Music & entrepreneurship from the cradle on
Joana Roots (real name Jasmin Joana Di Pietro-Hirt) has had an eventful and varied life despite her young age (she was born in 1985). As the daughter of a Filipino musician and a Swiss entrepreneur, she was practically born with musicality and an acumen for business.
At the age of 4, she began classical piano lessons at the Fribourg Conservatory. She quickly garnered labels such as prodigy and exceptional talent. She won various piano competitions up to the age of 11. Her first singing audition came at the age of 12. She then recorded her first single for a renowned Swiss children's charity alongside Hollywood star and James Bond actor Roger Moor. Her exceptional talents for studio and live performances and songwriting were also recognized, which ultimately led to her first album and the associated tour.
From child star to record deal
As a child star, she was praised widely in the Swiss media landscape, from TV appearances to magazines and newspapers (some articles listed below), whereupon, at the age of 16, the Swiss producer Roland Frei (who produced albums by Subzonic and Tina Turner, among others) became aware of her and produced another album of her own compositions with her. This collaboration was not only extremely instructive but also successful. As a result, the most prestigious record companies took an interest in the young artist and offered her highly coveted recording contracts.
Switzerland is not Hollywood
However, as Switzerland is not Hollywood and her parents had an extremely conservative attitude that included other plans for her, they turned down offers from record companies (EMI, later Warner Music, and BMG, later Sony BMG). Even though Jasmin was used to her personal interests and in particular her musical career having to be something secondary or tertiary to school and her parents' business, this experience was very dramatic and had a negative impact.
It not only buried a major and hard-fought dream, but also, for the time being, the hope of successfully using her talents to make the leap to freedom and turn her personal story around. Hers is a story that has been shaped and stifled since early childhood by abuse and coercion from all categories. With the album already produced and the upcoming tour, her parents would have given up the reins completely.
Interim
In summary, by the time she was 17, Jasmin had a promising commercial music career on the verge of a breakthrough, a conservatory certificate in classical piano, work experience in her parents' business, and was attending secondary school. Until the age of 23, she studied business administration (final thesis in business psychology) and ran her parents' business on the side as a substitute for her abusive father (who underwent illnesses and hospital stays due to alcoholism).
Despite a high level of frustration that she was denied her breakthrough at 17 after all that work, Jasmin continued to make music and graduated from the jazz department at the conservatory, arranged and composed music for her various bands, continued to win the odd prize, and learned the craft of digital music production and electronic publishing. However, her relationship with music at this time was fraught with extremely traumatic experiences. Apart from gigs where she felt safe with a band, she kept out of the limelight.
The leap to freedom
Jasmin remained trapped and manipulated in an abusive environment until the age of 26. But in that year, she sought professional help, spoke about her traumatic experiences for the first time, and finally found the courage to break free. So, at the age of 26, she began her self-determined life from scratch (and with zero cash in her bank account), but with the wealth of experience of a 60-year-old and a large backpack of traumas to deal with. In psychological/psychiatric treatment, professionals noted the exceptional nature of her natural self-healing powers. Her case was even used as exemplary for developing studies in this specialist field.
Without financial stability, there was no time to rest, so she had to decide what to do next without pause. Despite some extremely interesting job offers from people who knew her in her role as "de facto managing director" and were aware of her entrepreneurial skills, she plucked up her courage again and placed all her bets on music.
Today, 2022 – 12 years later – where things stand now:
- Continuously self-employed as an entrepreneur with a focus on coaching and singing
- Founder of and involved in various important companies in the service sector, such as Wedding Voice, Marry You, Punkt: Wedding Voice, Marry You, Punkt GROUP GmbH, Vocal Art, Erfolgskompass
- Founder of the holistic method for modern singing, establishment of Rooted Singing as an official brand and educational pathway
- Over 700 concerts and events performed
- Over 800 singers accompanied in vocal and career coaching, as well as songwriting & recordings
- Creation of over 250 jobs for artists
- Recognition in the media for being a musical entrepreneur (some listed below)
- Financial, personal, and entrepreneurial security with sustainable, fair, and team-oriented structures
- Family environment as a wife and mother of two in her own house by the forest
Making music as a professional art form remains a somewhat dicey prospect to this day. However, a wealth of knowledge and experience flow into Rooted Singing training, a learning structure that’s rooted through and through, completely "ROOTED" in real experience with practical relevance and practical benefits. Rooted Singing also takes into account the holistic spectrum of being human "whole-heartedly" and thus teaches modern singing that is both highly professional and versatile.
