inspired this song .
When did you realize , you had such a powerful voice ?
I honestly think recording this new album was the first time I truly understood the power of my voice . When I discovered jazz , I was about 12 / 13 years old . That was the first time my voice made sense to me , and that got me on the right path . However , I ' ve always struggled with falling in between genres and being unsure of where I belonged musically . With this album ( Planet of Flowers ), I went into it with no boundaries or limitations . I just created with my band without worrying about the rules or about what genre anything was . It was such an empowering experience , and it allowed me to grow exponentially .
When Lili moved to San Diego , she began to write music , sing in school and be a part of the choir . In 2002 , she moved backed to WI , where she attended Roosevelt Middle School Of The Artist .
In 2012 she graduated with a bachelor ’ s degree in Arts , Entertainment , and Media Management , with a focus in Music Business .
Her and Peter eventually became collaborators and released two Eps , Metal Petals , which includes contributions from Chance The Rapper , Sulaiman , and the GTW , My Favorite Things , an EP of revamped jazz standards .
How did your music relationship with Chance come about ?
Chance and I met at Columbia College Chicago ; we were two of the artists who had been asked to be on the school ' s record label ' s mixtape . We didn ' t actually appear on that mixtape together , but soon after meeting , he invited me to the studio to record " Hey Ma " for his 10 Day mixtape . That was the start of it all .
How important was education to you ?
Music education changed my life . 100 %. The only reason I sing today is because of my grade school music teacher , Mr . Ken Anderson . He helped me find my voice and encouraged me to believe in myself . Because of him , I attended Roosevelt Middle School of the Arts and Milwaukee High School of the Arts . Alida LaCosse and Raymond Roberts were my middle and high school teachers who guided me on my musical journey . These teachers gave me the tools I needed to succeed .
After high school , she enrollolled in Columbis College where she took classes with Ruby Hornet ’ s Alex Fruchter and met producer Peter Cottontale .
Arts education enhances education in every subject , it enhances communication skills , it gives kids an outlet and a reason to enjoy school . I believe every child should be able to experience the arts in their curriculum .
Why did you decide to have a band instead of being solo on stage ?
To me , music has always been about live performance and instrumentation . I came up singing with bands and jazz combos , and being a part of a band just feels better to me . There ' s a much brighter energy when live music is being created , plus it ' s so much fun to have a musical family ! I feel so safe and comfortable when performing with my band , and