Lily Marie Antonini Visits Section 36 Music!

Section 36 Music has another visitor! Lily Marie Antonini is an incredible singer, with a recent single, "Apostle", that is nothing short of magical. I was so excited that she wanted 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 Lily Marie Antonini visits Section 36 Music!

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

“Apostle” is a bilingual reggaeton-pop like song I created for my album, “Happy Birthday Jesus (Merry Christmas)” 

It is a song about wanting to be closer to God and to be like an Apostle or Disciple = Always following him. It’s also supposed to showcase that Jesus’ Apostles, just like saints, were humans like us who make mistakes sometimes. 

This is supposed to remind us that even if we fail at some things, we can ask God for forgiveness about anything and that is the best reward we have been given. 

You also just released the Christmas album, “Happy Birthday Jesus (Merry Christmas)”. What was it like putting that together? 

Creating my album, “Happy Birthday Jesus (Merry Christmas)” was a lot of fun! 

It is a bilingual Christmas/Catholic album that is supposed to give faith, love, happy vibes, and celebration. 

The album, like my others, has a total of 12 songs; 5 in English, 5 in Spanish, and 2 bilingual songs. 

I create all my music in my home studio and produce, mix & master it with the equipment I have, which is limited, but God willing will keep growing with time! I also created all the music instrumentation, as well as composition and recorded all my vocals. 

I can talk a little bit about each song in the album and what they are about! 

The first song on the album is called, “Christmas (The Lord Is Born”). This song has to be one of the most Christmasy songs on the album with kids cheering and bells ringing! It is a cheerful song about the real meaning of Christmas and why it is a holiday in the first place! It is a reminder that the best gift of all is Jesus being born for all of us to live forever with him in heaven when the time comes. He is always with us in our hearts and minds!

The second song on the album is called, “Divina Misericordia”, which is The Divine Mercy Prayer in spanish and in song form that I composed. It is there to help people pray along it with celestial sounds. 

The third song on the album is called, “On The Cross”. This is an EDM inspired song about how Jesus died for our sins on the cross. He sacrificed everything for us to have eternal life if we repent for our sins on this Earth and truly love him. It also helps humanity remember that we are not alone and we all face sin and problems, but God is always on our side and always with us because he truly loves us. 

The fourth song on the album is called, “Espíritu Santo”, which translates to “Holy Spirit”. This is a Spanish song that is thanking and showing love to the Holy Spirit. The song has a cheerful Christmas spirit. 

The fifth song on the album is called, “KING”. It is an EDM song reminding us how God has all the power in the universe and could do whatever he wanted, but he decided to give us all his love and care forever. There is no evil within GOD & he is the KING of all! 

The sixth song on the album is called, “La Guadalupana (Madre Mia)”, which translates to “The Guadalupe (My Mother)”. This is a Spanish song showing love and thanks to the Virgin Mary, who is the mother of all, as well as a song for all mothers on Earth. It is also a reminder that the Virgin Mary is the one who teaches Earthly mothers how to be the best Earthly mothers. 

The seventh song on the album is called, “Now Is The Time”. This Pop/Dance song is about how it is never too late to change and be the best person you can for God and for humanity, but that you should start now if possible! It is a song to motivate peace and good in people. 

The eighth song on the album is called, “Ángel De Mi Guardia”, which translates to “Guardian Angel”, is a Spanish song about how we have a huge family in Heaven filled with guardian angels who help God protect and watch over us. 

The ninth song on the album is called, “Divine Mercy”, which is the English version of The Divine Mercy Prayer In Song. It is the same composition/melody as the Spanish version! 

The tenth song on the album is called, “Dios Nos Da (Amor)”, which translates to “God Gives Us (Love)”. This is a song that my grandma, Adela Garcia, made in an improv session with me. I helped out with the lyrics and the instrumentation, but she came up with the melody. It is a song about how we need to remember that “Love” is worth more than any material thing because GOD IS LOVE. There is also a mini surprise in the bridge, as she sings in the bridge with me! 

The eleventh song on the album is called, “Tik Tok”. It is the first bilingual song of the album and is another Christmas song reminder about the real meaning of Christmas, which is Jesus being born for us! 

The last song of the album is one of my favorites! It is “Apostle”, which is the one that I spoke about above! I love the dance feel and the fact that it is bilingual so both worlds can sing along! 

You’re a graduate of Berklee College of Music. What is the biggest thing Berklee did for your career? 

At Berklee, I always would audition and apply for everything and anything to get the most out of it. 

The biggest thing Berklee has done for me would have been giving me my own Berklee Performance Center show, as that is extremely rare for students to gain. 

It was such an honor to be the FIRST bilingual synesthete artist to perform on that stage. 

It was a lot of fun to plan everything from finding the musicians, dancers, and everyone else who made it possible and yes, it was a student run concert, with more than 50 members in the team! 

The concept of the show was my life growing up and my musicianship. It was filled with 18 original songs, both in English and Spanish and the show can be viewed anywhere! 

Just type in: “Lily Marie Antonini BPC” on google and you can find the full concert! 

Who or what would you consider your biggest musical influences? 

My biggest musical influences are too many to count, but Phil Collins and Al Jarreau have always been my favorite go-to’s! I love to scat and create my music from scatting and then turning the scat into actual words, so I resonate with Al Jarreau way too much. Phil Collins has always been my favorite and I think it is because I auditioned with “Against All Odds” for a show at my art school and ever since that day, my musical journey changed direction for the best.

Basically, all the 80s artists in total are HUGE influences in my music because I believe the music back then was so “raw” and “real”. 

What would you say is your biggest challenge with your music career? 

I think the biggest challenge for many in the music industry is financially. For me, I currently don’t own any fancy equipment, but I manage to create and release with what I have. It is hard sometimes to find Music opportunities that pay enough to survive, as well. I hope that in the future, the world will be able to see what music is really worth. 

What are your immediate music goals? 

I am on the search of finding a good team that will want to work with me for future show tours, music, and more. I am always open to collaboration and meeting new people. I will also continue to finish my music goals for 2024 and release them as time goes by & I hope to get better music equipment soon!

---

I definitely hope she's able to make that all happen!  

As always, I want to thank Lily 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 of. I would follow her on Instagram, and Spotify as well as bookmark her website to make sure you don't miss a thing. 

Thanks again Lily, and good luck reaching your goals!