By Sed Ryan

It's a hazy afternoon in Malibu, and the breeze is picking up. Sitting cross-legged on an olive couch in front of me sits Winifred, a young woman decidedly determined to make her mark on the world. As I look out toward the ocean view behind her, her features are back-lit, highlighting her intense blue eyes. She plays with her bracelets--the ones she informs me matter-of-factly, that she made--in a nervous, let's-get-on-with-this manner. She looks delicate and slightly childlike in person, a throw back to the Beach Boys "California girl next door" were it not for the fact that this women with big dreams hails from a tiny town in Upstate NY, where temperatures in the winter reached in the twenty below zero mark!

  "Where I grew up, there were seasons and it was so nice! Every change was a form of movement. Here it's lovely for sure, but I don't feel as much movement as I do when I go home. I like big rain storms, lots of snow, you know, and ha! I don't mind shoveling. I like the elements," she says nodding her head with emphasis.

  Q: What brought you to CA instead of NYC to do music?

  A: Well, CA feels freer. It's really, just where I landed due to life. I had lived up in the North Central Valley for a few years and then I made my way down to LA to work with my guys down here. And it's perfect. You see, I went to school in CO, and then I moved to northern CA, and now I'm here. Not long after graduating with a Bachelors in French, Winifred became a professional fitness trainer, leaving behind all her years of learning to pursue an entirely new avenue. What she soon discovered was surprising even to her.

Q: It seems like you've had a few incarnations. How did you go from being a trainer to a singer?

  A: Well, I finished school and became a trainer. Exercise therapist to be exact. And combined fitness training with the therapy. Only, I found that I had a real desire to help people feel better both inside and out. So eventually, I ended up discovering I had an affinity toward healing which led me into herbology. I formed a corporation and was off and running--no pun intended--doing training and herbology 6 days a week. That led me to a fella who helped me put together my first exercise video, which we shot up in Canada. And he was friends with Jack Lenz of Lenz Entertainment. Well, Jack had me sing for him after that all-day shoot, and immediately said that I should pursue singing. I had always wanted to sing, but who knew how to get there. And at that point, I had a corporation and a full clientele with waiting list. So, what was I to do?

Q: Did he sign you?

A: No, he doesn't do that. But he did tell me to write as he seemed to think I had something to say! At that time, I didn't know what he meant. Though, he encouraged me to write and take voice lessons. So, I did just that! I returned home, and gained my first sponsor for voice lessons.

Q: Your first singing gig was at the Rockies in front of 50,000 people singing the National Anthem, what was that like?

A: It was exhilarating! I'll never forget it. My friends and some family came out to watch and it was so neat. The baseball fans are always appreciative of that. They are really fun.

Q: You've sung that and God Bless America quite a lot since then.

A: Yeh, I've sung it for the Mets a couple times, and for pro drag races and ice hockey and on TV for arena football--really a lot of venues. And you know, I took a break from it working on these latest songs. I wanted to sing my own thing. I wanted to DO my own thing.

Q: How do you feel about the sense of patriotism today?

A: That's funny you say that because that is one of the reasons I haven't sung those songs out in a while. I felt the country a little at odds with those themes and I mean whatever I sing, so for me, I wanted it to be something people would be filled with pride to hear. Maybe soon, it'll be time to sing them again. I really prefer God Bless America as it soars, and I prefer the Anthem in indoor hockey rinks. There's nothing like that sound in a whole indoor rink while you are standing on cold ice.

Q: So you finished your demo and then you sent it out.

A: That was back in CO. I finished it and I launched it on State-wide TV, the WB2 Today Morning show. It went over well. I played a few gigs around town but focused mostly on sending to labels and getting it in stores.

Q: How did you manage to get them into Best Buy?

A: Ironically, I got really lucky! I had a training client whose client was the buyer for Best Buy. So upon listening to the demo he thought it good enough to sell. He found me a distributor and I ended up selling it in Best Buy. I had it on CDNOW.com, Amazon, and at Barnes and Noble.

Q: All without a manager.

A: Yep.

Dressed in jeans with an embroidered hummingbird and a silky peach top, Winifred comes across oddly both relaxed and strong. She offers me some homemade ice-tea and positions herself, ready for more questions. To my left is a Zen-like table lamp which is a common theme to her Malibu digs. You get a sense that maybe Nirvana isn't just a word, but perhaps a way of life.

Q: Have you always meditated? There are several meditation pillows to my left next to the Zen table.

A: Well, for about 13 years now.

Q: And how has that affected your music?

She bursts out with a girlish laugh, and moves to sit upright as if now we've just come upon the reason for the interview.

A: Now I know what I want to say!

Q: What do you want to say?

A: The music I'm doing now is so very different. My first cd was meant as a demo and I got lucky to be able to sell it. But now--well, now life is much more clear. I understand so much more. I've grown. I know more of who I am and what I bring to the table, if you will.

Winifred moves from intensity to softness and back in a flash and you're left watching this movie in front of you. More...

A: I am all about consciousness. People being the best they can be. I think that is my true nature. I feel like a grand cheerleader for all people--BE THE BEST YOU CAN BE. You know, it's an extension of my training. I helped people believe in themselves again. And I carry that message over in the new music. For me, life is about love, upliftment, and well-meaningness.

Q: How does an artist today do that with the current state of the music business?

A: The music business is tough, no doubt. But I choose to believe there are great people out there and good people. I've had my fair share of false promises, flakes, and jerks. But, I continue to believe in those ideals and they are the reason I do music. For me, to do music any other way would be like asking me not to breathe.

Q: What is your new music about?

A: Messages of upliftment, hope, love, confidence, and...well, it's music that I intend for the listener to think about. I want people to enjoy it musically, because it's just got some neat melodic and catchy things in it that you don't always hear today. I'm ready to hear more heart-felt, well-thought out material. Yeh, the industry is still into the flavor of the month. But people aren't. People want substance. They want something real. I am and strive to uphold the things I sing about. It's not always easy, but it's not something someone else handed me and said "go emote this." It's coming from a place of experience, deep inside.

Q: Where will you take it?

A: I don't know. Without sounding campy, I think it'll take me to someplace. I need a proper label. I'm lucky once again to be able to sell it, this time on Itunes. But, now I need a label to make up the difference and move the ball forward. It's a great expense, and a lot of work to do it ALL on your own. Know any great labels?

Again that blinding smile is followed by an impish grin.

Q: And what if I did?

A: I'd say thank you, I guess it was meant to be!