Meet Ann Marie Nacchio

Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Ann Marie Nacchio. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Alright, so we’re so thrilled to have Ann Marie with us today – welcome and maybe we can jump right into it with a question about one of your qualities that we most admire. How did you develop your work ethic? Where do you think you get it from?

My work ethic has been a work in progress. As a child, I was in all advanced honors classes, rarely did my homework and still got straight A’s. I didn’t have to work very hard for anything. I was a natural singer, dancer, artist– you name it. It wasn’t until I met a very formative person in my life that I saw what hard work really looked like. This person worked harder than anything I had ever seen, and was also very talented to boot. I was beginning college at the time we met, and I entered that chapter of my life as a brand new person– a person who worked hard, paid close attention to detail (even when it didn’t interest me), and took pride in my newfound work ethic.

Throughout college, I juggled my studies and three different jobs to pay for tuition. I am proud to say I only took out one student loan, and it was paid off the day after I graduated. During and after college I continued as a working musician, leading bands, booking gigs and learning instruments– all things I would not have been able to do had I not built a strong foundation and a hard-working mindset. I continue to work hard, wearing many hats as the head of the music and performing arts at a private Catholic High School in Staten Island, NY. I would not be where I am had I not learned what real work was.

Appreciate the insights and wisdom. Before we dig deeper and ask you about the skills that matter and more, maybe you can tell our readers about yourself?

I have been working as a musician since my late teens, and have been a member of both original and cover bands, such as The Ann Marie Nacchio Jazz Trio, Roundhouse Kick, Funkdefied, Weird Science, MorningStarlett, Almost Easy and the Bad Mouth Betties, to name a few. I’m primarily a vocalist, but also play piano, bass and a little guitar. I currently perform under my name, Ann Marie Nacchio around NYC, playing my original music. I also am currently touring with Windborne Music, namely on their “Music of Whitney Houston” and “Music of Pink Floyd” shows. I have been a session artist for many projects, and have been recording consistently for the last fifteen years at least.

I released my debut album “Little Dangers” in 2021, in which I wrote, recorded and played most of the instruments on. I have released two Eps and two singles since 2022. Currently, I have a song coming out as a co-release this Friday, October 25 (my birthday) called “My Backyard” with Adam Tilzer and Jordan Popky. I also have another co-writing venture with Shay Moulder from Ventura, CA that will see it’s EP release on November 15.

I am constantly working on the next project, despite my day job as a High School Teacher. I get extreme satisfaction from both professions. I love to create, problem solve and analyze music, which I get to do as both a teacher and working musician. I also love to travel. I love touring the country, seeing new cities and experiencing their different cultures, all while being able to share what I love to do with the world. I was lucky enough to even travel as far as Malaysia to perform last year, which was an incredible experience.

I find as a vocalist, it is imperative to have an emotional connection to the music you are playing. This is important for all instruments of course, but singing especially, as you can really hear the nuance in the way every word is delivered as a listener. There is such a palpable exchange of emotion when performing for an audience, that they become part of the performance as well.

If you had to pick three qualities that are most important to develop, which three would you say matter most?

I would say my ability to think outside the box, a combination of honed talents and being a hard worker with integrity are among my most important and impactful qualities.

For those starting out, I would say, don’t be afraid to break the norms of whatever field you are in. Creativity is so important, but so is the integrity of what you are presenting to the world. It’s important that even if something comes natural to you, you still respect the craft enough to learn its language, to be able to break it down into its smallest parts as if you had to teach it to someone. Understanding your craft at its core makes it that much more valid. Also, don’t be afraid to do the work– it might suck, it might drain you, but the payoff is always worth it. Learning something new is never a bad thing.

What would you advise – going all in on your strengths or investing on areas where you aren’t as strong to be more well-rounded?

I think both are important. You should definitely play to your strengths– we have all been given gifts that I feel we are obliged to share with the world. However, I fully believe that we should continue to better ourselves, so we can not only learn more about ourselves but we can be better versions of ourselves for others as well. You also never know you have a strength until you try exploring it.

I implement this approach as a vocalist daily. I strive to be as versatile as possible. I like to be able to assume any role, whether it be blending into background harmonies or belting out a lead. I also don’t pigeon-hole myself into a single style– I’m versed in multiple styles from jazz to heavy metal. I feel that versatility not only gets you hired more, but it improves you as a vocalist overall. Things I learned studying opera have greatly helped my rock singing. This improvisation I learned to do in jazz has helped me to strengthen my ability to hear harmony and analyze it quickly, usable in any style. All the technique I have learned has greatly impacted the way I teach and what I am able to draw out of my students. It’s all important.

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Image Credits

Ted Maniatakos

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