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
