Musiek Aug issue 2016 The Music!!

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We are the voice for indie artists!!!

Visit: www.musiekmagazine.com Checkout previous issues at www.issuu.com 4

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CONTENTS Introducing: Nayomi Charnelle In Her Own Words…..pg 9

Did You Know: An Artist’s Resume: the EPK!...pg 12 Industry Spotlight: Ervin “EP” Pope..pg 34

Hey DJ: pg 16

tist: r A y Worth a rt …

Buzz Crayton-H g 22 p e rry J

The Blues for My Rhythm & Blues: a genre on the verge of extinction pg 18

Musiek International: tLAS……pg 28

www.musiekmagazine.com

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https://soundcloud.com/ahreemusic/ahree-vibe

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I was born and raised in The Bronx New York

NAYOMI Charnelle

and was there to witness the birth of Hip Hop. I witnessed Everything from the beat box,the fashion trends such as big gold rope chains and shell toe Adidas with the fat laced shoe strings. I watched in awe as card board boxes were flattened on the ground so that the neighborhood kids can spin on their heads. Hip Hop became a cultural phenomenon that shocked the world.

I remember walking home from school with a group of kids. Each one of us talking about the new song that came on the radio where some guys were talking and making their words rhyme and telling a story all while playing LaFreak by Chic in the background. The Sugar Hill Gang introduced the world to rap music and changed music forever.

I grew up in a household that lived and breathed music. R&B was played ever single day of my life. We weren't rich by no means, but Mama always made sure we had a place to sleep, food to eat and the hottest record at the time. I even remember dancing with Mama as she played Patti Labelle's "Lady Marmalade"and singing along to the O'Jays "BackStabbers".

Music has been a part of me just like the air I breath. I need music like I need air! I love writing also So... it was only natural that I jumped at the opportunity to express my views of music through critique writing.

There are soooo many artist that need and should be heard and I'm going to make sure that happens.

I am so proud and excited to be the new Music Critic for Musiek Magazine!

Nayomi Charnelle naychar27@gmail.com Â

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An electronic press kit is a necessity for any artist that wants to get their name, brand and music heard. With and EPK, you can send it to music industry professionals, clubs, media or anybody who might be interested in your work. So basically, the EPK is your calling card or your professional resume to the world.

With an EPK the basic is the better. Meaning when developing your EPK, keep it simple: Your contact information, a short biography, variety of pictures of you and/or your group in various locations (performances, a photo shoot, etc) and then positive reviews from your fans and previous media mentions or articles about your performances/work.

Snippets of your music is a must. This gives the promoters or media the ability to gauge where and when to place you. Make sure the recordings are clear and presentable. No bathroom recordings! This is a valuable investment you are making in your craft, so give them your best.

Did U

An Artist’s Resume

Contact information, which will give potentials where can you be reached via your phone numbers, emails, postal address and l always include your website and any social media you may have.

For sources to create your EPK, there are many online that will offer your the flexibility and ease to create them. On popular music sites such as Reverbnation, Sonicbids and Artistcard, artists can create them there with their already established accounts. Some sources online charge a fee, while there are some that are free that are very professional looking.

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ARTISTS

Musiek Magazine keeping you abreast on the hottest venues for Indie Artists!

The Oasis Pub 16 Bank Street New London, CT 06320 860.447.3929 www.facebook.com/theoasisp ub oasisnewlondon@gmail.com Genres: Bluegrass, Dance, Electronic, Folk, Funk, Hip Hop, Indie, Pop, Rock, Soul. No Hard Rock, Hardcore, Metal, Singer-Songwriter. Capacity: 74 Age: 21+

The Soul Bar 984 Broad Street Augusta, GA 30901 www.soulbar.com Genres: All Genres Capacity: 200 Age: 21+

The Common Market 2007 Commonwealth Avenue Charlotte, NC 28205 704.334.6209 www.commonmarketisgood.com

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http://www.shableek.com/ 15

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HEYDJ marketing, etc.) that our students use in virtually all aspects of their lives. Many participants eventually run their own small businesses as mobile DJs or music producers.

Anyone who has ever been to a great The With These Handz™ Mission is to Teach, Inspire, and Enhance (T.I.E.) the party or event knows the DJ is the one who controls the tempo; ensuring the lives of individuals through engaging crowd stays on the dance floor or the experiences. energy in the room is just right. Now it’s your turn to learn how to master the Through the With These Handz™ DJ “Wheels of Steel” by joining the Award Academy Presented by Sprite®, Winning With These Handz™ Sprite® students learn the different platforms DJ Academy- the premier music profor DJing, the different styles of a DJ, and the necessary equipment to make it duction academy of the Southeast.

Our team of expert instructors will all happen. From vinyl records to school you in the time-honored tradition laptops with controllers, certified of cuing up the perfect musical accominstructors show you the “art” and paniment for any occasion and devise “science” behind being a great DJ. skills for your new hobby, part-time job, a career, or just being the “cool one” in Each session includes a “Handz-On” the neighborhood. experience using the latest DJ equipment and software. We teach using a detailed curriculum and SIGN UP TODAY! Register at students learn in a small class setting www.WithTheseHandz.com. Contact us for your maximum benefit. Weekday and weekend sessions are available for at info@withthesehandz.com or your convenience. Are you between the (704) 625-0411. ages of 10 and 100? Classes are open DJ Academy & Training Facility to everyone with a desire to learn.

Address: More than just music- we make 516 E. 15th Street, Suite 12B S.T.E.A.M. (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, Math) education FUN Charlotte, NC 28206 as our students work with various E-Mail: info@withthesehandz.com software applications, computer platforms, and sound/electronic Office Telephone: (704) 625-0411 equipment.

The Award Winning With These Handz DJ Academy™ Presented by Sprite® is A School for Creative Education Through Music.

We also teach entrepreneurial skills (time management, contract negotiation, financial literacy,

Mailing Address: 10612 - D Providence Rd, Suite 510 Charlotte, NC 28277 17

A Genre on the Verge of Extinction 18

Band’s “Early in the Morning” and right away, everyone was jamming in their Growing up, in the 70’s all I seats. You could tell that everyone wanted to get up heard were the O’Jays, Harold Melvin and the Blue and dance. We soon had our chance as one of the Notes, The Jackson 5 and band members got us out of Aretha Franklin to name a the dance floor to do the few. As time went on, my “Electric Slide.” ears were graced with the sounds of the 80’s from Rick The audience had a ball as the band covered Southern James and Teena Marie, Soul songs such as “Fire” Michael Jackson, Prince, “Hole in the Wall” and “Got New Edition and Keith My Whiskey”. The lead singSweat. The 90’s kept R&B alive by gracing us with the ers set each of these songs on fire. The background sounds of Mary J. Blige, singers were amazing and Silk, Shai, SWV, XScape, sang their hearts out. They TLC, EnVogue and Jodeci. gave us that 70’s nostalgia by covering soulful melodies And let’s not forget the such as Marvin Gaye’s group where each band “Let’s Get IT On” The member played an instrument and had a soulful Spinners “I’ll be there”, The O’Jays “Love Train”, The sounding lead singer who Commodores “Brick House” also played the drums. I’m talking about the group that and Earth Wind & Fire’s made us fall in love with the “September”. song “Pretty Brown Eyes” While the band covered known as Mint Condition. these tunes, I couldn’t help Somewhere between the but wonder what happened very late 90’s and the mid to this genre that spoke to 2000’s, R&B faded out and music hasn’t been the same your soul and made you want to sing along or someever since. I remember no matter what city you were in, times even cry along. What happened to the Blue Lights each station played just in the basement parties about every R&B song, old and new. Rap of course was where every song played, huge but most of the songs made you want to get up carried an R&B hook which and groove or just hold that special someone real close? made the Rap song a hit.

R&B music is music that speaks to the audience with Last weekend, I had the pleasure of having my R&B melodies, harmonies and lyrics that we all could relate Love Jones rekindled by going to see the band F.Y.E to no matter where we were perform live in Rock Hill and in our lives.

I was literally amazed.

The band started off the jam Music is always changing. In an industry where everyone session with The Gap

Nayomi Charnelle

is looking for the next big thing, R&B has been the BIG THING since the beginning of time. I will always be loyal to my rhythm and Blues. We definitely have a special relationship. This genre has been there all my life singing to me about a new love, a lost love, a good feeling or a bad feeling. It has been there while I drank a glass of wine contemplating my next move and giving me time to think about how I would make it through whatever situation I was facing.

I’m not giving up hope on this genre and I truly believe that history will repeat itself and bring back all those soulful sounds that we all have been longing to hear.

For example, Marvin Gaye’s “What’s Going On” touched on the political consciousness of America back in the 70’s and unfortunately, the same situations our dearly departed Mr. Gaye sang about in this song back then, are the same things that are facing America presently.

I refuse to believe R&B is dead It may be asleep right now. I will not fear because I know there are some super talented song writers, producers, musicians and singers that have everything it would take to wake this sleeping giant. Until then, I will continue to thank God for YouTube and all the radio stations that refuse to let this genre die.

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FULL CIRCLE Artist Jerry Crayton-Hart

has faced challenges and adversity since birth. When speaking to him at the dapperly distinguished clothing lounge The House of LeMond, Jerry reflects on that faithful day in which he was pronounced dead after being born premature, his mother gave him up to God, and the miracle of life was given unto him. “Ever since then, I always knew I was born to do something special, “ he says.

His interest in music was nurtured by his parents, as both were talented pianists. He played the piano as well, starting at age five and following his Great grandmother’s instruction via sitting on her lap and noting the keys on an old pedal pump organ. Then on Sundays after church service, his musical abilities were reinforced at his Grandmother’s home, as he learned keys on the piano by listening to Casey Kassem’ American Top 40.

From song writing at age twelve, to singing and preaching at church, again that promise made to God, being obedient to what He has given. In high school, he played piano to saxophone showing again that versatility to embrace that gift called music…..then he found himself using his gift singing in rock bands, then with contemporary gospel groups such as Second Coming then another New Dawn. His involvement with groups allowed Jerry to experience touring coast to coast and the rigors of being an artist. From receiving great accolades from his college voice professor, to opportunities to take his gift even further via meetings with producers and other groups, it was not his season yet. From singing and traveling to Iceland and other locales, to duets with Tammy Trent a well known gospel artist in the industry, and marriage...Jerry’ season, not yet fulfilled…..

Now…he’s come “Full Circle”

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BuzzWorthy Photos By : Whitney Houchins 23

Your music, please describe to our readers your sound. Because as we know everyone has a unique sound, and a lot of influences that are going on, but please, describe your sound.

I think my sound has more of an 80’ vibe to it, so this particular album has an eighties vibe with a lot of electronic keyboards, that kind of thing. My sound in general, vocally is more ballads, like I’ve always done a lot of ballads, but also in the past I've been in rock groups. I've done everything from opera to country, to pop, to gospel…you name it.

So which genre do you feel more comfortable performing, or heavily influenced you? I remember when you and I talked before, you mentioned your stint in Nashville, so which genre really influenced your album or work today?

Probably Pop music. A lot of people hear Pop music and they think bubble gum and that it has no depth to it and I completely disagree. There is bubble gum music for just fun and for kids and whatever, but there is depth to the different Pop music as well especially in the lyrics once you get past the music sometimes. But as far as my influence with it, musically the influence for this album would have to be one of my favorite eighties band which is Duran Duran. My other influences, my whole life has been more Amy Grant. I've always loved her music, loved her writing, her style, her personality, everything. She probably has been one of my biggest influences in writing.

Cool! You mentioned lyrics. With your upcoming album, what has caused you to write or form those lyrics? Especially from the single “Swimming in a Sea of Violets.” Talk to us about that! Where has this lyric content come from?

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Swimming in a Sea of Violets…actually (laughing) You know what, honestly I don’ know remember where that came from. I have a notebook that I keep and when an idea comes to me, or a phrase or word, I jot it down in my notebook and then I'll come back and see that and form a song just around that one phrase. And that’ what happened with Swimming in a Sea of Violets. When we wrote it, I was actually in the studio, just finished a song, and my co-producer Larrin Granderson who owns Soul Jukebox Entertainment group, he played a beat for me and I really liked it. So he asked me “o you have some lyrics for it?”I replied, “well I have this”and I sang that phrase Swimming in a Sea of Violets and he was like “hat’ really interesting, I like that! Do you have anything else?”I was like “o, just that one phrase”and his response was “ut you have a whole book of stuff, do you have any other phrases that would go with it?

So I thought..”hmmm, maybe!”So he said “et in the vocal booth!”So I got in the vocal booth and literally I sung that phrase and starting flipping pages and singing phrases that I thought that would tie along with that (phrase) and we did the song in a half an hour.

Wow! So the song talks about swimming in beauty, you've delved into beauty. It can be taken as a love song, or it can be taken as a relationship between, well when I wrote it as a relationship between myself and God. There’ one line in it that says “you speak to me in hushed tones, words my soul can only know,” then there’ a part that says “can you hear me, am I getting through?” So, I think in that phrase, both ways: like when I pray, “God am I getting through to you, are you hearing me? I don’t see the answer to the prayer, yet at the same time , maybe its God saying to me “Are you hearing ME? Are you going in the direction that I want you to go? Are you listening?”Be still, and know, I am God, be still and listen to what I’ saying, stop running around so much, and be

still.” So that’s kinda where that phrase came from.

Do you ever look back on your time in music and think that everything that you did accomplish, and I ask this after reading your bio and listening to you, that it’ truly prepared you for what you are doing today?

I do...I do because, when people ask me what genre I’ in, I can’t really peg myself into one specific genre, other than inspirational. Because I want my lyrics to be positive, everything I put out, I want it to be positive. Now that doesn't mean that everything in the song is going to be positive, there’ a song that I have on the album called Despair, and it talks about how I was lifted up out of despair, so there's always positive in it, even if it sounds negative in the beginning.

Yes, I think all of the things that I've gone through in my past has certainly prepared me for this point, and its the right time for it to be released, with everything going on in the world today.

So album release will be....?

Right now we are looking at September 17th....Saturday, September 17th. And we are looking to have an album release party as well!

Could we see Jerry touring overseas and in metropolitan areas?

Yes! I do see it happening, I think the world is wide open and you can do anything! Everyone that hears my stuff says that its a very unique sound, and that's good.

How can our readers learn more about you and your music?

Follow me on Jerry Crayton(Instagram) jerrycrayton(Twitter) ierrycrayton(Pintrest) and once the music is released in September, I will be on Reverbnation, Soundcloud, iTunes and other music outlets!

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INTERNATIONAL

tLAS

A Brilliant Piano Player, a Terrific Saxophone Player, an amazing Bass Player, Tunde Lasode, also known as tLAS describes his music as a cross pollination between western and African pop.

His music has influences from great musical legends from around the world such as Kenny G, Gerald Albright, Najee, Grover Washington, Charlie Parker, Jimmy Heath to mention but a few( in the Jazz genre), Robert Kelly (R Kelly), Joe, Lionel Richie, Keith Sweat, Aaron Neville of the Neville brothers, Luther Vandross, Cee Lo Green etcetera

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In his self produced record titled "I AM tLAS", he demonstrated just how versatile he can be with the different genres of music, a brilliant effort showcasing his influences from his role models and an expression of his undeniable and inherent musical gift. tLAS sites resilience and perseverance as his main drives for writing and producing his music, which is evident some of his current tracks.

“Let's paint a picture together, let me show you the world from my point of view, let's create a world from nothing, relax your mind, let my music show you the gray areas of art, you can feel it, you can move to it you can dance to it, you can groove to it.."

It's your BEST THERAPY! Follow tLAS on: Facebook.com/tlasmusic twitter: @tlasmusic instagram@tlasmusic www.reverbnation.com/tlas also available on iTunes, Google play and Amazon.com

Hear these words from tLAS himself : "You find that my music is explosive, inclusive, stimulating, diverse and inspiring. Expect a blend of style and culture mixed with Youtube.com/tlasmusic professionalism with dynamic use of language; without losing the essence of true musicianship. www.tlasmusic.com

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http://HarryNervous.tumblr.com

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HIS

GIFT… PASSION… VOICE…

ERVIN “EP” POPE

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EP, you’ve built your craft on a powerful foundation, basically the music loved by your family and the old piano you talk about in your biography! How has that drive toward perfection you had when playing that old piano, applied to your craft today? I use piano in almost everything that I do. It builds confidence too, because as a kid in the ghetto, you gotta think, there weren’t too many things we were exposed to or too many things that we found out that we were good at early. So that affected learning self-worth. Anytime you’re good at something or you pick up something that everyone can’t do, you kinda have a sense of pride so that played more than one role in my life, picking out on that old piano!

Many times I discuss that element with artists, is the versatility. So basically you’re saying that you have to be well rounded as an artist in eveything is important? Completely important. I mean, it’s everything. You have to have the ability. Say for instance, for that latest project, I couldn’t just bring any singer to any song. It had to be one that complemented that song, or the musician. Sometimes a song calls for something different than somebody in your camp. And you to be able to go outside and bring to the table what is necessary and not really be about self. It’s about whatever makes the project a great project.

raised. I still attend that same church today, and that neighborhood is stricken with violence and other things that the ghetto is plagued with, and all the challenges. I know for a fact that it’s not of myself why I made it out of the ghetto, it was a bigger source, God is the reason I made it out. And everybody is not as fortunate to get out, so I think the responsibility is on us. When we experience some sort of success, we ought to give back. I mean it’s only right. If I can help someone avoid a pitfall that I’ve fallen in, or I know about something, then we have that responsibility. Myself and my cousins and my brothers we still give back to that same community, and not for accolades, it’s just what we need to do, because we see the state of the world and the state of these young men out here. With a lot of absentee fathers and no body to give them a positive example, like we’ve got to step up! So I take that very serious and not only that, I do career days at the elementary schools and junior highs, just wherever I can I can lend something. Because I know I have a voice and that’s going to ring different than a police officer telling a kid not to do something. I have a certain influence, and I know it, so I try to use my influence in a way that I can help somebody.

Do you ever regret taking that leap of faith, getting into the music industry?

Never, not one day. It’s either sink or We know about your musical background, those you’ve worked with. How swim with me, you know what I you give back to the community. Tell us mean. So have some swimming more about Big Homies. Yeah man, the trunks on right now so just in case I sink, I’ll swim!

Big Homies is just, like I grew up in Watts, and I went to church in Watts, maybe a mile from where I was

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“When we experience some sort of success, we ought to give back.”

What’s next? What will be Ervin “EP” Pope next greatest accomplishment in the next two to five years? Next two to five years from now…The goal is to make my Production Company/ Label a household name. I have four artists signed to me currently, I have a team of producers and a team of writers, which I consider family. We have a work ethic like no other, and very shortly, hopefully it will be a worldwide situation in which everybody

will understand will know who THE FURNACE is and what we bring to the table.

So how do our readers follow the musician, the producer,community leader?

Instagram: epmusic Twitter: epmusic1 Webpage: http://www.ervinpope.com/ Facebook: ervineppope

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http://writingroyaltyradio.com

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WWW.MUSIEKMAGAZINE.COM www.facebook.com/musiekmagazine

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