Photo credit: Patrick Walsh
Multi-hyphenate artist Alina Smith - one half of the internationally acclaimed female writing/music production duo LYRE - recently dropped “Girl That Was Perfect,” her first single in five years. In conversation with Womxn Crush Music, Smith delves into the rising trajectory of digital in music, working with digital content creators and KPOP artists as a premiere music producer, sexism in the industry, creating safe spaces for women in music and much more. “Girl That Was Perfect” is your first single in 5 years. How did the break from your music to focus on producing for other talent help you find yourself? Wow, what a great question. When I decided to hang up the artist towel five years ago, I didn't think I would ever come back to it. I had spent about a decade at that point, jumping from country, to pop, to R&B and having no idea of who I was musically or as a human, really, so moving away from it felt like a huge relief. But the funny thing is, the more I produced and wrote for others, the more I began to understand what hadn't worked for me as an artist in the past. For example, a few years ago I used to push some of the artists I worked with to sound like other artists in an attempt to seat them into a niche. But it became apparent very quickly, the best way to record an artist is to bring out the unique elements of their voice, not make them sound like others. It made me realize I used to do the same thing to myself. I tried to stuff myself into some arbitrary box. So, coming back to it now, my #1 motto is to keep things real. My real voice without unnatural artifacts, my real stories, and instrumentation I truly gravitate toward. What is the message or inspiration behind the single? I wrote GTWP about overcoming body dysmorphia and bulimia. It's something I struggled with heavily in my teens and twenties, so when I first sat down to write for myself the concept aggressively burst into my mind. It was definitely painful to write - I cried the entire time - but also such a great release. It felt like I was shining a light into this dark dusty corner of my mind. Suddenly, that corner wasn't so depressing or scary anymore. After the break and producing for others, how has your personal sound evolved? How would you like it to evolve going forward? Again, an awesome question. When I was an artist five years ago, I was in country music, which, being super honest, was never my true passion. I enjoy the genre, but I only chose to be in it because I thought it would make me successful. Bad move LOL. Now, with "Girl That Was Perfect" and other music I have coming up, I'm actually creating music I'm deeply excited about. If it wasn't my own, I'd still listen to it and love it, which I think is a good sign. Sonically, I'm pulling from my inspirations growing up: Michael Jackson, Usher, Alicia Keys, Pussycat Dolls. Expect aggressive pianos, lo-fi strings, and a heaping of programmed drums. It's blatant 2000's bacchanalia and I love it! Tell me about your journey. From LYRE to becoming a premiere producer for influencers to now coming back to your own music, what was the turning point for each arc of your life in music? Every turning point in my career has been accompanied by some turmoil. When I first decided to set aside my artist project, it was a pretty dark time for me. My team had just pitched me to every major label, and everyone said no. My publishing deal was on the line, and I was told that unless I got other artists to record my songs right away I'd be dropped. That's when Elli and I started pitching our music to K Pop. We wrote seven days a week for months and almost immediately started getting cuts (our songs recorded) in that genre. Starting LYRE with Elli truly saved me. I'm not surprised that I'm returning to my artist project in the year of COVID. It's been incredibly tough in many ways, and a definite break in LYRE's workflow. For the first few months of quarantine, none of the artists we usually work with could come over to the studio, which freed up our schedule quite a bit. Having all this free time to think about my life trajectory made me realize I deserve another chance as an artist. It's exciting to see something that inspires me so much grow out of such a weird time. But, as they say, sh*t makes the best fertilizer. What are the fondest memories you have of working with influencers like Niki and Gabi, Nikita Dragun, Kenzie, etc? What’s something you’ve learned working with some of today’s top creators? I'll never forget how well-mannered Kenzie was when we first started working together. Every time I would tell her I liked a vocal take of hers she'd say, "Thank you so much!" She's always been a genuinely sweet and kind person. And the first memory I have of Nikita Dragun is her strutting into the studio with full makeup on, gorgeous pink wig swaying. I loved seeing how she was so unapologetic about who she was! You have always worked to create safe spaces for women in the music industry. What needs to change in regards to women’s safety particularly in music? I think there needs to be a lot more education around the topic. A lot of male producers don't realize that certain behaviors they think are funny or even complimentary are actually microaggressions against women and that, unless they specifically make efforts to make girls and women comfortable in their studios, they might not be. And, of course, there needs to be a lot more female and non-binary producers, writers and engineers! Which is why my partner Elli and I are so excited to be in this field, not only doing the work but also sharing it online. Currently, we run a Youtube channel where we share a lot of production tips and tricks, and it's always so rewarding, getting messages from young girls that are inspired by what we do. In your own experience, what has been the most effective and empowering way to overcome sexism in the music industry? Being good at your job! When your work is excellent, those gender presumptions that "girls can't do this or that" pop like balloons pierced with a pin. Music is constantly evolving and particularly now with the lack of live music, the digital space has become the prime hub for musicians. In your opinion what are the pros and cons of this evolution? Wow, you're really hitting me with some great questions. I think there's good and bad there. Obviously, for musicians that mostly make their living playing live gigs this is disastrous, and my heart goes out to them. For writers, I think it can be tough too, because the modus operandi in the industry is in-person songwriting sessions, and not a lot of people are comfortable doing those right now. I think the silver lining is the advancement of remote writing technology like Listen To by AudioMovers. I can stream my Ableton session to my collaborator in Nashville, and they hear it with minimal delay. Elli and I have written some great songs remotely during this time, which makes me hopeful for the future. So far, it's been very difficult for those that don't live in music cities like LA to be taken seriously in the writing scene. But I feel like this might change because of this remote writing revolution we're experiencing. How do you see music in general evolving going forward? What are innovations you predict or even wish would happen? It's been really interesting to see how the advancement in tech has made it so much easier for new musicians to enter the space. I remember back when I was starting out in like 2005, our digital audio workstations didn't have anywhere near the capabilities they do now. You really did have to rent out a professional studio to get a good-sounding song. Now you can make stuff on a laptop that sounds better than songs with $100K budgets did in the '90s. I'm hoping this ease of creation will bring us a lot more exciting new music. Music from those who back in the day could have never afforded to enter the field. It's exciting! What qualities do you believe independent digital creators have that allow them to compete with and succeed against major label acts? There's something insanely powerful about digital creators. You don't only get to enjoy their content, you also get to know them, which creates a strong creator-viewer connection. To give you an example, I'm obsessed with the Sims (a popular life simulator game, for those who don't know), and I watch this creator lilsimsie on Youtube make videos about the Sims. Not only do I enjoy the videos, I also enjoy seeing Kayla (lilsimsie) on a regular basis. I feel like I know her personally; it's almost like hanging with a friend. When you're able to create this kind of bond with your audience, any music you put out will be well-received by them. But it will be especially poignant if the music reflects your personality. I've seen this a lot with Gabbie Hanna, who is a creator I work with. Her songs are deeply personal, and her fans connect to them on that personal level. It's a conversation between her heart and theirs. As a traditional media artist, especially if you're brand-new, that level of intimacy with your audience is pretty difficult to achieve. What advice would you give a young woman who’s looking to find their footing in music? Surround yourself with supportive women! I know there's some stigma around women being competitive around each other's success, but I think it's a big load of BS. I wouldn't be anywhere I'm at today without the love and support of my partner Elli! You pursue a wide range of interests whether music, visual art, writing and even podcasting. How does each facet of your creative identity enrich your life? The funny thing about pursuing a lot of creative endeavors is that the lessons you learn from each of them bleed into each other. For example, I used to be a pretty impatient songwriter, but writing a novel for almost two years now has taught me an insane level of patience, which I now apply to songwriting. Podcasting is a pretty new pursuit for me, but it's surprisingly helpful when it comes to writing my book. Interviewing people on the show makes me dig into their backstories, teaches me to understand them on a deeper level, which is a skill I can now bring to my fictional characters. I love the idea and concept of your podcast “Crossover Creative”. What inspired the idea for it? Thank you so much! As I've mentioned in the previous question, I'm a pretty broad creator, which is something I feel has been stigmatized a lot in our culture. There's a certain level of commodification going on. It's a lot easier to stuff people into neat little boxes - "singer", "writer", "woodworker" - as opposed to viewing them as something limitless. So, that's where my podcast "Crossover Creative" comes in. I want to shed light on the creative lives of polymaths, to let every artist tuning in know: it's okay to be your unabridged self. What is the one struggle of being a polymath/crossover creative that not a lot of people realise or know about? Even if you have enough time for all of your pursuits, switching constantly, bouncing between them can be very overwhelming. It's a bit of a tightrope walk. On one hand, you're getting to grow leaps and bounds and do all the things you love. But if you take one wrong step, you're tumbling into a sea of stress LOL. I talk about this a lot on the podcast: managing not only your time, but also your energy and mental health as a polymath. Are there any other interests you’ve yet to explore completely? What’s something you’d love to delve into? I would love to write a non-fiction self-help book! It's a genre I haven't explored before, but I do feel like I'm pretty good at writing inspirational tweets LOL. That's the fun thing about being a polymath; you never know when an idea's gonna hit you out of nowhere. I try to never question inspiration. If it speaks clearly enough, I know I have to pursue it, whatever it is. What’s been the most memorable or surreal moment in your career so far? What’s next for you? It was pretty cool when Gabbie Hanna's songs "Honestly" and "Honestly (Encore)" went #1 on iTunes and beat out artists like Drake and Cardi B on the chart. They were the first songs we created with her, so Elli and I had no idea what to expect. It definitely wasn't this. My next big goal is to finish writing my book "Influencer". I'm currently on draft 2, and I can see the light at the end of the tunnel. Whatever happens to it, it will be a great feeling just to have a finished manuscript in my hands! If you had to condense the incredibly diverse career journey you’ve had into three words, what would they be and why? Weirdo Strikes Back. I feel like a lot of artistic people feel like outcasts growing up, and I was definitely one of them. I wasn't exactly bullied - I was tall and mouthed off at anyone that tried - but it still left a residue on my mind, that feeling of not fitting into any group, knowing that a lot of my peers didn't connect with me. I spent my 20's just trying to get people to like me. It feels amazing being in a place now where I can be my full self and not care if anyone thinks I'm too out there. Finally what’s one question no one asks you in an interview you wish you were asked? People don't usually ask me what I do for fun. I think it's easy to assume I'm this robotic person, who works 24/7, but that's completely untrue. For me, it's really important to unwind and feed my creative brain with some things that inspire me. I'm a huge Harry Potter fan, and I love anything themed to the books: HP puzzles, HP video games, HP humor on Youtube. I also really love reading, especially fantasy and sci-fi genres: anything that helps me re-envision the world! As an ex-workaholic, I have to confess: learning to relax has been hard, but it's also been a huge boost to my creativity. The more I allow myself to just be, the better my art becomes. If there's one thing I could impart to other artists it's that you don't need to create from open wounds. Let your scars inspire you, but keep 'em closed, for goodness sake, and enjoy your life. Written by Malvika Padin Malvika is a freelance music journalist and publicist based in London and born in India. Currently the Editorial Coordinator at #WCM, she is also the Online Editor for alternative music magazine Discovered and one of the admins of Facebook journalism community 'The Journalist', founded by German-Indian journalist Johannes Koch. Malvika is most passionate about giving rising artists a chance to shine, and is also keen to focus on diversity and people of colour in the creative space. Email : malvikapadin@gmail.com: Twitter/Instagram : @malvika_padin26
0 Comments
Multi-hyphenate creative Amyra announces the presales for her compelling debut body of work WITNESS -out September 15th- with the video for vulnerable yet impassioned single ‘On the Run.’
A musician, playwright, author and activist, Amyra artfully blends music and poetry to deliver powerful performances focused on anxieties that rest within inequalities and injustices of the current world while prompting healing. Described as “a testimony, a hymn, a battlecry,” WITNESS is a work of art that celebrates love, blackness, and womanhood as it urges anyone listening to dance out of the shackles of societal captivity with strength and peace.With heartfelt lyricism that borders on a brilliant stream of consciousness, WITNESS gives the world a view into Amyra’s world as she urges listeners to introspect and overcome the weight of silence to find their way to the freedom that awaits them on the other side. Her latest offering from the album ‘On the Run’ is this empowered artist’s journey to learning to love themselves and others, finding safety in an unsafe world that makes hatred and fear its weapons. Speaking of heart-wrenching experiences that inspired the track, she says “ I wrote On the Run during a time of excruciating tension, Alton Sterling and Philando Castile had just been murdered and my spirit didn’t quite understand how to feel safe in my body. As a Black woman I often find myself shifting paradoxes, even when at peace I am forced to decide whether I am Black or Woman. On the Run was an attempt to write myself into a safe place. It is an odyssey of love. It is about the overwhelming fear of loving a black body as a black body.” She continues,” It analyzes the cyclical madness that has made this history of violence all we know to expect. We did not come here as slaves, we were made into them. There was a time before this, before the theft of limbs and melody, before the constant bloodshed, a time when we were free, free enough to love unapologetically. My hope was that this song could take us there, or at least remind us that this time and place existed before and will again. I was born on the run and will not rest until I wake to a morning without mourning.” With her timely and impactful music, Amyra speaks out for every Black person targeted by the ignorance of the world, and Amyra’s work teases out narratives that deserve to be explored. An urgent look into themes of love and loss, bliss and bloodshed, WITNESS is just the brave beginning of a long fight. The presale will be available on Amyra's bandcamp page : https://amyraleon.bandcamp.com/ About Amyra : Musician, playwright, author and activist AMYRA has performed throughout the United States and Europe collaborating with the likes of The Apollo, BAM, BBC, Roundhouse, Amnesty International and more.She composed Una Mujer Derramada in collaboration with Sivan Eldar commissioned by and performed with Lisbon's Gulbenkian Orchestra, the Montpellier National Opera, and the Paris Chamber Orchestra. She is the inaugural recipient of the Battersea Arts Centre Phoenix Award which led to the 2019 London premiere of her debut play VASELINE.She is also the author of Concrete Kids (Penguin 2020), Freedom We Sing (Flying Eye Books 2020) and Darling (Walker, Candlewick 2022) . Amyra has shared stages with Common, Robert Glasper, Nikki Giovanni and more. This was written by Malvika Padin, journalist and editorial coordinator of #WCM  When I embarked on my entrepreneurial journey, I only had my experience as an artist to guide me through the ups and downs of building what is now #WomxnCrush Music. Over the last few years I’ve been able to hone those skills, learn countless new ones and coach creative entrepreneurs on how they can translate the skills they already have to help propel their business aka their artist careers.
Contrary to what most people believe, entrepreneurship is an art form. A lot of it does encompass trial and error, there are plenty of late nights, creating from scratch, collaboration - much like when making music. Last week during our South Florida/Atlanta #WCMOnTour stop, I was lucky enough to moderate a panel on How To Think Business When You’re A Music Creative, featuring Gabriela Ortega, Sr. Label Manager at Warner Music Latina and Audrey Gámez the Education Director of C4 Atlanta, an organization that offers professional development courses for artists looking to further their creative businesses and personal artistic careers. We discussed the many layers of being an entrepreneurial artist and while there are many different moving parts (as with any business), here are some tips that might help you get started. “The idea that you only need arts entrepreneurship at the beginning is a myth - learning throughout your career is important longevity.” - Audrey Gámez ADMINISTRATIVE WORK IS STILL IMPORTANT WORK. Regardless of whether you are a singer, songwriter, producer,etc. - if you’re a creative and are actively working on pursuing this as a full-time career, you should have an LLC. One of the first steps in propelling your artistic career is to acknowledge that it is indeed a business - with expenses and revenue streams. Having an LLC protects your personal assets and separates them from your business. You’ll have a much easier time with taxes and will be able to have a separate business banking account for all of your artist career transactions. Other important administrative tasks: copyright those songs and track those royalties! LEARN THE DIFFERENT PARTS OF YOUR BUSINESS. Regardless of whether or not you have a team, it is crucial for you to understand how all parts of your business function. Know where your money is coming from, know where it’s going, learn what effective marketing is, stand up for what is important to you. Basic knowledge of all of these things will help you build out the team of your dreams and know if they are making good decisions for your career. “You may not have that person but you can be that person, take a digital marketing class, learn adwords,etc. Knowledge is power.” - Gabriela Ortega BUILDING A TEAM IS IMPORTANT. While being knowledgeable about all of the aspects of your career is key, as you grow you’ll need to hire experts and outsource different tasks. Having someone else represent you not only elevates your status when securing gigs, press, etc. but also can help relieve you of some of the non-creative work related to building your biz. If you don’t have the funds to hire someone just yet, see who in your circle may want some artist managerial experience. You can build your own little brand ambassador team to help you at any point in your career. Don’t feel like you have to do it all by yourself. BUILD AN AUTHENTIC BRAND. Your brand is your artist business personality. Identifying your core values, where you see yourself in the future, what gives you energy and what takes it away is going to be the backbone of your brand. Gabriela lets her clients choose three or four pillars of things that are important to them and bases a marketing campaign around those. It makes creating, executing and sharing of those campaigns more natural and it will resonate with the audience you want to attract. Your business is an extension of you, don’t forget that! DEVELOP YOUR NETWORK. Connections rule the music industry so don’t be afraid to reach out to someone who you’re hoping to learn from. However, doing this thoughtfully can make or break the conversation. Learn how to pitch yourself, always offer something in return in exchange for their time, and never ask for a direct connection to someone. Once you’ve connected with someone, express gratitude towards them often and don’t just check in when you need something! And even if they cannot help you now, they may be able to in the future so never shut anyone out. Really fostering these connections will help in the long run. #WomxnCrush Music’s mission will always be to create opportunities for our community of rising womxn songwriters and our aim is to host more webinars like these to continue fulfilling that mission through one of our main programming pillars - education. We have so much more in store for you for the rest of 2020 so stay tuned! See you (virtually of course) on our next tour stop of Portland/Seattle starting this week with our showcase benefitting The Old Church and next week for our panel on Mental Health in The Music Industry. RSVP for both here. *This piece was written by #WCM’s Founder and CEO, Ashley K. Stoyanov. Keep in touch with her on IG at @ashleykstoyanov or email her at ashley@womxncrushmusic.com - she loves hearing from the community!  Stella Gotshtein is a Tel-Aviv based performing artist and audio engineer. I first learned about Stella while scouring YouTube for clear, concise lessons on basic mixing concepts. Stella recorded a series of videos for Waves Audio that were exactly what I was looking for. I was so impressed with her teaching and communication style that I emailed her to connect. Stella agreed to chat with me via Zoom so that I could learn more about her career in audio, her musical projects, and the growing studio scene in Tel-Aviv. How did you get started in audio? I went to record drums for a song of mine. I already wanted to find a studio where I could become an intern, and I came to this studio where they recorded mostly hard-core metal music, which was not my type of thing, but somehow I felt the engineer was very strict. I really liked it and I felt like he could teach me. I just asked if I could help him. I would help him and ask questions. It was one or two years that I was there, and then a big studio opened the position for assistant engineer and I got in. There I slowly became an engineer myself. I was also reading a lot of books, sitting with other engineers, and recording at home. I’m really grateful that I got to work in a big studio. What’s the audio scene like in Israel? Everything is happening in Tel-Aviv. We’re trying to get this industry growing. There are a few big studios, but it’s very limited. It’s small, but there are a lot of talented people. One thing I noticed about your experience is that you do everything! You can’t do just one thing here. These days, right here, there’s just not enough work to do just mixing. It’s possible, but it’s hard. I feel like, personally, I always was really interested in trying to master a lot of things. With time, I do understand that I actually want to focus. If you were to focus on one thing, what do you think that would be? I would say making music, but it's always a hard question because I love mixing and recording, so it’s hard to choose. I really love studio recording, maybe the most. Producing [other artists] doesn’t come easily to me. It never has. I really put my heart in it and I go to sleep with it. If you put your heart into something you don’t feel fits, it’s hard to wake up in the morning and go do it again. So I love producing, but it’s really, really specific. What are you most excited about working on in the future? There’s an artist that I work with, Assaf Amdursky, who’s very talented and a big thing in Israeli culture. We are working on one album and starting another album. We built his studio together and for the last three years we’ve been working there. It’s a big honor. I’m also releasing my own album, which is the most exciting thing for me. It’s an album that I was recording for the last two years and that I produced myself. Someone else is actually mixing it. I recorded it half at my studio and half at Amsdursky. My studio has a window to the sky. I love it. About Stella Gotshtein : Stella Gotshtein is a Tel-Aviv based performing artist. Graduate of the Music-Technology department in Bar-Ilan University. She released one solo album, two side project albums and collaborated with many great musicians in Israel and abroad. Parallel to this she has developed her production and engineering skills and spent hours working in recording studios. Today she's a producer and mixing/recording engineer at Assaf Amdursky's studio. Stella also composes music for dance, film and art installations and is a guest teacher for Omni Sound Project. Social Media Links : Website | Instagram Facebook Written by Lisa Machac Lisa Machac is a musician and director of the Omni Sound Project, an organization dedicated to being the most accessible point of entry to the music and audio industries. Omni Sound Project strives to provide affordable opportunities for learning to under-represented communities as well as spotlight the talents of female and gender non-conforming audio professionals. Social Media Links : Website | Instagram | Facebook Cyber PR Presents for #WCM: Aretha Franklin: 9 Women of Soul / Who Changed the Music Industry8/28/2020  In August we celebrate the birthday of the late, great Aretha Franklin. We’ve dedicated this post to her as well as other monumental women of soul. This article was written by Kiara Marques, a student at Fordham University and a self-proclaimed concert junkie, under the supervision of Jenn O’Hagan, PR Director at Cyber PR.  Aretha Franklin Years of Prominence: 1960s-2018 When the world thinks of soul music, they automatically think of one name: Aretha. Aretha Franklin is best known as the woman who established the 1960s golden age of soul. Although her legacy has garnered her the title of the “Queen of Soul”, she was so much more. A singer, songwriter, pianist, and civil rights activist, Aretha Franklin revolutionized the artistic culture of the United States. Having won 18 Grammy Awards, she is one of the most honored musicians in Grammy history, in addition to being the first female artist to be honored in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1987. Some of her classic hits include “I Never Loved a Man (The Way I loved You)”, “Think”, and of course, the infamous “Respect”. Franklin’s talent as an artist who could not only sing soul, but countless other genres, also earned her the title of “Greatest Singer of All Time” by Rolling Stone in 2010. In addition to her musical accolades, she was a powerful voice of not only music, but justice, fighting for women’s rights and the Civil Rights Movement alongside Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Some of the most revered contemporary R&B musicians such as Beyonce, Mariah Carey,, and Mary J. Blige have drawn inspiration from Aretha, who paved the way for female soul singers all over the world. The Queen of Soul will truly always be esteemed as music royalty, and her legacy as a trailblazer in the industry will forever be remembered. Spotify  Etta James Years of Prominence: 1960s-2011 Etta James is widely known as a woman who defied genre, having conquered the soul, R&B, blues, rock and roll, jazz, and gospel genres. She is remembered best for her hit “At Last”, the song that would define her as a legend in music. James’ intensity as a singer with her deep and earthy voice has accredited her for bridging the gap between rhythm and blues and rock and roll music. Her talent also won her a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, eight Grammy Awards, and inducted her into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1993. Her influence is heard today in the music of superstars such as Adele and Christina Aguilera, and her iconic legacy is one that earned her spots on Rolling Stone’s lists of the 100 Greatest Artists of All Time and the 100 Greatest Singers of All Time. Spotify  Gladys Knight Years of Prominence: 1960s-1980s Gladys Knight is a singer and songwriter known as the “Empress of Soul”. She rose to prominence as the lead vocalist of the R&B/soul family musical act Gladys Knight and the Pips. The group put out several hit singles such as “I Heard It Through the Grapevine” and “Neither One of Us (Wants to Be the First to Say Goodbye” and toured with iconic musicians such as Diana Ross and The Supremes, before Knight’s departure in pursuit of a solo career. With her massive hit “Midnight Train to Georgia” and recording the theme song “Licence to Kill” for the 1989 James Bond film of the same name, Knight amassed massive success as a solo artist. With seven Grammy awards, a spot on the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, and being regarded as Rolling Stone’s 100 Greatest Singers of All Time, the Empress of Soul is an absolute powerhouse in the music world. Spotify  Nina Simone Years of Prominence: 1950s-1990s The “High Priestess of Soul”, better known as Nina Simone was a singer, songwriter, pianist and civil rights activist whose unique approach to music blended gospel and pop music with classical. Having been a musical prodigy since the age of four, and having attended the Juilliard School of Music, Simone was an exceptional talent. With the success of her 1958 hit “I Loves You, Porgy”, she became a major breakout star. Simone is widely regarded as one of the most influential recording artists of the 20th century and broke many norms in the music industry through her use of social commentary in her music. She was heavily involved in the Civil Rights Movement as well, performing and speaking at major civil rights meetings such as the Selma to Montgomery marches in 1965. Because of her legendary talent and activism, Nina Simone won the Grammy Hall of Fame Award, was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, and received honorary degrees in music and humanities from Amherst College and Malcolm X College, leaving her with a legacy that will never be forgotten. Spotify  Roberta Flack Years of Prominence: 1970s-1990s Roberta Flack is a singer known for her hit singles "The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face" and "Killing Me Softly with His Song", with which she became the first and only solo artist to win the Grammy Award for Record of the Year for two consecutive years in 1973 and 1974. Throughout her career she has successfully overtaken the worlds of soul, pop, folk, R&B, and jazz, and has received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame as well as four Grammy awards and thirteen nominations. Aside from her musical ventures, she advocates for artists’ rights to their own music as a member of the Artist Empowerment Coalition and founded the Roberta Flack School of Music in the Bronx in 2006. Spotify  The Supremes Years of Prominence: 1960s-1970s The Supremes were a pop-soul group made up of Diana Ross, Florence Ballard, and Mary Wilson, that took the music industry by storm in the 1960s, making them the most commercially successful vocal group in America to date. Their popularity spread throughout the world, rivaling the success of even The Beatles, with twelve number one singles on the Billboard Hot 100. The peak of The Supremes’ career coincided with a pivoting movement in the civil rights era, and their influence helped change the public image of African Americans during that time. They received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame and were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1988 as well as the Vocal Group Hall of Fame in 1998. Additionally, the group is regarded by Rolling Stone as one of the “100 Greatest Artists of All Time”. The Supremes made it possible for future black R&B and soul musicians to succeed, and for that reason their legacy is truly empowering. Spotify  Patti Labelle Years of Prominence: 1960s-Present Patti Labelle is a singer, songwriter, and actress whose career has spanned over sixty years, earning her the title of the “Godmother of Soul”. Her fame began in the early 60s as the lead vocalist of vocal group Patti Labelle and the Bluebelles, who released hit disco song “Lady Marmalade”, which would be inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame. Their popularity got them the cover of Rolling Stone magazine, making them the first black vocal group to land the music publication’s cover, in addition to being the first pop group to ever perform at the Metropolitan Opera House. After the group disbanded in 1976, Labelle pursued a solo career and found much success, selling more than fifty million records worldwide. She has also earned a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, has earned three Grammy awards, and is on Rolling Stone’s 100 Greatest Singers of All Time list. Spotify  Dionne Warwick Years of Prominence: 1960s-Present Dionne Warwick is a soul singer and songwriter whose pop and R&B styled sound has earned her over fifty years of success as a musician. Her career began with the relative popularity she found as a teen as part of family group The Gospelaires, before high-profile artist Burt Bacharach discovered her talent and potential as a solo artist, leading her to release her first hit single “Don't Make Me Over”. Throughout the 60s, Warwick became the first crossover artist to receive a dozen consecutive Billboard Top 100 hits, and through 1998, eighty of her singles made all Billboard charts, making her one of the most-charted female vocalists of all time. She has sold over 85 million records worldwide, and is a six-time Grammy award winner, among these making her the first female artist in Grammy history to win both Best Pop Vocal Performance and Best R&B Vocal Performance in the same year, for the singles “I’ll Never Love This Way Again” and “"Déjà Vu". Besides her musical ventures, Warwick has also been an activist for many causes, serving as the U.S. Ambassador of Health, and being one of the first musicians to highlight public awareness of the AIDS epidemic, raising millions of dollars for the cause. Spotify  Mary Wells
Years of Prominence: 1960s-1990s Widely regarded as the first female soul superstar, Mary Wells was known as the “Queen of Motown”, helping define Motown as a record label in the 60s with her smash hit “My Guy”. She eventually left Motown and she found less success, but her choice in fighting for artistic freedom was not ignored. Wells’ legacy helped introduce soul music to a much wider audience. A true music pioneer, she was celebrated with a Pioneer Award from the Rhythm and Blues Foundation, and “My Guy” earned a spot in the Grammy Hall of Fame. In 2017 she was also inducted into the National Rhythm and Blues Hall of Fame. Spotify Written by Jenn O'Hagan : From event coordination and marketing, to community management and performing, the PR Director of Cyber PR , Jenn has glanced behind-the-curtain in many areas of this industry. Well-versed in all things Cyber PR, Jenn works with artists to identify if they’re a perfect fit for our company and if so, which services will be the best match. Find out more about Jenn and Cyber PR here. Founded by music entrepreneur and CEO Alexa Ace in 2016, and managed with business partner and Director of Operations Micayla Chandler, Gold Hand Girls is a multimedia music platform dedicated to empowering and connecting women in the music industry, by breaking industry norms, conquering patriarchal statistics and elevating universal inspiration for women, men and members of the non-binary community. In an interview with Womxn Crush Music, they delve into their new podcast Women and Music, the inspiration behind it, their plans for the future, passion for everything they do and much more. Listen to the podcast here. Read the interview below!
For more information on Gold Hand Girls : Website | Instagram | Facebook Written by Malvika Padin : Malvika is a freelance music journalist and publicist based in London and born in India. Currently the Editorial Coordinator at #WCM, she is also the Online Editor for alternative music magazine Discovered and one of the admins of Facebook journalism community 'The Journalist', founded by German-Indian journalist Johannes Koch. Malvika is most passionate about giving rising artists a chance to shine, and is also keen to focus on diversity and people of colour in the creative space. Email : malvikapadin@gmail.com: Twitter/Instagram : @malvika_padin26  I often get asked for tips on how to take care of your voice. As someone who suffers from quite a few allergies, and someone who spends many hours each day singing, here are some of my tips that keep my voice staying strong and healthy:
Those are some of my simple tips to keeping a healthy voice! Got any other vocal questions? Send me a message on Instagram (@audriix)! Written by Audriix : When it comes to pursuing her passion for music, Audriix is nothing less than a force of nature. Growing up in northern California, the singer/songwriter begged for violin lessons at age two, took up the instrument just a year later, and soon moved on to also mastering piano, viola, and singing (eventually adding guitar and drums as well). Having started writing songs at age six, she later self-produced her first batch of material in the midst of earning three degrees from Stanford University. Through it all, Audriix has developed her own unforgettable voice as an artist: strong and self-assured, thoughtful but light-hearted, clear-eyed yet infectiously hopeful. On her full-length debut Status Change, Audriix brings that voice to a brightly edgy brand of pop built on massive choruses and effervescent melodies. Website : https://www.audriix.com  I sat down (virtually) with Elise Solberg, classical-turned-pop extraordinaire and founder of Turn Up Her Mic, a brand new organization that spotlights women in the music industry doing behind-the-scenes work. Elise has a degree in classical piano performance from the Thornton School of Music at USC and has performed with multiple pop bands, including GRAMMY® winners Chloe x Halle. Turn Up Her Mic recently hosted its premiere virtual panel on women in the music industry, which can be viewed here. Part two of this series was streamed live via Zoom on Tuesday August 18th at 3pm PST. If you missed it, tune in for the replay here. Tell me a little bit about your musical background, Elise. I grew up as a classical musician, and it was a long journey doing that, because I started when I was four. And then I ventured off into college, and I majored in classical performance. And I was watching the popular music showcase at USC. They have a pop music program, and I was curious and I checked it out, and I was like, “Ah, this is so cool!” Because my whole life I had been playing piano by myself, and it gets kind of lonely. And when I was watching the students play, I was so inspired. I was like, “I really want to be part of something like this.” So I asked the head of the program, Patrice Rushen, if I could be in it, and she said they had room for one more keyboardist, so I joined. It was really inspiring because there were strong female instrumentalists in that class—bass players, keyboard, guitar players and drummers—that were really good, and I was like “Dang, okay!” I was so glad that there were women around me, and I was particularly inspired because the program was run by a woman. I got to take a few lessons with Patrice, and she said, “You know, this is something you can do.” What led you to found Turn Up Her Mic? When I got into the more professional musical settings, it became very clear that there weren’t many of us at all. I was still living in that world of not knowing what it was like, because my first gig was with Chloe x Halle, and they have a female band. But as I kept playing with different artists, I was like, “Oh, wait. I’m the only girl in the room.” And oftentimes there would be this energy of having to prove myself a little more than the men would have to. Men aren’t used to seeing women play, and so there’s this attitude of “Oh, we have to check her out first.” But if it’s a guy auditioning, they say, “Oh it’s gonna be fine,” even if he ends up not playing that well. I would show up to auditions for artists where I would be the only female. There was this one artist that I was auditioning for, and I was the only woman there out of 50 people. But there was one woman there, and I was like, “Wait wait wait! Is she a female musician?” But she was doing the admin stuff. I was really inspired to start this organization because I was seeing in the real world that there really aren’t that many female musicians. There are a lot more good female musicians out there now, but percentage-wise it’s still very low. I was at a jam session once, and my friend was playing—she’s the bass player for Chloe x Halle—and she was taking a solo, and people were like, “Oh my God, who is she?” And I want to get to the point where people don’t say “Oh my God, it’s a female musician!” So that’s why I started [Turn Up Her Mic], because I wanted to put female musicians at the forefront. As it is right now, there aren’t many resources that show what we do. There’s a lot of articles about songwriters and producers—like Nija Charles, Diane Warren, all these wonderful women songwriters, they’re getting good press, and that’s great, but sometimes I wonder about musicians that also make things happen behind the scenes for artists as well. I feel their stories are just as important. Sharing the struggles that we have to go through. You never know sometimes if you just put stuff out there. If it can make a difference in someone’s life, like a young woman who’s looking to get into this world and learning to play, or a man who’s been in the industry for years and goes, “Oh I’ve never thought of that before,” then that’s good. If you could speak to a young woman looking to get into the music industry in one of these behind-the-scenes roles, what would you say to her? Just the fact that there’s these musicians on this panel just playing and backing artists and that’s literally it—I think that’s a good message in and of itself. But sometimes it’s just really really nice to see yourself in somebody else. That’s the other aim of Turn Up Her Mic—not only giving musicians more humanity and a voice, but also inspiring younger musicians who don’t perhaps have a mentor. Because I know sometimes coming by a mentor or somebody you can look up to is hard, especially if there aren’t many female musicians. And just seeing them up there and playing I think makes such a huge difference. Is there a particularly vivid memory you have of not being taken seriously in your profession? There was an instance where we were in rehearsal and there was a new music director, telling us how we were going to do the intro and outro—this was with a band that I was playing with. It was so strange because he did not really question the guys—I was the only girl in the room. He wanted us to play this arrangement, and it was this other style that we hadn’t played together before. And so we were listening to it and he was going around and testing all of us to see if we could play it, and he said, “Well, I don’t think you can play it because you have a classical background,” and I was like, “Excuse me?” I thought it was just because I was a woman. If I could get into this band that plays R&B music, then why couldn’t I play this particular arrangement, which is also R&B? It was just a very weird situation, and then I proved him wrong. I could play it. I was disappointed that no one stuck up for me in that situation. The person who DID stick up for me—the coordinator of the band—she was another woman! And I was like, “Why am I surprised that this woman is the only one sticking up for me.” What do you envision for Turn Up Her Mic in your wildest dreams? I envision it to be something that not just women but men recognize as a platform showcasing women who aren’t afraid to speak out about their experiences. I want that to transfer over to young women who want to get into this industry. In terms of expanding, I want there to be a mentorship program where women can mentor younger musicians. Like I said earlier, sometimes it’s hard to find a female mentor. I just got lucky, especially to have somebody like Patrice Rushen, who’s been in music for such a long time. But I want there to be a program where young women can be paired up with a mentor, learn about the industry, learn how to go about auditions, learn how to respond to situations that can occur. Maybe they’re a beginner at their instrument and need some encouragement. Or maybe they’re close to a professional/collegiate level. I’m also thinking of starting this series where musicians lead a masterclass in recording at home. I think that might be helpful especially now when you can’t really do recording sessions. Just having resources like that—there’s actually a couple women that are really big on Instagram whom a lot of people follow to see their content. Maybe having a master class on that—“here’s how to get a big following and create good content”—because that’s been very powerful. A lot of musicians have gotten gigs just by people checking out their Instagram. I’m from the opera world, and even though there are many roles for women in opera, women almost always die or are killed at the end of the show. We need to change the stories we tell about women in classical music in order to create more equity in the field. Do you feel the one-dimensional stories being told about women (mostly by men) in pop music are contributing toward the way women are seen in the industry itself? That’s a really great question. I think the big topic about women in pop music is that everything is sexualized. As a feminist, you want women to have a choice. If they want to express their sexuality, that’s fair. The way that men—especially in rap—depict women, being really disrespectful, I wish that would change. Talking about women’s bodies disrespectfully often plays a part in women being objectified. We have leeway as a general public to say “That’s too much.” I think we need to support women that write about things that come from them. For men to project that onto women who don’t have a say in it—that’s not fair. Beyoncé, for instance, in her self-titled project, wanted to reclaim herself after giving birth, which came with her sexuality. A lot of the comments being made were that she was being a terrible role model. But what Pharrell said was “You set a whole bunch of women free. You said it was okay for them to feel good about themselves and their bodies.” Nicki Minaj and Cardi B—they brag about themselves in their songs. But whenever a female artist brags about herself, people say, “It’s too much. She’s stuck-up.” Whatever we write about, men will always say, that’s too much. So we have to keep supporting women songwriters who write content that provokes the public’s consciousness. Like Nicki Minaj says, “I’m a bad bitch.” Turn Up Her Mic will host part two of its virtual panel series on women in the music industry live via Zoom on Tuesday August 18th at 3pm PST. Replay here The meeting ID to join the panel on Zoom is 899 7516 9783. Password: 933666 You can learn more about Elise through her website, elisesolberg.com, and follow her on Instagram @eliseyuka Follow Turn Up Her Mic on Instagram @turnuphermic or on Slack @ turnuphermic.slack.com Written by Erica Furgiuele : Erica Furgiuele is a Boston-based composer, playwright, lyricist, and singer. She has performed off-Broadway and on tiny stages in mountain towns of Vermont, always for the love of the game and bringing stories to the people who need them most. Her work has been published by New World Theater and performed all across the interwebs. She has a B.A. in Theater/Film from Middlebury College. Twitter :@EricaFurgiuele 
Shelby speaks about something that everyone deals with at some point in life; the feeling that life can sometimes suck. Not everyday is going to be a good one, and not everyday is going to be bad. She may only be a teenager, but her outlook is something that everyone can relate to. This year has not gone the way anyone expected it to, and Shelby reminds us that it is OK. The song starts out talking about how life can be good and bad with Shelby singing with just a solo guitar. As the track progresses, though, it turns into more of a powerful song with a positive spin. The message in the song is something everyone needs to hear at some point. “Today was good, and tomorrow might not be” reminds us to look at each day for what it is. Towards the end of the song the tempo and strength in the music increase. She sings about not being able to see the future and that it can be a bit scary. Overall this is a song that can lift up the listener and remind them that just because they’re having a bad day, it doesn’t mean that everyday is going to suck. Good and bad days come in a mix as we go through life. CONNECT WITH SHELBY : https://www.shelbymerchantmusic.com/ https://www.facebook.com/ShelbyMMusic/ https://twitter.com/ShelbyMMusic Written by Amanda Esptein : Amanda is an avid music lover and supports independent artists in various genres. She writes for music publications in her spare time to share her love of music with the world, as well as learning to be a musician herself. She believes that music has to be experienced and not just heard.  Gina DiGiorio just released her single “This Isn’t That”. She is following in the footsteps of the great pop artists with this track. She tells us all to be ourselves and not compare ourselves to others. Hi Gina. Thanks for taking the time to chat with me. You started on screen and stage. What inspired you to make the change and become a musician? I’ve always loved pop music, and then I eventually decided to write my own songs. I wanted to write music that I liked, and also thought other people could relate to. Who are your musical influences? I’ve been inspired by a lot of artists throughout the years such as The Beatles, Backstreet Boys, Billie Eilish, Ariana Grande, etc. What can you tell me about the new song “This Isn’t That”? The song is about being yourself and not comparing your life to others. I wanted to create a song that would inspire and empower people. Where did the inspiration come from for the track? This has been a difficult year for a lot of people, and I wanted to make a song that others could relate to. Such a powerful message in the song about being yourself. What do you want your listeners to take away from the song? I hope people can be inspired, and not feel like they have to listen to other people’s negative comments. I want my listeners to find confidence through my music. What would you say is your creative process? I start by getting ideas for concepts and song titles by sometimes just thinking of creative phrases, observing others in everyday life, and also listening to other people’s conversations. There’s a lot you can learn just from doing these things. Are you a creative person with things other than music? Yes, I enjoy acting too. Recently, I’ve been a working actor in some indie films, and I also have music that’s featured in the soundtracks. I’m looking forward to continuing to do that. How has the state of the country affected your music release? It hasn’t affected my life much, I’ve still been able to put out music, but I miss performing for my fans. What would be your dream collaboration? I would love to collaborate with BTS someday. I think their music is inspirational to a lot of people. Always a fun question. What is your favorite thing about performing on stage? I love seeing all my fans come out to support me. I really thrive off their energy, and it keeps me going. What is to come yet this year for you? I’m going to be releasing new music soon, and I hope to perform somewhere by the end of the year. Something fun and random to end this chat. Favorite ice cream flavor? I love Ben & Jerry’s cookie dough core ice cream! CONNECT WITH GINA : Instagram | Twitter | YouTube Written by Amanda Epstein : Amanda is an avid music lover and supports independent artists in various genres. She writes for music publications in her spare time to share her love of music with the world, as well as learning to be a musician herself. She believes that music has to be experienced and not just heard. |
