Meet Ally Jedrzejek

We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Ally Jedrzejek a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Hi Ally, we’re so appreciative of you taking the time to share your nuggets of wisdom with our community. One of the topics we think is most important for folks looking to level up their lives is building up their self-confidence and self-esteem. Can you share how you developed your confidence?

Developing confidence and self-esteem took a lot of self reflection to recognize my fears then finding the courage to turn them into strengths. A lot of this development came from navigating my inner voice; which for much too long was far from positive, it was critical with high expectations resulting in major self doubt. During my early teen years well into my twenties, a lot of this pressure was built from external factors; there had been ups and downs at both home and school so my first battle was learning how to not let that trouble define me. Once I let go and distanced myself, I stopped taking for granted how fortunate I was to have the numerous resources available that could help with self development. From counselling, furthering studies of interest, kickboxing and running, to reading inspiring books, two favourites that come to mind “The Alchemist” by Paulo Coelho and “Wild” by Cheryl Strayed, I really started to build a healthier relationship with myself.

By turning off the negative narrative of “you’re not good enough”, we can then allow confidence to carry us closer towards our passions and goals. Self love is key, we have so much strength and resilience within us it’s amazing how we fail to see or forget the freewill we have to change our outlook for the better. Imagine playing a song you don’t like on repeat every day, now switch this to your favourite song, let it be something like I am worth it. Before looking into these resources, this constant nagging took a tole on my mental health and spiritual growth. Let’s keep it short and say there was a lot of neglect, mindless partying and my compass was broken; you can let a lot of the wrong everything into your life with a broken compass. After spending most of my twenties being ashamed, discouraged and afraid, something just clicked, I started showing up for myself and as soon as I did, the right people started appearing in my life. I imagine some were always there, I just wasn’t ready to let them in.

So far looking back, one of the best things that had happened to me was something I had never planned on doing, teaching. It was through working with my students and fellow coworkers that I really made the first step forward to being enlightened and feeling like I was on the right path. They showed me the positivity in making a difference by helping others boost their own self esteem and confidence through the healing power of music; this was and is still the biggest rush for me next to performing. One of my favourite quotes, “As you start to walk on the way, the way appears.”-Rumi

Thanks for sharing that. So, before we get any further into our conversation, can you tell our readers a bit about yourself and what you’re working on?

I am a vocal coach & music instructor based in Vancouver BC and work at local studios as well as teach privately. While I am not teaching, I tour with tribute bands as well as perform as a session vocalist with several musical projects rooted in soul, r&b, funk, jazz and folk. My main project which is my original band, Four Good Emperors, just recently finished filming our newest music video and will be completing our first EP come January 2026. We’ve had such an incredible time so far from going on mini tours playing for wineries and festivals to meeting and connecting with the local music scene here in Vancouver. This band has become like family to me and I look forward to seeing where our project leads us next!

What is most exciting about what I do is being able to connect with people through music in an array of different settings. There are many avenues you can explore being in a creative field, some paths are not always the most reliable financially, but I suppose in anything you do that you are passionate about, especially working for yourself, you must have an eagerness to really want to make it work and be okay with the fluctuations. Having confidence to put in the time and effort and just getting out there meeting, greeting and networking is apart of it!

What got me into what I do was mainly from being surrounded by music from a very young age. My grandparents were in a band together so some of my earliest memories are of my grandmother singing to me as well as my grandfather teaching me my first few notes on an old upright we had in the basement. My Mom also played flute and my Dad played guitar and drums so there was always an instrument around to explore.

Thinking of the music I write now, my biggest influence was my Pap on my Mom’s side who introduced jazz, soul and Motown music to me, he and my grandmother absolutely loved to entertain, their dinner parties were legendary. As a kid, I was lucky enough to be around live music, watching any sort of live performance had me so enchanted, it was just a glowing feeling from early on that music would be apart of my life for a very long time.

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

It’s really necessary to understand the learning tools that work for you to propel you forward in whatever it is you are looking to achieve. When I went back to university in my late twenties, it wasn’t until half way through my schooling I had a teacher sit down with me and gently recommend that I explore the idea of learning accommodations. At first, I was taken back but took his advice and it was well appreciated afterwards. For someone who had in the past struggled with school and barely got by almost dropping out, I surprised myself when I finally graduated with honours and received a deans award. So please, don’t be afraid to ask for help, getting the right guidance can be a big boost for helping with self esteem.

Find a mantra, anything that can motivate you or ground you when you start to overthink and the negative narrative starts to unfold. Some days will be tougher than others to turn it off but keep pushing forward. From positive affirmations, meditation, a walk in nature, picking up an instrument, finding something that grounds you and that grants clarity can be helpful. A particular book comes to mind that I have read on and off again, “you are here” by Thich That Hanh, which explores how to be in the present moment. Through my own experience, self doubt and lack of confidence can easily creep up when we find ourselves pondering on negative past memories or wasting time creating negative future scenarios, outcomes that don’t exist. Take a step back, remember your breath and allow yourself to envision something more positive. There is nothing wrong with preparing for the worse, yet remember to hope for the best.

Welcome mistakes, failing, embarrassment, all the above, be fearless! It has been said many times before, we learn from our mistakes. I was miserable because I allowed fear of failing or being judged take away from my enjoyment of the learning process. Have a conversation with your inner child and remember to let yourself play! Looking back now, I am so happy to have had the many nights of practicing, making mistakes, getting the low grade, saying the wrong thing, forgetting my lyrics, tripping on stage etc. it has allowed me to grow and shape to be a better version of myself. I am nowhere near done making more mistakes and doing more things out of my comfort zone as well as have so much more to learn about my craft and career path, its endless. The beauty of it all is that I can share these humbling experiences with others and hopefully encourage them that it’s not so bad if you try. Have a listen to “You Can Make It If You Try” by Sly and the Family Stone.

One of our goals is to help like-minded folks with similar goals connect and so before we go we want to ask if you are looking to partner or collab with others – and if so, what would make the ideal collaborator or partner?

I am always happy to meet like minded creatives who are interested in collaborating on musical projects as well as meeting new students looking to start their musical journey, please feel free to reach out!

Also, I am a life long student and currently have been seeking resources for learning more about vocal health, vocal coaching, motivation and wellness. So far I have signed up for a few newsletters and keep up with articles within these topics. If you are someone who works in these fields and have any recommendations, I’d be happy to hear from you!

Thank you for reading!

Contact Info: https://linktr.ee/ajedsings

Contact Info:

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