With the upcoming release of her first single, singer-songwriter Haley Brooke has been sharing her soulful voice with the world for years.
Brooke said she grew up singing at church.
“I’ve been singing for as long as I can remember,” she said. “I believe I wrote my first song, at least on record, at age 5.”
Brooke then began learning how to play the piano at age 6. She said she always felt the music within her.
“Music has always been in me,” she said. “I always loved being on the stage. It just felt right.”
Singing in the church was a driving force for Brooke, she said.
“I sing for the Lord, whether I am singing covers in a bar or leading worship on Sunday morning,” she said. “It’s all about Him and bringing Him glory. It’s about being a good example for this generation when there aren’t too many of them out there right now in the music industry. I just want to be used by God, and I believe strongly that this is what He wants me to do.”
Brooke said she mainly performs at high-end restaurants, where she plays a variety of some Top 40 classics and easy listening as well as her original songs.
“Performing is pretty new to me,” she said. “Before I began singing professionally a few years ago, I only led worship in church services, where the focus is not on me, where it isn’t about me at all.
So, performing is still something I am getting used to. But, I would say that what I am enjoying most about performing is making connections with people while I am singing. Watching people get into what I am into is fun and quite rewarding.”
Her original songs are pop-soul love songs infused with a good message, Brooke said.
“I write love songs, and I write about life,” she said. “For some reason, break-up songs are super easy to write. I like to write about things that matter, and my message is always clean.”
John Legend, Gavin DeGraw, One Republic, John Mayer, Amy Winehouse, Stevie Wonder, Frank Sinatra and Michael Jackson are just a few of Brooke’s favorites that have helped inspire and shape her unique sound.
Throughout the years, Brooke has relied on her passion for music and her faith in God to guide her through what she believes is her purpose in life.
“I love singing, playing and writing,” she said. “Few things in life make me happier. My passion for music drives me, my desire to have great influence and make a difference drives me. Music is power, and I’d love the opportunity to use it on a grand scale for good. Ultimately, I feel that I need to do all I can to use the gifts that God gave me, so that He can be glorified in them.”
Persistence is key when trying to make it as a musician, Brooke said.
“Some advice I would give an aspiring musician is to just go for it – really go for it,” she said. “Give it all you got and be sure to surround yourself with a team and people who are genuinely for you and believe in you. I learned the hard way that I can’t just trust anybody, because people can tell you things you want to hear and hide their true motives pretty well. I call them ‘wolves in sheep’s clothing.’ Have people you love and trust around you – sometimes they can spot intruders when you can’t.”
Brooke’s single – to be released in March – has been a long time coming, she said.
“It has been a long, difficult and disappointing road thus far, but I am excited to finally be able to move forward with my project that was recorded two years ago. I don’t know what my future looks like, but I feel like what God has for me is big.”
Brooke said she plans to move to a major music city within the next few months to pursue her career further.
“We’ll see what happens from there,” she said. “I just know it’s time to jump. I’m nervous but excited to see what’s next.”
– April S. Kelley
Photo by Jennifer Robison
