Happy Festivus!

That’s right, today’s the day! As you can see, I’ve set out my aluminum pole and am ready for the festivities to begin!

While it’s kinda hard to do feats of strength on a blog, we can certainly air some grievances! I’ve even started with the first one. I would definitely rather be in Section 36 right now!

Now it’s your turn. I’m taking this opportunity to allow you to air your blog-related grievances! That’s right. Leave a comment telling me things you don’t like about the blog and its content!

Is the font too small? Too big? Are the sidebars too plain? Too cluttered? Do I write about a topic too much? Do you wish I wrote about a topic more? At all? All with no hard feelings on my part. This is your chance!

I know. Allowing the internet to complain about you can be scary. But, maybe I’ll be able to respond to the grievances and make the blog better for everyone!

One thing by way of rules, this is Section 36 Music asking for grievances. So, keep them to things about the blog and its content...not the artists. That’s not really what I’m going for.

Sound reasonable? Ok then. Let’s hear it.

What are your Section 36 Music related grievances?

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!

Dakota Smith Visits Section 36 Music!

Section 36 Music has another visitor! Dakota Smith is a wonderful singer with a recent self-titled EP 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 Dakota Smith visits Section 36 Music!

I really enjoyed your recent self-titled debut EP. What can you tell me about it?

This EP was such an awesome first musical project to record and release. The record is for the most part just acoustic guitar and voice, both done by myself, and two of the tracks include my sister on violin and background vocals. My Dad helped produce the EP which was really important to me because he’s inspired so much of my writing and musicianship. The songs on this record are all really special to me and I couldn’t be prouder to put them out into the world in a really raw, stripped down form considering that’s exactly how I wrote and envisioned them. 

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

As intimidating and scary as performing in front of an audience can be I actually really enjoy the vulnerability and the opportunity to open up through my music. Whether it’s a room full of people that I know personally or a group of strangers who are experiencing me for the first time I love knowing that they’re getting to see a different part of me through my performance. 

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

It’s a huge privilege to be going to school at Berklee. I think education and skill building is incredibly important for anyone but especially for musicians. The thing I love the most about Berklee is the opportunities for collaboration and exploring many musical styles. I can really see Berklee pushing me to a new level of artistry and facilitating some beautiful musical relationships that will move me forward in my career. 

Who or what would you consider your biggest musical influences?

I always have to acknowledge the ways that my Dad’s songwriting and music career has influenced and inspired my own. Aside from that I would consider Brandi Carlile, Laura Marling, Regina Spektor, and Fiona Apple to be really influential artists, especially in lyricism.

What would you say is your biggest career challenge?

I’d say my biggest career challenge at the moment is finding the confidence to take up more space. I tend to hold back from the things I want out of fear that I won’t be appreciated or respected. Living in a big city and going to a school full of amazing musicians has definitely shown me the importance of being confident and letting go of that anxiety. I’m slowly learning to throw myself into the action with a positive attitude and make my best effort at whatever I do. 

What are your immediate career goals?

As of right now my hope is to finish undergrad with a performance degree and go on to study music education at a graduate level. I aspire to be a private voice teacher as well as perform and record my original music. That being said I know life throws curveballs and different challenges and opportunities will surely come up, I’m open to anything if it includes continuing to write my music and share it with people.

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Those sound like great goals!

As always, I want to thank Dakota for visiting, 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!

Thanks again Dakota, and good luck reaching your goals!

Elisabeth Waters Visits Section 36 Music!

Section 36 Music has another visitor! Elisabeth Waters is a fantastic singer with a recent EP "Blue" that everyone should be listening to. I was so excited 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 Elisabeth Waters visits Section 36 Music!

I’m a big fan of your recent EP “Blue”. What can you tell me about it?

Thank you so much! "Blue" is a project that's been in the works for several years. It's all about the first time I fell in love, from first falling to realizing I needed to end things to all the different emotions that come with a break up. This project was a deeply personal undertaking. It's been a bit of a bittersweet experience letting it go and sharing it with the world.

What was your favorite part about the recording process?

My favorite part about recording is working with so many

talented musicians. I absolutely love how someone else may hear my song in a totally different way, a way that creates something entirely new and beautiful. Whenever I collaborate with other artists I usually try to give them as much freedom as possible. It takes the music in directions that I would have never imagined, and it's the most exciting part of the process for me. 

You graduated from Berklee College of Music. What’s the biggest thing Berklee has done for your career? 

The biggest thing that Berklee did for my career was give it direction. I entered my first semester thinking that I would follow in my mother's footsteps and get a degree in music education. After about a week, I was exposed to all the other paths I could take while following my passion more directly. I got my degree in Jazz Composition and used what I learned to build the foundation for my songwriting. I also gained connections with musicians who thrive on collaboration, enriching the experience of making music as well as the music itself. 

Who or what would you consider your biggest musical influences?

I would say my biggest influence is Amy Winehouse. Hearing her integration of older jazz idioms with modern pop and R&B was huge in creating my own style. I often describe my music as Amy Winehouse meets Alan Menken (I taught myself how to play piano with my mom's Disney fake books). I also listened to tons of Ella Fitzgerald, Frank Sinatra, George Gershwin, and other popular jazz artists as well as my dad's favorites such as Sting, Tears for Fears, and Seal. The soundtrack of my late teens and early twenties was Emo, which definitely informs my lyric writing. 

What would you say is your biggest career challenge?

I'd say my biggest career challenge is the need to wear every hat all at once. As an independent artist I am my own publicist, social media manager, booking agent, web designer, and graphic designer. Trying to do everything at once sometimes leads to doing nothing at all and can get in the way of creative work.

What are your immediate career goals?

That's an overwhelming question. What are my immediate career goals... One of my immediate career goals is figuring out my immediate career goals. Now that I've learned how to take my career more seriously I can focus on specific strategies to expand my horizons. 

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I can certainly understand those challenges!

As always, I want to thank Elisabeth for visiting, 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!

Thanks again Elisabeth, and good luck finding your goals!

“Snow Girl (Guy)" by Alexa Aronson and Adam Corneal (Dec 9, 2022 Release)

“Snow Girl (Guy)" is the new collaboration from the talented singer Alexa Aronson and Adam Corneal!

Be sure to listen to it right away!

What's the story behind the song? Well Alexa and Adam were nice enough to answer a few questions for us to help you find out. Here's what they had to say...

How did the collaboration between the two of you on this song come to be?

Collaborating together got started by us being great friends and creating content together including tiktoks, texting everyday, and doing covers together occasionally! We then decided that this year we both wanted to write a Christmas song, so why not do it together? We are very excited for everyone to hear! 

Where did the idea of the song come from?

We were thinking about what it’s like being alone on Christmas, but then we started to think about, what if we were alone on Christmas but in a dream. Then we started to think what could we do to be less lonely in this dream? So we came up with building a snow guy/snow girl, who’s basically a lover out of snow to give you love, comfort and company. The idea came from frosty the snow man and how he gave those kids a friend and took away their loneliness.

Do you have any goals for this release?
Our goals for this release is to capture the Christmas vibe and to create a song that isn’t necessarily happy but to highlight how some people actually feel on Christmas, the loneliness of some people who don’t have a family, who don’t have a girlfriend or lover. It’s the balance of a Christmas vibe without people to make it whole. We also would love for our song to be heard worldwide! 

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I don't think they'll have a problem with that. It's an incredible song!

You can find “Snow Girl (Guy)" 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, hop over 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 “Snow Girl (Guy)" a listen!

Maxine Visits Section 36 Music!

Section 36 Music has another visitor! Maxine is an incredible singer whose single "Gasoline" should be on everyone's playlist.  I was so glad 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 Maxine visits Section 36 Music!

I loved your recent single “Gasoline”. What can you tell me about it? 

Thank you so much for listening! “Gasoline” is a collaboration between me and the artist The BreakBomb Project. BreakBomb found my singing videos on TikTok last spring and reached out to collaborate. He sent me an instrumental track and I immediately loved it. I wrote the melody and lyrics to create the concept of “Gasoline.” The lyrics come from a personal story of how I was feeling at the time I wrote them. I use music as an outlet to understand and let go of my emotions. After recording my vocals in my home studio I sent them to BreakBomb who mixed everything and created this dance song, which I hope everyone will jump to in the clubs! 

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

Erin Crowley

Berklee has been a massive contributor to my musical career. The biggest thing Berklee has done for me is helped me make connections. I have met so many incredible musicians, arrangers, and producers that I have become close with. Being around such talented people pushes me to work harder and learn directly from them. Right now I reach out to these friends when I need support and I know that in the future I will also be working with them by my side. Additionally, I have learnt a lot about the business side of the industry. I work on marketing myself, writing contracts, and coordinating the creation and releases of my music. 

You recently were able to perform at a Berklee Caf Show. What did you enjoy about performing in front of an audience? 

Erin Crowley

My Berklee Caf show on October 30th has been one of my favorite shows I’ve done because I performed 7 of my original songs with a full band, including background singers and a horn section, as well as my rhythm section. Additionally, I was performing for an audience of my friends and school peers, which was different to playing at bars full of people I’ve never met. This created a one of a kind connection between me and the people I know who were in front of me. My favorite thing about this was that I noticed many people singing along with me because they knew the lyrics to my songs. I am so thankful for everyone who came to the show and for my incredible band I got to perform and just have fun on stage with. 

Who or what would you consider your biggest musical influences? 

My biggest motivation to do music is because of the band “Queen.” I grew up listening to them constantly and was obsessed with all their vocal harmonies, different musical sections, and the way they incorporated different styles and instruments into a single song. The first song I released called “No Limits” was inspired by Queen’s song “Don’t Stop Me Now.” Now that I have moved more into the pop genre, more of my musical influences are Dua Lipa, Maisie Peters, and Claire Rosinkranz. 

What would you say is your biggest career challenge? 

My biggest career challenge is trying to form my “brand,” while also being authentic to myself. I’ve had so many people try to tell me how to produce my music or what I should dress like, and I try to push that aside to just be myself and create the music that makes me happy. As much as I wish I could please everyone with my songs, I have to keep telling myself that it’s okay that not everyone will like them. I hope that the music I create can be heartwarming, good vibes to dance to, or inspire anyone who chooses to listen :) 

What are your immediate career goals? 

My immediate career goals are to release an EP in 2023, of the songs I have been writing and producing over the past year, and to continue live performances of my original music. I am so grateful for all the people who have helped me come this far in my journey and am just happy to be where I am and to have the opportunity to continue making my songs and ideas come to life.

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I can't wait for that EP!

As always, I want to thank Maxine for visiting, 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!

Thanks again Maxine, and good luck reaching your goals!

“Next Christmas" by Cassandra (Dec 2, 2022 Release)

"Next Christmas" is the wonderful holiday song from the incredible Cassandra! 

I know I am a big fan of Cassandra's previous Holiday entry, "Only Christmas Wish". If you are as well, this song will absolutely need to be added to your Christmas playlists immediately. I already added it to mine!

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

Go give “Next Christmas" a listen!

Amie Wren Visits Section 36 Music!

Section 36 Music has another visitor! Amie Wren is a fantastic singer whose recent single "Stay" is beyond incredible. I was so glad 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 Amie Wren visits Section 36 Music!

I was blown away by your recent single, “Stay”. What can you tell me about it?

Thank you so much! So, ‘Stay’ is essentially about unrequited love, that kind of love that totally consumes you and destroys you when it ends. I wrote it about a year ago, and putting it together with my producer was truly an amazing experience, as it was exactly what I wanted it to be, and it perfectly encapsulated what I’d been feeling when I wrote it.

That was on the heels of your self-titled debut album. What has been your favorite part of the recording process?

I’d have to say working with the musicians featured on my album. One song I want to pick out is ‘Hanging Tree’. That was such an undertaking to put together, as I arranged the song for nine vocalists, including myself. I really enjoyed teaching them the parts, working with them as a choir, seeing how their voices worked together. I’d never recorded anything to that scale before, and it was a truly amazing experience.

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

I can see Berklee really refining my music. Right now, when I compose either music or songs it feels very raw, and whilst something can be said for that, I really want to develop my skills, using more complex harmony or melodic ideas. I just really want to be a music nerd for the next four years, and I’m so glad that it’ll be at Berklee - the sheer talent of students and professors alike is outstanding, and it’s a privilege to be a part of that.

Who or what would you consider your biggest musical influences?

That’s a great question! For singing, I’d probably say Cara Dillon, Enya, Kate Bush and Alanis Morissette. I have always loved Irish and Scottish folk music, and in ‘Amie Wren’ I featured several traditional folk songs, which were a joy to put together, as I love the music and the genre so much.

What would you say is your biggest career challenge?

Honestly, imposter syndrome. I, and many musicians, struggle with the simple feeling that we’re not good enough, especially in comparison to other musicians. It’s crucial to remember that no one can be ‘better’ than you because you are unique. You are you, and they are them, and both of you are fantastic in your own way. It’s something I tell myself every time I sing or perform to alleviate the anxiety - you can only do your best, and remembering that is really important.

What are your immediate career goals?

I’m currently working on a new album! It’ll be completely made up of original songs, and will hopefully explore some new genres that I’ve been less comfortable singing in in the past. I really want to push myself, and I hope that this new project can do that!

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I can't wait for that new album!

As always, I want to thank Amie for visiting, 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!

Thanks again Amie, and good luck reaching your goals!