Episode 90. Join host Troy Saunders as he chats with Washington, DC-based vocalist and songwriter Cecily, known for her agile soprano voice and honest lyrics, on the latest episode of the BAAS Entertainment Podcast. Cecily grew up with an interest in political science and international relations, and initially planned to get her degree, join the Peace Corp and work for the United Nations. As she progressed through her education, she realized that career path wasn’t right for her and focused more on her singing career, becoming a teacher as a way to support herself during the lean years as a new indie artist. She found out that she loves teaching, and still teaches voice lessons as part of her musical journey. Her debut album, “Songs of Love and Freedom,” garnered her a 2019 Wammie Award for Best Soul Album. The Wammie Awards celebrate, honor, and uplift local artists for the merit and impact of their work on DC music culture, and Cecily expresses how being recognized by her local music community was so important to her. Her follow-up 2019 release exploring unconditional love, “Awakening Pt. 1,” continued to earn awards and accolades, including “Best New Soul on Bandcamp,” which praised her “top-notch songwriting and thoughtful self-reflection with a gentle jazz-influenced sound.” Fans are now eagerly anticipating the follow-up, “Awakening Pt. 2,” which is scheduled to drop soon. Cecily talks about the development of her songwriting, and how she embraced the challenge of writing music. “I do appreciate… song craft… I love trying to figure out… what do I say in a bridge… how do I keep it interesting? How do I flip the storyline?” She also shares how she writes poetry and some of her songs come from poetry, including her new single, “I Am Love,” which Troy shares with our listeners. Be sure to sign up for Cecily’s mailing list at cecilymusic.com, where you can also purchase physical copies of her music and other merchandise. Listen and subscribe to the BAAS Entertainment Podcast on Spotify, Amazon Music, Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Deezer, iHeartRadio, Pandora, Podchaser, Pocket Casts and TuneIn. “Hey, Alexa. Play the BAAS Entertainment Podcast.”