Today, I am excited to spotlight Tiffany Prochera, whom I have known for years. Tiffany Prochera is a writer, composer, performer, voice artist, and self-proclaimed idea factory. With a mission to inspire and entertain through words and music, she has composed many pop, country, jazz, and children’s songs, three collections of songs for new and advanced vocalists, an opera, and a musical for young audiences in addition to writing children’s literature and a collection of inspirational poetry and prose. She resides in Winnipeg, Manitoba Canada. Cendrine Marrouat: Hello Tiffany! How did you get started as an artist? And what came first: music, singing, composing, or writing? Tiffany Prochera: I have always been creative. I suppose as activities it would have been music first. I joined my first community choir when I was six. I started taking piano lessons at seven. I’m not sure about the writing – it has always been there and, when I was a child, I remember presenting to family and friends a story about how Santa Claus and the elves would be affected by the impending North American Free Trade Agreement, as it was called then. I started songwriting and composing in my pre-teen years, one of my first efforts being a country song called, “There’s a Worm the Apple of Your Eye”. CM: You define yourself as a “self-proclaimed idea factory”. Would you tell us more about it? TP: Well, what I mean by “idea factory” is that I am constantly inspired. I always have projects on the go and there are always idea coming at me. And it can come from anywhere really. I can see a tree and be inspired to write poetry and then a word or phrase from that poem can make me think about a song. I remember years ago being really upset – I can’t remember what about but I was just bawling – and I remember thinking: “You know, this would make a good song.” So, even in moments of crisis, it doesn’t stop! I can’t think of a time when I sat there staring at a blank page or didn’t have a project I could be working on. I feel very blessed in that regard. CM: How does the creative process speak to you? Does one activity influence the others more? TP: That is a very good question! Thinking about it now, I suppose the musical dominates – I am making up jingles all the time about anything from doing making my morning coffee to watching the rainbows of light radiate from my sun catcher. But I do sometimes wish my writing was more “poetic”, more cryptic, I suppose. I’m rather straight forward about things. CM: How would you define your style? Is there one piece you created or wrote that sums up who you are as an artist? Why? TP: I would very much say I’m a family-friendly artist. Not that all of my work would appeal to children – there is certainly children-centered material – but there is nothing that would be inappropriate for them. My mission has always been to inspire, enlighten and entertain, and I very much believe in creating a world I would want to see rather than revealing some gritty “reality”, in part because I believe we create our reality. I also love making people laugh. If I can do that, it’s a good day! I think the piece that is most reflective of all of this is my musical, Mocha and the Moon – about an optimistic cow with out-of-this-world dreams. I find her character so endearing, I love the message of it, there are some really funny moments, and the music was a joy to write. CM: You are the owner of Swimming Tigress Music and Press. How did you come up with the name? And what makes your company unique compared to others in the same field? TP: Well, the name actually comes from Chinese astrology. I’m a tiger in the Chinese zodiac and, in the legend, there is a race to reach some celebration (there are different stories as to the nature of the festivities) and she is pushed into the water, which cats do not like, but she still manages to get where she needs to go. I find it kind of inspiring. As to what makes my company unique, I suppose it would be the scope of what I do – I don’t just focus on one thing – and, especially when it comes to the children’s music, they are rather relatable but intricately executed, I guess you’d say. CM: You recently released 24 Days In December: A Poetic Journey Through The Advent Season, a collection that documents your experiences during December 2022. Would you tell us more about it? TP: Well, like you mentioned, it all began this time last year. I was looking to purchase an Advent calendar, which I’d never had before. I love celebrating things and I thought it would be a fun element to add to my holiday experience. I couldn’t find a calendar that spoke to me but then it occurred to me that I could be the calendar. So, I was determined to write a poem a day from December 1st to 24th to document my journey over the month. And this year, I thought that others might enjoy the poems as well, so I put them into an ebook! And I thought I would have even more fun and make a unique visual world for each poem to live in. CM: What is your favorite piece from the book? Why? TP: I would have to say “Gumdrop Charlie” is my favourite, with “I Don’t Like Winter” being a close second. The idea of this sweet little gingerbread man finding love is something I really connect with and it chokes me up every time I read it. And “I Don’t Like Winter” was such a surprise to me as I learned to appreciate and find beauty in the season that frightens me at times. I’ve always been a huge lover of Christmas but I haven’t been a fan of the cold and snow. So truly enjoying the season was somewhat of a shock. CM: Why do you think a book like yours is needed? TP: 24 Days in December gives the reader the opportunity to pause and really take in the world around them during the holiday season. We can rush through things and check them off our lists or consider them obligations, but I think the book, with many universal themes and experiences, encourages the reader to notice the moments and then, hopefully, document their own journey. CM: As a multidisciplinary artist, what areas of your work do you find the most interesting and/or challenging? TP: I find it all interesting, almost to my detriment. 😊 Sometimes I think it would be nice to just think of a song idea and let someone handle all the fleshing out – the instrumentation, orchestration and all of that. But then I would get a little sad thinking about missing out on the creativity involved in putting it all together. At the same time, while I am a rather tech savvy individual and always have been – I was six when my parents brought the first computer into our house, which few people had at the time – technical issues have always been the most challenging thing. I prefer it when things just work! There is a relief and a sense of accomplishment when I eventually figure things out but the moments or hours in between are not pretty! So, in that vein, recording the music would be the most challenging because there are more moving parts and things that can go awry. CM: Where do you see yourself in five years?  TP: Oh no! The big question! 😊 In five years, I plan on being making a full living with my art, perhaps having found a niche or keeping things open, creating what I am moved to create – for the time being I am going to be focusing on writing – and having had the opportunity to work with some amazing artists I really admire. CM: What makes you an inspirational artist? What do you want people to learn from your work? TP: I want people to see what’s possible – to be able to dream and imagine beyond what can be seen. CM: What is your most important piece of advice to artists? TP: I would say: know who you are – how you want to live, what you represent, and what youwant to contribute to the world. And then trust that you can somehow work that into a thriving vocation. If you want your art to be your career – not that you have to, but if you do – believe that there is a way to make it happen on your terms. Support Tiffany Prochera’s work!

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