Zoe Benson Visits Section 36!

Section 36 Music has another visitor! Zoe Benson is a fantastic singer. I was so glad that she agreed to visit with us and discuss her upcoming music, her past experiences and more. I’m sure you’ll love everything she has to say.

So, let's see what happens when Zoe Benson visits Section 36!

I really enjoyed your recent single, “On The Red Line”. What can you tell me about it?

Thank you! Writing this song was one of the most cathartic experiences I have had with songwriting. I had been extremely sad for several months over losing someone, and about all of the places and people I felt I had lost connection with in the process. I was rebuilding a life that was just mine, and not ours. Though I had felt this loss over the course of several months, I hadn’t cried until the moment I finished writing this song. After trying to reincorporate myself into my old life alone, only to run into all of my memories, I finally realized that what I needed was my own life. This song gave love and attention to this person I lost, and to all of the places, people, and moments that came with her. Then I could finally let them all exist without me.

That song was one of four excellent songs you released late last year. Do you see more studio work in your future?

Yes! I am excited to release three new songs in the coming months. These songs are some of my most honest, and involve the bass, violin, and production work of my roommates and closest friends. They are also some of the first releases that I have co-produced. With the music industry at a standstill during these times, my release timeline is uncertain but I am glad that we, as musicians, are taking a step back to make way for resistance and action. The industry slowing down does not mean that the creating stops! I hope to have these three releases out before the end of this year.

You recently graduated from Berklee College of Music. What’s the most important thing that experience did for your career?

I am so grateful for Berklee. By far, the most important things I learned in school, I learned from my peers. Berklee is home to some of the most talented people I have ever met, and without being constantly challenged by them, I would have no career. These are also the people who call me when they need a songwriter, a music teacher, a set played for a show they’re putting together or a client they have, etc. In a connection based industry, this was the best gift that Berklee could’ve given me.

What is your favorite part about performing in front of a live audience?

Now more than ever, I am grateful for the way a live audience responds to a performance in real time. I want to know how my music is making people feel and whether anything I’m saying resonates. It is very hard to capture the intensity and emotion of a live show in recorded music, and even harder to tell if you’re reaching anyone deeply.

Who/what would you consider your biggest musical influences?

I live in a house of five musicians and most of my other friends are musicians as well. They influence me everyday with their work. Some of my other influences are SAMIA, Phoebe Bridgers, Thomas, MUNA, LP, and The Japanese House.

Other than COVID, what would you say is your biggest career challenge?

The challenge for me is getting my songs to the people that they will matter to. In a sea of artists releasing music, sharing and marketing effectively without a team in place is extremely hard work but it is rewarding when someone new finds my music, and connects with it.

What are your immediate career goals?

In the coming months I will release my next three singles. After that I am going to begin releasing music with a trio called Dutchess. Artists McCall, Skofee, and I have been writing together and have big plans for several single releases and music videos in the first few months of 2021. I will still be working on my solo project and releasing songs under my name during this time. I also can’t wait for the day that we will be able to have live shows again in some capacity, both as solo artists and as a group!

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I know I can’t wait for those singles!

As always, I want to thank Zoe for visiting, and for sending along the amazing pictures to accompany the interview.

I know you’ll want to follow along with Zoe to see what she's up to. You should definitely visit her website to catch up on everything she has to offer. I also suggest you check out her Instagram,  Facebook, and YouTube accounts and give them a follow. They’re great ways to make sure you don't miss a thing.

You should also check out her Section 36 Music page. There you'll find more links, pictures, and samples of her music. It's a great way to enjoy everything Zoe has to offer all in one place.

Thanks again Zoe, and good luck in reaching your goals! 

Mar Fayos Visits Section 36!

Photo by Luís Zavaleta

Section 36 Music has another visitor! Mar Fayos is an incredible singer that I really enjoy listening to. I was so glad that she agreed to visit with us and discuss her upcoming music, her past experiences and more. I’m sure you’ll love everything she has to say.

So, let's see what happens when Mar Fayos visits Section 36!

You’re currently working on your debut EP. What can you tell me about it??

For many years I have been working actively on finding my identity as a human-being and as a musician, developing my sound, improving my musicianship skills and writing and performing actively, both in Spain and in the US, and soon throughout Europe. The last few months of quarantine became a great opportunity for me to connect with my inner self and to find this identity I was looking for - I think that I couldn't have done it otherwise - and, although it was pretty hard, I feel I understood and accepted who I am and what I have to say right now through music and I tried to turn it all into an album that will be composed of eight original songs in Spanish and English. To me, releasing this music album has always been one of my biggest dreams, and it is both exciting and scary, as I suppose that may happen to many artists when they are releasing their opera prima independently, coming from zero and being completely unknown, but for many reasons I feel that now it is the right time for me to take this big step and put myself out there with the biggest respect for the audience and for music, which results in exposing myself through my lyrics, melodies and harmonies with the utmost honesty and transparency I am capable of.

You’re a graduate of Berklee College of Music. What is the most important thing that has done for your career?

Photo by Luís Zavaleta

Berklee has been a life changing experience to me. Although I can't deny that it has been really hard sometimes, I also had the time of my life there, I learned so many lessons from the experience of completing my undergraduate music studies at Berklee and living abroad, and I will always be thankful to the institution and its members, as well as to my family and friends that always supported me, for it. If I should pick only one thing that Berklee has done for my career, it would be that becoming aware of what makes you unique matters the most, as well as to keep working hard even when it doesn't come up as expected, to understand your career in music as a lifetime learning process and to never underestimate the importance of having respect for yourself and the work you do, as well as keeping the same level of respect for the work and identity of everybody that you get in touch with, both personally and professionally. Believing in being authentic and genuine as a norm, as well as becoming your greatest supporter, are also valuable lessons that Berklee taught me.

Your YouTube channel has several wonderful recordings you made at Berklee Studios. What was it like to put those together?

Photo by José Arturo

Thank you so much, I am really glad you enjoyed them. To be honest, putting together a music video implies a great amount of work, but it has been an enormous honor and privilege to be able to be part of each of these projects, since it is a great opportunity that many artists don't get, unfortunately. I can't thank my amazingly talented friends enough for having been part of the team, either by arranging, playing, engineering, recording or editing these videos, because they were the ones that really made each of the recordings possible, in addition to the crowd from the Berklee Youtube Channel, that has been very supportive and they made all the work so much easier and really enjoyable.

What is your favorite part about performing in front of a live audience?

Photo by Toni López

Performing is a privilege and I am thankful for being able to do it often. To me, it has always been about establishing an open and honest communication channel between the musicians and the audience, or at least, between myself and each of the listeners. I always try to connect with what the music and the lyrics are making me feel and think, in order to explain those stories, to transmit emotions, to make the audience feel, reflect and become an active part of the communicative experience. That was the reason I first started listening to music, because it made me feel and discover new universes and realities far from my own, and it was always a powerful transforming experience, and that really brought me to start learning music, and later on, to decide I wanted to commit my life to it.

Other than COVID, what would you say is your biggest career challenge?

Being very honest with you, my biggest challenge to overcome, both personally and professionally, has always been my lack of security and trust in myself. I believe that the lack of self-confidence made me overthink, doubt, question myself and my work, and it made me want to quit and to not work hard enough to support myself and my projects as a result. When you don't work for your dreams, then nobody does it, and you can only become a supporter in making others' dreams come true, which is very nice and rewarding, but it shouldn't be our priority as artists and creators. 

When you learn to love and appreciate yourself as you are, as well as understanding the changes you face and what needs to be worked on, as well as really seeing every failure experience and difficulty as an opportunity for learning and keep growing, then you also start to appreciate more the ones you have in your life and everything that surrounds you, whatever it is. Then, in my opinion, music is no longer about you as a creator or performer, because you are not in the center of the experience anymore, it is about the audience and their experience, and when you really understand that, everything starts to flow easily, because the biggest challenge you face as a creator that tends to be your self-criticism and self-awareness, is no longer limiting you, but it becomes an empowering and liberating experience, and from there, things can only go better. It may sound a bit typical or utopic, but it is how I feel right now.

What are your immediate career goals?

Photo by Luís Zavaleta

Right now, I want to keep enjoying music, developing my music skills through a healthy combination of education and experience, and releasing my debut album, hoping it will be well-received. If I can feel accomplished, trying to make others feel and become a better version of themselves through my music, and being able to make a living out of my passion, I will be the happiest woman on earth. To me, art and creation should always come from an inner necessity to express, to communicate, to feel and to make others feel, to disrupt, to make the difference, and if I can keep this necessity alive, that would be my biggest professional accomplishment.

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I know I can’t wait for that album!

As always, I want to thank Mar for visiting, and for sending along the wonderful pictures to accompany the interview.

Speaking of her album, I’m sure Mar would appreciate your assistance. Please go check out her kickstarter and help as much as you can!

I know you’ll also want to follow along with her to see what she's up to. You should definitely visit her website to catch up on everything she has to offer. I also suggest you check out her Instagram,  Facebook, and YouTube accounts and give them a follow. They’re great ways to make sure you don't miss a thing.

You should also check out her Section 36 Music page. There you'll find more links, pictures, and samples of her music. It's a great way to enjoy everything Mar has to offer all in one place.

Thanks again Mar, and good luck in reaching your goals! 

“Ruthless" by Alexa Aronson (Release date June 19, 2020)

“Ruthless" is the latest single from the extremely talented singer Alexa Aronson!

And you're going to want to listen to it as soon as possible!

You can find “Ruthless" just about everywhere you usually get your music like Spotify or Apple! So, there's no reason why you won't be able track it down…which I highly suggest you do.

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If you want to learn more about Alexa, check out her Section 36 Music profile page. There you can find links to her full interview with Section 36 Music, her social media accounts, as well as more samples of her incredible singing.

You can also hop directly to her recent interview right here on Section 36 Music. That will give you an opportunity to learn more about this amazing singer.

Be sure to give “Ruthless" a listen!

Shelbie Rassler Did It Again!

Unless you've been living under a rock, a large rock, you saw the incredible video put together by Shelbie Rassler showing a virtual concert of her fellow Berklee students performing "What the World Needs Now." If you somehow missed it, go watch it now.

Well, Shelbie is at it again. She's created another video. This one's even more special. I could tell you all about it, but it's probably better to let her do the talking. He's what she had to say about the video...

Following the beautiful experience of creating the first video, I immediately knew that I wanted to make another one that could include as many people as possible who were itching for a creative outlet, while raising money for the people who need it most right now. I decided to write a song entitled “Rebuild” that speaks to our mission of rebuilding after such economic devastation.

While the idea for “Rebuild” was originally inspired by the Coronavirus pandemic and monetarily helping artists (from the YouTube ad revenue) rebuild after the severe financial blow of not working for months, I feel it is absolutely necessary to expand our support to the Black community, affirming what we all know to be true, that Black Lives Matter. I firmly believe that now more than ever, our world must rebuild from the ground up. There is much injustice and systemic racism embedded in our history and we now have the opportunity to rebuild a more just, inclusive and equitable world where every single human is given the chance to build themself up from the same foundation.

With that being said, I am excited to say that 100% of the ad revenue proceeds will be donated, half to “Americans for the Arts” and the other half to the NAACP. Therefore, the more views the YouTube video receives, the more money we are able to donate to these wonderful organizations!

I really hope you enjoy the video, featuring hundreds of artists of all ages from around the world! 

I really hope you enjoy the video as well, and watch it again and again. Like I did. There's really no excuse not to since it's right here! Enjoy!

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If you want to learn more about Shelbie, check out her Section 36 Music profile page. There you can find links to her full interview with Section 36 Music, her social media accounts, as well as more samples of her incredible music.

You can also hop directly to her interview right here on Section 36 Music. That will give you an opportunity to learn more about this amazing composer.

And be sure to watch "Rebuild" over and over!

Autumn Maria Reed Visits Section 36!

Section 36 Music has another visitor! Autumn Maria Reed is a talented composer and I was so glad that she wanted to visit with us and discuss her music, her past accomplishments and more. I’m sure you’ll enjoy everything she has to say.

So, let's see what happens when Autumn Maria Reed visits Section 36!

You had the opportunity to score a short film. What was that experience like?

From writer/director Megan Gale, "Dearest (2020)" is a psychological horror film where a young woman anticipates the arrival of her first child with her husband. However, during her pregnancy, strange figures appear to her throughout her home.  Her workaholic husband is oblivious to these apparitions.

Horror is not my go-to genre for neither music nor film. I pushed myself out of my comfort zone to support Ms. Gale's storyline. This experience taught me how to play well with others (pun intended!)

See the trailer to "Dearest": https://youtu.be/5gKIu94Ma1M

You were also able to score a webisode. How did that opportunity present itself?

I am candid about my struggles with mental health.

By chance, a music supervisor posted in a Facebook group that a webisode in a documentary-style 2018 series required a composer from a specific demographic. I messaged him and explained my history. Consequently, this organization picked me! So, I agreed to volunteer my services for their cause. I felt like my composing career was turning around! Yet, it was bittersweet. I chose an obvious pseudonym to avoid triggering some of my friends and family. It's an emotional, yet polarizing subject. Nonetheless, I enjoyed composing for this webisode. I would compose for them again without worrying about the opinions of people. 

You recently graduated from Berklee College of Music. What’s the most important thing that experience did for your career?

I graduated Summa Cum Laude from Berklee College of Music. Finishing college was a rough road for me. I graduated from high school in December 2010 and from Madison College in December 2012. I attended UW-Madison in 2013 but I dropped out due to my health after one semester. For years, I felt like a failure. In 2015, I enrolled in my very first course at Berklee Online; Music for Film and TV 1. I aced it! It's definitely a confidence booster! That is when I produced my first EP. However, I still struggled with my health, even to this day. I enrolled as a degree student at Berklee in 2018. I promised myself to chug along to my finish line.

Many people espouse anti-tertiary rhetoric. And the claim is not baseless. The Great Recession ensued during my teen years. I grew up where adults worried about the yield from university/college. Especially for non-STEM fields. Nonetheless, Berklee is different for two main reasons: real-world experience and networking.

I received real-world experience through my weekly assignments, which I call projects. EVERY Sunday for 12 weeks, I had to: score a cue from a film, arrange a piece of music, write a lyric, produce a song, AND/OR write an essay. Often, students would discover the details on a Monday beforehand! The Music Business has a quick turn around!

Berklee excels in the inclusion of its global online students with Berklee Onsite. Every summer, Berklee Onsite offers workshops, panels, and classes from the faculty. The faculty members are industry professionals. They encourage us to "think globally" by familiarizing ourselves with our international classmates. My colleagues hail from every continent! I've attended two conferences and planned my third trip out to Boston. Unfortunately, COVID-19 forced Berklee Onsite to cancel.

I enjoyed your “Autumn Plays with Herself” video you post on social media where you played multiple instruments. What is it like to put that together?

Thank you! I enjoy making people laugh! My favorite genre for film, television, and theater is COMEDY! With my humor, it can be hit or miss. So, if I set my mind to produce something, I push through my doubts, even if it takes all night. In the end, people enjoy it! My proudest moment was I created a cloning video from 2018 from the cult mockumentary "Jackie's Back (1999)" starring Jenifer Lewis. Ms. Lewis even viewed the video! I would love to make more of these videos in the future. However, I will enlist in the expertise of a videographer.

Your YouTube channel has several of your arrangements. What goes into reimagining a song?

The secret sauce of reimaging an existing song is borrowing elements and chords from other genres. For a super simple example: I arranged "Giant Steps" composed by the greatest jazz saxophonist, John Coltrane as a 90s trap. I would love to hear a live band perform my arrangement when we are out of quarantine.

See "Giant Steps (Arr. Reed)": https://youtu.be/-4ucR5dz-3s

Right now, what would you say is your biggest non-COVID career challenge?

My diagnoses are imposter syndrome and self-doubt. However, the good thing about it is that I will never become complacent or smug. That is the only way to learn. There is so much that I don't know. To quote Disney's Pocahontas, "things you never knew, you never knew." (Music by Alan Menken and Lyrics by Stephen Schwartz.)

What are your immediate career goals?

My goals are to collaborate with musicians and filmmakers in the Madison and Milwaukee area, my Berklee classmates, and remote projects based in Los Angeles. I'm hoping to score for more films, webisodes, and incidental theater music. It'll be challenging due to COVID-19, but when there's a will, there's a way.

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I’m excited to be able to hear her work on more films!

As always, I want to thank Autumn for visiting, and for sending along the fantastic pictures to accompany the interview.

I know you’ll also want to follow along with her to see what she's up to, I suggest you check out her Instagram and Facebook accounts and give them a follow. They’re great ways to make sure you don't miss a thing she has going on. Also be sure to visit her YouTube channel to see the amazing videos she’s shared.

You should also check out her Section 36 Music page. There you'll find more links, pictures, and samples of her music. It's a great way to enjoy everything Autumn has to offer all in one place.

Thanks again Autumn, and good luck in reaching your goals! 

“Together Apart" by Claire Donzelli (Release date June 12, 2020)

“Together Apart" is the debut single from the wonderful singer Claire Donzelli!

What can you expect from the song? Well, here's what Claire had to say about it in the blurb...

“I wrote it a couple months ago when the pandemic was forcing schools to go online and I was having to come to terms with packing up and leaving Berklee College of Music, which was just starting to feel like home. It's about some of the feelings that were going through my head during that time, and the people I'd be missing, including my sister who is a doctor in Boston helping coronavirus patients. The song features piano and voice and has a stripped down, acoustic feel to it, and I wanted that to reflect some of the feelings of loneliness I was going through."

Photo by Greg Bjurman

She absolutely accomplishes that with this song. The "stripped down" feel she mentioned really comes through and allows you to enjoy the soulful, beautiful melody. I know I keep listening to it again and again.

You can find “Together Apart" just about everywhere you usually get your music like Spotify or Apple! So, there's no reason why you won't be able track it down…which I highly suggest you do.

Immediately.

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If you want to learn more about Claire, check out her Section 36 Music profile page. There you can find links to her social media accounts, as well as more samples of her incredible singing.

Be sure to give “Together Apart" a listen!