"With You" by Mae McCoy (Release Date November 30, 2020)

“With You" is the latest single from the amazing singer Mae McCoy!

And it is simply wonderful! Her beautiful voice combines with the melody to create an experience you won't want to end. I know I've listened to it over and over. I'm sure you will too.

You can find “With You" just about everywhere you usually get your music like Apple and Spotify. So, there's no reason you won't be able to find it.…which I highly suggest you do.

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If you want to learn more about Mae, check out her Section 36 profile page. It has samples of her music, links to where you can find her, and more.

You can also hop directly to her recent interview right here on Section 36 Music.

Be sure to give “With You" a listen!

Benefit Recital, from Lupyn Nov 28

You all remember Section 36's visit with Lupyn. And, hopefully, you were all able to watch the benefit concert she recently held supporting the wonderful organization Take Note. Well, Lupyn is putting her talents to good use once again. This time she will be holding a benefit recital supporting both Take Note and Island Arts, an arts education non-profit.

As the picture says, the recital is hosted by Island Arts at the Homer Knight Barn. It will be livestreamed by on her YouTube channel. Featuring works by Ned Rorem, Charles Ives, Aaron Copland, and Purcell this recital is sure to be a sensational demonstration of Lupyn's talents. So, if you can, be sure to catch the show on November 28 at 3:00 PM EST. You won't regret it!

Having a great time while supporting great causes. Does it get any better?

"Last Christmas" by Sabrina Ponte (Release Date November 27, 2020)

Nashville superstar Sabrina Ponte released her first Christmas song, covering "Last Christmas"! 

I can't think of a better way to kick off the holiday season right than to listen to this song over and over. Sabrina's incredible vocals really make this song stand out.

You'll be able to find "Last Christmas" on iTunes, Spotify, and basically wherever you usually find your music. So, there's no reason why you won't be able track it down. Be sure to add it to all of your holiday playlists!

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If you want to learn more about Sabrina, check out her Section 36 Music profile page. There you can find links to her other appearances within the Section 36 suite, 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, or her previous visit with Section 36. Any of those will give you an opportunity to learn more about this amazing singer.

Be sure to give "Last Christmas" a listen!

"Open Eyes" By Annie Elise (Release Date November 20, 2020)

“Open Eyes" is the latest single from the incredible singer Annie Elise!

And you won’t want to miss it!

What can you expect from the song? Well, here’s what Annie herself had to say about it in her recent interview with us…

“Open Eyes” marks the beginning of a new era for me as an artist. I’ve been learning so much about electronic production, and I’ve been writing songs more. In the past, I’ve used these things to collaborate behind-the-scenes with other artists- but now, I get to release this work under my own artist profile, which is both exciting and incredibly rewarding to me. 

 
The song was written about the stage near the end of a relationship where things are getting old and you begin to drift apart. This song in particular was inspired by a friend of mine who was going through these emotions in her relationship. She called me one night, and I didn't feel like I had much advice, so I wrote "Open Eyes" quickly to try to sympathize. When I sent her the song a few hours later, she cried - the power of listening and understanding is an important one. The line "I used to dream that you'd think of me the same way I do ('cause I know that I do)" really resounded with her, and others who have worked on this production with me.” 

That sounds amazing to me!

You can find “Open Eyes" just about everywhere you usually get your music like Apple and Spotify. So, there's no reason you won't be able to find it.…which I highly suggest you do.

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If you want to learn more about Annie, check out her Section 36 profile page. It has samples of her music, links to where you can find her, and more.

You can also hop directly to her recent interview right here on Section 36 Music.

Be sure to give “Open Eyes" a listen!

Annie Elise Visits Section 36!

Photo by Jordan Leigh

Section 36 Music has another visitor! Annie Elise is a wonderful singer, and I was so glad she wanted to visit with us and discuss her upcoming single, her goals, and more. I’m sure you’ll love everything she has to say.

So, let's see what happens when Annie Elise visits Section 36!

I’m really excited about your upcoming single “Open Eyes”. What can you tell me about it?
“Open Eyes” marks the beginning of a new era for me as an artist. I’ve been learning so much about electronic production, and I’ve been writing songs more. In the past, I’ve used these things to collaborate behind-the-scenes with other artists- but now, I get to release this work under my own artist profile, which is both exciting and incredibly rewarding to me. 
 
The song was written about the stage near the end of a relationship where things are getting old and you begin to drift apart. This song in particular was inspired by a friend of mine who was going through these emotions in her relationship. She called me one night, and I didn't feel like I had much advice, so I wrote "Open Eyes" quickly to try to sympathize. When I sent her the song a few hours later, she cried - the power of listening and understanding is an important one. The line "I used to dream that you'd think of me the same way I do ('cause I know that I do)" really resounded with her, and others who have worked on this production with me.

You’re currently attending Berklee College of Music. What’s the biggest thing that opportunity is providing for your career?
Berklee has been a wonderful place. I’m sure if you talk to any

Photo by
Jordan Leigh

Berklee student, they’ll tell you that the networks you make there are invaluable - and I would say the same thing! So many things right now would not be possible without the people I have met at school. I worked really closely on Open Eyes with Sebastian Olaya, a fellow Berklee student, and we’ve become a really great team. It’s great to have such smart and talented classmates who push you to be better at what you do. My professors have also been wonderful assets - I’m currently completing a studio internship with one of my professors, and I’ve loved every second. 

Who/what would you consider to be your biggest musical influences?
Lately I’ve been listening to a lot of electronic artists that kind of swing between functioning as a producer and as an artist. One of my biggest inspirations lately has been Bad Snacks. I’ve had her Neat Tape 2 on repeat for the last month or so. I love how she is able to make her synthesized lofi and hip hop beats appeal to a commercial audience. That’s really inspiring to me, as a female artist/producer who is hoping to accomplish the same thing. There also isn’t a huge surplus of female music producers in the industry, so every time I see someone who is absolutely killing the game I’ll really get into their music or whatever they are doing. It’s really motivating! I’ve also been a frequent listener of Spotify’s Anti Pop playlist, which is home to the same type of music. It’s not exactly pop, yet it’s commercially viable enough to be widely listened to while also staying incredibly innovative. I’m a big fan. 

You gave a TEDx talk on “Seeing Sound: How Synesthesia Can Change Our Thinking”. What was that like to put together?

Photo by
Jordan Leigh

The TEDx talk was probably the most unexpected thing I’ve experienced so far. When the event coordinator, Bob Vasile, reached out to me about speaking, I really thought I would just be speaking about my neurological condition to an audience of about 300 people. If you aren’t familiar with synesthesia, it’s a neurological condition that causes two or more senses of the brain to be connected. For me, it causes me to physically see sound and literally hear color. While writing the talk, it was suggested to me that I should consider talking about how the condition plays a role in my production. Before that point I hadn’t really thought about that before - but synesthesia does play a huge role in my music. Often when writing or producing I’ll look at what I’ve done and I can tell from the colors what is missing. If it’s missing yellow, or if the blues are two overwhelming, there are things I can do sonically to fix it. So in that way, I guess I use synesthesia as another set of fresh ears. Before the talk, I had never considered that to be beneficial. Now, it’s one of the biggest reasons artists ask me to mix their music! I was really passionate and careful about speaking my truth about the condition while also providing a larger context for the general population. I never expected that the talk would be viewed so many times - I think it’s currently the most-watched TEDx talk on Synesthesia that exists. One time a professor showed it as part of their curriculum in my class. I’m so happy that my talk resounded with so many people, but it sure is surprising to see just how far it went. 

Other than COVID, what would you say is your biggest career challenge?
Oh man, the answer that changes depending on the week! To

Photo by
Jordan Leigh

be quite honest, right now it’s been a little bit of insecurity surrounding the artist project. I absolutely love what I’m doing, but after working for other artists for so long it is sometimes hard to feel confident about myself as an artist. I often get caught up in comparing what I am doing to unrealistic expectations I set for myself. For example, there are a lot of things that don’t overlap between a producer’s job and the job of the artist! Personal promotion and a social media presence is one. I sometimes feel like I’m missing something that other artists just know instinctively, because they’ve always been an artist. Of course that is not true, but there’s a huge level of vulnerability that comes with it. Transitioning from working behind the scenes to being the artist is definitely difficult. I have faith that it will get easier with time. 

What are your immediate career goals?
I hope to continue producing music for myself and others. I get such joy out of writing and creating the sounds to go with a song. Sometimes the song you write isn’t meant for you as an artist, and other times it is! Open Eyes is an instance where I was the artist that I wanted to have the song. I have a goal to write and produce ten other songs with my production partner by the end of the year - and who knows where those songs will end up? But Open Eyes is just the beginning for Annie Elise as an artist. I’m very excited and incredibly grateful that it was able to happen. 

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I definitely want to hear that single! (In fact, you should all go pre save it now!)

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

I know you’ll all want to follow along with Annie to see what she's up to. The best way is to follow her online on Instagram and visit her website. They're great ways to make sure you don't miss a thing!

You can also visit 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 Annie has to offer all in one place.

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

"Validate" by Sophia Eliana (Release Date November 12, 2020)

“Validate” is the latest single from the amazing singer Sophia Eliana! 

And you're absolutely going to want to check it out!

What can you expect from this single? Well, here's what Sophia herself has to say about it in her release…

I’m shining light on the innate beauty and absolute strength of womankind with my fierce pop song, “Validate.” Through my lyrics, I touch upon issues I faced while holding a leadership position because my opinions were compromised by double standards implemented by male authority figures. “Validate” demands change in a time where boundaries aren’t always respected, both in and outside the walls of professional settings.

“Validate” captures the struggles that female-identifying folks face every day in this patriarchal society. In tandem with this release, I developed handmade merchandise in support of the Womanist Working Collective, a beautifully healing community for the Black and LGBTQ+ community. May this upbeat, funky song ignite that power of resiliency and love that resides within all women.

That just sounds fantastic! “Upbeat” and “funky” are perfect ways to describe it. You'll want to see that for yourself.

You'll be able to find “Validate" on Spotify and iTunes! So, there's no reason why you won't be able track it down…which I absolutely recommend you do. 

Now!

"In My Head" by Christiana Berenguer (Release Date November 9, 2020)

“In My Head" is the latest single from the fantastic Christiana Berenguer! 

And now's your chance to listen to it again and again!

I know I've mentioned before that I fell in love with Christiana's music the first time I heard her perform at Fenway Park. I was just blown away. I'm always excited to hear her new music, and this is no exception. The music matches with the lyrics to create an amazing experience. Her immense talent will be obvious as you listen to this song over and over.

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You can find “In My Head" 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.

If you want to learn more about Christiana, 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 “In My Head" a listen!

"Subtly" by Maya La Maya feat. Edward Smith (Release Date November 6, 2020)

“Subtly" is the latest single from the talented singer Maya La Maya!

And you’ll definitely want to listen to it as soon as you can!

The beautiful vocals on this song match perfectly with the music to create a sound you can just feel wash over you. It's going to be a song you'll have on repeat all day.

 

You'll be able to find “Subtly" just about everywhere you usually get your music like Spotify! So, there's no reason why you won't be able track it down.

 

Right. Now!

 

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If you want to learn more about Maya La Maya, 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 interview right here on Section 36 Music. That will give you an opportunity to learn more about this amazing singer.

 

Be sure to give “Subtly" a listen!

Maya Wagner Visits Section 36!

Section 36 Music has another visitor! Maya Wagner is a talented singer, and I was so glad she wanted to visit with us and discuss her recent single, her goals, and more. I’m sure you’ll love everything she has to say.

So, let's see what happens when Maya Wagner visits Section 36!

I really enjoyed your recent single “Master Plan”. What can you tell me about it?

This song is interesting because I had originally created the

track for a completely different song. I ended up not being thrilled with the way the song was going and topline completely new lyrics and melody over the original track, which then ended up changing a lot too. If you heard the demo of the first song, you would never know it led to “Master Plan.” 

The song’s content itself was inspired by my first relationship. At fourteen years old I got involved with a girl much older than me who was into a much… different… scene than I should have been getting involved with. She ended up cheating on me with another boy my age after confessing her love for me only days earlier. 

Five years later I looked back on that whole situation and thought, what if I had handled it differently. And so, I wrote a hypothetical revenge song called “Master Plan.”

You’re currently a student at Berklee College of Music. What’s the biggest thing that is doing for your career?

There are so many amazing aspects of attending Berklee, but the main one is definitely the networking. I have met so many amazing people here, including my current boyfriend and business partner. We are actually working on developing a music production and media promotions company called M+M Infinity and are working with some amazing artists already!

You had the opportunity to perform on Kennedy Center’s Millennium stage. What was that experience like?

Playing at The Kennedy Center is to date one of my most

beautiful memories. I was there receiving The International Young Soloists Award, an award given to young musicians with disabilities. As someone who has dealt with Tourette Syndrome, ADD, anxiety, and depression throughout my life, I have always looked at music as a way to spread awareness about mental illness and disability and connect to those dealing with similar issues themselves. It was an amazing experience, and The First Lady actually attended the performance! I still feel honored to have been a part of such an amazing event and I continue to use that weekend as a springboard which helps remind me that music is more than just entertainment; it is a platform to speak out about issues that matter.

Who/what would you consider to be your biggest musical influences?

My biggest influence in terms of music is hands down Tracy Chapman. She was a queer black female songwriter who wrote about issues like racism, poverty, and domestic violence at a time when using music as a form of protest was not as prominent as it is today. She is and was a force to be reckoned with in the music industry and she inspires me every day.

As far as more “current” artists go, Taylor Swift has been the artist who has been with me through thick and thin. She has taught me that artists evolve and change, and that forcing yourself to be one thing is not necessary. She’s such a versatile musician and I really admire that. 

I also just adore Julia Michaels and Halsey; they definitely get an honorable mention as my inspirations.

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

I am so absolutely blessed to have an amazing family who has supported me through my career as a musician. I can’t say that I am not extremely lucky, and I definitely can’t say I have had a difficult life.

However, one challenge I have has to work through, mostly during high school, has been mental illness. I struggled immensely with depression during high school and basically ended up leaving high school to begin taking college classes at a private university near my hometown in New Jersey. Doing that really helped me find myself, work through my difficulties, and eventually get accepted into my dream school!

What are your immediate career goals?

I want to be an artist. I want the world to hear my music and I want to connect with people. At the same time, I want to be a producer who helps other artists and musicians feel the way I feel when I put an amazing song out into the world. My goal is to keep doing what I am already doing! My hope is to do an east coast festival tour during summer 2021 if COVID has died down enough by then, and I am currently working on a debut album.

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I definitely want to hear all that music!

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

I know you’ll all want to follow along with Maya to see what she's up to. The best way is to follow her online on Instagram and visit her website. They're great ways to make sure you don't miss a thing!

You can also visit 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 Maya has to offer all in one place.

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