Meet Fabienne Grisel | Singer/ Songwriter/ Vocal coach

We had the good fortune of connecting with Fabienne Grisel and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Fabienne, is there a quote or affirmation that’s meaningful to you?
“Freedom isn’t the absence of restrictions, it’s the unshakable conviction in the face of obstacles.”

To me it means, we all face challenges, it’s impossible to live life without it, but even in the face of obstacles or restrictions you can find freedom, you can find peace.

I like it, cause it reminds me that even if things don’t workout as planned, even if I face challenges in my life, in my career I can still find satisfaction and peace in some way. It’s really all about perception and believing in yourself!

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
I am a Singer/ Songwriter/ V.O artist and Vocal coach. Most of what I do is around music or voice.
I have been in the entertainment industry for a long time. Singing and performing all over the place. Studying and learning as much as possible.
Now, I teach singing and performance technique to the younger generation of musicians. I do session work for various composers and perform in two bands: Award winning LA rock band NEVERWONDER and my cover duo called, The Fixtures Duo.
If I am not performing, teaching or writing music, you can find me behind the microphone working as a voice over artist in my professional home studio.

I spent my childhood in Switzerland before making the move to Los Angeles in the 90’s, so my perception of the world and music especially might be a bit different than someone raised in the US.
I think I have an eclectic taste in music and art in general. I definitely bring some of that flavor into everything that I do.
Because of where I grew up, and since I speak multiple languages, I really enjoy listening to all kinds of music from all over the world. There is so much talent and beautiful crafted songs out there. Its inspiring!

I worked really hard to be where I am today. I studied for years to be good at my craft.
No, it’s wasn’t an easy ride, anyone in the business can tell you that! Lol but if you persists, there is nothing you cannot achieve.
You also have to be patient, it takes time . And surround yourself with good people.
Stay away from the naysayers or people who want to tear you down, the music business is hard and competitive enough as it is.

I was lucky to find a great musical community in Los Angeles/OC . We all support and cheer for each other and that’s amazing.

I am very proud of the work I do with my rock band NEVERWONDER . Since we all got together, we have won and been nominated for many awards, and our first EP in 2018 was a great success !
Currently, we are back performing all over, from California to Las Vegas.
We are also putting the last touch on our upcoming album, which if all goes well, should be release in late Spring/ early Summer..
Many of the songs in this album are about the current state of the world and human challenges but it’s also filled with hope.
We are so proud of the songs we created and we cannot wait to share it with the world!

When I am not playing with NEVERWONDER , I get hired to play Jazz/Pop music for private/corporate gigs all over LA County/ Santa Barbara region with my cover duo, The Fixtures Duo. It’s a very different side of the music world that I really enjoy. And I always meet great people.

My story is one of many I suppose, being an artist isn’t easy and there are many obstacles you have to face but if you really want it bad enough, you can get there.
I came from Europe on my own, not knowing how I was gonna make it here as a musician.
But I persisted, worked really hard, learned as much as possible and didn’t give up! I was also very lucky to meet amazing people along the way who helped me and guided me.
I am so grateful for my life, the people in it and for all I got to experience thus-far.
With music, I get to share a part of myself and connect with people in a way that is truly special. I feel really lucky to be able to do that.

None of that would have been possible if I didn’t take a leap of faith and went for it! Sometimes you just got to jump.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
I would start the journey in LA, on Monday morning I used to go to The Composer Breakfast in Malibu, I always meet amazing and talented people there. Then we would go to the beach at Point Dume, or Zuma during the day and grab some seafood at “Reel Inn “for dinner on the way back towards Santa Monica.
Or go for a hike in the Santa Monica mountains then grab a coffee on Montana avenue at” La La Land Kind Cafe.” Then dinner on Sawtelle avenue for some yummy Korean cuisine.
Later in the evening, we could go hang out in West Hollywood and listen to local bands at” the Troubadour or The Viper room”.
There is a lot to do in Los Angeles, so many areas with cool bars, restaurants and fun spots to hang out so its hard for me to narrow it down lol .. but I thinks that’s a good start.

On Tuesday or Wednesday, we would drive down south to OC, maybe Newport Beach go grab some lunch at “Bear Flag” . Then visit Balboa Island and take the little ferry that crosses the bay, there is a really excellent Swiss restaurant right there called “Basilic.”
We could also drive to Laguna Beach and go to the “Sawdust Art festival “then check out” Laguna Beach Live “for some awesome Jazz music.

On Thursday continue down south to Carslbad or La Jolla….Or take a little detour inland and go wine tasting in Temecula… There is some awesome wine and food there and most wineries have live music too.

Finally, we would arrive in San Diego for the weekend, go hang out in Coronado for a while, go get some lunch at “Cafe Buena Forchetta” and hang at the beach.
The next day, drive to the Gaslamp district in Downtown SD, maybe eat tapas at “Cafe Sevilla”., and later on, enjoy a few drinks at “The Prohibition Lounge”.
On Saturday night, we could catch a flick at “Cinema under the Stars” and then finish the weekend bar hoping and check out the local music scene.

That sounds like a pretty good week to me 🙂

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
My family and friends is a big one, here in California and in Europe. Especially my mom , who allowed me to leave Europe at a very young age and study abroad on my own. And encouraged me to pursue my career in music, even when it seemed so unattainable.

Dr. Joel Ewing. Who has been my mentor and singing teacher for over 20 years. Completely change how I approche singing and has been an amazing source of knowledge.

Women in Music because they support, give opportunities, guide and celebrate women in the music industry.
Women are still a minority in the music business and they are helping change that.

Website: https://www.fabiennegriselmusic.com/

Instagram: https://instagram.com/fabiennegriselmusicetc?igshid=NTdlMDg3MTY=

Facebook: https://m.facebook.com/100027948594877/

Other: https://www.thefixturesduo.com/ http://neverwonder.com/

Image Credits
Jeff Hartwick Dre Ramos Chris Camargo Alvaro Martin Blanco