Songwriter journeys from cubicle to stage

On a fateful Monday morning, Lauren Lapointe spontaneously quit her desk job to become a musician. This Savannah-based singer-songwriter affirms that it’s never too late to chase a dream.

“I grew up in an environment where you didn’t earn a living with creativity,” Lapointe said. “I always loved music, but I didn’t grow up with it. I didn’t learn it.”

Lapointe only began writing and performing eight years ago. Originally from Canada, Lapointe found her inspiration when she moved to Savannah. She credited hearing a live acoustic performance at a coffee shop as a catalyst for her choice to pursue a life of music. She described the moment as a lightning bolt saying, “I can do this!”

That jolt quickly followed her to her workplace.

“We were doing what co-workers typically do, complaining about our jobs. For some reason, I finally heard myself,” Lapointe said. “I thought, ‘I’m acting like I don’t have control over my life. Nobody’s forcing me to be here.’ Everything hit me that morning. I thought that life’s too short. I wanted to do something else. So I gave my notice that day.”

Three weeks later, she and her husband traveled to the renowned Blue Bird Cafe in Nashville, Tenn. Watching other performers only strengthened her resolve to learn how to play guitar and write music.

In 2006 Lapointe returned to the Blue Bird. This time she took to the stage with a song from her critically acclaimed album “Beautiful Shadow.” Since then she’s only built momentum, adding performances in New York City’s Rockwood Music Hall and a public radio network feature to her roster.

“I’ve never really approached music with the idea of getting discovered. I look at it more as a way of life,” she said.

Part of her new lifestyle includes devoting time to her fans. Songs such as “Ballerina Girl” resonate with her audiences. The song tells the true story of a 65-year-old woman who became a ballerina after retirement. Lapointe also equates this to her own experience of abandoning the corporate world to pick up a guitar.

“A lot of people think if they haven’t succeeded by age 14, it’s too late. That’s a sad way to live your life. People e-mail me and tell me at gigs that my story motivates them,” Lapointe said. “One woman began e-mailing me for over a year. The song encouraged her to drop almost 150 pounds. She said that ‘Ballerina Girl’ was a major influence for her.”

Lapointe will perform her original songs from her second album, “Butterfly,” at the Sentient Bean on Friday, Feb. 5. When asked about her expectations for the show, the songwriter said she anticipates a fun, intimate evening. This show marks a milestone for a woman liberated from her cubicle.

So what would she say to anyone wanting to follow her lead?

“I subscribe to the belief that you can do anything if you really want it. There’s always a way.”

Photo courtesy of Lauren Lapointe