Rising Stars: Meet Monique Ford

Today we’d like to introduce you to Monique Ford.

Hi Monique, thanks for joining us today. We’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
Hey everyone! Monique Ford here – Lead Singer/Band Founder of Titonic. A little backstory on my personal musical journey. I grew up listening to Motown and R&B and fell in love with any music that moved me. I was ready to participate in every talent show or event that would let me sing and I always loved being in front of people and entertaining since I was 5 years old.

My go-to talent shows the song was Say My Name by Destiny’s Child. I was the lead singer, and my sister and cousin were my backup dancers. A full choreograph and the whole nine yards. I was not playing when I wanted to get on stage.

I was born and raised (till about 12 years old) in a rough area in Denver and then moved to New Mexico where I finished high school and attended college at Eastern New Mexico University on a classical vocal scholarship. I then continued my music education at South Plains College in Levelland, TX, and was inspired by a great vocal teacher and mentor of mine, Jay Lemon, who brought me back to my earlier music roots and my love for Funk and Soul.

I graduated with an Entertainment Business Degree and a Live Performance Degree in Commercial Music. I moved to Fort Collins in 2017 and got in a funk band within 3 days. I was super excited to be a part of a funk band! That soon faded after a few months as I started to get discouraged and felt like I was being used to more than being a valued member of the band. I was just the lead singer, nothing more.

I could not contribute to anything but singing and I did not have a say in song selection or anything business related, though I have a college degree in Entertainment Business. It was more like, singing your song and then getting off the stage. That is how I felt about it anyway. But it literally took the love of music out of me. So much so that I stopped singing and doing music for 1 year.

I was in a real funk and not the good kind. I knew that if I got back into music, it would be on my terms and I needed to create my own band. Titonic was formed in March 2019. I sent out ads on music platforms looking for potential members that loved the same music that I did. I held auditions at the Music District in Fort Collins and what I thought would be a 4–5-piece band turned into an 8-piece band.

I made sure that everyone knew, that though I formed that band, it was our band. We all have a voice in the direction of where the band is and where we want to go. Everyone in the band pitches songs. Everyone in the band is aware of how much they are getting paid once a show is booked and several members of the band help with the business side of it too.

We are a team and support the growth of this band together. I also appreciate the respect from my bandmates as their woman leader, as this role is predominately a man position in most bands I know. It is definitely not an easy task to start a band from the ground up. I do commend anyone that has done this or aspiring to do so. You can do it! It is hard but it is feasible.

My advice is to find bands that are like yours (genre-wise) and see where they are playing. I would then reach out to that venue and ask how you can be considered for a date. I have yet to use a booking agent (had a couple of one off’s), but I have been the main booking person for our band since we started.

We have now grown our Facebook following to almost 2k on our band page and gaining more support for every show we play. We are super thankful for the growth and the support. Outside of Titonic, I sing in the church band and write worship songs for my church Christ Covenant Church in Lakewood. I also love to play my original music at open mics with my husband and sing at funk jams.

For work, I am the Program Director for an International Artist Development program based out of Los Angeles, CA called VocalizeU. It brings music education and networking connections to aspiring artists, songwriters, producers, and dancers from all around the world. Our teachers and mentors have won Grammy awards and have worked with the biggest names in the industry like Mariah Carey, Kelly Clarkson, Justin Bieber, Michael Jackson, Whitney Houston, Prince, Dr. Dre and so many more!

I get to do all the planning for this once-a-year program that takes place in July. I love doing music and am extremely blessed that I get paid to do what I love. Very grateful! I am also a recent graduate from the University of Colorado Denver where I obtained a BS degree in Business Administration – Human Resources.

We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
There is no easy road that leads to success. There is always hard work tied to it and plenty of ups and downs in this industry. I also think it is much harder for a woman to lead in this industry. In the early stages of forming Titonic, I was approached by a booking agent that promised to get us shows but did not want to pay us fairly.

He tried to gaslight me and told me that I could not become successful without him and his connections. Well, I never worked with him again. From there I knew I had to figure out how to book myself with the help of my Trombone player Brent and my past music educational studies. We have since booked and played a majority of those shows he said he could not get.

First off, having humility and integrity is important not only in this industry but in everyday life. Secondly, there is always another way if others shut the door on you. Pick yourself up and continue going forward. Another obstacle we faced was when Covid hit. We were only a band for about a year at that point. So really fresh in the scene.

We were fortunate to have had a couple of shows in 2020 but it really slowed us down. After a few months of lockdown and some restrictions lifting, we were able to get back together and practice. Since then, we have been playing at least 2-3 shows a month in the summer and continue to increase our playing every year.

Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
As I mentioned in the previous section, I am currently the Program Director for an Artist Development Program – VocalizeU, based out of LA. I absolutely love helping artists reach their greatest potential and I suppose that is why I got into HR. It has always been a passion of mine to help people succeed. I always tell people that I have always fought my way up in this life.

Not physically per se, but the struggle to succeed is real. Especially growing up in the projects and being surrounded by violence and drugs. Though I was still pretty young and did not participate in any of that, I was still exposed. Many people do not leave that life or can’t figure out a way to get out. I like to be the voice and show them that they can leave, and they can be successful.

I am a go-getter and if I want to achieve something, I will. I think what sets me apart from people is that the “NO’s” I receive fuel my flame and I push even harder. I am always learning! I love to learn from others and learn by trial and error. I am always thinking of ways to get better and be better at anything I do.

Who else deserves credit for your story?
There are many people that deserve credit, and I am completely grateful to have them in my life. The first is God. I am a proud Christian, and I could not find my purpose in this life without him and my covenant family. Secondly, my mom Dorothy. She always worked very hard to get us everything that we needed growing up. Working two jobs to put us in private school is just mind-blowing.

She definitely paved the way for me and my siblings and showed us that we had to work hard for anything we wanted. I learned that from her first. She also loved music and had the radio on every day! We were always singing and dancing in the house.

My husband Jacob has been such a big supporter of mine in general and in my musical journey. I appreciate that he is also a musician and is the first one out to my shows supporting me when he can. Love you, babe! I mentioned Jay Lemon previously, but I want to mention him again. He truly is the funky keys master and my greatest mentor. He helped shape my voice, introduced me to funk music, and overall believed in me since day one. Lastly, my bandmates.

Without them, we would not be Titonic. They have worked so hard and put in so many hours to commit to getting Titonic on its feet. I am thankful for each and every one of them and those that have come and gone. Very thankful for my guys! There are many people that have made an impact and you know who you are. I want to say thank you for believing in me, believing in Titonic, and supporting the music that we love!

Contact Info:

• Website: www.titonicband.com
• Instagram: www.instagram.com/titonicofficial
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Titonicband
• Other: https://linktr.ee/titonic 

Image Credits
Michael Emanuele, Chianne Coffman, and Michael Copelin