Intro to Colleen Leavy 101
A new chapter begins in the life of the St. John XXIII Pastoral Team with Colleen Leavy – our new bulletin editor. A true rock star from a small town in Massachusetts, she sat down with me and talked about life as a kid, growing up the youngest of three girls and how she found her balance through design and using her creative gifts. Check out this interview and when you see her, welcome her to our Parish family.
DOWNLOAD THE BULLETINDH: Where are you from and what was life like as a kid?
CL: I was born in the small town of Pittsfield, Massachusetts and I’m the youngest of three sisters. Being the youngest, yes, I was spoiled a bit. But my sisters and I got along really well. I was a late surprise. My older sister is 10 years older than me so she was more like a mother figure.
DH: What ethnicity were your parents?
CL: Typical Irish/Italians from the Northeast. There are millions of us running around. We favored more the Italian side of our ethnicity. The cooking and family gatherings were all typically Italian. My parents were born and raised and never moved from Pittsfield. My parents were the first to inter-mingle the Irish and Italians, so it was super scandalous!
DH: Have any hobbies as a kid?
CL: My sisters were in college when I was very young, and there weren’t too many kids in my neighborhood, so I learned to entertain myself. I got into performing and writing music. I knew that’s what I wanted to do. So I was alone a lot, but that gave me the opportunity to hone my talent. I performed in, and won various contests in my local area, but it wasn’t until I was in my 20’s that I actually sang in a band. That was in Albany.
DH: So you moved to Albany?
CL: It might as well have been New York City in comparison to Pittsfield being such a small town. I was able to spread my wings when I started collaborating with other people and performing in a band.
DH: What kind of music do you perform?
CL: Dance/Rock n’ Roll… anything from Elvis to Pink. I was more into pop when I was a kid. But when I started in the band, the other members said “You could sound like Janis (Joplin), you know her right?” I was more into dance music, but they really introduced me to classic rock.
DH: So you went to college in Albany?
CL: Yes, I went to the College of St. Rose, for graphic design. Design exposed me to marketing and advertising.
DH: So that was a Catholic school… Did you go to Catholic school in grade or high school?
CL: All of it. Sacred Heart. St. Marks. St. Joseph – you name it, ha! The nuns taught us. They were quite strict. We wore uniforms, but I always accessorized with some striped socks. I knew I was going to be different. We just really didn’t know any better in a small town.
DH: What kind of student were you in high school? Book worm? Rebel?
CL: I was a little rebellious, but not crazy. I was searching for a creative outlet, and they really didn’t have anything back then for people like me. I had to struggle for years to figure out who I was and what I wanted from life. Kids these days have so much at their disposal. They have access to everything. They don’t realize how good they have it.
DH: Then you went to College of St. Rose?
CL: It was a breath of fresh air. I was exposed to so many different kinds of people and I could really find my way. College also exposed me to different experiences and subjects. I always knew I wanted to do something creative. The art department had its own building and there were creative people like me everywhere!
DH: So after college…
CL: I met my soulmate Nick, my guitarist, doing karaoke. I was singing “Love will Lead You Back” and he liked what he heard. We performed in a bunch of clubs and venues, and did some touring in other states. And that was the beginning of my band, Electric Lipstick.
DH: How did you get down to Florida?
CL: Nick, the guitar player had an opportunity down here, and there were a lot of different factors that played into it. Basically, we wanted to be in nicer weather (I mean, it was upstate New York) and we found a dream home down here. Unless you have millions of dollars, you’re not getting a house with a yard in the city of Albany. It’s bigger than you’d think up there.
DH: Yes, everyone has this idea of Albany: that it’s this small town (at least I do). So what do you want to bring to this position? It’s obvious you have the graphics skills…
CL: I left my last job doing graphics in February, so I haven’t been doing design work for a few months. I play a LOT of music. My band is booking 10-12 gigs per month, but I think I need to have both art and music in my life. I feel like it makes me a complete person. With my design experience, I hope to bring the bulletin, the other marketing collateral and the communications in general to the next level. I really love to design, so this is going to be fun for me.
DH: Ah, yes, so you need design as a balancing component of your life?
CL: Yes, and music makes me feel alive. I love to make people feel something with my music. When people come away from my shows and they’ve been touched – like, emotionally, it reinforces that this is what I’m put on this earth to do.
DH: Well it’s been great to get to know you a little and we look forward to seeing your work being done in the name of Christ. Thank you for your time and welcome to the family.
CL: Thanks! I would love to meet parishioners at one of my shows. Check out my band at:
www.electriclipstick.com
