Veer Magazine interview excerpt

-How long have you been playing music?  I began formal music lessons at 6 years old (piano) and have been singing as long as I can remember.  I didn't stick with piano very long, just a few years, but it gave me a great foundation for moving on to other instruments (trumpet, guitar, french horn).

 -What changes have you noticed in the local music industry from when you started performing to now?

A lot of great new talent for one.   Also smaller venues offer more advertising support  - with social media they can promote shows for free (as opposed to paid print or radio advertisements).  Most venues now make an effort to advertise music shows using social media.  In the past, plenty of venues never promoted at all, it was entirely up to the artist.  That's still mostly true, but venues and artists have more tools at their disposal.  

 

-What is your favorite part of being a woman in music?   Push-up bras and the attention.  OK, not really the bras - I just don't think I have a "favorite" part of being a woman in music.  I love playing music with good musicians, male or female.

 

-Do you feel there’s a big difference in being a female musician compared to your male contemporaries? 

Not at all.

 

-What artists inspired you to become a musician (male or female)? 

In no particular order... The Pretenders, Blondie, Big Star, Marc Bolan, The Cars, Johnny Cash, Aerosmith, Loretta Lynn, The Beatles... and so many more.

 

-Do you have any favorite female icons (musical or otherwise) & why? 

Chrissie Hynde of The Pretenders - she's a badass.  And she never seemed to particularly care she was one of only a handful of female rock musicians in her early days.  She just acted like a performer and a musician, period.  Her sex didn't seem to enter into it.