The PianoMe rehearsal rooms, studios and concert halls are not only used by musicians from Europe. In the meantime, more and more musicians from the USA are discovering and using PianoMe. One of them is Yona Marie. PianoMe caught up with Yona to talk about passion for music, and also for creating content. She also told us why she likes PianoMe’s idea.
PianoMe (PM): Dear Yona, thank you very much for your time! It is a pleasure for us that you are ready for an interview with us!
Yona Marie (YM): Thank you so much for having me! I’m absolutely delighted to be here.
PM: That’s great, thank you! First of all, we would like to briefly introduce you to our readers, even though some of them probably already know who you are. You started to do sporadic work for producers and artists in 2009. In 2018 you started your session singing. You studied music professionally at Hyattsville Middle School, Suitland High School, and Jacksonville University.
YM: That’s absolutely true! I grew up in a family of musicians, so between their help and the schools that guided my musicianship skills, I wound up learning a TON of great knowledge about music business practices, music theory, and performance all throughout my school years.
PM: That sounds really very interesting! As I know, you also have another main focus in your activities at the moment – why did you decide to offer marketing activities for musicians?
YM: Yes, I also have a huge love for marketing. My parents were always into growing small businesses, which was one of the huge factors behind my loving the idea of marketing and promotion in general. When I went to college, I first studied as a vocal performance major. But my school JU offered rare music business courses with a concentration on marketing that some of my new college friends were raving about, and I eventually switched my major to music business instead of vocal performance.
PM: It sounds like you weren’t happy with the resources and information available, and started to develop your own content. Is it only about creating hundreds of blogs that give free informational content to musicians or do you provide any further services?
YM: Beyond sharing the music knowledge I get from research and experience, I do also like to market my new music releases on my blog as well as promote my vocal services to anyone who is in need of a singer, writer, or music producer! I’m also in the process of developing other forms of content, including ebooks and courses for those who need advanced help.
PM: Would you share couple of tips and tricks with our readers, especially for musicians, who are new to the industry?
YM: If you are brand new to the industry, it can seem overwhelming to try to figure out where to start in terms of getting your music out there. But through working with many creators across different genres, I’ve found that the best two ways to hop into the game are to research and to network. Youtube is an example of a free resource that has tons of great stuff for beginners. And connecting with other music makers like you is a perfect way to learn things from each other and bounce ideas off of one another. All in all, the path has been traveled by those around you as well as strangers like me who are putting out good free content. Use that to your advantage!
PM: Thank you! It sounds like a huge help for many ongoing musicians! What is your opinion regarding making song recording at home? Is it a way for young musicians to gain some initial mainstream popularity?
YM: Recording from home can almost sound just as good as recording from a big fancy studio these days, thanks to technology advancements! Getting mainstream popularity is still very hard to do without a label, but social media sites like TikTok and IG have put some small home recordings on the map. The key to trying to go viral is to be a consistent as you can and not give up after one of a few songs don’t blow up.
PM: Sean Hutchins, director of research for the Royal Conservatory, said to The Guardian in 2015, „Only around 2% of the human population doesn’t possess the skills needed to determine the right pitch to perform a song.“ Do you agree?
YM: I agree; not that many people are actually tone-deaf in the world! Most people have what it takes to be good musicians, but there are always some people who are more passionate bout it or a bit more musically inclined than others.
PM: Very interesting! What is actually about artistic inspiration? Is it something that is completely subconscious or rather a sudden phenomenon?
YM: I think artistic inspiration comes along randomly with a lot of consistency, just like the act of going viral can. It’s definitely something beyond your full control, but there are things you can do for sure to increase your chances of getting that type of inspiration.
PM: Another topic: Many Sharing-Concepts came from the USA. What is your opinion on sharing rehearsal spaces by hosting a studio on hourly basis?
YM: I think that’s a great idea for those who don’t have recording and rehearsal space of their own, as long as the hourly fees aren’t anything outrageous! Sharing spaces like this is also a great way to get some spur-of-the-moment networking opportunities to happen and prices like yours are great.
PM: Thank you for the praise! It shows us that we are on the right track. Would you recommend PianoMe to a friend?
YM: I would definitely recommend PianoMe to a friend!
PM: Finally, what are your aims for the future? Would you like to share any announcement with our readers?
YM: I have so many plans for the future that are still in the developing stages, but the newest upcoming plans are my ebook and an upcoming song that I wrote from the heart about the love I have for my hubby 🙂
Stay updated on Yona Marie Music and subscribe!
PM: Dear Yona, we thank you for the interview and wish you all the best! See you again soon in the rehearsal rooms of PianoMe.
Copyright photo: Yona Marie
