A star of both sound and stage, Doreen Taylor is no stranger to capturing the hearts and minds of both music and theatre fans. A lot of her plans for the majority of this year might have been scuppered due to Corona, but that doesn’t mean she hasn’t been keeping creative and PopWrapped are delighted to premiere her version of “Climb Ev’ry Mountain”, from the classic film The Sound Of Music. We also got to have a chat about what she’s been up to lately and what lies ahead, so read on to find out what she had to say.
How have you been since we last chatted?
Doreen Taylor: Things have been really crazy! I starred in the Off-Broadway show “Sincerely, Oscar” last year and did a grueling 52 performances run in the heart of Broadway in New York City. What an experience that was! Wow! It is incredible the difference just a year makes. Now all Broadway shows have been shuttered since March and will remain that way until at least September of this year.
Most of the world has been in some form of lockdown for several months due to the Corona Virus – how have you kept yourself busy and in good shape, mentally, physically and emotionally?
DT: I have actually enjoyed the time off. Sure, it has gotten really boring not being able to do much, but I have tried to stay busy by doing projects around the house. Landscaping and gardening have been really big for me during this time and I have been taking a lot of nature walks. It has been really cleansing for me to get outside and spend some time just reflecting on things. Of course, I am still creating music and working on musical projects at home – but I really miss being able to perform live!
Tell me a little about the new track you’re sharing with us exclusively today. Is there a particular meaning or story behind it and what made you feel it was the right choice for a release? What do you want those who hear it to take from the song?
DT: I actually recorded this tune last year but never felt I would release it as a single. However, with everything going on in the world as of late, I felt it was the PERFECT time to release this song. Being a singer/songwriter, it is rare for me to cover another person’s song, but “Climb Ev’ry Mountain” has been a very important song throughout my life that I felt I needed to record my own version of it. I have won vocal competitions with it in my early career, performed it many times and now I am revisiting it as an experienced artist trying to add my years of life to the song.
I think it has become even more moving to me having gone through such hard times in my life and I am able to now reflect on the song in a much deeper way. The song is a very moving, inspirational one and I just felt that those things are needed right now. The main message is that you should never give up on your dreams- when you find something you want, never stop climbing to reach it. I think we all need to remember this sometimes…
How has Corona affected any plans you had in the works for new music or live shows, and how keen are you to see some semblance of normal life resume so you can get back to what you love?
DT: My last show on April 23rd had obviously been cancelled and I haven’t been able to reschedule anything because I am not sure from day to day what is going on. I am keeping my fingers crossed that I can start doing some smaller, intimate shows for my hardcore fans in the next few months, but it looks like it will be awhile before I can do larger concert venues. As much as I miss performing live, I am not in a hurry to return to shows before it is time. The health of my fans is of the utmost importance and I would never want to put any of them in harm’s way by doing something stupid too soon. I am just talking it day by day and assessing things as we go. I have to say, I am most excited to be getting back into the salon! I think that will go a long way towards making me feel a little “normal” again!
Finally, are there any projects or plans in the pipeline you can tease? How do you foresee the rest of the year playing out for you personally and professionally?
DT: I really can’t say much right now since I am not sure what is happening with live music, but you can be sure that I will be back performing live again as soon as it is safe! As for new music, I never rule that out and I am hoping to put out my new live album sometime before the holidays!
Check out “Climb Ev’ry Mountain” below and to keep up to date with Doreen, visit her website, follow her on Twitter and like her page on Facebook.
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