We were lucky to catch up with Valerie Giglio Electro Swing artist and producer recently and have shared our conversation below.
Valerie Giglio, thanks so much for taking the time to share your insights and lessons with us today. We’re particularly interested in hearing about how you became such a resilient person. Where do you get your resilience from?
Well, in 2014 I suffered a catastrophic brain stem stroke and was paralyzed completely on my left side, I lost my singing voice and musical ability and was confined to a wheelchair. I was a healthy 42 year old professional singer, I had released a couple of albums, am a voting member of the The Recording Academy (the Grammys) as well as an attorney by day with my own law practice. I turned my neck the wrong way one morning, and unknowingly broke both vertebral arteries leading to my brain, which then led to a stroke within days.
I spent months in the hospital and over a year in rehab learning to do the things we all take for granted. I had to relearn to walk, use my hand and arm, and of course sing again – literally note by note. To say it was tedious work is an understatement. Every single day. I couldn’t work or drive a car anymore, so I just worked on rehabbing myself every second I could. It was a very slow process for me and I am not a patient person! But I had to quickly test my resilience and motivation because I wanted everything back the way it was, especially my singing voice. I mean, I have been a singer all my life and I just could not accept that overnight that was gone along with everything else. I couldn’t even sing a note without screeching like nails on a chalkboard. It’s crazy that only a day before, I was rehearsing for a performance in a women singer’s showcase (Chick Singer Night) in Boston. Anyway, after a lot of therapy, I regained the use of my left side, I relearned to walk and use my hand and arm. I sing again, I perform, I write my own songs, produce everything myself, and release albums and singles. I attended Berklee College of Music in Boston after getting accepted as a vocal principal just two years after losing it all, and learned to be an electronic producer. While I can’t play instruments that I did before, like violin, or now play more than a chord or two on guitar, I discovered a love for electronic instruments and production. I used to be a retro, standards-style singer, and the stroke led me to reinvent myself as an Electro Swing artist and producer, combining the vintage 1920’s-1940’s sound and aesthetic with EDM beats. It’s something I am really passionate about! I also authored a book about my experience with the hope that it can help others who may be facing their own adversities, and have performed for the NHL – Boston Bruins at the TD Garden, as well as The American Heart Walk, The American Heart Ball, and venues here in Massachusetts, NYC. LA and in Europe. I am a firm believer that you can do more than you think, that you are stronger than you think. And I think that when faced with adversity, the key is overcoming it in your own way. Don’t measure yourself against others. You have your own success independent of any of that. Whether that means finding new ways to accomplish things, or new passions, or reworking old ones in a new way. Never underestimate what you’re capable of, and how resilient the mind and body are,
Great, so let’s take a few minutes and cover your story. What should folks know about you and what you do?
I am very passionate about Electro Swing music. Pairing electronic dance music with vintage sounds. I have released several singles in this genre, as well as two albums with more in the works. I have a musical partner, Samuel Cerra. He is a world class, amazing vibraphonist from Calabria, Italy. Many of my releases also feature Samuel on the vibes and we write songs together every chance we can. The vibraphone gorgeous instrument and harkens back to a simpler time when big bands were all the rage so it fits perfectly with this genre. The Electro Swing genre was a natural evolution for me, as my image for years has been retro inspired. So any chance I get to go back to the 1920’s, 30’s, or 40’s, I’m all in!
Looking back, what do you think were the three qualities, skills, or areas of knowledge that were most impactful in your journey? What advice do you have for folks who are early in their journey in terms of how they can best develop or improve on these?
Being a performer all my life, I started dance training at the age of 4 through college, whether it was ballet, jazz ,tap, and later 90’s hip hop. Little did I know my dance training would help me recover from a stroke! I remember learning to walk in rehab, and using my arms in ballet positions which helped me get the balance I needed. Things like that really made a difference. Another quality I would have to say is having a lot of drive and motivation, The utter disbelief and horror, for lack of a better word, that me, the person who danced, performed, went to the gym, and took fencing classes, that I would be suddenly paralyzed was something that I can’t even put into words. But I refused to accept this was my new life and that I would be in a wheelchair forever. That was not going to happen. I was constantly doing exercises to get everything back, no matter what. I even went indoor rock climbing with my therapist just 6 months after the stroke. It took a lot for me, because I had just learned to walk and I had setbacks including a couple of nasty falls. But I did it. And for a third quality I would have to say that I love to dream of goals and how I can achieve them. It lifts me up and gets me enthusiastic to think about what I can accomplish in the future and things I can do in my personal as well as professional life. New approaches. I think all of these things contributed to my stroke recovery, and as far as music goes – once I got my voice back I decided to apply to Berklee College of Music. People thought I was nuts, after losing my singing voice. But here I was, applying to one of the world’s top music schools But this was a goal of mine and I was bent on achieving it no matter what. I worked very hard with almost a tunnel vision goal of getting accepted. And two years after the stroke, I did. And using voice as my principal instrument to boot. It was something I can never forget and I cried when I got that acceptance letter. And Berklee wound up changing the trajectory of my life. Not only did I learn a whole new skillset of producing and sound design. but I reinvented myself as an Electro Swing producer and artist and now I’ve released a lot of new music, won awards and have had many incredible opportunities that I would not have otherwise had.. I would say to anyone early on their journey – never give up. You’ll have setbacks like everyone else, and maybe you find an alternate way of doing things, but you still succeed regardless. And never measure yourself against anyone else. You are the taxi driver of your own life, the way you choose, and finding the happiness success you deserve. And that’s what matters.
Alright so to wrap up, who deserves credit for helping you overcome challenges or build some of the essential skills you’ve needed?
I am glad you asked this question, because my amazing husband Mark Samson is one of the biggest reasons I have had such a miraculous recovery. He stood by my side throughout it all. He slept in a cot in my hospital room every single night for months. He took me to every appointment because I couldn’t drive for a year. He took a leave from his job at our law office to take care of me 24/7. He cooked every meal for me and helped me get dressed each day. I wouldn’t have been able to do this without his help and also his encouragement. He was always there, cheering me on when I would achieve each milestone on my recovery journey. He put himself second to take care of me and I am so lucky and grateful to have him. And of course our families…my parents and his parents. It really was a team effort, with everyone helping out in some way.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.valeriegiglio.com
- Instagram: www.instagram.com/valeriegigliomusic
- Facebook: www.facebook.com/valeriegiglio
- Twitter: www.twitter,com/valeriegiglio
- Youtube: www.youtube.com/valeriegiglio
Image Credits
Vintage Girl Studios
