Lead vocalist for two Washington-based jazz ensembles — Collaboration and Lori Williams and Friends — Williams has performed at the Kennedy Center and the Capital Jazz Fest, and released her solo debut album October 2010. But she’s more than an artist. A single mom with two kids, Williams is also a D.C. public school teacher and has been for more than 10 years. She is the recipient of many awards, including a Mayor’s Arts Award, which aided the music program at Woodrow Wilson Senior High School, where she now directs four choirs. How do you balance being musician, a mom, and a teacher of 89 students?
Time management and prayer. My kids are my priority, but I have to do music or I’m not living my dream.
Does this take a toll on spending time with your kids?
Being a single mom is really tough and I’ve been through hard times, but I don’t want to bring negative energy home. I use the hardships as a creative tool for writing.
Tell me about your debut CD.
It’s of the Pacific Coast jazz genre and was released right after going through divorce. It’s about love lost, love gained; beginning again — there are so many scenarios you can identify with and hopefully apply to how to strive in broken situations. It’s expressive of who I am. My daughter sings on background and my little man is singing on the last track.
What’s your goal?
I want to bring good music to the stage that’s not a carbon copy of anybody else. I want people to go away with the joy of what they came to experience.
Do you bring your music to the classroom?
My students were the first ones to listen to my studio tracks. I wanted the album to reach not only my age group, but the younger group; and I think it did.
Natalie Plumb
