Donna-Marie Smith Visits Section 36 Music!

Donna-Marie Smith is a fantastic photographer focusing on concert photography. And she focuses extremely well. I'm so excited she was willing to visit with us so we could all learn a little bit about her. I'm sure you'll love to hear what she has to say.

So, let’s see what happens when Donna-Marie Smith visits Section 36 Music!

When did you realize that photography was something that you loved?

I've always had a love for taking photos since I was a kid. My aunt used to give me her camera just to keep me busy. Then getting older taking photos and videos helps me remember the moments I was in, it helps especially that I don't have the best memory sometimes. 

How did that lead to specializing in concert photography?

I love going to concerts and just capturing the moment of things, whether that's photos or videos. Like I said I like remembering the moment of things, and watching a video or looking at photos from the show helps me remember what that day was like.

How would you describe your photography style?

My style is raw photos. Maybe because I haven't learned 100% how to edit my photos yet but they come amazingly unedited. I would like to know how to fully edit photos soon. 

What has been your favorite photography experience thus far?

I have a few; capturing Tate McRae at her last Boston show, getting my first paid gig for a small artist I met at another show and making friends with his opener and hanging out with them both and the band after the show. Lastly, going to a show on my birthday this year might have been the best because I was in my element on my birthday and it was the best birthday ever. I have too many memories from shows, it's hard to pick just one.

What would you say are your biggest photography career challenges?

Some of the biggest challenges in this career in general is just trying to find gigs, and finding that one person that will take a chance on you. Another one is learning how to edit photos so they come out cool but that's something I'm not worried about right now. 

Do you have any specific photography career goals?

Learning more about how certain cameras work, finding that one artist that will take a chance on me and it working out in the end. And just living the life I dreamed about; working as a photographer for an artist. 

--

That would definitely be a great opportunity!

As always, I want to thank Donna-Marie for visiting with us, and for sending along the pictures to accompany the interview. 

I'm sure you’ll all want to follow her and see what she has going on. Here's the best place to find her:

Instagram

Thanks again Donna-Marie, and good luck reaching your goals!

Katie Joy Visits Section 36 Music!

Section 36 Music had another visitor! Katie Joy is an incredible singer, with a single, "Reliving You", that you need to listen to right away. I was so excited that she wanted to visit with us to discuss the song, her future goals, and more! I'm sure you'll love what she had to say.

So, let's see what happens when Katie Joy visits Section 36 Music! 

Your recent single, “Reliving You”, is just outstanding. What can you tell me about it?

Reliving You came from a really hard place. For a long time, almost all the music I wrote was about grief. A year after they passed, I realized I was still stuck in that same headspace, like I couldn’t write about anything else. So I decided to write about being trapped in those feelings instead. The song is about the exhaustion of feeling like you’re going in circles. I wanted people who’ve been through something similar to hear it and feel less alone, even if only for a second.

Do you have a favorite memory from the recording process?

The highlight of my experience was working with my producer, Gabby Harwood. She is a Berklee alum, and she made the entire process nearly stress-free. In addition to providing great advice about Berklee, I appreciated the late-night texts and brainstorming sessions we had. Gabby really understood what I was trying to express in my music. She not only helped me enhance the song's sound but also significantly boosted my confidence in my artistry. This is something I will always remember about the recording process for this song. 

You will be attending Berklee College of Music. What made Berklee the right choice for you?

I didn’t even think about music seriously until a couple years ago. I was listening to Lizzy McAlpine’s “Older”, and it completely changed how I saw my own path. Then I found out she went to Berklee, so I applied on a whim. When I got in, it felt like the universe was pointing me in this direction. I wasn’t even looking at other schools because it never occurred to me that something like this would just fall into place. Now that I’m going, my goal is to grow as a musician, learn from people who’ve been where I want to go, and just soak it all in.

Who, or what, would you say are your biggest musical influences?

Lizzy McAlpine is my biggest influence. Her album “Older”, and the deluxe, “Older and Wiser” showed me that music can be both beautiful and honest at the same time. She writes about hard things in a way that makes them feel okay, like she’s giving people permission to feel those emotions without shame. Watching her process in the documentary about the album, how she worked with her friends and other musicians, it lit something in me. I realized that’s exactly what I want to do. Create music that helps people feel seen while pushing myself to grow.

If you could cover any Disney song, which would you choose? Why?

I’d cover “I See the Light” from Tangled because Rapunzel has always been my favorite princess. I loved her as a kid; she’s curious and determined. I sang this song a lot back then, and it's definitely a favorite of mine. Plus, it has a theme of hope, which connects with what I want to express in my music.

What are your immediate musical goals?

Right now, I’m focused on releasing more music. I recently signed a distribution deal, so I’m hoping to put out more tracks while figuring out how to produce them affordably. Performing live is also a big goal. I want to get more comfortable on stage and connect with audiences in a real way. I’m also hoping to meet other musicians who vibe with my style and maybe collaborate with student producers who can help bring my ideas to life. Mostly, though, I want to improve my lyrics and gain confidence performing. It’s intimidating, but I know it’s where I need to be.

--

Those are goals I can get behind!

As always, I want to thank Katie for visiting with us, and for sending along the pictures to accompany the interview. 

I'm sure you’ll all want to follow her and see what she has going on. Here are the best places to find her:

Instagram

Spotify

TikTok

Fiona Marais Makes 36 Decisions!

I'm sure you all know Fiona Marais from her incredible music, including her single "Dear New Girl", which I assume you have on all your playlists to listen to over and over.

I thought it would be fun to learn a little bit more about this artist, by having her make a few decisions for us! Let's see how it goes.

Which would you prefer…

Brooklyn or Golden Gate Bridge: Golden Gate 

Red Sox or Yankees: Red Sox 

Disney or Pixar: Pixar

Tank top or tee shirt: tee shirt

French fries or onion rings: French fries

Ice cream or iced coffee: ice cream

Cake or Pie: cake

Breakfast or Dinner: breakfast

Pizza party or pool party: can I combine them 

Formal attire or Casual wear: casual

Beach vacation or Mountain retreat: beach

Too hot or too cold: cold

Going to a water park or amusement park: amusement park

Adventure travel or Relaxing vacation: adventure

Night out or Night in: night in

Concerts or Movie nights: concerts

Playing video games or reading books: books

Football or baseball: football

Hiking or Rock climbing: hiking

Fiction or Non-fiction: non fiction 

Driver or passenger: passenger (I hate parking)

Pizza or tacos: pizza 

Asia or Europe: never been to Asia so probably Europe 

Sunbathing or swimming: swim

Tattoo or piercing: tattoo 

Animation or Live-action: animation 

Superheroes or Princesses: princesses 

Unicorn or dragon: dragon

Shopping in-store or buying things online: in store

Sending text messages or calling people: texts

Podcasts or YouTube videos: YouTube

Getting lost in the jungle or in a vast city: city

Fruits or vegetables: fruits

Ability to read other people’s minds or ability to fly: fly

Puzzle or Crossword: crossword

Host a party, or attend a party: attend

Finding Fiona Marais

 Instagram

Spotify 

Apple

Previously on Section 36

"Fiona Marais Visits Section 36 Music!"

Playlists with Fiona Marais

Songs that Cover the Bases

It's 2025 in Section 36

Women Going Places, from Section 36

Thursdays With Una - Writer's Block

By Una

I want to talk about writer’s block. I’ve seen a lot of people talk about writer’s block, as I’m experiencing one myself these days, and so many songwriters that are on this app and might be reading this. I think as an artist as well as a songwriter, it’s really important to have a period of time where you just sit with your thoughts in silence. People might think that that’s bad and you’re running behind, but also you have to realize that things come at their own pace. You can’t rush a process. You can only trust it. As seasons change we do as well. And as night comes after the day, that’s also the cycle of life that we will experience in songwriting. There’s this constant pressure is on us to be the best and always on top of things. But there’s beauty in silence and that just means that new chapter is opening. Not only opening, but this silence and night is preparing for a new day and sunshine. I think one message would be just view this as something that will pass, but don’t try to rush yourself out of this silence and writers block. Accept it. It’s important for us songwriters to let this creative energy circulate through us.

------

Una is a Serbian born singer-songwriter based in Boston, where she studies at Berklee College of Music. 

Be sure to follow along with all of the "Thursdays With Una".

To keep up with everything else going on in Una's life, check out her Section 36 Music Homepage.

Skylar DeFazio Visits Section 36 Music!

Skylar DeFazio is the incredible photographer behind SkyDProductions. While she has built her portfolio of portraits (family, couples, graduation, etc), she has recently branched out into concert photography. I can say with certainty that was a good addition. I'm thrilled she was willing to visit with us so we could all learn a little bit about her. I'm sure you'll love to hear what she has to say.

So, let’s see what happens when Skylar DeFazio visits Section 36 Music!

When did you realize that photography was something that you loved? 

Photography was always a big part of my life even before I picked up a camera. I was always taking pictures on my phone. However, my photography journey really started in high school. I had taken a college level photo class where I learned all the basics and even some fun editing techniques in photoshop. Eventually, my senior year, a friend of mine at the time and I started an Instagram account together. I kept building up my portfolio by offering up photoshoots to my friends and eventually took the account over and made it into SkyDProductions! 

Would you say your photographs have a specific style? 

If I were to label my style at all it would be warm and natural. I love a good warm toned picture, I feel like it brings life to the photo. I also like to keep things natural and capture moments, but I am always willing to experiment around with my style. 

You’ve recently added concert photography to your portfolio. How did that come to be? 

Concert photography was always a dream of mine. I love music so finding ways to incorporate that and my love for photography gets me so excited. I did my first concert shoot about 4 years ago. A local CT band, known as Mandala, was performing at a venue that was set to close for good, so they had one final show. At the time I had a Canon Rebel T6i, which wasn’t super ideal for a concert scene but I made it work! Three out of the four bands responded to me and loved the pictures and I felt so accomplished. Recently, I wanted to get back into it since I have upgraded to a Nikon Z6iii since then. I had DMed other concert photographers for some advice on how to really get into that world and they said just to reach out locally. So, I gave it a shot with another local band I listened to known as Similar Kind. I DMed them on Instagram about a show they were performing at, asking if I could take pictures and they replied saying they could get me a photo pass. I felt so official since this was my first official pass! I had gotten to the venue right when the doors opened. Similar Kind was an opener for headliner Noah Richardson. Once I was inside the venue, Noah was roaming around and came up to me asking if I was taking pictures for the openers, and in that moment I offered to take some for him as well! Throughout the whole show I had so much fun capturing these performers in the moment. I even got to go on stage and take a photo of Noah Richardson and the crowd. The “family photo” as he called it. Long story short, it was such a great first pass experience and I would love to do more of it! 

What has been your favorite photography experience thus far? 

This is a hard one. I have had so many fun experiences during my photography journey. However, I think I might have to go with my recent concert work. Being able to capture the passion of these performers and even fan reactions filled me with so much joy. Similar Kind even posted some of my pictures on their account and I honestly wouldn’t shut up about it for the rest of the day! 

What would you say are your biggest photography career challenges?

Besides my sometimes struggle to pose clients, I’d say one of my biggest challenges is getting myself out there. I’m still building myself up in this world and usually when people go looking for photographers they probably go for the ones that are a bit more well known. However, I think I’ve been getting better at it! I’ve been posting ads on local Facebook pages of different towns around me and I’ve been gaining some more clients through those! 

Do you have any specific photography career goals? 

I believe my specific photography career goal would be to make a living out of it. Photography is something I am very passionate about and I can see myself always doing it, even if it just ends up as a side gig. A dream would definitely be to be able to work in the concert and music field for sure!

--

That seems like a solid goal!

As always, I want to thank Skylar for visiting with us, and for sending along the pictures to accompany the interview. 

I'm sure you’ll all want to follow her and see what she has going on. Here are the best places to find her:

Instagram

Website

Thanks again Skylar, and good luck reaching your goals!

Navah Li Visits Section 36 Music!

Section 36 Music had another visitor! Navah Li is fresh off the release of her amazing single, "Gymnist". It's a wonderful song you'll want to stream again and again. I was so excited that she was willing to visit with us to discuss the song, her future goals, and more! I'm sure you'll love what she had to say.

So, let's see what happens when Navah Li visits Section 36 Music! 

Your latest single, “Gymnast” is absolutely outstanding. What can you tell me about it?

Gymnast is honestly one of my favorite songs I’ve ever written, and I think that stems from the fact that it is so vulnerable. I wrote this song during my senior year of high school, feeling uncomfortable in my own skin. When you’re 17, and you perceive every girl around you to be infinitely more beautiful than you are, it can definitely take a toll on your self-perception and mental health. I wrote this song to express the thoughts I had been dealing with and make sense of my feelings. When it came to production, I knew I wanted to keep this song acoustic so that the lyrics could be the main focus. A fun little fact that I’ll share has to do with production and is actually a complete coincidence! During the second chorus, after the lyric “didn’t think I was a gymnast, but I’m walking on the beam”, there is a little bang in the background, and it is a literal beam in the wall that we accidentally caught on the mic when recording! I loved it so much that we kept it in the final recording. I am so incredibly happy with how the final song came out, and I hope it can connect with other girls so they know they are not alone. 

You also just released your single, “Unknown”. How do the two songs compare to each other?

Unknown is a song that I wrote around a similar time as “Gymnast”. I did a challenge in February of this year where I wrote a song every day, and these two songs were written as a part of that challenge. February of senior year is definitely an intense, contemplative time in a person's life, so these two songs helped me understand what I was feeling during this period. Unknown is more about the uncertainty that comes with growing up and understanding the world - honestly, the more we learn about the world, the more it seems we don’t know. Gymnast was more of a personal song, but both songs are pieces of me during this time in my life.

You will be attending Berklee College of Music. What made Berklee the right choice for you?

Last summer (2025) I had the opportunity to take part in the Berklee Aspire 5-week summer program, which I think solidified my choice of continuing my education there. During the program, I was able to meet incredible students and faculty, and take part in classes at Berklee. There was also an early application process for students in the summer program, which gave me the opportunity to audition in person and receive my acceptance in early October, which was wonderful. I knew that Berklee was the right choice for me because there is genuinely no better feeling than being surrounded by music at every moment. The people who attend Berklee are so committed to their craft, and it is truly a joy to be a part of that community. 

Who, or what, would you say are your biggest musical influences?

My music influences definitely change over time, but as of right now, I am very influenced by artists such as Jake Minch, Kate Stephenson, Lizzy McAlpine, and Tiny Habits. Their music is absolutely beautiful, and I believe that they are some of the best lyricists the music industry has. I try to emulate the feelings that these musician’s songs invoke in my music and am constantly learning from their work. I also think it is so important to be your own person, so though I love taking inspiration from other musicians, I always make sure my music is very true to who I am. 

If you could cover any Disney song, which one would you choose? Why?

I had the opportunity to play Mrs. Potts in a production of Beauty and the Beast in high school, and I loved singing her song (Beauty and the Beast). Other than that, I have always wanted to learn how to play "You've Got a Friend in Me” on the guitar, and I think that would be a very fun song to cover. 

What are your immediate musical goals?

My immediate musical goals are just generally getting my music out to a bigger audience (thanks to platforms like this one for helping me achieve this goal!). I would love to play some more live shows, which I will hopefully get the opportunity to do at Berklee. I would love to reach 1000 streams on all of my songs on Spotify, and I am on a good track to do so as of now. I hope my music can find the people who will relate to it, and I am so excited to see what the future holds! 

--

Let's see if we can help her reach those goals!

As always, I want to thank Navah for visiting with us, and for sending along the pictures to accompany the interview. 

I'm sure you’ll all want to follow her and see what she has going on. Here are the best places to find her:

Instagram

Spotify

Apple Music

Thanks again Navah, and good luck reaching your goals!