It Takes a Queen: Women On The Scene, Making The Scene
What do a rapper, a record store owner, and a marketing manager all have in common? Their love for the local music scene and their devotion to keeping it alive, positive, and inclusive. As the saying goes, ‘it takes a village…’. Anyone who’s had their hands in any aspect of music for an extended period of time knows the same goes for any bustling music scene. Here in Delaware there are some women taking the reins of the local music scene into their own hands and elevating the bands, bars, and musicians around them.
(Photo credit Rebecca Ashton)
Name, city you currently live in?
Brianna Hansen, Wilmington, DE
What do you do and how did you get into it?
I recently stepped into the role of Marketing Manager at The Queen, with a focus on community engagement and local programming. I'm lucky enough to be able to say I was approached and offered my dream job! I had a long history of promoting the arts in Wilmington with a bit of independent booking and promotions work in the music scene sprinkled in throughout the years... Live music is really where my heart has always been—I'm not a musician myself, but something about the experience has always ignited me—there's truly nothing like it.
What keeps you motivated to be a part of the music community?
Taking in music in any form is such a visceral experience, and live music in particular literally resonates through every part of your being. It's hard not to get caught up in the emotions of it all if you truly allow yourself to be present in the moment. I think it's that fact alone that keeps me enthusiastically moving forward. I'm not just selling music, I'm selling an experience. I guess it doesn't hurt that I love our mighty little city and all that it has to offer. Not only are we a powerhouse of original talent, but we have so much to tap into in terms of collaboration with the cities surrounding us...it's easy to make magic happen!
What would you like to see from the music scene in Delaware?
I'd like to see everyone get out and experience it, regularly! All too often over the years I've heard people complain that there's nothing to do, and that simply couldn't be further from the truth. There's something for everyone and we have an undeniable amount of talent right in our backyard. The only way to sustain that, however, is if it's supported by the masses...that's what I want to see. Get off the couch and come to a show!
What's something you know from your experience in music, that you feel could really help musicians level up in their careers?
From day one it's important that musicians treat themselves like a business. The way they present themselves and their music, the way they market themselves, the way they act to staff and fans when they perform... It all adds up and goes a long way to those looking in from the outside. A big part that plays into that is how much an artist values themselves. Self-worth is such an important part of success in any field. It isn't until you truly value yourself and what you have to offer the world that opportunities for success really start to flow to you. Don't play for free (unless it's REALLY a show you're dying to be a part of, or for a truly great cause you resonate with.) But that self-worth must be equally balanced with humility. No one wants to work with a jerk, no matter how good that jerk may be. Work professionally and stay humble!
(Photo Credit William Scarborough)
Name, city you're currently based in?
Melissa Forsythe, Newark, DE
What do you do and how did you get into it?
Well it seems that my whole life revolves around music, so where to start. I own Rainbow Records in Newark, so I spend most of my time slinging records to people. I recently started a local music zine that features a list of all upcoming original music shows I can find, that I giveaway from Rainbow, to anyone who will take one. I’ve been booking my festival Hot Jam since 2013, which is always a fundraiser for music and arts education for Delaware kids. Besides Hot Jam, I’ve been planning various other shows and festivals for years, as well as play bass in a few bands (Captain’s Daughter, Less Than Five) and DJ under the name DJ Gingerfox. My parents always thought learning music was important, so I learned to play piano when I was young and picked up guitar a bit later. I’ve been playing shows since I was 15, so I can’t imagine not continuing to play music and put together shows, it’s been my entire life for so long.
What keeps you motivated to be a part of the music community?
I think that the world is a really tough place and life is really hard but that building community, especially one based around music which we all know is healing, is one of the most impactful and kindest things we can do as individuals to help make it all a little easier for each other. The less meta answer to that question is that the positive feedback I get also keeps me motivated.
What would you like to see from the music scene in Delaware?
What I always like to see from the music scene in Delaware is it growing and becoming more and more inclusive. There are a lot of great people in the scene, but you won’t meet them just playing with your friends, so it’s always nice to see different smaller scenes inside the bigger scene cross pollinating.
What's something you know from your experience in music, that you feel could really help musicians level up in their careers? I would say to try to stay on top of social media and be easily accessible. Respond to people quickly if they want to book you, it’s so frustrating waiting weeks to hear back from people, especially for them to tell you that they’re not able to play the gig. Keep in mind that everyone else’s time is just as valuable as your own and that you’re not the greatest of all time, there is always another band out there happy to play, so make an effort and BE NICE to people. Being pleasant with bookers, other artists, etc. will get you a lot further than being a jerk. And don’t choose a band name that’s hard to spell.
(Lefty The Greatest Photo from official Facebook Account)
Name, city you currently live in?
Lefty The Greatest, Wilmington, DE
What do you do and how did you get into it?
I am I Rapper . I got into this when I was 9 years old. I listened to Lauryn Hill all day and all night and started writing my own rhymes. Then my parents brought me a toy keyboard. I started making songs with that toy keyboard. Then it evolved into real microphones and keyboards. Then I started performing at 17 and haven't stopped since.
What keeps you motivated to be a part of the music community?
I would say my love for music and need for expressing who I am. Music inspires so much of my life. Whether I am happy or sad, music heals me if I am sad, and if I am happy it just pushes me to a higher level of happiness. I hope to have an impact that influences people to believe anything is possible and to embrace their most authentic self. You can take anything in your life meant to leave you feeling negative and transform it to be positive. If something doesn't work for you there is always another way. I hope my music impacts people to know that they are unlimited.
What would you like to see from the music scene in Delaware?
I would like to see more businesses hosting live music or art events to bring more people to their business. More collaboration with different types of businesses means a better business for everyone.
What's something you know from your experience in music, that you feel could really help musicians level up in their careers?
I would say constantly educating yourself. We live in a digital world where things are constantly changing. I feel it's helpful to have diverse knowledge in business and more. Music is perceived to be an oversaturated industry and hard to stand out with so much on the internet. But the internet is also a blessing because it has opened up so many ways to market yourself. We just have to stay educated. Knowledge of these fast changes in business will help artists stay ahead and put us in a better position.
Check out the official music video for Lefty The Greatest’s single ‘Spiritual Gangster’
