28 | Ceres Magazine | Oct/Nov 2015
Photo by Lands of Void
"This transcended race and region and socioeconomic status..."
from music to art to sports to civic organizations and everything in between. Her rule was to try everything at least once, finish at least a season, and if you don’t like it you never had to do it again. It made for a very free and independent environment in my household. So, when I wanted to major in Physics at UC-Irvine, there really wasn’t any surprise or push back. It’s just the way things worked where I grew up. No limits, no excuses—just go out there and succeed. Apparently it worked.
Ceres: Why do you say you were born in the wrong era?
Genae: I’ve always been a person with an unhealthy lack of fear in tackling certain social atmospheres. I always say, “The most successful person is the one that can adapt to any situation.” I love interleaving between diverse crowds, making them smile and want to get up and dance. Obviously, music has a lot to do with encouraging people to shrug off life’s problems and situations—just go with this happy moment! I’m a Jazz and Blues girl, through and through, because it speaks of this spirit that screams: “I’m going to be alright, don’t you know it!” I know Jazz comes in so many different forms and emotional reactions, but the musicianship and talent involved in even the most haunting song can still leave you in awe. You can fall into the genre. And Blues??? Funniest, sexiest, Get Up and Get Over lyrics you can find. Who can sit there and wallow in their seriousness when “Ass Pocket Full of Whiskey” just came on? No, carefree and unabashed—that’s the person I’ve always been proud to be. Now, you take the twenties. Women were coming into their own. Jazz and liquor abounded on every corner. Put on a red lip, beaded dress, flip your hair, and get out there and tackle the world. All with a brazen smile. Yes, I can feel the ghosts of those flapper girls who just wanted to have a GOOD…TIME… dancing around me, sloshing their martinis, and making me feel ALIVE. And isn’t that how life is supposed to be?