Health Institute and Creative Services Business where I teach high-earning and high-performing speakers, singers, and edutainers how to maintain, manage, maximize, and monetize their voice and creative skills into wealth generating assets.
Can you share with us a story about a person who was impacted by your cause?
One notable story of impact within my cause involves a talented vocalist enrolled in Vocal Wallstreet University, who struggled with vocal confidence and performance anxiety. Through my Vocal Health Institute, they learned holistic techniques to nurture their voice and overcome their fears. With dedicated mentorship and support, they transformed from a timid performer to a
confident artist, landing major gigs and gaining recognition for their talent. Their success not only validates the effectiveness of my methods but also underscores the power of believing in one’s voice and potential.
Are there three things or are there things that individuals, society, or the government can do to support you in this effort?
Absolutely, there are several ways individuals, society, and the government can support my efforts. Firstly, individuals can spread awareness about the importance of vocal health and mental well-being, encouraging others to seek help when needed. Secondly, society can prioritize mental health resources and destigmatize seeking support, ensuring that everyone has access to the care they require. Lastly, the government can allocate funding towards mental health programs and initiatives, as well as support policies that promote holistic approaches to wellness. Together, with collective effort and support, we can continue to empower voices and enrich lives.
Why do you think music in particular has the power to create social change and create a positive impact on humanity?
Music possesses a unique ability to evoke emotions, transcend boundaries, and unite people across cultures, languages, and backgrounds. It serves as a universal language that resonates deeply within individuals, stirring feelings of empathy, compassion, and understanding. Through its rhythmic beats and lyrical messages, music has the power to address social issues, spark conversations, and inspire action for positive change. Whether through protest songs that fuel movements or anthems of hope that uplift spirits, music has the capacity to amplify voices, and foster a sense of unity and solidarity among communities. Its transformative nature allows it to transcend barriers and connect people on a profound level, making it a potent tool for social change and a catalyst for creating a more compassionate and inclusive society. Artists like Marven Gaye, Gospel singers, Bob Marley, Andrei Dai, and India Irie all come to mind.
What are your “5 things I wish someone told me when I first started”?
● Take your time
● Protect your peace
● Trust that God gave you a specific calling and He will provide all that is needed for you to walk in that calling
● Don’t try to do it alone, build a solid team
● Instead of allowing setbacks to keep me down, I learn from them and share my experiences with other people
You’re a person of enormous influence. If you could start a movement that would bring the most amount of good to the most amount of people, what would that be? You never know what your idea can trigger.
The organization I would create is the one that I already have, Love Struck. I am the Founder and Visionary of Lovestruck INC. a 501(c)3 non-profit organization that provides reliable psycho-therapeutic resources, mixed with a combination of inspirationally enriched community events, and awareness programs for creatives challenged by suicidal ideation, and mental and emotional health issues. With over 100 volunteer staff, community leaders, and influencers in the entertainment and faith-based sectors; since the inception of the non-profit initiative (which began in 2010), we have been able to reach up to 10,000 individuals throughout the State of Florida.
Can you please give us your favorite life lesson quote? And can you explain how that was relevant in your life?
I know who God has called me to be. One of my favorite mottos is, “It has to work or it has to work!” Instead of allowing setbacks to keep me down, I learn from them and share my experiences with other people.
In the early stages of my career as a professional singer, speaker, and music teacher, I developed vocal nodules on my vocal cords (nodules are little calluses that grow on both sides of the vocal folds) that caused me to lose my voice. As a result of this, I went into a deep state of depression and anxiety, as I could not speak or sing for almost 2 months. Losing my voice also caused me to lose a lot of money; in addition, I had no health insurance at the time and could not afford surgery to remove the nodules. I had to figure out a way to heal myself holistically without having to go “under the knife”. I decided to apply my degree in Music Education and Vocal Pedagogy, along with seeking more knowledge and understanding of the anatomy of the human voice completely changing the way I ate and treated my body; and using it to holistically heal myself from nodules. Fast forward nearly 20 years later, I now operate a highly successful Vocal Health Institute and Creative Services Business where I teach high-earning and high-performing speakers, singers, and edutainers how to maintain, manage, maximize, and monetize their voice and creative skills into wealth generating assets.
We are blessed that some very prominent names in Business, VC funding, Sports, and Entertainment read this column. Is there a person in the world, or in the US with whom you would love to have a private breakfast or lunch, and why? He or she might just see this if we tag them.
Tasha Cobbs!
Thank you so much for these amazing insights. This was so inspiring, and we wish you continued success!
Music Stars Making a Social Impact: Why & How Ashaala Shanae Is Helping To Change Our World was originally published in Authority Magazine on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.