MACKIE Magazine August-Sept Issue 4 November 2013 Anniversary Issue | Page 33

Inspirational Rock/Blues Singer, Songwriter and Vocal Coach Jody Joseph harbors an instinct bred from the historical significance of her own backyard, and has the passion and intensity to back it up. From the very first day on the planet, she was granted a musical heritage (one of her famous relatives was opera singer Mario Lanza, another one a cousin named Jon Bon Jovi), and during her early years she began forming a style drawn from various eras of rock, pop and soul. Inspired by the reflections of her life, Joseph says, “I have always believed that music is a universal language that has the ability to comfort and heal through some pretty dark moments in our lives.” The 2000 release of her debut CD marked the moment in time when Joseph began to realize her most fervent dreams into reality. “I always knew that I wanted to be a writer of my own songs, and knew that in some respects I would fight for their existences as if they were my own children. Because, in a very real way, that’s what songs are for me. They’re part of me.” Her album, “The Only Way Out is Through” features standout session players under the advice and guidance of Scott Welch (Alanis Morrisette), who saw the talent and took on the managerial role to help Joseph develop her craft. All of the songs were either co-written or fully written by Joseph, and produced by Dan Grigsby. Joseph and her band had the opportunity to play with some impressive national act openers and showcase shows in New York City and Atlantic City during the past 10 years. The band’s schedule is extensive, including community concerts, fundraisers and private events. Joseph is a vocal coach whose generosity goes beyond just teaching by constantly encouraging her talented students to share the stage with her and the band. Her brainchild was a concert to raise funds for Teen Suicide Awareness and Prevention. The “LIVE-Rock for Life Concert,” held for two consecutive years at the Stone Pony, included rock memorabilia auctions and ad journals, which raised thousands. The concept of the LIVE concert was born out of the tragic suicide of one of her young teen students in 2003. LIVE stands for the logo LIVE-INSPIRE-VIBE-ENERGY. The band has also volunteered their time for Sid Bernstein’s Kamala Benefit at the Stone Pony to raise money for a school in Thailand destroyed by the 2005 Tsunami, The Long Branch (NJ) School District’s Wave Of Hope Concert for the Biloxi MS school district that was ravaged by Hurricane Katrina, the Light of Day concerts, the American Cancer S