Artist of the Month > 2008 Artists
ARTIST PROFILE
NAME: Divasonic (aka Lynda Arnold)
LOCATION: Oakland, CA
ORIGIN: East Hampton, New York
ART: Musician, Singer/songwriter
MAIN GENRE: Electroinica, Pop, Jazz, House, Drum-n-base, Downtempo, Experimental
TRAINING: Bachelor of Music: DePauw University; Recording Arts: Expression college for the Digital Arts
ARTS AFFILIATIONS: ASCAP
LATEST WORKS: Album:’Changing wind’, Remix EP: ‘Girationz and Luv’ (Released in April 2008)
INTERVIEW
Please describe your artistic themes
– Self-Discovery
– Re-Birth and Renewal
– Love/Relationships
– Improvisation
– Collaboration
– Happiness
– Overcoming Obstacles
– Believing
– Hope
Please describe your creative process
The fun of being a computer-based artist is the ability to start a song from any angle. Sometimes I hear a melody in my head and record that to a beat that fits the tempo of it. Many times, I start with the beats, bass and chord progression and then experiment with different melodies and lyrics that fit the rhythm and vibe of the track. During the writing of ‘Changing Wind’ I spent more time with my piano, completing full arrangements of songs before programming parts or recording live musicians. Approaching music making this way automatically creates a wide variety of styles and arrangements.
What are your artistic goals?
In general, I want to continue to make albums and tour. I’ve worked with a VJ in the past matching video concepts with my songs and I’d like to get back into that part of my live show more. The past two years, I’ve been concentrating on building up my band and working on live musical arrangements. My continuing goal is to work with different artists and put out music in many styles.
What are your views on the industry?
I’m hoping that the industry falls more and more into the hands of the artists who are ‘business minded’ and business people who are ‘artist minded’. Distribution has certainly opened up to any artist who wants to get their music out there. There are social networking sites that can be a goldmine for emerging artists to get the word out quickly and gain name recognition. The major labels and event production companies still have a strong hold on touring, TV appearances and anything else that ensures a fast increase in fan base. A team behind an artist can help organize and accelerate the process of getting ‘out there’. It just depends what the intention for the art is in the first place. I would say I’m wary of indie labels or promotion companies who appear to have a lot of connections and desire to help artists promote themselves and then do nothing or can deliver the bare minimum.
What advice could you give to emerging artists?
As an emerging artist, it’s important to follow your inspiration and the powerful feeling to create. Everyone has a unique voice and it’s the ‘industry’ that tries to fit artists in a ‘marketable’ box. I think it’s important to follow your inner voice, against all odds and participate in the privilege of self-expression on your own terms. With the ease of promoting, releasing music and networking on the Internet, artists have more power to create their own concepts.
WEBSITE: divasonic.com
