Madeleine Skye Visits Section 36 Music!

Section 36 Music has another visitor! Madeleine Skye is a talented singer fresh off a recent single that is simply fantastic. I was thrilled that she was willing to visit with us and discuss her music, future goals, and more. I’m sure you’ll enjoy everything she has to say.

So, let's see what happens when Madeleine Skye visits Section 36 Music!

I really enjoyed your single, “Mercédès”. What can you tell me about it?

"Mercédès" was a passion project of mine for like two years. I began writing it at the beginning of the pandemic about one of my favorite books, "The Count of Monte Cristo." The character Mercédès, at the beginning of the book, is engaged to Edmond Dantes, who is falsely imprisoned for a crime he didn't commit. Fourteen years later, when he escapes, Edmond returns to Mercédès and chastises her for having remarried and she defends herself. I based my song on that scene. I got to orchestrate this song as well, for piano, a string quintet, guitar and bagpipes. Getting to record "Mercédès" was such a fun and rewarding experience and I'm so proud of the final product.

You spent last summer interning at Igloo Music. What was that experience like? 

I recorded my first two EPs at Igloo, at the ages of thirteen ("91 Keys") and seventeen ("Don't Bite"), and loved both experiences. When I saw the listing for the internship, I was so excited and applied as soon as I could. The experience was absolutely fantastic. Every day, I'd come into a state-of-the-art studio, working with and assisting so many talented recording and mixing engineers. I got to watch so much amazing talent come in to record, and really got to experience studio work in a way that I had never done before. Gustavo and April were amazing to work for and I am so thankful for that opportunity.

You are currently attending Berklee College of Music. What’s the biggest thing you can see Berklee doing for your career?

Berklee has been so helpful in shaping what I want to do with my career. Before I came in, I knew music theory, I knew how to write my own songs, and I knew that I wanted to study Film Scoring. Having gone through almost all of my time at Berklee, I've learned so much about music tech, musical theater writing, how I work in collaborative scenarios, etc. My time at Berklee has been so important in showing me how to expand my horizons as a musician, and I think that will make my career so much more fulfilling.

Who or what would you consider your biggest musical influences?

I fell in love with Queen when I was thirteen and became obsessed with the variety in styles they could perfect. Watching live Queen performances is probably what influenced my theatricality in my songwriting the most. Other artists such as Taylor Swift and Peter Gabriel, as well as many musical theater composers have definitely had a pretty big influence on my music as well.

What would you say is your biggest career challenge?

I recognize that this industry is incredibly competitive and that there are so many talented people trying to break in. Social anxiety, for me, can definitely be a hindrance when it comes to getting myself heard, but it gets easier every day!

What are your immediate career goals?

I'm currently looking for entry level industry jobs in New York, where I plan to move after graduation in the spring. While working, I will continue working on the musical I'm writing at the moment, as well as writing and performing my own individual music.

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I certainly hope that works out for her!

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

I'm sure you’ll all want to follow along with her to see what she's up to. I would definitely follow her on Instagram, and/or Spotify. In fact, go do both right now! You should also be sure to visit her website for even more information!

Thanks again Madeleine, and good luck reaching your goals!