CANDID INTERVIEW WITH MARJORIE MAYE
Q- Was it a stroke of luck,
meeting those superstars whom you work with?
A- Sure, a little bit of it was luck. But trust me, it was a lot of work.
Q- What did you do to get noticed by those superstars?
A- I stuck around, refused to give up, networked, worked hard, and surrounded
myself with brilliant collaborators whose work I admired. I spent almost 10
years writing before I got on my first multi-platinum record.
A- Getting my calls returned. No, seriously. That's a huge step in this
business. That and you know that what you write, for the most part, is going
to get heard. The artist may not cut it, but either their A&R or someone in
their camp will most likely take a listen and let you know what they think,
even if it's a pass.
Q- What did you do first, short after you got your first break in your career?
A- I thanked God.Q -If you were not a singer, composer, musician and lyricist,
what would you be doing today?
A- I'd probably still be a computer programmer. Yes, I am a total geek.
Q- While you are performing, writing or composing, do you look at the faces of
people who surround you?
A- Sure.
Q- Which face attracts you most? Faces that catch you attention? What do you
see in people?
A- The eyes attract me first. They say everything, without a word.
Q- Who approaches you more frequently? Who express more admiration toward you,
men or women?
A- Mostly young girls, but also middle aged Men, and older Women.
Q- Why is that?
A- Young girls because of the pop stuff I've written for lots of young
artists. I co-wrote “Strawberry Kisses," the single for Nikki Webster, this
incredible 12 year old artist in Australia. Same song was then translated
into Portuguese and released with Brazils Pop Star winners, a girl's group on
Sony called "Rouge" they went 10x platinum. The middle aged Men and older
Women, tend to be more familiar with artists like "Celine Dion", and would be
most likely listening to the adult contemporary music.
Q- Who is your best audience? Why?
A- Teens. I have written a lot of young pop music, because it was so in
demand for a while, but now the audience is growing, thankfully, and the
lyrical content can get deeper.
Q- What are your best qualities as an artist?
A- My versatility and my tenacity.
Q- And as a woman?
A- My sensitivity.
Q- Tell me about the best few lines you wrote?
A- It's hard to choose my favorite, but I really like this one:
she can feel the rhythm as the thoughtless ocean rolls
Over castles in the sand that couldn¹t stand the test of time
All that¹s left is what she gets from living in her mind"
-- Verse from "She Dreams":
A- First song I ever wrote was back in 1989, it was called " Time for Déjà vu"
First lines were:
"I've lived it all before, I¹ve cried these tears and more
It seems like déjà vu whenever I see you"
Q- And what happened next? Did you keep what you wrote, store it, forget about
it or sell it?
A- I demoed it. Never placed it with an artist though.
Q- Does it happen to you (sometimes) that some superstars with whom you work
don't like your music or lyrics?
A- If they are working with me they usually like most of what I do. But,
sure, sometimes I’ll need to change a few lines, because the artist is
relating to most of it, but doesn’t feel a particular line is true to who they
are, or sometimes the artist is very young, and a line needs to be changed
because it’s too suggestive.
Q- Then, how you deal with it? What do you do next?
A- I usually make the edits. I want the artist to really feel the song in
their heart. If they don’t believe it, how can their audience.
Q- Have you ever had any unpleasant experience on stage, with producers,
singers, peers?
A- Not really. I must just be lucky, I haven’t had any kinds of problems. I
work, with the coolest group of writers producers and singers.
Q- Did you write your "masterpiece" or not yet?
A- I don’t think I’ve created it quite yet. I’ve written some really solid
songs, some of which I’m especially proud of. Unfortunately, the ones that get
cut and become hits are not always the ones you love most.
Q- Any advice to all those aspiring artists who need a break?
A- Surround yourself with the most amazing undiscovered talent you can find.
Today's demo singer who nobody knows, or the great arranger working in his
basement may one day be the next big sensation, so just work with talented
people and be loyal to them. Most successful artists come with camps of people
who got them there.