Teaneck Resident Releases Debut Album

Like many artists, Carol Crittenden had a fear of releasing her work before she felt it was truly ready.

She calls it “procrastinating perfectionism,” and it’s when the pursuit of producing a flawless product creates an environment in which artists never stop to share their work but only focus on the end result.

“I think that’s something that a lot of artists have to fight against – where you’re just honing it and honing it, and you don’t want to put it out there until it’s perfect,” Crittenden said. “We’re all very self-critical, so it’s important to be fearless and just to put it out there wherever it is now. That’s the only way you grow, and the only way that it will evolve into whatever it ends up being.”

Crittenden said that philosophy of sharing one’s creative journey lies at the heart of her debut album En Route, which is available for purchase or download at iTunes, CD Baby, Amazon and Digstation.

A CD release party, which is open to the public, is scheduled for 6 p.m. July 31 at Rockwood Music Hall in New York City.

THE BEST TOY: A TAPE RECORDER

Crittenden moved to Teaneck when she was three-years-old. Her parents, Richard and Mary, still live in town. Her older brother David lives in Montclair. Crittenden herself doesn’t live far away from her home base; she lives in Leonia with her husband Jared.

“I love Teaneck; it’s such a diverse town, and I feel really lucky to have grown up there,” she said.

For as long as she can remember, Crittenden said she loved to act and sing with her childhood playmates.

“We’d put on shows or make up songs,” she said. “One of the best toys we ever had was a tape recorder. I remember spending hours and hours creating radio shows and making up songs and skits. That’s the kind of games that we played growing up; it was all around music. My father is an opera director and teacher, and I just came from a musical family and that kind of influenced me.”

Crittenden said her time in Teaneck Public Schools also provided her with an outlet for her creative talents. She caught the acting bug thanks to an acting class she took with a Mrs. Lucy Walker at . Once she made it to , Crittenden found various ways to perform and received guidance from the school’s vocal music teacher Maredia Warren.

“Dr. Maredia Warren was a huge influence on me,” said Crittenden. “I loved chorus and madrigals with her. She was very encouraging.”

Warren, who was the vocal music teacher at the high school from 1986 to 1999, said Crittenden shined both in singing and acting.

“When she was a student at Teaneck High School, it was evident that she had something extra special with her natural and beautiful singing voice. She was also a very good actress,” Warren said. “Even now, as I listen to Carol's voice, I can still hear that wonderful resonance and purity even though she has more maturity in her warm sound.”

Warren said she was both proud of and excited for Crittenden’s achievement of putting out an album.

“Her music on the album is very tastefully composed, performed and produced. It really draws you in,” Warren said. “I appreciate that Carol has always kept me on her mailing list in order for me to follow her activities and career. It means a lot for me to be able to see how former students are doing. This is a wonderful milestone.”

PRACTICALITY BEFORE DREAMS

Upon graduating from high school in 1992, Crittenden attended Ithaca College because of its “outstanding music and theatre program.” However, instead of studying the arts, she pursued a major in communications and entered the workforce in the advertising industry. After a couple years, she said she missed the arts side of her life. So, she quit her job and began to pursue careers in acting and music.

“It’s never too late to follow what you love to do,” she said. “It was unfortunate that I didn’t pursue acting and music in college but at the same time I’m glad for the balance that I was able to create. I got a lot of other skills that I think have helped me to earn a living while pursuing my dreams.”

Crittenden said her acting gigs vary, but she works regularly with the Rogue Company out of Westminster Art Center in Bloomfield.

“They do a lot of classical work, a lot of Shakespeare and some new, original work,” she said. “I do a lot of work with them. It’s a nice little group and a great place to stretch your acting muscles.”

Crittenden also sings with a group called Four Celtic Voices, which has toured mostly along the East Coast.

This last year, however, has had Crittenden more focused on completing her album. She wrote all the lyrics and co-wrote the songs with L.A. producer Mike Datz and New York City producer and friend Eric Mauriello.

Crittenden said she hasn’t pinned down any future plans as of lately except for spreading the word about the album.

“It’s hard to know exactly what’s around the corner,” she said. “There are always random auditions and just perform, perform, perform.”