INTERVIEW FRIDAY: Independent Recording Artist MINDY GLEDHILL

Interview Friday has been quite a hit!  We are so excited to be able to share with you all an interview with Mindy Gledhill about being an independent recording artist.  Our family owns all of the lullaby CD's that she was a part of and we absolutely LOVE her new album.  What a gorgeous voice!

A big thank you to Mindy for taking the time to give us all her experience and advice!  Enjoy!  (PS- Be sure to check out how to connect with Mindy at the end of the post and her LATEST MUSIC VIDEO POSTED AFTER THIS ONE!)

Interview Questions:

Q.  Please tell us about yourself and what people, influences, events or desires led you to your profession.

As a child, I noticed that music came naturally to me.  I loved lying on the ground under the piano when my sisters would practice Debussy and Rachmoninoff.  Soon, I began to hear harmonies in all things with an audible frequency, such as the microwave or the honking horn of the family van.  It wasn’t until I was 16 that I began any formal training with voice lessons.  But even then, I didn’t make auditions for the high school Chamber Choir or the school musical.  I sought for experience that would make me better.  I found an internship at a recording studio and went to every class I could find on improving myself musically.  After failing the written test three times to attend the school of music in college, I finally passed by the skin of my teeth.  Not long after that I signed a record deal with a faith centered record label in Salt Lake City.  Since that time, I released one record with them and two on my own.

To read more of Mindy's interview and view her videos click on READ MORE...

Q.  How would you describe the job of an independent recording artist?  Can you tell us what a typical day or week is like?

Although I do have help from some very important people that I choose to work with, I feel like I’m working a fulltime job.  I work on all aspects of my career from actually writing and recording the music for an album, to booking my own shows, orchestrating my online presence, pitching music to different projects or films, answering emails, writing blog posts and much more.

Q.  What are the most enjoyable and least enjoyable aspects of your work?  Why?

The most enjoyable for me is the actual recording process in the studio.  I love witnessing the project that I’ve envisioned in my mind, come to life.  The same goes for making music videos (very fun stuff!).  The least enjoyable part for me is probably the groundwork that has to be done to put on and promote a show.  I’m not super keen on organizing the schedules of 5 band members for rehearsals and then all the components like venue, sound, lighting, posters, tickets, etc., that go into a show.

Q.  What is the most common misconception that people have about your line of work?

That it’s not a real job and that you can’t make a living in music.

  

Q.   How would a young person with aspirations to become a recording artist best prepare himself/herself? 

I think that the courses that have prepared me the most are these: songwriting, music theory, sight singing, dictation, and recording studio basics.  But the best experience is always the “hands-on” kind.

Q.  What do you believe are the keys to enjoying work?

I think the key to enjoying anything is “flexibility.”  Things don’t always go as planned and we can’t always control the actions and attitudes of others whom we work with.  When I’m flexible with whatever comes my way, I’m able to enjoy things more.

Q.  What is the most important or significant thing that you have accomplished in your work to date?  What do you hope to accomplish?

The most significant thing that I’ve accomplished to date was when I made the personal decision to leave a record contract and forge my way through the business as an independent artist.  That was a very frightening experience at first and I knew I risked disappointing a lot of people who had put time and work into helping me build my career.  At the same time, facing that fear was an incredibly liberating experience for me.

Q. Do you have any additional thoughts that you would like to share with young people trying to decide on a career choice?  

Choose a career path because you love it.  You will never regret choosing something that you love, but you may very well regret choosing something because it seemed secure or practical.  There is no guarantee of job security in any career so you may as well pick something that fulfills you.

Watch the Video for Anchor off of Mindy's New Album


Buy the Album on Itunes!


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