This time I decided to do something different from usual by interviewing not a singer but an actress and I hope you appreciate that.
As a result, my interviewee is the highly promising American actress Ashla Soter, who despite her young age has already featured in a series of leading productions including "Ghede Origins" and "Texas Zombie Wars". She has seen the likes of many industry experts being defined "a diamond in the rough" thanks to her blossoming talent. She is currently studying professional acting and I do understand that she is a remarkably determined and passionate person. She is really hard working, spending most of her time between rehearsals and auditions but always finding some time to volunteer for charities close to her heart. I know you cannot wait to read her words but before doing that make sure you watch the trailer below. 1) When did you discover you had a real passion for acting? Acting is something I have always had a passion for, but I believe it was truly awakened in me when I was about fifteen. I am now eighteen years old, and there is absolutely nothing in this world I would rather be doing than acting. Acting is a big part of my life and I am constantly training, observing, learning and studying. 2) How are your family and friends supporting you? My family and friends have been very supportive. My parents see my love for acting and they do everything they can to support my journey. I believe having support from your family is very much needed in this type of industry. I am blessed beyond belief to have such amazing and supportive parents. They are always there when I need them and I am very thankful for that and them. 3) Despite your young age, you have already featured in a variety of productions. What is the best moment you have lived until now? It would most certainly be spending my time on different sets. Nothing is more exciting for me than reading a new script and stepping inside the shoes of the character. I enjoy every minute I spend on a set. I am constantly learning, observing, and growing. Every set seems to become a big family. In my free time I hang out with my family, or volunteer for charitable organizations close to my heart. 4) Do you have any advice for would-be actors/actresses? The advice I would give is NEVER give up. No matter how challenging it may be at times if this IS your TRUE passion never give up and keep on going. Get a lot of training, devote time to your craft daily and always work hard. Also, remember what you want to achieve is possible. Anything is possible, you just have to work at it. During challenging times think about why you started acting in the first place. 5) Do you think that social media has helped in you in developing and conveying your talent? Yes, I believe social media can help people promote themselves and their projects. You can also use demo reels to show your talent. 6) Do you have any favorite actor/actress? My favorite actress is Demi Moore. Demi is extremely talented at what she does, and is very natural. I love watching her films and studying her. One of my favorite films she has done is Ghost. I would also say that Bradley Cooper is my favorite actor. Make sure you also have a look at her video-shoot with fellow actresses Grace and Candace.
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Lively, confident, unique. I'm talking about Madison Moore. She is a young Australian singer-songwriter I had the opportunity to collaborate with recently. With an EP already released and an album coming very soon it seems that the only way is up for this energetic Australian musician.
Her style is peculiar mixing her melodic voice with piano notes, being super catchy at the same time. I am sure you will instantly fall in love with it. Before reading her words make sure to have a taste of Madison's incredible talent by listening to her track "Wild". 1) When did you realise music was your real passion? Music was always a large passion of mine that consumed much of my time as a child. I began to teach myself to play the piano when I was 5 and by the time I was 12 I was writing my own songs. The piano was where it all started for me, I could just place my hands on the keys and it always brought me so much joy. When I was 7 I also began to dance, this evoked a love of music in a different sense. I was immersed into the world of artists such as Michael Jackson, INXS, Billy Idol and Madonna. I developed a passion for dance music that filled most of my spare time, I spent hours and hours dancing to the same songs. This allowed me to understand music on a purely physical level, I began to understand how the dynamics of music made you feel, physically. My passion for music is thus, extensive and has really become a part of who I am. 2) How have social media helped you in conveying your message and expressing your talent? Social media is such an awesome platform to convey any message, it allows you to connect with people on a worldwide scale, that's incredibly empowering as an artist. I have been able to connect with fellow artists and make friends with people from Finland, Canada, America, England and so on. Social media allows you, as an artist, to put your music out into the cluttered music world and develop a widespread fan base that you can connect with directly. That's pretty cool! 3) What role are your friends playing in the journey to releasing your first album? My friends are very supportive of the creative process I am going through in developing this first album. They are now accustomed to me doing strange things, like recording voice memo's into my phone at awkward times. Often I will 'beat box' mid conversation and then write something down and my friends are really understanding of how strange I can be. They are also the first people to hear song demos and they also collaborate with me during recording sessions. 4) How difficult, in your opinion, is getting noticed for emerging artists? Do you have any suggestions? Emerging artists need to identify what aspect of themselves is unique, they need to highlight what makes them special. I know that sounds rather cliché, but its very true in this modern music world. Because if you have something special and unique as an artist, people will remember you and your music. It is also crucial to be an artist who regularly makes a connection and builds a strong relationship with their audience. People really appreciate and grow to love artists, who are authentic and present. 5) I personally love your EP "Electric". Your style is fresh and unique. What should we expect from your upcoming album? Thankyou! My debut EP has received a warm welcome online and it is so encouraging to begin to build a fan base with those songs. The album I am currently recording, entitled 'INSATIABLE' is a collection of songs that have a personal meaning to me and hopefully will inspire listeners. The album isn't too dissimilar from the EP, in that the overall vibe remains fresh and interesting. However the album contains songs that will have a greater impact on the listener by evoking a stronger mood. I am really excited to release these songs because they have such a strong connection to me and hopefully listeners can connect with them too. 6) Do you have any artists who inspire you? Who would you like to collaborate with? There are many artists who inspire me and I am actually collaborating with some artists right now! But shhhh....that's a secret for the moment. PAWWS, Meg Myers, Kate Boy and George Maple (to name a few) are all artists who inspire me, by creating music with passion and dedication. Do not forget to follow Madison on Twitter at @itsmadisonmoore. Leftover papers, empty egg boxes, old scarves. They all have one thing in common: they are often destined to be dumped in the bin. Apparently most of us cannot think about ways to reuse them. This week I had the opportunity to collaborate with Jane Means, a well-known British ribbon designer and gift wrapping specialist. In this feature she gives you some top tips on gift wrapping recycling injecting new life into your last week's papers and more. Jane Means is a leading British gift wrapping expert. She launched her own business in 1995, having worked with Dior, House of Fraser and Harrods among many others and having personally gift wrapped for various celebrities. She was also commissioned to make a card for the Queen (which later went on display in Buckingham Palace Mews). She is a regular on BBC Radio Lincolnshire and she can be found on TV screens having her own show on Create and Craft TV and making constant appearances during various programmes on ITV and BBC. Jane has been featured in various papers including The Daily Mail and The Independent and has written the book 'Giftwrapped' which sells worldwide apart from running wrapping courses all over the UK. PLEATING LEFTOVER NEWSPAPERS Give boxes the luxurious touch by pleating a leftover Financial Times newspaper. Use double sided tape for a professional finish. To pleat the paper you make small folds in the paper (ensuring they are straight) and add some sticky tape to the reverse to avoid the paper stretching when you start wrapping the box. WRAPPING PLANTS When gift wrapping a plant use a fabric remnant or a paper tablecloth from a supermarket. These are both flexible for awkward shapes and are suitable for a damp base as the moisture will soak in to the wrapping. STICKS AND FEATHERS For a rustic finish add in sticks and feathers to your gifts collected on country walks using brown paper with raffia or string. This is also a suitable style when wrapping gifts for men. EGG BOXES Empty egg boxes can be decorated and are perfect for small gifts, chocolates or soaps. Add a band of decorative paper or fabric and tie a bow to finish. SCARVES Old silk scarves make great wrapping for awkward shapes. In this project we’ve rolled up a magazine with a subscription. JOINING PAPER LEFTOVERS If your paper isn’t long enough to go around a large box, join an extra piece and cover the join with ribbon. This looks very creative if you mix 2 opposite papers and is ideal for using those short leftovers you would normally throw away. P.S. : The famous blogger and entrepreneur Poppy Dinsey recently announced on Twitter she will attend one of Jane's courses. Young, confident, talented. I am talking about Robyn Regan. She is a singer/songwriter from East London, who despite her young age has already impressed many audiences. Her portfolio includes performances at a variety of venues included the London Palladium and the Globe. Last year, she released an iTunes (singer/songwriter chart) number 8 hit titled "Home". It was also made the official song for the "I support the troops" campaign in America. Currently she is working on her first EP, spending much of her time between studio sessions and photoshoots. Her style is radio-friendly, smooth and overall super-catchy. Her voice is melodic and perfectly fits with her pop-tunes, strongly reminding me of Cady Groves. Having more than 50000 followers on Twitter, Robyn Regan, has all the right cards for success in the music industry. Before reading Robyn's words, make sure you have a taste of her incredible talent by hitting the play button! (I cannot genuinely stop listening to this track) 1) When did you realise music was running through your veins? I was singing in the womb. 2) Have social media helped you in expressing your talent and conveying your message? Yes, they have. They allow me to reach out to so many people. 3) How does it feel to tour all over the UK? The events I have done overwhelm me everytime I step out on stage. I love it so much. Do you enjoy meeting old fans and making new ones? Always, I love everyone who supports me. 4) How difficult is in your opinion to get noticed in a competitive industry like the music one? It is a tough industry. You just have to believe in yourself and your music and speak to everyone about what you are doing. Do you have any suggestion for emerging artists? Keep pushing your dream. If you knock loud enough someone will hear you. 5) Your single “This Love" bursts with happiness. Are you, in day-to-day to life, as joyful and relaxed as in the music video? Yes, I am. I wake everyday happy. 6) What artists inspire you and for what reasons? Michael Jackson because he achieved so much in his career. Who would you like to collaborate with? I think The Vamps would be pretty or Ariana Grande. Do not forget to follow Robyn on Twitter at @RobynlouRegan. Young, colourful, energetic: this is Jessica Alice in three words. Her classy but edgy style, trap inspired pop music and sweet vocals with attitude, gives her something quite unique. Based in Essex (England), she is currently on a UK schools tour and has up and coming gigs in The Netherlands and Portugal for the second time this year. Recently she switched on the Xmas' lights in Harlow (Essex), having the opportunity the meet old and new fans. In October 2013 she released an anti-bullying anthem called ‘Stand Up and Say’ and has been made ambassador for the Cybersmile Foundation. Jessica also plays acoustic guitar and in February 2014 she released her first acoustic EP called ‘We Walk Alone’. Her new EP "I'm Your Girl" is going to released in February next year and you can preorder it on Itunes. With a real talent to share, Jessica is trying to build the solid reputation she deserves and now she talks directly to you, in an exclusive interview. Before reading Jessica's words, make sure you have a taste of her incredible vocals by hitting the play button! 1) When did you realise music was your thing? I have loved music from a very young age. My parents met in a marching band, so I was brought up in a very musical environment and the studio I rehearse and record in at home, was born before I was. 2) Have social media helped you in expressing your talent and conveying your message? Yes, social media plays a great part in helping me promote my music. It also allows me to keep in touch with my fans on a daily basis. Instagram has become my visual diary showing things going on in my life like buying new outfits, clips of my performances, behind the scenes shots from video shoots and photos of my two Chihuahuas Lily and Molly. 3) How are people in Essex helping you in nurturing your talent and chasing your dreams? At the moment I am concentrating on doing more gigs and events in Essex to build my fans locally. The local press and radio stations are following and supporting my career. Also local DJs, musicians, friends, family and even my old junior school are all behind me. 4) How difficult is it in your opinion for emerging artists to get noticed? Do you have any suggestions for them? It is hard for people to get noticed because there are a lot of other people out there trying to do similar things. Everybody is different in some way, so it’s about finding out what is unique about you and using that as your selling point. There is enough room in the market for a lot of different singers and songs. 5) What should we expect from your up-coming EP "I'm Your Girl"? Are you in love with any song in particular? My EP “I’m Your Girl” shows my new style of music which has been produced by Wildabeast. I have written or co-written all the tracks which are very current. One of my favourite tracks is ‘Put Your Hands on Me’, co-written with my Mum and manager Sue Crowe; a professional musician. I have filmed videos for four out of the five tracks on the EP and ‘Put Your Hands on Me’, featuring some very talented dancers, has just been released. 6) What artists inspire you and for what reasons? Who would you like to collaborate with? Although I like songs from all eras, I really love the music and style of the modern day singers like Ellie Goulding, Beyonce, Rihanna, Tinashe and Ariana Grande. My own style of music works really well with rappers, so therefore I would like a collaboration with British rapper Tinie Tempah. Remember to follow Jessica Alice on Twitter at @TheJessicaAlice and check out her website at www.jessicaalice.com. Don't forget to keep in touch with her on Instangram at instagram.com/thejessicaalice too! Here, just for you, an exclusive interview to Sonali Argade. For the half a dozen of you who don't know her yet, Sonali is a student at NYU Tisch School of the Arts, and rose to fame by winning with fellow NYU classmates, a contest for the best Rihanna "Diamonds" cover. The judge was nothing less than the Barbadian singer! Her latest song, "Who We Are", has had the likes of many, and can be described as anybody's anthem. Its message says: "Accept yourself as you are, no matter what. Nobody can judge you!". Other than music, community service is an essential element in Sonali’s life. She has enjoyed working with Smile Train, an international charity that provides free cleft surgery for thousands of poor children in developing countries. 100% of the iTunes sales from her Speechless EP are donated to Smile Train Organization. Described by the Huffington Post as the female Ed Sheeran, Sonali has a talent worth sharing and now she talks directly to you. Before reading Sonali's words, make sure you have a taste of her style by hitting the play button! 1) When did you realise you couldn't live without music? I’ve always loved music for as long as I can remember. When I was three years old, I told my parents I wanted to be a singer. Of course they didn’t believe me, but I was serious! Over the years I began taking voice lessons and picking up instruments along the way, and my passion for music only grew. When I started songwriting in late high school/college, I was more certain than ever that this was the path I wanted to pursue. 2) Have social media helped you in expressing your talent and conveying your message? Absolutely. With social media, you have the potential to interact with people all over the world and connect with them in so many different ways. I think that’s beautiful. With my songwriting, I aim to reach people on a very personal level, and by understanding how to use social media I can achieve this goal and reach a larger audience. I think it’s amazing how you can share a very personal experience with someone you’ve never met just by writing a powerful lyric, that’s the most inspirational part of the whole process for me. 3) Are your family and friends important in supporting your talent and chasing your dreams? Incredibly, it’s such a tough industry to break into and I don’t know how I would even begin to do it without the support of my family. Ever since I was young, my parents have pushed me to work hard and follow my dreams, and they are always the first ones there to encourage me when things get difficult. My friends are also extremely supportive. As musicians, you often work on strange schedules, there’s no such thing as a 9 to 5 workday. As a result, the job can sometimes take 24 hours, and free time isn’t something you have a whole lot of. My friends are so understanding of this. Furthermore, they are always sharing my music with their friends and helping to spread the word, and this means the world to me. 4) How difficult is in your opinion for emerging artists to get noticed? It’s kind of a paradox actually. In a way it’s incredibly easy. With social media, you have the potential to reach thousands right from your computer desk at home. However, the problem is now that you have that access, so does everyone else in the world. Virtually anyone can now make a record sitting at home at their desk, but that doesn’t necessarily mean the product is going to be of high quality. The result is an extremely oversaturated market, and that is the difficulty. It can be hard to be noticed amidst the noise. It’s also extremely expensive to create and promote content, and major labels don’t have the money they once did to invest in developing talent. That means you have to find the funding yourself to start building your own fan base, and that too is challenging. 5) What is the story behind your song "Who We Are"? I currently attend school at NYU, and from a lot of my friends here, I’ve heard their firsthand stories of coming out to their parents and friends. Unfortunately, some of their stories have been very challenging experiences. This to me is incredibly saddening, as I cannot understand why we would not treat everyone equally. It upsets me that this even is an issue in our society, because to me it’s just so common sense. Love is love no matter what, and who are we to deny that? I wrote the song “Who We Are” for this reason, and wanted to make a music video that would clearly communicate my stance on the issue, I really wanted to make a difference. Although I wrote the song specifically with equal rights in mind, “Who We Are” could really be an anthem for anyone. It’s a song about embracing who you are, no matter what. That’s an ideal anyone can relate to. 6) What artists inspire you and for what reasons? Who would you like to collaborate with? I’ll try my best to answer this question in a few sentences, because I could honestly go on for pages with this one! I’m inspired by so many different artists across various genres of music. The most direct influences you can hear in my music are probably Ed Sheeran, Colbie Caillat, and Lewis Watson. All three of them are incredible songwriters, and they always team up with excellent producers. From a songwriting perspective, I’d have to say my favorite artist is John Mayer. His lyrics are just incredible, they are so cleverly written but simple, and that is exactly what I aim to do. Lately, I’ve been really inspired by the production of bands like Oh Honey and American Authors, and that’s definitely something I’m taking into account as I’m starting to produce my next body of work right now. Collaborating with any of these people would be a dream come true. Most people find this extremely surprising, but I actually really love classic rock and heavy metal. Some of my favorite bands include Led Zeppelin, Coheed and Cambria, and Bullet for My Valentine. I don’t know how much that necessarily comes through in the music I write, but I definitely enjoy listening to these bands! I’m also very much into the folk singer-songwriter scene from the 60s-Simon and Garfunkel, James Taylor, Crosby, Stills, and Nash, Joni Mitchell, all that good stuff! Remember to follow Sonali on Twitter at @itsmesonali and check out her website at www.itsmesonali.com. Don't forget to download her latest EP "Wake Up" on Itunes too!
1) When did you realise you had a real and deep passion for music? Honestly, I've had a passion for music as long as I remember! When I was 3 years old I was begging my mom to put me in a singing group and ever since then music has been the biggest passion in my life! 2) Have social media helped you in expressing your talent and conveying your message? Definitely, I love having social media to share my music videos and just my day to day thoughts. It's also super fun to see my fans responding to my posts on social media!I use Twitter the most but I enjoy Instagram and Youtube too️️ ️ 3) When and why did you decide to collaborate with "School of Pop"? I decided to collaborate with "School of Pop" because I thought that it would be really helpful to other teens to have one of their peers teaching them the newest songs on guitar and It was pretty fun! :) 4) Do you think is difficult for emerging artists to get noticed? I think that it is difficult for emerging artists to get noticed, however, I think that if you work hard enough anyone can get noticed! I believe that if you interact with your fans and try to put things up that people will hopefully enjoy then it will happen. I'm super thankful for all the support I've had this far. 5) You mainly produce covers, have you ever thought about releasing an EP made of your own songs? Yes! I actually am going to be coming out with an EP of my originals very soon. I've been traveling back and forth to Nashville so I'm going for a pop country feel. I'm super excited to share my own songs with my fans. My first single "Invisible" is on my YouTube channel. I wrote it about a boy, well most of my songs are about boys. You can check it out here http://youtu.be/B92S36jm5xA My dream would be to get signed so I could continue doing what I love. 6) What artists inspire you and for what reasons? One big inspiration for me is Taylor Swift. I love the way her songs really convey her feelings. She works hard and is so successful! I really enjoy her. I would love to open for her some day, hey you never know you got to reach for the stars. Here is one of my latest covers I did form her 1989 album. My video was also just featured on Vh1 so that was a thrill. http://youtu.be/0BvKMC5fXfU Remember to follow Mary on Twitter at @Desmond_Mary and like her Facebook page at facebook.com/marydesmondonline. Don't forget to check out her website at www.marydesmondonline.com too! Here exclusively for you, an interview with JoeJoeKeys (real name Joe Liedtke), whose album "Payin' 4 Yesterday" I reviewed earlier (http://welcometomygalaxy.weebly.com/music-reviews/joejoekeys-payin-4-yesterday-review). 1) When did you understand that you wanted to make a living out of music? I started playing at piano at the age of 12. Music runs in the family but was never at the forefront. My mother said that at the age of 5 I would harmonize with tv commercial jingles so she knew I had it in me. I When I started taking piano lessons I immediately knew it was what i wanted to do for my entire life. Initially I wanted to be a "rock start" of course but quickly realized that job was hard to come by. My revised goal by the age of 19 was to "make a living doing something involving music." And, here I am. 2) Do you have any artists in particular who inspire you? I have so many artists that have inspired me over the years it's impossible to list them. To name a few: Rachmaninoff, Sunny Day Real Estate, Starflyer59, Stevie Wonder, Joe Jackson, Slayer, Chick Corea, Brand New Heavies, Groove Collective, My Bloody Valentine, Tower of Power, Keith Green, Foster the People, and the list could go on and on and on...I'm very eclectic. 3) How has the experience with LPO changed you as a musician? LPO was a formative time in my musical career. I was able to experience many things that most musicians will never be able to experience all in about 4 years. I learned how to be a real working musician and how to be humbled by wonderful experiences. 4) What is your favourite song from "Payin' 4 Yesterday"? Why? I can't really pin down a "favorite" but there are two that stand out. "payin' 4 yesterday" obviously because it is the closest to a title track the album could have. This track encapsulates my life up till now. Always working to keep up and pay up. Let's say it's about "paying dues." Another one is "I Can Play Whatever I Want." ICPWIW is a big ode of screw you to a former band mate who shall rename nameless but will forever know who they are. The tune is dually about how I have a classically trained pianist and can write and play almost anything I put my mind to, the other side is "don't tell me what to play." Remember to check out JoeJoeKeys' website at http://joejoekeys.com |
AuthorMy name is Marco and I'm a 22 year old Italian guy. If you want to know more about my world just browse through my website! Archives
April 2015
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