LONDON
Firstly, thanks for being interested in my
work! My artist name is Slow Shudder and I’m a vocalist, producer, DJ, and
songwriter. I’m originally from Miami, FL and lived in New York City for a
while before moving to London to study Popular Music at Goldsmiths, University
of London.
2. How did you get into music?
My grandfather was a jazz pianist, composer,
and music professor. He began teaching me how to play piano when I was a
toddler and a small Casio keyboard was my favourite toy. I started singing in
elementary school, which led to me performing professionally as a singer
beginning at the age of 8. For the next decade I performed in regional theatre,
the Florida Grand Opera, and the Miami Children’s Chorus before eventually
moving to New York to study Vocal Performance at New York University.
3. You are not only a vocalist, but also a
songwriter, DJ and producer. How did you get interests in broader fields?
When I was 18 and just starting out at NYU, I
developed acid reflux and had to go on full vocal rest for a month, meaning I
couldn’t speak or sing at all. During this time, I began experimenting with
production as a way of being creative with my voice in a new way. I made a lot
of glitch tracks and beats with my old vocal recordings, and this lead me into
the amazing wormhole of music production. DJing grew out of my work as a
producer, as I began producing dance music around 2010. People started asking
me to DJ parties so I taught myself how to DJ and began playing gigs in 2011.
4. How would you describe your style and music?
The music I’ve been writing and producing over
the past year is a combination of electronic, pop, R&B, and hip hop. Right
now I’m DJing lots of jersey club, bmore, hip hop, nightcore, and bass music.
5. Do you compose everything by yourself or do
you work with other people? Alternatively, are you planning to build a team?
I often write and produce alone but occasionally collaborate.
I work most frequently with SAKIMA.
We’ve made some super cool tunes together over the past six months. I’m excited
to share those with the world. I have several songs in the works with other
artists as well. I’m definitely aiming to collaborate as a producer, vocalist
and writer even more in the future.
6. Where have you learned and developed your
skills? How long did it take you to the stage as you are now?
It’s taken me years of hard work to get to where I am
now. I’ve had the most training in voice and have studied with amazing
teachers. My current teacher, Rachel Bennett, is
absolutely brilliant and has helped me grow so much as a vocalist. I’ve taken
some production classes at NYU and at Goldsmiths, but am mostly self-taught
with production and DJing. Aside from what I’ve figured out myself, I’ve
learned the most about production through working with my friends SAKIMA and AObeats
this year in London.
7. Where do you seek for inspiration? / What /
Who inspires you?
Most of my songs are inspired by personal
experiences and are quite introspective. I’m also inspired by literature and
poetry. Right now, the novel I’m reading is “Kafka on the Shore” by Murakami
and it has inspired lyrics that are interesting. I’m looking forward to
developing those.
8. What do you do besides music?
Music has always been my main focus and
fortunately I’m at a point in my career where I can devote 100% of my time to
it. I’ve worked plenty of jobs over the years though to make ends meet,
including music licensing for film, TV, advertising & gaming, organizing
concerts, bartending, waitressing, promoting for clubs, working at a box office,
working at a late-night cookie shop, selling kitchenware, tutoring and
babysitting.
9. What is your biggest achievement or what are
you’re proudest of?
I feel like I never spend too much time thinking about
my achievements as I’d never want to get complacent. I’m always looking towards
what I can do next and how I can improve as an artist. I guess I’d answer that
I’m proud of my ability to continually push my own boundaries.
10. How would you describe your typical work day to be like?
I couldn’t say I have a “typical” work day to
be honest! I try to either write, record or produce something every day, even
if it’s only for 10 minutes. Usually it’s more than that though, a few hours on
average, and sometimes I’ll do 12+ hour sessions when I get in the zone. If I
have a live gig scheduled, I’ll rehearse for that. I spend a lot of time
looking for new music to DJ and if I have a DJ gig scheduled, I’ll beef up my
hard drive with new music since I like sharing brand new stuff along with old
school tracks when I play. I also spend a solid amount of time on
administrative work since right now I’m my own manager and booking agent,
although I’m currently figuring out representation so that will soon change.
11. What do you enjoy the most from your job?
I love when I can impact people positively,
whether that’s through a track I’ve released, a live set, or a DJ gig. It’s the
best feeling in the world to know that my music has helped someone in some way.
12. What do you find most frustrating or least
enjoyable from your job?
I often find it overwhelming to keep up with career-related
emails and social media. I do my best but I often procrastinate on those
aspects of my work to spend time in the studio. I need to get better!
13. What are your future/upcoming plans?
I’m beyond excited for my next DJ gig on
November 12th with Not Like That
& Joypad: #SUPERWAREHOUSE I’m sharing a lineup with some really talented artists
and there will be over 1000 retro, indie, & pre-release games available to
play.
14. What is the biggest challenge getting your
name, voice and music out to the industry?
I’ve found the most difficult part is getting
attention in an over saturated market. It takes a lot of dedication, networking,
and luck to stand out amongst the thousands of artists who are striving for
similar goals.
15. Any inspiration quote or message you would
like to share with readers?
This is one of my favourite
quotes, from Annie Dillard’s “The Writing Life”: “How we spend our days is, of
course, how we spend our lives.” It’s a reminder to value your time and choose
to spend each day in a way that reflects your individual goals and values.
Now, you have to listen and follow to this young talent:
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