Darlene Koldenhoven: Grammy Vocalist, Sister Act Nun, and Sonic Therapist on Creativity and Reinvention After 50

She was three and a half, standing in front of 200 people, when she lifted her dress over her head so no one could see her. Her mother rushed up: "Darlene, put your dress down and sing." Five decades later, that is the title of her memoir — and the philosophy of one of the most extraordinary careers in American music.IN THIS EPISODE:Growing up where creativity was a sin — and discovering the piano as her therapist at nineThe listening eye technique: teaching pitch-matching to people who think they can't singSoprano soloist on Yanni Live at the Acropolis — 1.5 billion TV viewersThe tambourine-waving choir nun in both Sister Act films — hired in 60 seconds in a nun's habit she already ownedRecording with Pink Floyd, Barbra Streisand, Whitney Houston, Celine Dion, and over 1,000 sessions totalGrammy Award, three nominations, MVP Best Session SingerA dog fight shattered her hand at 48 — five years to recover full useLaunching her own record label at 55 with no manager and no agent — Billboard chart hits and a number one radio recordHearing her own song play in the hospital while they cast her broken wristPut Your Dress Down and Sing: the memoir, the message, and why it matters to every woman in this audienceEPISODE SUMMARY:Darlene built a career almost no one could replicate — and then reinvented it in her 50s, entirely on her own terms. Her pivot to solo indie artist, her own label, 14 albums, Billboard entries, and an Indie Music Hall of Fame induction at the Grammy Museum are proof that the most creative years don't have to be behind you. Her message: put your dress down and sing. Whatever your stage, whatever your song.ABOUT DARLENE:Grammy winner, five-octave soprano, sonic therapist, memoirist, and founder of Time Art Recordings. First inductee into IMC's Indie Music Hall of Fame. Based in Studio City, California.CONNECT: darlenekoldenhoven.comCOMMUNITY: WeCanDoItWomen.comIf this episode made you want to create something — anything — it is not too late. Join us at WeCanDoItWomen.com. A 5-star Apple Podcasts review helps more women find this show.