Singer/songwriter R&B, Folk

Q: Tell us about a project you worked on you are especially proud of and why. What was your role?

A: I am very proud of a project I had with Robert Stevenson and two other singers (Zara Markho and Lorena Doucet). We dedicated all our time to writing music together and setting up a musical group that could not only sing very well, but also dance and shine on stage. We basically lived together for over a year and used to exercise while singing to strengthen our diaphragm, we learned how to harmonize more professionally, we took instrument and theory classes, we took acting and dancing classes as well. All this allowed me to become a more complete artist and also gave me the strength, knowledge and patience to start my own musical projects and integrate what I learned in different disciplines.

Q: What are you working on at the moment?

A: I sing on gigs for my solo project (M. Blair) and write music for other artists (sell).

Q: Is there anyone on SoundBetter you know and would recommend to your clients?

A: I don't know anybody on Soundbetter, I just started using it and I'm excited to start finding new talented artists.

Q: Analog or digital and why?

A: Digital. Because it allows you to either leave things raw and organic, if it's what is intended, or modify and automate processes, which can also be helpful and help us deliver a more precise and fast result.

Q: What's your 'promise' to your clients?

A: My promise is to work on their project until they are truly satified with the end-result.

Q: What do you like most about your job?

A: That I can share my passion with other people and grow next to other great musicians. Music is made to be shared. I used to keep my creative work to myself and now my vision of art is much more inclusive and holistic.

Q: What questions do customers most commonly ask you? What's your answer?

A: They ask me if I can do harmonies, ad libs or if I can help them come up with a better idea than the one they have for a verse or chorus. My answer is always positive, I truly enjoy being able to add or modify things that will make the customer love the song even more.

Q: What's the biggest misconception about what you do?

A: That you can't make a living out of it.

Q: What questions do you ask prospective clients?

A: I ask a lot of questions about what they prefer and what they're looking for. Questions are always necessary in order to guarantee that I'm working in the right direction and listening to my customer's needs.

Q: What advice do you have for a customer looking to hire a provider like you?

A: Always look for a voice that sounds unique and different from other voices.

Q: If you were on a desert island and could take just 5 pieces of gear, what would they be?

A: Macbook Pro, Interface (Irig Pro duo), microphone, midi (Sensel Morph), Voice recorder (phone app or analog voice recorder to be able to quickly record an idea)

Q: What was your career path? How long have you been doing this?

A: I've been doing this since the age of 5 or 6. I sing ever since I remember I exist. This is what I've always loved doing. I began learning things on my own when I was very young, I used to have different musical idols and practiced through their music. When I wasn't able to do certain riffs and runs, I practiced until I made it (or I felt I made it), I played songs over and over again and sang all day. While growing up I learned certain techiques and explored different styles, which allowed me to find my own unique sound. I later on decided to study in order to understand what I was doing and have more tools for my creative work. I trained in several disciplines and started building up my own vocal technique according to knowledge and personal preferences. I ran accross great vocal technique teachers (like Robert Stevenson and Cheryl Porter) and learned how to harmonize and improvise in a more complete way. I studied music production, and music technology and self/management. I then started a band called Spaces and also joind a duo called Laudello. I sang live for a while and then began writing music for other producers and singers, I stumbled upon different ways of working and understood more about how the industry operates. I kept working on my "Solo" project (M. Blair) while also doing creative work for others. This is the path I've found to be more enjoyable, because it allows me to not only work on my personal projects but also to interact and work with other artists that always have something new to teach me and viceversa.

Q: How would you describe your style?

A: I would describe my style as sensual, deep and misterious. Sometimes melancholic.

Q: Which artist would you like to work with and why?

A: I would love to work with Bon Iver, he's an exceptional artist. His music makes me feel like home, and that's the feeling I look for when I'm writing music for either myself or others. Music connects people in a very different way, and the more an artist can connect me, the more I admire them. I think together we could make music that touches people in a genuine way.

Q: Can you share one music production tip?

A: Finish your ideas, no matter how tired you are, breathe, get rest, but then go back and finish them. You'll never regret finishing your projects and sometimes you don't see how valuable they are and how much you can grow as a producer by finishing them.

Q: What type of music do you usually work on?

A: I usually do R&B, Synth Pop, Electronic folk and indie folk. I feel all these genres have several things in common and they are so compatible that in my solo project I try to mix them up to get a new diverse and unique sound.

Q: What's your strongest skill?

A: I'm versatile. I can make my voice sound in a certain way depending on what I want for the song.Versatility and flexibility also alow me to learn different things every day and apply them, giving my songs more quality day by day.

Q: What do you bring to a song?

A: I bring emotion to every song. Singing is what I love doing the most, so it's impossible for me not to put my soul in it. I see music as my best way of connecting and communicating with people, so I'll always try to tell you something through my voice.

Q: What's your typical work process?

A: I usually work this way: 1. I listen to the tracks several times to get familiar with the sound. 2. I start improvising different melodies until I do something that I truly like. 3. I record what I liked and sing it different ways according to the mood I want the song to have. 4. I continue doing the same thing throughout each part of the song until I have clarity on how I want the main voice to be. 5. I think about what subject goes best with what I'm hearing and then try to decribe what the song will be about in a short sentence before writing the lyrics (to make it as concise and clear as possible). 6. I start working on the lyrics according to the phrasing and melody I have already determined. 7. I tweak the lyrics and the melody to make sure I'm not being redundant or too complicated. I want people to be able to relate to what i'm saying and expressing. 8. Once I have all the above clear, I start recording in my DAW and do several takes until I'm truly satisfied with the result. 9. I edit my track/tracks and add effects is required.

Q: Tell us about your studio setup.

A: Equipment: Monitors - Krk Rokit K G4 Microphone - Behringer condenser mic. Interface - Irig Pro Duo Midi - Sensel Morph Headphones - Audio Technica ATHM40x

Q: What other musicians or music production professionals inspire you?

A: Thom Yorke, James blake, Bon Iver, H.E.R, Jazmine Sullivan, Elena Tonra, RY X, Oklou, Nosaj Thing

Q: Describe the most common type of work you do for your clients.

A: I usually do both songwriting (lyrics and melodies) and performance/recording.