Check Out JUST ANGEL Angel Te’L’s Story

Today we’d like to introduce you to JUST ANGEL Angel Te’L

Hi JUST ANGEL, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstory.
Who is JUST ANGEL:

I am Just Angel. Also known as Mom, and Auntie. I am autistic, ADHD, I have progressive glaucoma so sometimes I am blind. I also have a hearing aid in my right ear. This is my second time as a college student, this time at the UMKC Conservatory, as a future Music Therapist. This is my first time being excited about a degree! I will be 48 Christmas Eve. I am the oldest out of 3 biological siblings ( little brother, Thuston, 41 , baby sister, Jonnet, 39). We were created from parents that have been married since 1975. Two years before they had me. I’m, conveniently, seen as a PK (pastors/preachers kid). My dad didn’t accept his call to ministry until my first stint in college twenty years ago. He started pastoring 2002. The same year I graduated from Columbia College.

Both my parents are/were, musicians and/or musically inclined. My mother would still be considered one because she actually still is invited to sing places, and she still plays piano. She’s sang and played since a child, was a director of the choir before leaving elementary school and has travel and toured doing music. She’s a song writer and a recording artist and known in the city for being a part of a few historical KCMO groups. She mostly leads praise and worship now and most of her performances are non-secular. She has made it to the second level of X-factor twice. And still randomly sings on big stages. My dad, who recently passed last December, 2024, played percussion and trumpet in a funk band in the 70s, early 80s. He was NOT a singer. Still tried though. would find a way to make up song at church and requires us to be his honorary BGV’S on a whim. Never failed.

I wrote all this because music has been a part of my life my entire time on this planet. I’ve never known an existence without it. Regardless if it’s been waking up at 3am because my mother had a song on her heart that she needed to work out harmonies for. It may be the reason why my sister doesn’t do anything in music to this day. But also the reason my brother ended up the minister of music at our church, can play keys, but started off on drums and his son is the drummer for our church that my little brother now Pastors.

I have done music my entire life. My first words were a song. Minnie Ripertons “Loving you” my mother always tells people this story. I’ve sang in every school choir. Played clarinet and bass clarinet in concert and marching band. Was the only black girl in our Highschool Folk Music group “87th St. Gang”. I’ve sang in Dreamgirls at the Starlight while Jennifer Holiday came and graced the stage int he early 90’s. I’ve sang at Carnegie Hall while in college obtaining my first degree. Which, coincidently, isn’t music. It’s Criminal Justice administration. I never had any intention of going to school for music. I never saw a point. All the things I wanted to do in music I had already done or had been blessed to do. I was still doing things in music so my dreams had me looking a different direction altogether because music was just a part of me. Something I did without thinking of it. I always had a stage or a place to do it. So school wasn’t the necessary source of it.

Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
I don’t know if any road worth traveling is a smooth one. There will be bumps, detours, hills, and valleys. Such is life. I have dealt with multiple losses in my lifetime. So many that have shaped my identity as a human. The ones that affected me more than anything were my babies I lost, Nothing has been a greater accomplishment than being a mother. And I am very blessed to have the most amazing daughter. Frog will for ever, and always, be my dream come true! Losing her siblings, the multiple, back to back miscarriages I experienced, changed the type of mother I was going forward. It let me know that nothing is promised and to be grateful to what you have. Going through all of that dealing with a divorce while losing Baby Monroe in 2017, the same year I turned 40 changed how I saw myself and the world. I dealt with issue of abandonment, postpartum depression, health scares, and imposter syndrome. It took me while to get back to music in a way that I had been prior to being married. I was with My ex-husband since 2004. Us ending in 2017, changed how I saw relationships .Moving forward in life? I Started taking on stages again. Seemingly a newbie.. Singing the rock, pop, alternative and jazz songs I was familiar with on urban stages that accepted my sound and genres that didn’t seem like they would fit, but did. Moving forward, dealing with blindness, deafness, depression, opening about my Autism and ADHD, and allowing myself to not mask. I still struggle within my “superpowers” and using my disabilities as a propeller to send me further than I thought I could go! I have accomplished so many things dealing with trauma… so much more that what I mentioned here. To get to this point in my life and now my Daddy goes and breaks my heart and leaves me! I know that’s not what death is but that’s how I choose to see it within my current emotional state. His passing wrecked me to my very core! Nothing is the same. But I still have to keep going. I still have to do music. .I still have to Grace stages. I still have to make music and create things. Art. Songs. Words. I still have to keep going. I am not the best reflection of the features I carry of his on my face and through my disposition if I stop. I often want to, But I can’t. Doesn’t matter if I remarry. Obtain a new last name. .Go back to the old. I will forever be a Packnett. The first child of Thuston L. Packnett, Sr. His baby. His first name sake. Te’L. As in Thuston Lovell. T. L. And he was proud of Just Angel. So that long road ahead? I just gotta make sure I have gas money or good walking shoes cuz Ima keep going.

Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
I recently release a single, “Dumb”, August 9th. I plan on releasing an album in October. I have 3 projects already streaming everywhere. Just Angel pt1, pt2 and a separate single called “Thinking”. I’m on a lot of peoples projects and I plan on continuing to work with other artists if they will have me. I’ve performed on a multitude of stages with my own band “The Wades” as well as the eclectic pop rock band “My Brothers & Sisters” who I started with in 2011. I’ve had many opportunities doing professional BGVs for local and international artists. And have performed in clubs, restaurants and open mics all over. I want to use my voice however it’s welcomed. Whether solo, in a group or musical theater. As long as I can sing and dance I’m happy!

Music Therapy. I knew the position existed but I didn’t know how affective it was as a career until I saw it in person. I actually was able to see that someone was doing something I did naturally. Outside of music, and outside of church and “ministry” I have worked in assisted/independent living since 2016. Companion care and seniors are familiar territory to me. Things I would do while working would be singing with or to residents to help calm anxiety, deal with dementia and/or relate in conversations. I grew up in a household that wasn’t genre specific. We listened to everything. Wasn’t just gospel. Jazz. Rock. Pop. Reggaeton. Funk. Classical. Country. The Blues. Show-tunes… My mommas favorite Artist is Rod Stewart. Explain that to other black girls growing up in the 80’s!!!

Anyway. I was at work, with a client that was on hospice. Her entire family resided in California. She didn’t want to be placed in a hospice facility. She wanted to pass in her own home. So her family set up for her to have companion care. Someone to make sure her radio or tv was always on and playing music and to sit with her. They didn’t want her passing alone. They wanted to know when the end seemed near so they could prepare to travel. Once I knew that they wanted her to hear music all the time, I asked if it was ok if I practiced while sitting with her during my shift. The family loved that Idea and agreed! So I would sit and sing while she was in her resting state. I would play music and just sing along. If her breathing changed up I would change to suit what I felt she was feeling.

My daughter is 14 years old. When I was 6 months pregnant with her, My maternal grandmother passed from Alzheimer’s. My mother and I was blessed to be with her as she took her last breath. We sang until the rattles came and until she went on to glory. We did the same for my paternal aunt. Exactly two months later. My cousin passed from cancer the winter of 2019. More of the same. Not saying it was a trend. Just seemed like something that we were called for. And Gods perfect timing made it so that we were the ones there. Singing songs to them. To Jesus. However it went. When my paternal grandmother passed 5 years ago, from Alzheimer’s we were there. Again. So it wasn’t scary or traumatic for me to be in the presence of hospice or situations where I knew I was to serve as comfort.

Anyway, I was going into my clients apartment to sit and sing. I heard, what I thought, was the radio. Super loud. And I was like ok. Maybe the family was there. Nope. That was the day I met Maggie Rodger’s. Music Therapist. She was next to the residents bed. Singing and playing guitar. And I just stood there in awe. She had not heard same Brookdale polo as me, but was there with a guitar. Once she was done we spoke. She recognized me from music. I recognized her from walking around the apartments but I thought she was someone just like me. We spoke and I found out so much about Music Therapy and she is who prompted me to come and speak to Dr. Robinson, The professor over Music Therapy at UMKC. She set up a meeting and now here I am. I auditioned because Maggie said what I do is important. My gift, my voice. How I have been using it is important. And If I decide to be done with stages I can still help people with my voice! I can still speak to those who can’t speak for themselves. I can use music to do more that provide peace. I can be what music was for me.

I love singing. I love performing. I love singing in my authentic voice and relaying my authentic emotions. If the stage is mine and mine alone I don’t sing what I don’t feel. It wont relay as genuine. If my story isn’t understood or felt then it won’t matter! I feel music matters so every performance I give should as well!

Where do you see things going in the next 5-10 years?
I don’t know. I have the ability to look forward and think about how music will change. The thing is, I struggle, internally, when I think too far ahead. I have already took some serious hits recently so that forward thinking is limited. Maybe 2 years ahead for now. lol Right now the world in in such disarray because of the powers that be I truly believe there will be a change in the things people sing and rap about. I think music will, once again, be how we RAGE AGAINST THE MACHINE. I truly believe music is going in a direction where music is in place to help and heal. Hence my journey into Music Therapy. I think the sound of music is going to give more room for live sound and live arrangements again. Synth is cool but there are so many musicians that are creating magic and releasing treasures. Just sitting with their friends and playing . Singing. Jamming. Drum circles. I recently heard a song by Corook and she used kazoos! I just think that live music is becoming so much more important to all. Seeing artists in their elements are taking over. Even if its on a video. Technology has changed how we can watch or attend concerts! People spend less time streaming music then watching performance. Things like Tiny Desk are what captivates us! We want to see the artists sing, dance and talk to us. We want the intimacy of music again. Even if the Artist is miles away. You can still feel it with these outlets. Facebook like concerts. Shows on IG. Thats the change. And I love it..

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.itsjustangel.com
• Instagram: Justangelfornow
• Facebook: https://m.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61560172557535
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/just-angel-tigerlilystar-58888b13?utm_source=share&utm_campaign=share_via&utm_content=profile&utm_medium=ios_app
• Youtube: https://youtube.com/@justangelfornow?si=UiTDaWKJ2ttTslIv
• Other: https://linktr.ee/JustAngel_TigerLilyStar