rhythm.connection presents A MOMENT WITH YouTube MUSICIANS - LAN LI [aka worldismarble]

Hey guys, round two for February 14th, with Lan Li, better known as 'worldismarble'!

Lan Li is a NY/London-based YouTube singer-songwriter. Another musician that is part of the upcoming wave of newer YouTube musicians including gunnarolla, Sam Hart, Micaela Reyes and the like, she spared some time to answer some questions during her busy school life!

How long have you been doing music for? Are you doing it professionally or independently?
I don’t know how to describe when I first started playing music, since I’ve been playing around with it since the first time I knew how to hit “record” on a cassette player. But I’ve been studying Chinese music for most of my life and started playing the zheng (21-stringed Chinese zither) when I was 10. It wasn’t until my sophomore year of college when sister inspired me to pick up the guitar. Once I knew how to play chords, I began writing my own songs. It was mostly for personal enjoyment and I don’t think that I will go into music professionally for now.

What style of music do you generally play?
Alternative/pop/folky/indi

e-type of music.

How did you first get involved in music?
I grew up surrounded by Chinese music. When I was 8, my sister and I discovered Radio Disney and thus began my relationship with pop culture.

What made you decide to starting YouTubing your musical talent?
I had my YouTube account for a few years before I started posting videos regularly. After completing three songs and getting positive reviews from my family, I decided to just post it online. I think this was the summer before I studied abroad in London, so my intentions were to get my music out when I still had my guitar, go abroad, and forget about it. But then I suffered from severe withdrawal from my guitar, so I bought a kid-sized guitar in London (which they only in blue) and started to write and record again.

Who are your biggest musical influences?
Adele and Justin Nozuka basically made up the soundtrack for my life in London, so they were my immediate influence for my writing then. In general, I love the Ella Fitzgerald/Michael Buble style of singing, and Irving Berlin/Dorthy Fields/Jason Mraz/Beatles style of writing.I also, not surprisingly, get some of my idiomatic sense of melody from Chinese music. There are some parts of my songs, say at the end of “Save Me,” where I can pick out a melodic phrase and tell you which Chinese folk tune it came from.

How does it feel to be getting all this support from people for doing what you do?
Indescribable and mostly unreal.

Is there ANY musician that you would like to do a collaboration with in the future?
There are too many musicians whom I admire, but if my embarrassing fantasies were to come true, I would love to have a cup of coffee and jam (hah, pun…) with basically anyone I mention in this interview : )

What have been some of your most memorable experiences as a musician thus far? And have you ever met any other YouTube musicians?
I took a road trip to San Francisco with ninjadrops (Christian Quiambao) last year to see blinktwice4y (Sam Hart), and that guy can work a guitar like none other! Sam’s voice becomes ten times more sultry than it is online when he sings to you live. I hope to be half as awesome as he is. I also hung out with tsud123 (Dustin) and hummed a few tunes. In the meantime, I’ve been randomly collaborating with gunnarolla (Andrew Gunadie), but I’ve never met him in person.

What has been your most popular cover on YouTube? Your most popular original song on YouTube?
I think “Fly Me to the Moon” has quite a bit a views, even though I recorded that song three months into learning guitar and couldn’t really sing with it. Kind of embarrassing, but I keep it up for sentimental reasons. For original songs, I think “Quite Comforts” (aka “the cell phone song”) and “Simple Promises” are quite popular for reasons that are beyond me.

I imagine you have a lot of music tastes; what do you normally play on your iPod and/or when you’re at home?
It depends on my mood. When I’m studying or researching for work, I turn on my Pandora stations and tune into a lot of classical and instrumental music (lots of Bach and Ratatat). Recently, I’ve been getting into Chrisette Michele,The Noisettes, and Eric Hutchinson, but my happy song is still “New Shoes” by Paolo Nutini. Actually, that song was the reason why I learned to play the guitar.

Where’s the one place where you can go and get your creative flow going in order to write/create music?
I don’t have a secret lair where I get my fix of creative juices since everything that I encounter somehow contributes to my music. For me, the most powerful emotional inspirations come unexpectedly from a crush to a lecture on the Vietnam War. In other cases, I write a song with an intention, for instance I wanted to base a jazz song on Chinese folk melodies, so I wrote “Winter” that’s jazzy and is adapted from tune I grew up with.

Who is your closest musician friend, and how did you two meet?
I’m at the edge of the music world, so I don’t have a group of musicians friends with whom I chill and jam and bread. Actually, most of my closest friends are not musicians.

What do you do in your spare time when you’re not playing music?
Well, my situation is quite the reverse—I play music in my spare time where otherwise I would be studying, editing film, or researching for my senior thesis. I’m just a regular college kid who happens to enjoy writing music.

What do you hope to accomplish while being involved in music?
I fell into singing and songwriting fairly recently and still don’t have any grand ambitions. I just want to make music that I enjoy and that other people find tolerable : )

Do you have any final words for the readers?
Keep it real and thanks for reading!


There you have it folks - thanks to Lan for the interview, keep it real as she said!

J~


Lan Li

rhythm.connection presents A MOMENT WITH YouTube MUSICIANS - KEVIN KAHO [aka kevinkahomusic]

Hey folks, back again with another interview - meet Kevin Kaho!

Kevin Kaho (born May 31) is a Hong Kong-based YouTube singer/songwriter, previously based out of Manchester, England while in school. This rising musician cites guys like The Beatles, Kina Grannis and David Choi as one of his biggest influences among many. Please take some time to hear what he has to say!

How long have you been doing music for? Are you doing it professionally or independently?
Well I've been singing in the bathroom since I was about 4 years old lol, but the YouTube thing was only started about a year ago. I am neither doing it professionally or independently, I'm only doing it for fun and because I love sharing my music with the world! :)

What style of music do you generally play?
I play mostly pop / folk music, well so far for my covers anyways.

How did you first get involved in music? And what made you decide to starting YouTubing your musical talent?
My dad has this guitar which mum bought him during the 70s. I've always been messing with it since I was young and i eventually bought my own guitar when I was at high school. As for YouTube: Simply because of one person - David Choi. He is without a doubt my biggest inspiration for starting my YouTube channel. The other major reason is because YouTube music isn't actually big at all in a conservative city such as Hong Kong, and even up til today there are only handful of numbers of YouTube musicians out there in my city, so, I wanted to contribute to the community and make a change perhaps.

Who are your biggest musical influences?
THE BEATLES / THE BEATLES / THE BEATLES. I grew up listening to them, pretty much everyday, and I can honestly say til this day they still are my biggest musical influences. Besides them I am really into Brit Pop Indie Band such as The Arctic Monkeys and Oasis, they are lyrical masters. But Pop plays a major part in my music, and anything that sounds good to me, I'll give it a go really! :)

How does it feel to be getting all this support from people for doing what you do?
To be honest with you, I don't, since I havn't actually told many people about the YouTube thing. I'd say only a handful of close friends know what I do and of course they'r the best for being so loving and supportive towards me. I hope my parents aren't looking at this article by the way lol!

Is there ANY musician that you would like to do a collaboration with in the future?
Singing with David Choi or Kina Grannis would be my dream :)

You've done quite a few videos with Robyn Yip. How did you meet her?
Robynn! I first saw her in a short film by WongFuProduction called 'The One Days: HK', then I found out she's a brilliant musician also! So we met up this one afternoon and did a few songs ~ She's very talented, and I've been lucky enough to have collaborated with her. In fact, I consider our duet cover of 'Won't Even Start' as my best cover / video to date :)

What has been your most popular cover on YouTube? Your most popular original song on YouTube?
Based on views and comments from fans, and haters - the Bad Romance Cover is the most popular one. But the one that I'm most proud of is as mentioned above the duet of 'Won't Even Start' and also a cover of a Cantonese Song in which I changed the lyrics into English. As for original song, I've only put one up so far, I promise there'll be lot more coming soon!

I imagine you have a lot of music tastes; what do you normally play on your iPod and/or when you’re at home?
On my iPhone I have anything from Classical to Cheesy Pop, 60s Rock n Roll to Modern Techno. But as mentioned I listen to The Beatles all the time, and I love Michael Jackson, I really do. When I was younger I used to listen to lots of mainstream music, but it was only until I went to University I discovered the wonder of Brit Indie Pop music, or band music in general!

Where’s the one place where you can go and get your creative flow going in order to write/create music?
I don't have any preferences for song writing. I've written songs in cafe, on the streets, at the underground, even in the toilet etc... Sometimes when something special flashes thru your mind, you just gotta treasure it and capture that very moment, and in my case, I just write the music and lyrics on my iPhone lol!

I hear you met Gerald Ko aka singindork888 in Hong Kong recently; where and how was the moment?
That was one of the craziest things ever. That morning, I watched Gerald's cover of Fireflies on YouTube before I left home, 30 mins later, I bumped into him IN PERSON by chance on a random platform in an Underground station, in Hong Kong! I was so scared to approach him at the time, knowing the fact that he lives in US, but then I thought, come on it's gotta be him! He's was so happily surprised to find someone noticing him in a foreign country, and we had a short chat and all. That was such a special day! I was over the moon and dancing like a child all day long haha! "It's a small world after all bla bla bla..."

What do you do in your spare time when you’re not playing music?
I love sports, so I do a lot of that when I'm not doing music.

What do you hope to accomplish while being involved in music?
My ultimate goal is to eventually start a band, or get into a band, and play my favorite band music. That has always been a dream of mine since I was young.

Do you have any final words for the readers?
I love you all for reading this, from the bottom of my heart. It means the world to me! Thanks for your support! L.O.V.E


Another awesome musician to watch out for - thanks to Kevin for doing this, and until next time, later days!

J~


Kevin Kaho

rhythm.connection presents A MOMENT WITH BRIAN JOO (Fly To The Sky)

Yooo! Round 3 for January 29, 2010, with my biggest guest from the Korean music scene yet, make some noise, Brian Joo is in the house!

Brian Joo (born Min-Kyu Joo on January 10, 1981 in Abescon, NJ) is a Korean-American R&B singer, most notably, 1/2 of popular Korean R&B duo Fly To The Sky along with Hwanhee. Also an actor, Brian has manifested his skills as an entertainer over the last decade and continues to gain popularity as both a solo act and part of FTTS. Brian took some time out of his busy schedule to answer some of my questions, as he is one of my favorite R&B singers. There was a lot I discovered about Brian that I did not know until this interview, so check it out!

How long have you been doing music professionally for?
... Well,I've been doing music professionally for about 11 years now and I'm still loving it.

What style of music do you generally play, and which musicians/genres provide inspiration for your sound?
... I love all kinds of music. I honestly do not have just one favorite artist. I love every and anyone starting from Michael Jackson, Janet Jackson, Boyz II Men, Michael Buble, Jay Sean and you gotta love the Christian artists as well like Chris Tomlin, Steven Curtis Chapman, Michael W. Smith, Matthew West and the list keeps going on and on for me. And music that gives me the most inspiration has to be Christian Contemporary Music all the way baby~!

In December last year you released your second solo album “Manifold”, after just having parted ways with your former Fly To The Sky mate Hwanhee. How was the process of creating the concept for the album, and did you face any difficulties during the process?
... Well, there was no real process of creating the concept. I've always enjoyed dancing, and music that made me wanna dance was mostly what I wanted to do with this solo album. I was so excited to work on this album more than the others because I had more creative freedom as a producer for my own work, which I never had before. In the past, I would have to compromise with the label and Hwany and this time around, it was pretty much all up to me, which I can't complain about... haha. The only main difficulty that I faced while working on this album was the thought that people would hate the songs and then I would be hated as a producer. So, while I was picking songs to do and having meetings on which songs to record I was pretty nervous and anxious at the same time.

As many people know, you are one half of legendary R&B duo Fly To The Sky, alongside Hwanhee. You guys have been through many ups and downs in your careers both as a duo and as individual artists. What have been some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced in your career that have helped to shape you into the musician you are today? Do you think you could have done things differently to help keep FTTS going if that had been in the plan?
... The biggest challenges for me were probably trying to get a say in what I wanted to do musically. When you're with a big record label, you have to give up what you want to do pretty much 70% of the time, and I've learned so much from it like, why the label would choose one song to do and not the other, and also what types of songs/genres actually suit my voice, and that really helped me mold myself into who I am today. Well, first off, FTTS is not over. I know a lot of rumors have been going around that we broke up or we fought with eachother and that is all so not true. Hwany and I just wanted to go our different ways as solo artists but we are still going to come together as FTTS in the future and make great songs for our fans.

What was the biggest difference or change if anything, when you and Hwanhee chose the latter in 2004 to sign to PFull Entertainment and not re-sign with SM?
... We both needed to mature quickly with the decision that we made and thus forcing ourselves to grow up in this industry. This is probably the biggest change for the both of us. We literally went from BOYS in S.M. to MEN with Pfull. I'm not saying that we hated S.M. but in life, you wanna try out new things and since there are so many possibilities and choices out there, we both wanted to move on and try something different.

Is there any specific times in your life or anything that is around you on a daily basis that gives you the inspiration and energy needed to write music?
... Just feeling any kind of emotion inspires me to write songs. I could be walking down the street and see an old lady crying and that would put me in a sad mood and whatever melody or lyrics come to my mind, I record on my iphone or BlackBerry.

Can fans expect new material from you anytime soon?
... Oh yeah, I'm not stopping. I know that all these boy bands and girl groups keep popping out but, that just makes me wanna keep striving harder. I wanna do music till I can't sing or get serious stage fright... haha

Is there ANY musician that you would like to do a collaboration with in the future?
... Oh, this is a hard one. I have so many artists that I wanna work with so bad. Like Jay Sean, Rihanna, Beyonce, Lil' Wayne, Will.I.Am, Michael Buble, Matthew West, Steven Curtis Chapman and the list goes on...

Is there any chance of you pursuing a career in acting or music in North America, since you’re originally from the U.S. and you studied film and theatre at Dongguk University in Seoul?
... I wanna pursue a career in any country that wants me to be there, and yes out of all of them, North America is a definite YES. I've always wanted to break out in the States but just never had the luck and connections to.

Are you doing any projects and/or campaigning for anything right now aside from your music career?
... Not at the moment, but if something comes up, I'll be letting everyone know..
(On a side note, Brian was included in the PSAs for the Centre for The Pacific Asian Family, as that organization was involved in a contest with Chase Community Giving)

I imagine you have a lot of music tastes; what do you normally play on your iPod and/or when you’re at home?
... I play a lot of quiet music. Like, when I travel, I always look for Spa music CD's... It's soothing and that's what I play at the house when I just wanna chill and relax, and on my ipod, I've been pretty much listening to Jay Sean, Michael Buble, Jackson 5, Michael Jackson, Mario, Mat Kearney, Straight No Chaser...etc

Who is your closest musician friend, and how did you two meet?
... To be honest, I really don't have one close musician friend. I have a lot of good friends in the business but, I 'm usually just hanging with friends from my Church or my roommate. But, to name a few good friends, Choi Siwon (Super Junior), Bada, and I can't really think right now... hahaha, but we all usually all meet because of shows we've done together.

What do you do in your spare time when you’re not super busy?
... I love watching movies and catching up on TV shows that I never got to watch so I usually rent movies off of my Apply TV or buy Seasons of Shows that I've been wanting to watch for a long time. Also, I go out to the movies, go bowling, go shopping, search for good places to eat, workout, and etc... I pretty much keep myself occupied so it still feels like I'm working when I'm not... haha

Is there anything you’d like to improve on as a musician?
... Of course. I think all musicians or all people in any profession wants to improve in what they do. I always wish I could be a better vocalist, a better dancer, a better over-all performer. I'm not perfect, I'm human.

To the critical question now. You have been involved in music for some time now, and music tastes and styles are changing quickly in this day and age. Where do you see music in Korea going in the future, in the sense of changing tastes, and will this allow you continued creativity down the road?
... I feel as if the music in Korea will be changing drastically in the future, in a good way of course, where people from all over the world will start to recognize what K-pop is all about. I just feel that Korean music is still unknown to the world. And now it's time for Korean artists to shine too, and people need change, that's what makes us all unique. We're not gonna like just one type of music throughout our whole lives, we all like variety, and as for me, I'll be getting more creative as the time goes by...

Do you feel you’ve contributed to the advancement of music in Korea as a solo R&B artist and an FTTS member? And is there anything you’d like to see done in this whole genre of music in Korea?
... Yes, I do feel that I have contributed in a way. I can't say that my music was a stepping stone but, I feel my music had a part of what music is today, as a solo artist and as FTTS. I'd like to see Korean musicians go more international. I know that a lot of artists are doing that now, but I hate how any countries' music is labeled as their countries music. Music to me is universal so why label Korean music or Japanese music just because of the language. Hey, if it's good, it's good...

Do you have any final words for the readers?
... Just that I hope that everyone really has an open mind to all types of music no matter what background you're from. And, I know certain fans and supporters go crazy for just one artist, but I really wish people would be more interested in the music itself. So, you can like more than one artist, because you like the songs... That's how I've been doing it and I'll continue to do it till I die... God bless you all and please, check out my music and just try and like it, hey, you never know, it might grow on ya... haha.


Dang, now I straight up have more respect for Brian after having conducted this inteview. Kamsamnida Brian for fitting this into your schedule, and thanks for reading! :)

J~


Brian Joo

rhythm.connection presents A MOMENT WITH YouTube MUSICIANS - KRYSTLE TUGADI

Hey guys, round 2 for tonight, with my guest...Krystle Tugadi!

Krystle Tugadi (born March 15, 1985) is a Cali-based YouTube singer/songwriter. Having been part of the second wave of YouTube music stars alongside Mike Isberto and Kris Mark Cardenas, Krystle already has a strong fanbase and continues to perfect her singing talent. Krystle shared some thoughts me during our interview, so I hope you enjoy!

How long have you been doing music for? Are you doing it professionally or independently?
I've been doing music for 6 years. I started playing local coffee shops and have been working my way up from there since.

What style of music do you generally play?
Oh man! I am Krystle Tugadi: the potpourri of music! I love to touch on a lot of different genres in music; but home for me is R&B/Soul/Pop.

How did you first get involved in music?
Well, I KNEW I wanted to do music since I was 3 years old. I saw a KOST commerical with Whitney Houston singing and told my Uncle to turn on the karaoke machine because I wanted to do exactly THAT. I started singing at family functions when I was 4, joined the children's choir at my church, and did school plays. And that's what I did to get started!

What made you decide to starting YouTubing your musical talent?
At first, I started posting up videos for fun. My first couple of videos were ridiculous--for example, my "I'm A Little Teapot Remix" video. Haha. But I slowly began to take it a little more seriously and thought it'd be a great way to get my voice out there and show the world what I could do!

Who are your biggest musical influences?
Oh man. I have so many! Well, to name a few: Mariah Carey, Whitney Houston, Etta James, Alicia Keys, Stevie Wonder, Sara Bareilles, Beyonce, Corrinne Bailey Rae, Marc Broussard, Boyz II Men, Kelly Clarkson, Pink...oh my, the list can go on and on.

How does it feel to be getting all this support from people for doing what you do?
I don't think anyone can understand how much everyone's support means to me. This music thing is NOT easy, especially if you want to go all the way. To know that people are there for me and believe in my craft is amazing and my appreciation to them is immeasurable.

Is there ANY musician that you would like to do a collaboration with in the future?
Probably EVERYONE I listed under biggest musical influences. Haha. Oh! And Idina Menzel and Kristen Chenoweth! I would love to break out into musical theater, too, someday!

What has been one of your most memorable experiences as a musician?
One of my most memorable experiences as a musician? I think one of my favorites would be when I sang at a Cypress College show and the audience was singing along to one of my originals for the first time. Having people know your songs to the point where they can sing along with you is an AWEOME feeling.

What has been your most popular cover on YouTube? Your most popular original song on YouTube?
I think the "Sweet Dreams" cover is the most popular right now. I think my most popular original song is "I Love You So Bad." Haha. I need to post up more of my recent originals!

I imagine you have a lot of music tastes; what do you normally play on your iPod and/or when you’re at home?
My iTunes has a plethora of different artists and genres. I can't get enough of music! But most of the time, I listen to a lot of female vocalists like Alicia, Kelly, and Sara.

Where’s the one place where you can go and get your creative flow going in order to write/create music?
My room. Especially before bed. Before I hit the sack, I usually reflect on all the events, thoughts, and ideas I came across during the day and that's when I have A LOT to say. And anywhere I can get my hands on a piano or guitar works for me!

What do you do in your spare time when you’re not playing music?
When I'm not doing music, you can probably find me cooking! I LOVE FOOD AND I LOVE TO COOK! You might wanna stay away because I will surely fatten you up! Haha. You can also find me reading a good book, playing boardgames with friends, watching a movie, or watching GLEE or THE OFFICE! Haha.

What do you hope to accomplish while being involved in music?
Music really is so universal and evokes our every emotion. Music is versatile in how it communicates to people and how they can react to it. Music can have the power to recall a beautiful memory or remind of you the hurt you've been through or inspire you to be a stronger person. What I would love to accomplish with my music is to be able to tap into people's deepest thoughts, love, insecurities, sadness, anger, happiness...and make them feel like they're not alone. We are all experiencing what it is to be human; and to connect with an audience, like really connect, would be my greatest accomplishment. And doing that forever, everyday, would be a dream come true.

Do you have any final words for the readers?
Thank you ALL for the love and support. You really have no idea how much it means to me. REALLY.

And to all you dreamers out there, GO BIG OR GO HOME! Mediocrity is the biggest burden we can carry.

...and hey, just LOVE. We can only just have TODAY. :)


Voila! Thank you to Krystle for allowing me to do this prior to her departure to her current location in the Phillipines! And thank you for reading once again, g'day!

J~


Krystle Tugadi

rhythm.connection presents A MOMENT WITH SERIOUSLY

Hallo folks (yes I intentionally spelt it like that!), here's another interview for ya'll, with the one, the only, Seriously!

Seriously (comprised of Christopher Pham, Joshua Baek, Nathan Park, and Philip Park) are a pop-rock/electro/k-rock band from Diamond Bar, California. Having known each other for a long time and playing together in a church group, the boys of Seriously eventually took their talent to the stage at Kollaboration LA 2006, where they grabbed the attention of Chaos Theory Music CEO/producer Woody Pak, who signed them onto the label after they won Kollaboration. Since then, they've released a string of hit songs including "Irony" and "Immaculate Addiction". I was in talks with their agent to get this interview, and here it is for you guys!

How long have you been doing music for? Are you doing it professionally or independently?
The four of us all started playing music at different times in our lives, but we've officially been a band for three years now; we are pursuing music professionally on an independent label.

What style of music do you generally play?
electro-dance-rock

How did you first get involved in music?
Nathan - Started taking piano lessons in elementary school
Philip - Started taking viola lessons in elementary school
Chris - Joined high school choir
Josh - Joined church's praise team as a bassist in college

What made you decide to starting YouTubing your musical talent?
The internet has leveled the playing field for musicians across the world, and large music labels do not hold as much power as they used to in the music industry. The ability to go online and listen to virtually any artist within a matter of seconds demonstrates the immense potential of any legit artist to go platinum. With that said, YouTube is one of the most popular video-broadcasting sites and we felt that posting videos would allow our music to reach whomever has an ear to listen. YouTube also allows us to share our passion for music with the world, and we hope it will inspire others to keep doing what they love.

Who are your biggest musical influences?
U2, MuteMath, The Beatles, John Mayer Trio, Muse, Daft Punk, Maroon 5, Stevie Wonder, Michael Jackson, Switchfoot

How does it feel to be getting all this support from people for doing what you do?
humbling.

Is there ANY musician that you would like to do a collaboration with in the future?
MuteMath!

What has been your most popular song yet?
seriously 1.0 - irony
seriously 2.0 - immaculate addiction

Is there anywhere that you'd like to go play a show at in the near future?
Wembley Stadium in London, England

I imagine you have a lot of music tastes; what do you normally play on your iPod and/or when you’re at home?
Currently Playing: Jay-Z, Kaskade, Imogen Heap, Feist

Where’s the one place where you can go and get your creative flow going in order to write/create music?
Late night studio sessions

Who is your closest musician friend, and how did you two meet?
Woody Pak is our closest musician friend, mentor, and producer. We met at an Asian American talent show called Kollaboration in 2006, where he participated as one of the judges.

What do you do in your spare time when you’re not playing music?
Basketball, Jiu-Jitsu, EAT, Super Smash Bros., Snowboard, Read, p90x, RetroMUD, Study

What do you hope to accomplish while being involved in music?
We are striving to be the first Asian American band to break the glass ceiling in American society. We also hope that our love and passion for music will inspire others to chase their passions and dreams. If even one person could relate to our music and change for the better because of it, then we'd be satisfied. Lastly, we pray that we would never become self-serving, but rather that we'd be humble in knowing that all we do is ultimately for God.

Do you have any final words for the readers?
Do it because you love it. Thank you all for your love and support; we'd be nowhere without the continuing support of each and every one of you. Remember to keep it passionate!


Wow, a truely humbling story about the "little band that could"! Thank you to the Spenser Noh @ CTM for arranging this with the guys, and thank you for tuning in to R.C, till next time, I am out!

J~


Seriously

rhythm.connection presents A MOMENT WITH YouTube MUSICIANS - MICHELLE MARTINEZ

Hello again readers, RC brings you another exciting interview, with R&B singer Michelle Martinez, chyeah!

Michelle Martinez (born February 7, 1986) is a San Francisco-based R&B singer who gained a massive following through YouTube as well as achieved much success with the release of her first single, 'Euphoria', featuring track-maker Clyde Carson. Currently working on her debut album as well as juggling school and live performances, Michelle saved some time to answer my questions for her, so here goes!

How long have you been doing music for? Are you doing it professionally or independently?
I've been singing since the age of 2. All through middle school I took voice lessons and through high school I did musicals and singing competitions. I took a little break in the beginning of college, but I'm now back at it full force and working on my debut album!

What style of music do you generally play?
I usually do R&B/ Pop/ Contemporary/Mainstream, but I actually grew up singing Classical and Broadway music while I took voice lessons.

How did you first get involved in music?
When I was a little girl, my parents would play the radio in the car and at home. Then one day I just started singing along with everything I heard. My family found it so amusing to see a little 2 year old singing to a Paula Abdul song! Haha. So they kept encouraging my parents to put me into voice lessons because I wouldn't stop singing anywhere we went.

What made you decide to starting YouTubing your musical talent?
Honestly, I thought singing on Youtube was so weird. I didn't understand the concept back then. I had an account for about a year just to leave comments and rate videos but also decided to upload a video of myself singing the "National Anthem" to show my family in the Philippines. I started seeing comments and the view count rising. Then a friend asked me to make him a video for his birthday of his favorite Alicia Keys song and post it on his Myspace since he lived in Hawaii and the rest …is pretty much history. With all the comments and views, I kept getting requests to post more videos.

Who are your biggest musical influences?
Believe it or not, I grew up listening and studying in Musical Theatre and in Opera. The fundamentals of those two genres prepared me for challenging songs and performance skills. But I definitely have to take it back to the Mariah and Whitney days. Their musicality is un-parallel. I enjoy watching artists who break a sweat during their performances. Makes me feel like their giving me their all when I watch them. More recently, Christina Aguilera, Beyonce, Rihanna, Keri Hilson and Leona Lewis are huge influences on be both in the studio and on the stage.

How does it feel to be getting all this support from people for doing what you do?
It's truly a blessing. It's so touching to get all this feedback from people and I love, love, love the messages I get from people I've inspired. That's the BEST. I honest to God had no idea it would all turn out like this. Being an entertainer has always been my dream, but I really didn't know how the heck I was going to accomplish it. I just kept singing anywhere and everywhere I could hoping I'd get discovered. I guess in a way you can say, I have. :)

Is there ANY musician that you would like to do a collaboration with in the future?
Oh my God. There's a ton. Esmee Denters, FarEast Movement, Urban Germany, David Choi- just to name a few. Really, I'd just love to learn from and get a chance to collaborate with any artists who's made an impact in both the mainstream and independent world of music.

What has been your most popular cover on YouTube? Your most popular original song on YouTube?
My most popular cover is Rihanna's "Take A Bow". I wasn't even originally going to post that video up because I didn't like it at first cause I didn't sing the whole song. Who woulda of known it'd have the most views? Haha. My popular original is definitely "Euphoria". I don't really put up many videos with originals in it just yet, only because I'm working really hard to make my debut album the best possible. We have some pretty amazing songs on this album and I wanna save some of the element of surprise for it's release!

How was the experience of briefly training under one of Japan’s biggest record labels, Avex Trax?
Training with Avex Trax was a once in a lifetime opportunity. I swear it was like P.Diddy's "Making the Band", without the cameras. Haha. We worked so hard every single day and learned so much. I definitely grew as an artist being there, and I'm no longer afraid to step outside of my comfort zone after experiencing living and training in another country. The only other person I knew there was Krystle Cruz. She and I have practically become sisters from the experience and we both realized our passion for the dream being in Japan. I knew if I was having to adapt to a new environment, sing and dance numerous times a day, exercise 3 times a week, maintain a healthy diet, attend daily classes and meetings, work hard and train every single day, and was STILL having the time of my life; I knew this was the path for me. Despite the struggle, I was doing what I loved and that's what made me happy.

I imagine you have a lot of music tastes; what do you normally play on your iPod and/or when you’re at home?
I know everyone says this, but I really do love all kinds of music. I sing Broadway in the car with my parents, hit the clubs and rock out to LMFAO, take long drives to an Alicia Keys album, get ready to the new Rihanna or Beyonce joint, find inspiration in a Justin Nozuka or Amel Larrieux track, sing Taylor Swift on karaoke or kick back at a party to some Tupac hits. Music is my life, so I try to take it all in. I don't think you can grow as an artist if you only take from one style.

Where’s the one place where you can go and get your creative flow going in order to write/create music?
In the studio. Really, really, really late at night. Some of my best work both vocally and in writing have come when I'm delusional at 5am from doing music non-stop. Once you get into those kind of modes, the crazy stuff comes out that you can't possibly fathom when you're conscious in the day time.

Who is your closest musician friend, and how did you two meet?
My closest musician friend would definitely be Krystle Cruz. I've gone through so much with her both in music and in life. She really understands me as an artist and as a friend. We met in Japan while training with Avex- a major label in Japan. We actually were roomates during our stay and happened to know a lot of the same people in the states and just clicked instantly!

What do you do in your spare time when you’re not playing music?
I love to watch movies or have game night with my friends. I usually have dinner with my girls, or hang with my family. If I'm not performing or doing anything music related (which is barely ever), I'm finishing homework or just lounging out. If I have the energy I like doing some outdoor stuff. I just went snowboarding for the first time and I loved it!

What do you hope to accomplish while being involved in music?
I want to move people. Entertain them. Make them enjoy themselves and love life, atleast during those 15-20 minutes that I'm on stage giving them my heart and soul. Of course I want to win awards and use my "fame" for greater causes, but if I could just entertain people and give them memories to hold on to for the rest of their lives with my music and performances, I will have accomplished what I set out to do with my music.

Do you have any final words for the readers?
There's so much I have in store for my followers so please continue to stay tuned! I can't wait for you guys to hear my original music. I'm working really hard and have an amazing musical team helping bring you guys some feel good music. Don't forget, I love hearing from you guys, so continue to write/tweet me! Meeting my fans is my favorite part of a show- so never be afraid to say "hello"! I want to thank you guys for supporting me and all my projects. It's a great pleasure to be living your dreams and having such an amazing support system. I have been truly blessed with the opportunities that have been set before me, thank you again. I love you guys!!

Check Michelle out at these links:
www.michelle-martinez.com
www.twitter.com/meeshthesinger

www.youtube.com/MM2786
www.myspace.com/meeshmartinez
be my fan on facebook.com


You can expect to hear more from Michelle very soon, thanks to her for the interview, and thank you for tuning in again, cheers!

J~


Michelle Martinez