ABOUT... Lesley Mitchell-Clarke and LIGHTWORK HYPNOSIS

Lesley Mitchell-Clarke is a consulting hypnotist, graduate of The Ontario Hypnosis Centre, member of The National Guild of Hypnotists with a special certification in Past Life Regression. Lesley and her hypnosis clinic, LIGHTWORK HYPNOSIS are also focused on the use of hypnosis for the positive improvement of all issues pertaining to artists of all disciplines (actors, dancers, visual artists, writers, musicians, vocalists, etc.) and the unique demands that they deal with in their daily lives and careers. Lesley Mitchell-Clarke is uniquely qualified to work with artists, as there is hardly an area of show business in which she has not worked. For some time, she has been a familiar name in the realm of media relations, promotion and production of musical and theatrical events, as well as arts journalism. For the past eighteen years she has been based in New York City and Toronto, specializing in jazz specific music publicity. In addition to her work as a media consultant, she has also worked in virtually all phases of the entertainment business, beginning as a ten year old principal actress with the Los Angeles area “Sherman Oaks Children’s Repertory Theatre” – along with classmate, Melanie Griffith. Born into a show business family, Lesley’s late father, Whitey Mitchell, was a veteran jazz bassist and Emmy Award winning comedy writer and producer, and her Uncle was the late jazz bass legend, Red Mitchell. In the scope of her own career, she has worked as a busy singer/dancer, and traveled with a number of name acts, including Mitzi Gaynor, Tommy Sands, Fabian and Robert Goulet, and has appeared in numerous television shows, features and TV Movies, including “Queer as Folk”, “The Jeffersons”, “Happy Days”, “Laverne and Shirley” and “Divorce Court.”

After touring the Orient extensively with her own musical group, “Main Squeeze”, Lesley owned and operated a recording studio in Los Angeles where many jazz projects and much of the vocal work for Hanna-Barbara Cartoons was recorded. Lesley has also worked in production on NBC’s “The Tonight Show with Johnny Carson”, “The Hollywood Squares” and “The Midnight Special” as well as numerous productions for Merv Griffin, Dick Clark, Bob Hope, Mark Goodson and Chuck Barris.

Throughout her career as a publicist, Lesley Mitchell-Clarke has also been busy as an arts and music writer, contributing to publications such as L.A. Jazz Scene, Hot House – Florida and New York, The Manhattan Mirror, The Whole Note, TheLiveMusicReport, CODA and Jazz Canadiana.com, as well as penning a number of CD liner notes, including a set for Freddy Cole’s recording, To the Ends of the Earth (Fantasy Records). Lesley was an associate, and later an account executive with the highly regarded New York City public relations firm, Third Floor Media (founded by Helene Greece). During her tenure there (as well as independently) she handled a variety of accounts for many major recording labels including projects for Concord Records, Atlantic, Sharp-Nine, GRP, Koch, Brownstone, DRG, RCA Victor/BMG, Nonesuch Records, Telarc, Columbia, and most of Warner Bros. jazz, covering both international CD promotions, tours and “live” performances.

A few of the major jazz artists with whom she has worked directly include Marian McPartland, Joshua Redman (for whom she was involved in a landmark endorsement hook-up between fashion giant DKNY and Redman), Marian McPartland, Barbara Carroll, Janis Siegel (of The Manhattan Transfer), Blossom Dearie, Fred Hersch, Larry Goldings, Brad Mehldau, Wallace Roney, Jeanie Bryson, Terence Blanchard, Kevin Mahogany, Cyrus Chestnut, Ray Anderson and Helen Merrill.

While at Third Floor Media, she was also the on-going publicist for the world famous jazz venue, “The Village Vanguard”, and helped orchestrate the memorable media event celebrating the historic club’s 60th anniversary. Other major projects included acting for several y