B SQUARED MAGAZINE

Dr. Mamie Smith

Interview Dr. Mamie Smith

A Journey Of Self Discovery and Self Identification

It is a pleasure to interview Dr. Mamie Smith! You are both a singer and an author — how did you get started in both of these industries?


Ah-ah…A pretty long story. As a kid, I sang in the school choir, but the
only reason the choir director allowed me to sing, was because she knew I
would learn the music, not because she thought I had a good voice. The
sister a couple of years older than I, was the star singer in my family.
Around ten or eleven years old, I learned to play the piano. . . that added to
my need in the choir, because no one in the small school could “plunk out”
a few notes on the piano except me.

After graduating from high school and entering college, I majored in music
with an emphasis on piano. I had no idea how limited my skills were until I
saw other piano majors playing. Their fingers were literally “flying off the
keyboard!” I was in awe of them! Fortunately, all music students had to
take choir and study private voice for a couple of years. It was during those
classes that the Head of the Music Department discovered my voice…he
even drafted me as one of his students! I changed my major and ‘the rest is
history.”

TALKING WITH DR. MAMIE SMITH ABOUT THE LOSS OF A CHILD

Becoming an author, was less exciting. In 2005, I lost my daughter to
breast cancer, and was devastated! In order to function each day, I began
putting my most painful thoughts on paper. I could write in secret what I
could not say openly. Reading the Bible and numerous articles on
spirituality, enabled me to reach higher levels of thought patterns that
uncovered deep, hidden fears, sustained guilt and undeniable grief. So
much of what I read was translated into questions—questions I was forced
to answer honestly—not for others, but for myself. So, over a two-year
period, I went through a “cleansing consciousness process,” which led to
the publishing of my first book, “The Unfolding of a Rose.” An interesting
thing happened, I discovered that “Every person’s life is like a rose…it
unfolds day-by-day.”

 What themes do you often cover in your work?

The underlying theme of most of my writings is spirituality…some more
than others, because I believe the spiritual messages we mentally hear, if
heeded, direct our lives positively. The challenge is to quiet surface
thinking, and let the purest thoughts embrace consciousness. When this is
done, we become better human beings, and live richer lives.
 

Where do you find motivation for you work?

Many places, but mostly from meditation, digesting spiritual writings, and
seeking solutions to human challenges and suffering. I thrive on problem-
solving, am always looking for answers, and when I find them, I share
them. Contributing to another’s positive life direction, is very satisfying. It
stimulates purpose, guides direction, and leads to motivation and
inspiration.

CHATTING WITH THE AUTHOR ABOUT HER MUSIC CAREER

Tell us about your new album? Is this similar to other work you have
done?  Also, let our audience know where they can purchase it!
 

It is a CD single, and is a classical version of the song “You Raise Me Up.”
I had never done anything like that before. In fact, I had never been in a
recording studio! My experience as a singer was always “live.” I sang in
operas, choirs, classical renditions, churches and was guest soloist for
naval bases on Okinawa, Japan, while my husband was stationed there.
Mostly, my musical career was teaching children across America and on
Okinawa. All of the other experiences were “icing on the cake!” I was
never a singer who performed on records, CDs, radio or television. I guess
you can say, “I did small time stuff.” My CD is a validation that “all things
are possible” when footsteps are led in the right direction.

WHERE TO FIND DR. MAMIE SMITH’S MUSIC

You can purchase the CD many places: familiar ones are Amazon and Apple Music. But…if you forget that, just Google “You Raise Me Up” by
Dr. Mamie Smith, and several places will be listed.
 

“An American Story: My Family And Yours” is your latest book. What was the
process like?
 

I am happy this interview allows me to talk about “An American Story: My Family and Yours.” It is a template, using myself and my family to reveal the impact slavery has had on America, not just to African Americans, but whites as well.

It is not only an American story, but a worldwide story—a story that shares the emotions, fears, experiences and challenges every family in the human race can relate to. It underlines the notion that discrimination is a world problem because the world suffers from it in some way–sometimes visible and sometimes invisible.

It also recognizes that these biases are deep, mental, destructive patterns of thought that cling to and guide our behaviors. Layers and layers of human, corrective theories and practices have been tried, but as we see in this country today, the sleeping giant is awakened when one side ventures too far above what the other side considers tolerable.

What society does not seem to acknowledge or understand, is that total healing will never take place using human concepts and practices. The foundation of all healing, is spiritual understanding–understanding that begins with self-identification, and this identification is rooted in a “man made in the image and likeness of God.” That man is neither black, white, green or yellow, he is spiritual.

Spirituality is goodness, perfection, justice, faith, hope, righteousness and inner beauty . . . to name a few. With these embedded in consciousness, there is no room for hate, superiority, inferiority, injustice, inequality and fear.

Click on any of the book locations and be taken there).

Book Locations: Amazon, Barnes and Noble, Walmart, Book Locker
 

Is this a book that everyone can take something from? What is the
main message in this interview Dr. Mamie Smith?

I think it is a book everyone can take something from, because the
underlying message is spirituality, not religion. I also believe there are certain attributes or qualities that define spirituality–qualities like compassion, kindness, love, justice, freedom, equality and integrity. When these are embraced and lived in human experiences, a person’s inner self becomes free from deeply rooted beliefs that make us cling to human emotions like fear, bitterness, hate, pride, pain, partiality and human enslavement.

What advice would you give to young creatives looking to do what
you’re doing? 
 

Embark on a journey of self-discovery and self-identification. Ask yourself: Who am I? Where am I going? How am I going to get there? It does not matter what career you choose, where you live, what financial status you achieve, or whom you marry. It is the core values you embrace and live day-by-day.

Society has shown us over and over that intelligence, happiness and inner peace have no monetary value. You can’t buy love, neither can you purchase integrity. Those have to be earned. The experiences we have, are based on the thoughts we hold.

Intelligence, happiness and inner peace, have no monetary value.
Yourself, is what you see in another self, and the freedoms you share, are based on the freedoms you embrace. Enslavement of one, enslaves us all.

We are…what we believe.

Trailer: An American Story