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“Music E-Waste” Guest Written by Barbara Joens , Climate Reality Leader and Unity College Student. Modern technology has made listening to music easier than ever before. In 1982, the first CD player was released, followed by the first version of the iPod in 2001. In recent times, it has become a common practice to use smartphones to listen to the radio or a music service, something that 87% of 18 to 29-year-olds in the United States were reported as having done in 2016 (Anderson, 2016). Technology continues to advance, which benefits music lovers by providing them with more convenient ways to enjoy their favourite artists and songs. However, it is evident that as technology advances, old technology frequently gets left behind. Many music listeners are drawn to new technology for a number of reasons. New devices come with convenient features that old devices do not have, which makes them more attractive to purchase. Continuing to move on to the latest music-playing devices means producing more electronic waste. Electronic waste, or “e-waste,” is becoming an increasingly serious problem. E-waste is all electronic devices and accessories that are unwanted, outdated, or no longer usable. As people move on to the latest music players, an excessive amount of e-waste is produced. Unfortunately, only 10% of e-waste gets recycled throughout the globe ( Recycle Coach, 2019 ). While many people think that only large devices pose a problem, the accessories you use to listen to music may be contributing to e-waste as well. People throw out small accessories, such as headphones that no longer work properly. Headphones are easily replaceable, so people often do not think twice about throwing out an old pair that no longer work. Large devices, such as music players and smartphones, have increasingly shorter lifespans. If electronics were made to last longer and be more durable, there would be less e-waste. In addition, aggressive advertising is able to persuade people to want the latest and coolest things. This is particularly true for ads targeting young people. So, why is it a big deal if you improperly dispose of your outdated music players or broken headphones? The 90% of e-waste that does not get recycled ends up posing various risks to the environment and human health. Old electronics contain chemicals that can be harmful to humans, such as mercury, lead, and cadmium ( Recycle Coach, 2019 ). These chemicals end up polluting the environment. The illegal exportation of e-waste to foreign countries is also a common practice. People try to recover valuable materials from the e-waste, which exposes them to chemicals and can cause negative health effects from the exposure. What can we do to prevent our music purchases from becoming e-waste? Invest in good music products. Be sure to do research in advance so that your next purchase of an item will have the features that you want. This will help avoid being tempted to buy a new product and add your old products to e-waste. Treat your music accessories with care. Wireless ear buds are easy to lose. If they become lost in a public area, the finder will most likely discard them instead of taking the extra steps to recycle them. In order to prevent this from happening, make sure to keep your wireless earbuds and other small accessories in an appropriate case. This can also prevent your accessories from getting damaged. With headphones that have a cord, wrap the cord in a way similar to how it arrived in the original packaging, and secure it with an elastic band. This will prevent damage to the headphones that results from tangling and pulling. Properly recycle any unwanted music devices. Recycling your old CD players and iPods is much more sustainable than allowing them to end up as e-waste. Check out recycling facilities in your area and see if they accept unwanted music devices. If not, instead of just throwing them in the garbage and having them end up damaging the environment, consider the possibility of giving them to friends or family members. There are also some manufacturers that have trade-in policies. Call the store that sold you the device and ask if this is an option. Together, we can continue to enjoy music in a sustainable manner. References Anderson, M. (2016, January 29). More Americans are using smartphones for getting directions and streaming TV. Pew Research Center. http://pewrsr.ch/1nTvqZj Recycle Coach. (2019, October 4). An intro to E-waste: Why it’s a problem. https://www.recyclecoach.com/blog/an-introduction-to-e-waste

From a dream to action, it’s hard to know where even to start when it comes to building a career. Especially when that career is as subjective and ever-changing as the music business, here is some advice for musicians who are just starting or are long-standing musicians looking for more tips. Why provide Advice For Musicians By Musicians specifically? Photo by Cottonbro Studio on When it comes to seeking advice on navigating the challenging terrain of the music industry, there is no better source than fellow musicians. Not only do they possess a deep understanding of the inner workings of the industry, but they can also relate to the unique struggles that new musicians often face. With their invaluable insights and experience, they can offer practical advice that can make all the difference in shaping a successful career in music. Advice For Musicians Switching Styles, a website dedicated to music, has gathered valuable advice from experienced musicians. The website has compiled this advice into an easy-to-follow and inspirational guide that you can use to improve your own skills as a musician. Whether you’re a beginner or an experienced musician, this guide has something for everyone. It covers a wide range of topics, from tips on improving your technique to advice on how to overcome stage fright to guidance on how to succeed in the music industry . For those looking for advice, switchingstyles.ca is an immense collection of information, resources, inspiration, and other musicians in all career areas and development. If you want more information, subscribe to our email newsletter below or follow us on our social media to get updated whenever a new article, contest or interview comes out!! Subscribe If you have any advice that you would like to share with others, you can contribute to this guide by sending your suggestions via email to switchingstylespublication@gmail.com . Alternatively, you can use the website’s contact form to get in touch . Your contribution could be valuable for other musicians who want to achieve their goals and improve their skills. Musician Advice Infographic by Dylanna Fisher What advice for musicians do you have for our audience ? Photo by Startup Stock Photos on

What is the impact of music piracy amid a pandemic? Cody Blakely is a local musician and recording engineer who has seen firsthand impacts. Cody Blakely is a local musician and recording engineer who has seen the effects of the pandemic firsthand, from finances to live music to a lack of both. Photo by Yaroslav Danylchenko on This Corona pandemic has also put music at the media forefront. This includes getting music online from streaming and illegal services and encouraging a conversation on music piracy. Music piracy amid a pandemic; Interview with Cody Blakely Photo by cotton-bro studio on Below is an interview between Blakely and Dylanna Fisher from Switching Styles. Do you think Covid-19 has impacted the conversation about pirated or downloaded music? I get it. It would be foolish to assume everyone has extra money they can spend buying records. I haven’t purchased a record myself in a while, and I subscribe to a streaming service. I am not exactly helping the situation, but I also feel like I buy a lot of music right from the bands. Plus, with record shops closed down or limited access, it’s tough to acquire music. It’s a tough situation. Some people haven’t felt a loss in income and if they can help support a local band by buying some of their merchandise, it would mean the world to them. But I don’t think people understand exactly how much money musicians invest into their own music or how much money is invested. I say money, but also, at the same time, becoming a musician that people care about is not an easy thing. Even if pirating wasn’t the thing, I still don’t think there’d be a tremendous amount of wealth shared with the artists. Why do you think that kind of sentiment exists in the music industry? When people do not understand how a record deal works versus a movie studio or anything like that, they will be making billions of dollars potentially off of a movie where you and I both know what a record is. The amount of record sales that it’s actually going to take for the artist to make a profit, is it you need to sell like at least eight times what the value or how much you invested into the record just for anybody to make money. But when it comes to music, it’s almost like people the wallets immediately put away And I’ve never personally understood why. I’m the furthest thing from a social expert but it’s definitely something that I’ve noticed, and I hope that it goes away, record sales are back up with vinyl. But how many people are shopping, right from the band or going to a record store and purchasing vinyl? Either way, most of the money’s just going to go back to the label and not back to the artists. One thing that a lot of artists that I’ve talked to mention is ways that online music services can help. Watch it or listen to music on Spotify. What are your thoughts on that? Streaming services are an incredible discovery tool. We can all think of a band we had no idea existed before. And then when Spotify or whatever streaming service you use came into play, the amount of music we’re able to consume is overwhelming, almost, especially considering where we are in Edmonton. It’s no, it’s no secret that we’re not a major tour stop. That’s the best way to discover bands. And if you discover a band you like, reach out to them and ask them to buy some of their merch. It happens all the time where we’ll have people from like Poland discovering us. We’ve said that merch overseas before, and it’s extremely appreciated. Why would you want music lovers and musicians to kind of know about the topic? I think the important thing to realize is that even with standard 12-point deals, the artist’s record will usually need to make eight times what the budget is for making the record, just for the artist to receive a penny worth of royalties. I just don’t think that there’s enough education that goes into exactly how much goes into making a record. The lack of education is a big one. That’s not just with music lovers; musicians are as well. There need to be better resources for them to understand how much they should be investing in their own music as well if they want it to be commercially accepted. What kind of resources? Alberta music that’s kind of the first one. If you want to know the information, it’s easy to find on the internet. There are many sources out there. [Check out some financial aids for Canadian Musicians ] From my experience, people need to take a little bit more initiative and perhaps create education for those musicians. You can Google for an hour, and the amount of information you’ll learn is astonishing. Oh, well. People do not have extra spending cash if they’ve been laid off. It is going to affect pirating music. I mean, there’s still there are still records coming out. And if you’re not part of a streaming service, the only way you can really listen to that now is to pirate everything. I understand, And I am sensitive to that, that there I don’t think that there’s a single record out there where it’s missing all your bills. I totally respect and understand that. There are a lot of bands that are starting to stream them, play shows, and whatnot. I think there are a lot of steps in the right direction. , and until, there’s going to be a lot more people normally losing their income. It’s going to it might be the norm for a bit, unfortunately. Streaming services before COVID-19 were Increasing quite amazingly, it seems to have kind of plateaued, not decrease, not increase just stayed the same. Right after COVID-19, What do you estimate will happen with streaming services? Wow, that’s a really good question. It’s always more of a discovery tool. I can’t see a way for streaming services to get any bigger. Even TV streaming services, and they’re in the same boat, have plateaued as well. I don’t necessarily see them getting any bigger. There’s only so much you can do with a streaming service. Please be my guest if you’re using it as a discovery tool. But at the end of the day, if you want music to join and new music to be made, invest in it. If you have somewhere like Starlite Room, for example, that’s hosting multiple 500-plus shows a week, bringing that money downtown. People coming from out of town and bringing money into Edmonton to let something like that go, while we’re investing in pipelines that are still not going to go through,  is incredibly short-sighted. That’s pretty much how you turn Alberta into a corporation. Why is that? The big thing that I find is that a lot of people, we can just be honest, a lot of people in Alberta. And it very, very quickly becomes something that people need to realize that it does no matter what you do. Everything about your life is going to be affected by some sort of art. Whether you’re watching TV, watching a movie, wherever you’re, throwing on the radio, the clothes you wear were made by a designer. Even if you’re watching the Oilers play, someone had to design that logo for people to overlook the arts as not a major industry just because it wasn’t anything that you could drive your car with or anything like that. It’s not oil. Photo by Cottonbro Studio on Comment below your thoughts about Music piracy amid a pandemic, our musicians!!

January 28th is national kazoo day for America but for the international Kazoo lovers their holiday is February 19. What’s a Kazoo ? Let’s start with the first question; what exactly is a Kazoo? Kazoo is one of the most common types of Mirliton. A Mirliton is an instrument or device where noises are produced while vibrating a membrane. This causes a buzzing sound.  Fun Fact: Mirlitons are also set in the walls of some flutes (e.g., the Chinese  ti ) and  xylophone  resonators to colour the tone. Fun Fact: The kazoo is said to have originated from the ancient African mirliton. A Kazoo is a musical instrument resembling a flute, recorder or other wind instruments but quite shorter. The kazoo is a percussion instrument that’s structured differently than typical wind instruments. It’s designed to create a buzzing or timbral quality to the musician’s voice and a resonating membrane. To use a kazoo ones blows, or speaks through the membrane to produce the buzzing quality. For more diversity, the musician can completely or partially cover the membrane. “In addition to these structural differences, a kazoo is also played different than conventional instruments. [With] brass instruments, the buzzing sound of the lips is amplified to produce the notes. In woodwind instruments, musical notes are created by the vibration of the reed. The kazoo relies on the voice of the musician to produce the sound. When a musician plays the kazoo, he hums into it and that causes the thin film to vibrate. This vibration changes with the sound of the voice giving it the buzzing quality, which is unique to the kazoo.” Explains Encyclopedia.com Amplifying the voice, it’s a rather creative instrument with a unique sound. Why is there a national kazoo day? Now to delve deeper into National Kazoo Day. This is a holiday to bring attention and awareness to this specific instrument and the impact that it’s had in history, and in childhood memories. January 28 was founded as National Kazoo Day. There is also a website dedicated to national kazoo day and to the Kazoo itself. They explain why there are some discrepancies between the date of National Kazoo Day. “Of course, kazoo players are not known to be perfectly precise, so feel free to celebrate National Kazoo Day on January 23, if you so desire, as some folks have the impression that the date is supposed to be the fourth Thursday in January. In fact, most people will agree that we should consider January 23-28, 2020, National Kazoo WEEK! So celebrate all weekend long!” And of course, we’re bringing you some Kazoo covers to show that the kazoo is more than a novelty. Celebrating National Kazoo Day with Kazoo Covers Let’s start with some classic Micheal Jackson. blending melodies covers “Billie Jean” with a kazoo making sure to keep the smooth Jackson style with the energy of the Kazoo. mean green lima bean ‘s cover of “Seven Nation Army”, originally by The White Stripes uses both the Kazoo and the Ukelele to bring a rather subtle and sweet cover to their audience. Undertale and kazoos. It doesn’t sound perfect on paper but in practice, it’s majestic. Brought to us by Tsuko G. , The song Megalovania from Undertale is a perfect song to cover with Kazoos. This cover of “Nightmare” by Avenged Sevenfold is not subtle and sweet like the previous cover. It may be the song itself, the kazoo, or the eeriness of Avenged Sevenfold but this cover is menacing. Fan Flat Crew has created this great and eerie cover. Kinky Kazoo combines “Bad Guy” with a kazoo. It seems that “Bad Guy” by Billie Eilish is a versatile song to cover resulting in amazing covers. This cover in particular proves that kazoos are musical and not just a novelty! Aymen Benzarti and Yassine Amara combine “Despacito” and the kazoo. “Despacito” by Luis Fonsi featuring Daddy Yankee is a fast-paced song with a lot of energy. Adding a Kazoo seems like an insane feat but they pull it off.  Citations Encyclopedia Britannica . 2020.  . Harrop , Helen . 2010. Have Fun, Make Art. [Photograph] Berghash, R. and D. Jachimowicz. U.S. Patent #4832653. Nationalkazooday.com. 2020.  . Stewart, Barbara. Workman Publishing Co., 1983. The Original American Kazoo Company, 8703 South Main Street, Eden,  New York 14057.

Phillip Rodda of Medical Pilot, brings forth his experiences as a musician during the Covid-19 pandemic. The Covid-19 pandemic has reshaped countless industries, but perhaps none so profoundly as the music world. Artists like Phillip Rodda, drummer for Alberta’s alternative rock band Medical Pilot, have faced firsthand the unique challenges of this period. They have also discovered surprising opportunities. From the quiet of empty venues to the innovative buzz of livestreams and drive-in concerts, musicians are redefining how they connect with their audiences and sustain their craft. Rodda’s insights not only reflect the struggles of navigating a stalled live music scene but also highlight the resilience and creativity at the heart of the industry. As a member of Medical Pilot, Rodda has watched the pandemic revolutionize everything from performance formats to fan interactions. The shift from live shows to virtual experiences has been both jarring and inspiring. Live music is on pause. The band has turned to alternative income streams to stay afloat. These include merchandise and online content. Rodda dives deep into the realities of being a musician during the pandemic. He offers a behind-the-scenes look at the adaptability required to thrive in these unprecedented times. Social media engagement is rising in importance, and there is a growing interest in livestream concerts. He paints a picture of an industry in transition. In this industry, challenges spark creativity and resilience fuels hope. Medical pilot is an alternative rock band from right here in Alberta. Members include Dexter Twardzik (Guitar/Vocals), Jon Rembowski (Guitar/Vocals), Jesse Rubuliak (Guitar/Vocals), Daniel Blade (Bass/Vocals), and Phil Rodda (Drums). Medical Pilot “With stellar riffs, brilliant melodies, and an engaging stage presence, Medical Pilot exemplifies the exact kind of band that you want to go out and see.” reads their self-description . Their music is described as  alternative pop-punk alt-rock  and  nu-metal . Their discography includes Painting Pictures & Telling Stories (2018) and Caramel Wednesday (2018). It also includes Grace, Too (2017), Medical Pilot EP (2017), and The Same EP (2016). Currently, the band is focusing its efforts on a new debut album planned to be released this upcoming September. “Focused almost equally on both riffs and melodies, never afraid to experiment, their journey finds four members singing at one point. Their songs sometimes somber, sometimes pleading, and then other times soaring and reaching” describes the band . Phillip Rodda Interview Based in Edmonton, Alberta, they’ve seen the fluctuations firsthand. Below is an interview with Rodda and Dylanna Fisher of Switching Styles. What is your connection to the music industry? Currently, I spend most of my time playing for artists in and around Edmonton such as Jenesia, Steven Sware and Tea G. I also spend a lot of time producing for EMARRA and recording other bands out of my home studio. My main bread and butter is my band, Medical Pilot. How long have you been in the music industry? Roughly 4 years now. I started playing shows as soon as I turned 18. Since then have been trying to find more and more ways to involve myself. Why is the music industry important? The music and entertainment industry, in general, have a lot more importance in people’s day-to-day lives than one might think. The easiest comparison is sports. You see a lot of people tuning in every night or two to watch their favourite team play. They’ve also dedicated a large portion of their free time to keeping up with trades, lineup changes and the general day-to-day of their teams. For many people who consume music, that same amount of time can be spent easily. This is especially true with how active most groups are on social media. I know for me personally when I really get into a band, I can spend a couple hours a day digging up past interviews on YouTube or trying to find fun facts on Wikipedia. People really do care about their favourite musicians and the art that they create. With Covid-19, I believe this rings even more true based off the fact that a lot more people are stuck at home with not a whole lot to do. With everything being locked down, how are artists making money if not from live venues? I think that it varies quite a lot depending on the artist or group. I’ve seen a lot of people set up live-stream shows with either the option to donate or virtual tickets that grant you viewing access. Drive-in concerts are a really great option for smaller groups or solo artists. From what I’ve seen with my peers, they’re either doing the shows on a by donation basis or charging a flat fee. Based off of the demand that I’ve been seeing for these they definitely seem like a lucrative opportunity. A lot of bands have been getting quite casual with the way they’re presenting themselves online too. Some of the funniest streams I’ve seen during quarantine have been musicians just playing video games together or reviewing weird and funny YouTube videos. Do you think live music bounce back after Covid? I think it definitely will but not as quick as people think. For one, live shows are usually in the area of 200-400 people at a local level, or thousands if it’s a major label artist touring arena. Even with the current plan from the Alberta government it could be all the way until the end of summer, if not longer, until we see gatherings of that side being allowed. The demand, however, will always be there. So, no matter how long it takes to come back there’s going to be a lot of antsy people sitting at home waiting for the first opportunity to see a show. I know I’m one of them! What, if anything, will be different? This question actually excites me quite a bit. Live music and touring has always been a great way to make money for musicians. With the whole advent of Covid-19 I think people are really opening their eyes to alternative ways to both consume and create music.  Livestreams were always something that was just kind of “there” with not a lot of people paying attention to them. Now though, I think a lot of people are seeing how fun and engaging a livestream can be, and I can definitely see them carving their own little niche in the market once everything’s over. The drive-in shows could be another great thing that I would not mind sticking around at all. How does music and merchandise sales benefit musicians during Covid-19? Even before Covid-19, the music merchandise industry was worth multiple billions of dollars worldwide, and I would not be surprised if that remained the same this year. For a lot of local and regional sized bands, merch like t-shirts and CDs are the key to a band’s financial health. For Medical Pilot we actually got denied on all of our grant applications for our newest album, so our solution was to raise as much money as possible through merch. That venture ended paying for an extremely large chunk of the cost, with the rest coming from live show profits. One of my favourite things I’ve seen during quarantine is a venue called 9910 partnering with local artists and offering beer and merchandise packages on their website. A lot of bands still have yearly running costs like rent for a rehearsal space, website and e-commerce hosting fees and distributor fees to keep their music on Apple Music and Spotify.  Even if the live shows have stopped, these bills still need to be paid and merch gives fans a way to help out as much as possible. Does Covid-19 impact the conversation of pirated music? Unfortunately, with streaming becoming as mainstream as it, is the actual sales of albums have dropped a huge amount with piracy or without. I know for me personally, I’ve never really cared if people have ripped my band’s songs off of YouTube to keep on their phone. I’ve just been happy that they’re taking the time to listen! There’s been a lot of talk in the industry about this big shift where your music is now serving as an advertisement for your brand and image rather than the other way around. With the big piracy craze in the early 2000s and now Spotify’s extremely small margins on streams, a lot of artists I know have accepted that as life and have just adopted new ways to have their music be heard as much as possible while still making money. What financial supports are there for musicians? Are they enough? Canada’s National Art’s Centre themselves have been producing grants for artists that live stream shows, which I think is a great help! There’s also the obvious CERB for people who are doing music full-time and fall under the qualifications. In terms of operating money for groups, I haven’t seen a lot pop up. I might be totally wrong on that, as I haven’t exactly done a lot of research on the subject. What can fans do to support their favourite artists? If everyone has a much free time as the memes on Facebook are saying, looping songs on Spotify is always a great way to boost those streaming numbers! In all seriousness, just engaging on social media goes a long way. Seeing comments from people showing support is one of my biggest mood boosters, especially when I’m stuck awake late at night thinking about how much it sucks not being able to play a show. What advice do you have for musicians during Covid-19? If you’re an artist, now is the time to create some amazing content. Quarantine style playthroughs where you sync up a video of each member playing a song in their homes are a great way to engage with fans during such a weird time. Everyone always talks about that one song that never got finished or that one side-project EP that never took off. We now have all this free time to really delve into things that might have taken a back seat in the past! If you’re a freelancer or session musician, just keep in touch with your clients and co-workers. I got into this industry because I knew the people were great. the way everyone is checking in on each other and offering support has reinforced that fact in my mind tenfold. Final Thoughts Phillip Rodda from Medical Pilot shares insights into the music industry during the Covid-19 pandemic. Medical Pilot, an Alberta-based alternative rock band, emphasizes engaging melodies and stellar riffs. With a discography including multiple EPs and albums, the band is working on a new debut album. Rodda discusses the importance of music, the shifts to livestream performances, and ways artists maintain income through merchandise during lockdowns. He acknowledges that live music will eventually return. However, the pandemic has opened avenues for alternative music consumption. It has also heightened fan engagement through social media. Rodda encourages musicians to create content and connect with their audience during these challenging times. Check out more from Phillip Rodda  and from Medical Pilot .

Thaddie parodies, AKA Thadudette is a parody musician creating Disney, cartoon, anime, and gaming parodies to “make people emit hahas out of their chew holes”. Her take on the genre is quite different than other parody artists. She’s known best for her literal parodies where the lyrics are literally narrating exactly what is happening on the screen. Here is an interview between Switching Styles and Thadudette How did you start in music? I grew up in a musical family, so I’ve been surrounded by it my whole life! I took piano lessons as a child – which I’ve completely forgotten now, of course – voice lessons in elementary school, and started playing drums in fifth grade. Since middle school, church worship teams have also been a big part of my life, so I’ve been singing and playing bass pretty much ever since then. What is the story behind the name Thadudette and Thaddie Parodies? Honestly, “Thadudette” is the name of my first Maple Story character because my brother’s character was “ThaDude.” I’m not very creative with names, so it’s kind of just stuck as my go-to username since then. :P “Thaddie” is just a cute, easy nickname that my friends came up with. How would you describe your sound? Considering I don’t make my own music, it’s a little hard to say. I suppose if I think of this question in terms of my voice, I would think of it as a clear, belty voice that packs a lot of punch when I hit notes right… but easily sounds pretty strain-y if I don’t! Who are the musicians that inspire your sound? AmaLee/LeeandLie for sure—I think singing along with her music so much helped my voice get a little closer to hers; though not nearly as gorgeous, of course! A lot of amazing singers I’ve played with at church have also been a big influence on my voice. What appeal do you think covers have compared to the original songs to a general audience? I love doing covers over original music because I love connecting with people over a common interest. With original music, you kind of put yourself out there and say “hey, this is MY product, do you like it?” whereas with a cover you say “hey, you like Moana? I like Moana! But here’s my little spin on the song, what do you think?” Why do you perform hilarious parodies? As mentioned in the question about covers, parodies give me an established common interest with an audience, and they give me the chance to make people laugh, which I absolutely love! Which one stands out as a favourite?   This is tough, but if I had to pick just one, I think I’d have to go with the literal parody for the opening of Super Smash Bros. Ultimate! How come?  A lot of reasons: for one, it was my first video game parody that did really well. While I love doing Disney parodies, I actually didn’t grow up with Disney—gaming is where my real childhood is. So, I felt a lot more like I was clicking with “my people” with this parody. The song itself was challenging, but vocally and lyrically I’m pretty proud of it! The success of this literal also led me to create a Discord server that helped me meet and talk to a lot of great friends—including the man who’s now my fiancé! How do you choose the songs to parody?  When I was doing this more as a career, it was a mixture of trying to guess which songs would be most popular, which ones were most requested, and which ones hadn’t been done yet. I like to respect the literals that are already out there if I can, so if a popular song is already parodied and I get requested to do it a lot, I make it a patron-only literal. Now that I’m not pursuing YouTube as a career, I just do the ones I want to do when I feel like it. What’s the process of creating these parodies?   It starts with the writing, which mostly involves me going through the video line-by-line and drafting what comes to mind first, then combing back over it to make it fit better with syllable count and rhyme scheme. And it ensures that the song is stuck in my head for the rest of the day! After that, I usually record vocals from there, mix it with an instrumental, then slap it on the video and throw some subtitles on and it’s done. The writing and singing are where most of the effort goes; the editing is pretty low maintenance compared to a lot of YouTubers! You’ve collaborated with a few different artists for your parodies, what are your thoughts on collaboration?   Collaboration is one of my favourite parts of YouTubing, for sure! It’s just incredible that the Internet allows us to remotely create art together and form friendships through that. What is one of your funniest stories about collaborating?  I don’t really have much on this one, unfortunately. The only somewhat related incident that comes to mind is that I was watching Kyle, my fiancé, scroll through his YouTube feed and the You’re Welcome literal showed up. In his goofy, sweet way and completely forgetting that Aaron Camacho was the singer for that one, he said, “Hey, I bet the person who sang that video is really beautiful, sweet, clever, and kind!” I said, “I can’t really say, I’ve only met Aaron in person once!” I’m happy to report that Aaron is indeed very talented, sweet, clever, and kind though—it’s up to him if he would prefer to be described as beautiful or not, though. Do you have a favourite collaboration that you’ve done? Gosh, that’s really hard… I’m a huge fan of everyone I’ve collaborated with! But if I had to pick one, I think I’d have to go with A Place Like Slaughter Race from Wreck-It Ralph 2. When I was in high school, I had Lizzie Freeman’s “This Day Aria” literal memorized front and back, and it’s insane thinking that one day we would actually collaborate together! Jeffry Saenz also sang the male voices in that collab and working with him is always a huge joy. They’re both so freaking talented and the song is from the sequel to my favourite movie of all time! Are there more collaborations in the future?   Yes—once I’ve started writing and producing again, I’m still going to need male voices to help me out! I still owe everyone a Lost in the Woods literal! What are your opinions of the industry in the music industry? Frankly, it’s hard. I stopped pursuing YouTube as a career because working on all the things that weren’t fun were making me burn out on the parts I really loved: parody writing and singing. I’m really glad that YouTubing as a career is possible now, but to anyone out there who’s hoping to pursue it, do count the cost: are you willing and able to work four times as hard to make pennies for a long time? Do you have the initiative and independence to basically run your own business? It works great for some people, but I like stability and routine, and I just wasn’t getting that on YouTube, and it was really running down my mental health. I’ll never regret trying to be a career YouTuber, but I also haven’t regretted switching back ever since. How do online platforms like YouTube or YouTube impact the music industry?   YouTube is basically our boss, and frankly, it’s not a very reasonable or nice boss. It’s like having a boss who doesn’t care about you, but always fawns over their favourite employees; the corporate creators and the ones who make them the most money, of course. How do those platforms impact Thaddie Parodies?   I was never able to monetize my channel because of copyright, and I never received an official play button. My Discord server was sweet enough to shower me with play button emotes, though! Before I write a parody, I usually have to screen the original to make sure YouTube won’t block it entirely, because it’s happened where I put in the time and effort to write a parody and end up not being able to upload it to YouTube because of copyright blocking. My Facebook pages were also nuked because of copyright, with no advance notice. Thank you very much. What are your thoughts on copyright?   I’ll try to be professional in my answer to this! Copyright does need to exist, because at the core, yeah, stealing others’ creations is not cool. So yes, a system needs to be in place. What’s really frustrating is that YouTube’s copyright system is set up to corner small content creators and still let people actually stealing content slip by. For creators like me who thrive off of connecting with others on pre-existing creations, it’s really frustrating and often depressing to have to work around a broken copyright system at pretty much every turn. It’s not the main reason I stopped pursuing YouTube as a career, but it is a factor. You’re also on Patreon, how does that impact your career?   Patreon is a good platform; it was my primary source of YouTube income while I was career YouTubing and while it wasn’t making a lot, it was amazing to be able to connect and chat directly with the people who were incredible enough to want to support me with their wallets. What are some of your fondest memories throughout your music career?   There are a lot, but one of the things that makes me happiest is looking back at my channel and genuinely feeling proud of what I’ve created. My parodies certainly aren’t perfect in a lot of ways, but I’m still really happy with them, and glad that they brought a little bit of joy to so many people. What are some obstacles throughout your music career? I’ve already talked about copyright; the business aspect was another hard one for me that ultimately, I couldn’t manage on top of creating content. I also find running social media very tiring, and I knew I could’ve upped my social media game a lot, but it didn’t come naturally to me at all. What advice would you give to young musicians just starting out? Two things that sound contradictory: One. This is for people wanting to do YouTube or music as a full-time career. Count the cost and consider what you want in a career. If your only reason is to become famous, “you’re going to have a bad time, kid.” most people discover that they hate fame when they become famous. It’s definitely supremely overrated. You need a ton of initiative and drive to succeed in the long run, and you need to be willing to spend a lot of time doing things that aren’t the part you love – creating art. That works great for some people, but I found that that wasn’t for me. Are your core mission and drive going to be enough to keep you going when it’s hard? Two. This is for anyone, whether hopeful career YouTubers or hobbyists. Just start somewhere! Don’t wait to have all the best gear or to be perfectly prepared: just start uploading! Everyone starts out creating sucky content, so just get it over with and you’ll improve faster than if you tried to wait until you had all your ducks in a row. I look back at my old videos and see a lot of things that I could do a lot better now—but if I hadn’t started with those videos, I wouldn’t be where I am now, so I don’t look at them with any regrets. What are your future plans? I don’t have a lot of plans for YouTube right now—once I feel a little more settled in life, I’d like to be able to go back to parody writing, for sure. My husband-to-be and I are also hoping to do some Twitch streaming after we’re married—not totally related, but it would be fun! Do you have any up and coming parodies? I have a really fun Mad Libs parody of The Other Side from The Greatest Showman that’s still been sitting on the shelf. It’s a collab with Shirleydocious , so that’s fun! And I still want to do a Lost in the Woods parody sometime. Besides that, there isn’t a lot in the works since I’ve been focusing on other life things—but I will be back eventually!

Founded by Martin Jarl, Swing’it Dixieband takes the music of the swinging 20s and brings it to the modern era. Travelling back in time, Swing’it Dixieband brings you to New Orleans 100 years ago. Their music tells the stories of the roaring 20’s about jazz, about “bootleggers, speakeasies and illegal parties during the Prohibition and flappers and dappers partying their nights away in the opulence and decadence of the Golden Era!”. They’ve performed for jazz festivals throughout Norway and the UK, including over 60 concerts at the Kongsberg Jazz Festival, Molde Jazz Festival, Edinburgh Jazz Festival and Sildajazz. Fun Fact: In 2018, they made it to the semi-finals of “Norway’s Got Talent ” with their performances of Jazz Disney covers. “We were inspired by how Postmodern Jukebox was so successful covering pop songs in various genres, so we decided to try something similar – and there are just so many good Disney tunes to choose between. We already had a couple in our repertoire and thought, ‘who doesn’t love Disney?'” explains Martin Jarl, the band’s founder. They were known for their music available on Spotify and YouTube, as well as concerts worldwide. In 2019, they released their first single, Party Like It’s 1923, which describes the life of flappers and dappers within the era of the ’20s. It was also their first music video. This single brought them massive success as it hit 1 million streams on Spotify. Later in 2019 and then again in 2020, they released two more singles, Booze Cruise and Champagne .  “Our songs are based around historical people and real events in the 1910s and 20s in America. They draw inspiration from the Prohibition Era and Great Gatsby’s glamour, but with our twist. We released the EP in April 2020 and have now recorded a full album due to be released in 2021. The album is a concept with an overarching story that takes the listener through New Orleans and the music from the early 20th Century,” explains Jarl. This musical group has become one of Europe’s most successful jazz bands. They’ve made quite an audience for themselves worldwide, with their YouTube channel hitting 732,816 views and 5.27K subscribers since joining in August of 2014. Swing’it Dixieband Playlists “These guys are a firework of a band! The atmosphere has been perfect every time Swing’it played at our bar! Highly recommended! (and the girls love them, too!) Review from Cecil’s Cocktail Club Here are some of their highlighted music for your listening pleasure. “Bare Necessities” Vintage 1920’s Dixieland Jazz Cover By Swing’it Dixieband Originally By Phil Harris ,  Bruce Reitherman From Disney’s The Jungle Book (1967). “Everybody Wants To Be A Cat” Vintage Dixieland Jazz Cover By Swing’it Feat. Eloise Green Originally By Floyd Huddleston ,  Al Rinker From Disney’s Aristocats (1970). “I Wanna Be Like You” Vintage Jazz Cover By Swing’it Dixieband Originally By Louis Prima ,  Phil Harris ,  Bruce Reitherman From Disney’s The Jungle Book (1967). “Under The Sea” is a Vintage 1920s New Orleans Jazz Cover By Swing’it Dixieband, Originally By Samuel E. Wright From Disney’s The Little Mermaid (1989). “Hakuna Matata” Vintage 1920s Styled Dixieland Cover By Swing’it Dixieband Originally By Jason Weaver ,  Ernie Sabella ,  Nathan Lane ,  Joseph A. Williams From Disney’s The Lion King (1994). Let us know what you think in the comments below!!

Merging the '20s with the ’20s, the Swing’it Dixieband's music blends modern sounds with a vintage vibe. It’s a fantastic way to celebrate the 2020’s with the styles of the 1920s. Traditional jazz music was party music, and that’s what they deliver in their songs and their concerts. Their versatility allows them to play for a range of audiences from jazz clubs and speakeasies to weddings to corporate events to festivals. Swing’it Dixieband has travelled all over the world showing off their musical talents to shows with a successful and passionate following in Norway and throughout Europe. “Swing’it is one of the most popular bands to have played at the Candlelight Club. The combination of toe-tapping rhythms, effusive horns and five-part vocals created the perfect vintage mood and kept people on their feet all evening. I think I had more positive comments from guests about this band than any other”. Review from Candlelight Club Known for their music available on Spotify and YouTube, as well as concerts throughout the world. In 2019, they released their first single, Party Like it’s 1923 , which describes the life of flappers and dappers within the era of the ’20s. It was also their first music video . This single brought them huge success as it hit 1 million streams on Spotify. Later on in 2019 and then again in 2020, they released two more singles Booze Cruise and Champagne . Below is an interview with Martin Jarl, Swing’it Dixieband’s founder, and Dylanna Fisher from Switching Styles. How did Swing’it Dixieband get started? It was actually my trumpet teacher that started it in the first place. I was only 12 or myself at the time and joined the band with some friends of mine. We were very cute, but not so talented at the time, so it fizzled out after a while. Then a couple of years later I decided to pick up the idea again and started the current band with some other friends of mine.   Why did you decide to be known as Swing’it Dixieband? We wanted something that was short and catchy and went for “Swing’it”, which is the name we mainly use. Adding Dixieband is just a mixture of making it clear what we do while also being a historical reference to bands from that era.   How would you describe your sound? We have a very vibrant, energetic and playful sound. There are different members and different instruments from time to time, so the overall sound varies from a 20s marching band towards a more 30s swing sound. But I’d say energetic, vibrant and playful are very describing.   Who are your musical influences? Lots of different people, ranging from 20s musicians like Louis Armstrong, through 30s, 40s and 50s jazz to current jazz and pop singers like Jamie Cullum. Personal favourites are among others Chet Baker, Jamie Cullum and Armstrong.   Who is all included in Swing’it Dixieband? We’re a big group of people, around 17 in total – so more of a collective of musicians than a band. This is because the group has been living separated in Trondheim, Oslo and London since it was founded and flying in people for every gig is often not financially possible.   You mentioned that there is a different one’s time to time as a kind of a collective, could you tell me about that? As I mentioned, I met the band members in various places. Three of us moved to London at the same time, but we couldn’t afford to fly the rest over for every concert. Therefore, we got some friends from our University to join us instead, and suddenly we had a whole band in London. Similarly, we needed more members in Norway and suddenly we had enough members for 2-3 bands. We’ve actually done several concerts at once in various cities (or countries) with different line-ups! How did you meet the current band members of Swing’it Dixieband? We actually met in different situations. Some are friends from my hometown, Tønsberg, where I grew up, while some of the members I met during the time I studied in London. A couple is just friends of friends that I’ve met at parties or similar over the years. Were you known as the Swing’it Dixieband back then? Yes, we’ve been known as that back to maybe 2013 or 2014. However, we recently changed our name to Swing’it after the BLM movement, due to the fact that dixie has some racist connotations and we wanted to take a stand against racism.   What inspired Swing’it Dixieband to have a kind of vintage sound? It started when my mum used to take me to the local jazz club when I was a kid. Every week we would go to the jazz club listening to traditional jazz bands. That interest and motivation have just grown and blossomed over the years into a passion. Why choose to have a 20’s/30’s style? The energy in this kind of music is so fantastic. We’re also big fans of the 1920s and the idea of optimism and freedom. There are also very few people at our age doing this kind of music and we thought that people need some Dixieland in their lives. Lots of people have never heard it before, so we really hope we can bring the 20s vibe back to the streets!    Why do covers in particular? It’s very standard in the Dixieland and swing jazz scene to do cover songs, but mainly the standards from the 20s and 30s. We decided to do a twist and choose songs that people would have heard before but in a different format. That said, we do increasingly more original tunes at the moment and are currently recording our first original EP. How would you describe the songs within your EP? Our songs are based around historical people and real events in the 1910s and 20s in America, from the Prohibition Era and Great Gatsby’s glamour, but with our own twist. We released the EP in April 2020 and have now recorded a full album that’s due to be released in 2021. The album is a concept album where there’s an overarching story that takes the listener through New Orleans and the music from the early 20th Century. As your first EP, how are you feeling about it? We’re really excited about the EP and even more about the upcoming album! We’ve worked on this for several years now and presenting our first full album will be very exciting. Just imagine holding your own, freshly printed vinyl!  How do covers tend to compare to the originals? Some of the tunes are not so far away from the originals, like Bare Necessities and I wanna be like you, while others have a completely different style, for example, Can you Feel the Love Tonight. What’s the draw for Disney covers for Swing’it Dixieband , as a band? We were inspired by how Postmodern Jukebox was so successful covering pop songs in various genres, so we decided to try something similar – and there are just so many good Disney tunes to choose between. We already had a couple in our repertoire and thought to ourselves “who doesn’t love Disney”?  What is the typical process of creating a cover? We have this thing where we joke about every song with a swing feel. Suddenly sometimes it just sounds very right, while most of the time it is just good banter. If we think it sounds good as swing, we just jam until it sounds the way we want. What was the process of collaborating with other musicians? It was partly because we tried doing the Postmodern Jukebox thing and partly because we wanted to mix the videos and sounds up for the listeners. We don’t really do that anymore and lately, we stick to the same group of core members. Are there any specific ones that stick out as favourites? Ami Oprenova is a brilliant singer and arranger and has become a really good friend of ours. The clarinet player Gustavo was for a brief while a member of the band before he got too busy doing other projects, but he was amazing to play with. Last, but most important: Jonah Hitchens! From the very first time he sang with us he’s just been incredible on stage and is the funniest guy. Now he is one of the most important members of the band.   Why did you start on YouTube and Spotify? We were big fans of Scott Bradlee and the Postmodern Jukebox and thought it was a good idea to do a similar thing. For those who don’t know them, they’re making vintage and retro videos of pop tunes. We decided to do the same, just with Disney songs in the 20s or 30s style. With more than 400 000 views on YouTube and participation at the semi-finals of Norway’s Got Talent , it seems like it was a good idea.    How do you think YouTube functions as a platform for musicians? It has ups and downs. To get lots of views and followers you have to post content very regularly, which for some types of entertainment is very easy while recording, arranging and filming music videos are very costly. It is still a very good place to get seen, but not the most important for us.  What advice would you give to musicians just starting out on YouTube? To be honest, not really. It is just having an original idea and create good content, which is easier said than done. Are you available on other music streaming platforms?  Our Disney music is only on YouTube, while our original songs can be found on every streaming platform.  Is there a preference?  Personally, I use Spotify, which is very common in Norway but can’t say I’ve used many else so can’t really answer this one . How do you feel about the internet in the music business? I’m very mixed about this. I think it’s great that it’s easier for musicians to get their music out there and fantastic that you can discover artists from other parts of the world that you otherwise would never hear of. On the other hand, it’s very hard to make good money out of streaming, and it’s really just the big artists that get the money from streaming. At the same time people seem to get used to getting music for free and these days it’s almost expected not to pay ticket prices for smaller bands. This makes it increasingly hard to be able to live in music which we all do.  How has the internet affected your music career? I think less than the average band. We are more of a live band than anything else, and most people know us from our live performances. But through the internet people from other parts of the world have discovered us and booked us to France, Spain, Netherlands, UK and more, which is amazing.   What are some of your fondest memories throughout your music career? There are so many to choose between! Playing big stages at festivals are the best thing in the world. We’ve played some great gigs at for example Edinburgh Jazz Festival and Kongsberg Jazz festival. We played support for Dr. John once, and also for Aha! We’ve also started our own Prohibition parties called “1923 – Oslo Prohibition Party” where everyone comes in outfits from the 20s and there are dancers, music, cabaret and all that jazz. We’ve had two sold-out shows which both have been among the best nights of our career   What are some obstacles throughout your music career? There hasn’t really been many, to be honest. We’ve become steadily better and more popular getting more gigs along the way, just how it should be. Obviously, it’s hard work trying to live off your music and at times it has been tough, but that’s something you expect when going into this type of work. Another thing living as a musician touring around it can be hard keeping up with friends and family as you’re never there when things happen. Luckily, we’re all really close friends, so playing together is both works and like being with your best friends.  How can your fans best support you and Swing’it Dixieband? We’re a live band, and the most important thing is to go to live concerts. Obviously, that’s not ideal just at the moment, but when the pandemic is over: Go see your local bands and support them! The big artists often get all the attention, but there are so many great bands out there waiting to be discovered. Rather than doing like everybody else, wouldn’t it be fun discovering a great band before everyone else?  Where do you see yourselves in 10 years? Hopefully touring the big stages and festivals around the world. While the music we currently making has great potential, we think the electro-swing sets have the potential of reaching bigger masses and can be played at much bigger stages. Hopefully, that will catch on!  How could smaller bands make it when they’re competing? I think the most important thing is to try and do your own thing, instead of copying what everybody else does. Do your own thing and believe in it will differentiate you from the other thousand bands trying to accomplish the same thing.  What advice would you give to bands just starting out? Have fun! Life in the music business is not luxurious and you gotta love it to be happy. My teacher once told me that if there’s anything else in the world you’d like to do, then you should do that. If music is the only thing you want to do, only then is music the right option.

Thadudette is Literal Parody Artist. She is a YouTube parody artist who combines her love for music, Disney, anime, and video games to create humorous content that aims to spread joy and laughter. Known for her unique literal parodies that narrate actions on screen, she has developed a significant following and even earned a definition in Urban Dictionary. The name “Thadudette” originated from her first Maple Story character. With popular parodies of songs from Disney movies such as “Shiny Pokémon” and “Into the Unknown,” she encourages fans to share their favorite works on social media, emphasizing the value of laughter as a blessing. I’m Thadudette, a super nerdy parody artist on YouTube who loves music, writing, Disney, anime, video games, and making people laugh! As dorky as my creations are, I make them because I feel that I’ve been so blessed by God that I just have to share that blessing with someone in the form of laughter. It may not be everyone’s sense of humour, but if it makes even one person laugh, I’d say it’s all worth it! Her Patreon introduction Introducing Thadudette Thaddie parodies, otherwise known as Thadudette is a parody artist that creates music to make people laugh or “make people emit hahas out of their chew holes”. “Honestly, “Thadudette” is the name of my first Maple Story character because my brother’s character was “ThaDude.” I’m not very creative with names, so it’s kind of just stuck as my go-to username since then. :P “Thaddie” is just a cute, easy nickname that my friends came up with,” she explains. She’s known best for her literal parodies where the lyrics are literally narrating exactly what is happening on the screen. It’s a hilarious and unique take on covers. She’s gained quite a following throughout her musical career even getting an entry in Urban Dictionary. The top definition for Thadudette is “ tHe BeSt YoUtUbEr OuT tHeRe ”. Thadudette Parodies Here are some of her fantastically hilarious parodies! “Shiny Pokémon” A Parody Of “Shiny” From Disney’s Moana (2016) “Into the Unknown” Literal Parody Of “Into the Unknown” From Disney’s Frozen 2 (2019) “Go the Distance” Literal Parody Of “Into the Unknown” From Disney’s Hercules (1997) “When Can I See You Again?” A Slow Cover Originally By Owl City “Princess Kylo Ren” Feat Aaron Camacho Disney Song Medley from The Last Jedi Share your favorite Thadudette Parody with us on your favorite socials!!

Bringing you covers with an anime flair is the band I Am Justice. For those that are anime fans, yes, their band name is inspired by Death Note. “My original artist name is The Kira Justice and it’s still my artist name in Brazil. The Kira Justice is a direct reference to the Anime Death Note. However going by the same artist name in different languages was often confusing, so I decided to have separate artist names for different languages. I Am Justice was the alternative for our artists’ name back when we were still a band. It’s also a reference to the same anime, and it sounds just as good as the other name, if not better,” explains the band. This band’s style is a rather soft combination of pop and rock. Their unique style is shown beautifully through their original songs “We Will Be Heroes”, “Tale of The 7 Seas”, and “Executioner’s Song”. “While Rock is my favourite style by far, I’m constantly trying to learn from every song I hear, no matter what style,” they explain “It’s a blend of pop and rock, with heavy influences from 2000’s bands. I enjoy intensity”. They’ve created quite a fanbase through their music. Joining YouTube in June of 2011, their channel has gained over 9,624,909 views. Those views continue to their Spotify account where they have nearly 600 monthly listeners. “Covers are a great way to help people – especially those who don’t know you too well yet – get a glimpse of what you’re about,” he explains. Highlighted Covers by I Am Justice Here are some of their top covers highlighted by Switching Styles for your listening pleasure! Check them out on Spotify . “Unravel” From Tokyo Ghoul “The World” From Death Note “Snow Fairy” From Fairy Tail “Hello, Hello, Hello” From One Punch Man “Netsujou No Spectrum” From The Seven Deadly Sins Let us know what you think in the comments below!

Using music as a way to mix together sounds, bytes, and especially genres, Dabbledob has a way of bringing you into his world solely with his music. His most recent album is called “ Millennium Edition “. It was released in February of 2020 with fantastic styles and a nod towards the Star Wars universe. Check him out on SoundCloud , Apple Music, YouTube , and all of your favourite streaming services! Q&A With Dabbledob Below is an interview between Switching Styles and Justin Patterson, better known as Dabbledob! Can I get your full name for the article? Justin Patterson but my alias I produce under is Dabbledob. What is the inspiration behind Dabbledob? I was in a terrible garage band in the mid-2000s and I would write bass lines or guitar riffs occasionally that just wouldn’t fit what we were doing. There were some I still saw value in and moulded over time into songs for the solo project ‘Dabbledob’ What is your position in the music industry? I’m not sure how to answer that. I guess I don’t really have one. I have zero training and very little equipment. If I could position myself in this industry, it would be to help others get started. What does being a musician mean to you? It’s really hard to even call myself a musician lol. The phrase ‘fake it til you make it’ comes to mind in this instance. If one person heard my music and it inspired them to do something positive, that would be really cool though. How did you start in music? I guess it would be going to church as a boy and hearing my grandmother and mother sing in the choir or listening to my mom sing in the car. Also, I have vague memories of sitting on my grandfather’s lap and him teaching me a few simple songs on his vintage organ he had. That kinda sparked something inside me. I always had a curiosity for music after that but failed to pursue it in school because it wasn’t really ‘cool’ to be in the band in high school. I still kick myself for that decision. Some guys at the school formed a band and I went to one of their concerts. A ska/punk band called the Spit valves headlined and the singer told everyone there to turn off the radio and start making music. He looked mean so I did it. What impact has music had on you personally? Music helps everyone get through the hard times and it gives people something to associate the good times with. Playing music is a really unique bonding experience with your friends also. We practiced every Sunday in my bedroom of my Mom’s condo while she was out. Those poor neighbours. It gave us a reason to get together each week when we might not have otherwise. How would you describe your sound? I would like to say it’s like sitting on the beach of a distant, yet familiar planet. It has elements of heavy dub, old-school ska, and of course more classic reggae styling. I try to put a lot of work into the details. Where do you hope to be in 10 years? Musically, hopefully producing and collaborating with all sorts of different people. What are some of your current projects? I’m working on my second CD “Now Hear This”. I hope to release it in August 2021! What would you like your fans to know about your music? I want people to feel the way I felt when I first heard genres I was unfamiliar with and that I release it from a place of humility. What advice would you give to new and young musicians? Start making music. You have to start somewhere. I’ve gone back and listened to early recordings, and they are rough, but you have to get started. Also, ‘finished not perfect’ has been a mantra that has really helped me. If you’re a perfectionist, you’ll have to get over that at some point. How has Covid impacted the music industry? It’s really hard for me to say, but I know there are so many talented bands who could barely afford to travel previously. There are so many hidden costs involved, it’s hard to break even sometimes. So I have to imagine it’s really hurt the small guys’ way worse and that’s a real shame, they are the heart of the industry. Do you think that the music industry will bounce back after Covid? Without question. How do you think it’ll change? I think the ‘virtual concert’ is going to be huge. I have a friend who was playing every night on Facebook Live during the lockdowns and it was so cool. Once they are able to integrate VR into it on a bigger scale, that’s going to be awesome. Is there anything I didn’t ask about that you wanted to mention? Nope. Everyone stay safe, make good decisions, listen to some reggae music! Check out more of our interviews with musicians like Dabbledob on Switching Styles!!

Bringing you covers with an anime flair is the band I am Justice. For those that are anime fans, yes, their band name is inspired by Death Note. “Covers are a great way to help people – especially those who don’t know you too well yet – get a glimpse of what you’re about,” he explains. They’ve created quite a fanbase through their music. Joining YouTube in the June of 2011, their channel has gained over 9,624,909 views. Those views continue on to their Spotify account where they have nearly 600 monthly listeners. How did you get started in music? I’ve had a few important milestones until I could call myself a musician. When I was 4, I would go around the house with a tape recorder singing improvised songs. I would later write them down and pretend I had an album recorded. Around 5, I started doing TV and radio commercials. I would only talk at first, but there were better opportunities for child singers. My parents asked me if I wanted to try singing professionally and I loved the idea. When I was 7, my parents got me my first keyboard and I started taking piano lessons. There’s when I learned the basics, but I only got really passionate about it when I was about 15, and into rock bands such as Linkin Park and Finch. What does it mean to you to be a musician? Music has always been the way I connect to people and the world. It’s a way of feeling less alone no matter how strange you’re feeling and a way to share your lessons and try to make the world a better place. How would you describe yourself to someone that’s never been on the internet? I’m a very passionate musician. While Rock is my favorite style by far, I’m constantly trying to learn from every song I hear, no matter what style. I’m also very close to my fans, so no matter how I change as a musician or they change as listeners, we’re always in sync. Why did you decide to be known as I Am Justice? My original artist name is  The Kira Justice  and it’s still my artist name in Brazil. The Kira Justice  is a direct reference to the Anime  Death Note . However, going by the same artist name in different languages was often confusing, so I decided to have separate artist names for different languages. I Am Justice  was the alternative for our artists’ name back when we were still a band. It’s also a reference to the same anime, and it sounds just as good as the other name, if not better. Why did you use Death Note as inspiration for your band? Back when we were a 4 people band, it was everyone’s favorite anime. It was very popular as well, so it was a perfect fit back then. How would you describe your sound? It’s a blend of pop and rock, with heavy influences from 2000’s bands. I enjoy intensity. Who are your musical influences? I’ve been an artist for almost 20 years now so it’s very hard to point just a few. But like I’ve said before, you can still feel a strong 2000’s rock vibe when listening to I Am Justice. Some bands I was really into back then were  My Chemical Romance, Yellowcard and Linkin Park . Why do you do covers in particular? I always did covers in addition to original songs. Covers are a great way to help people – especially those who don’t know you too well yet – get a glimpse of what you’re about. How do you choose what songs to cover? My current method of picking covers is opening a live stream on The Kira Justice’s  channel and taking suggestions from fans and then polling the most interesting ones. Are there any specific ones that stick out as favorites? “Unravel” from  Tokyo Ghoul  is a song that will be requested in my live concerts for a long time, I’m sure of that. Why did you start on YouTube? How do you think YouTube functions as a platform for musicians?   YouTube was – and still is – a very versatile and popular platform. No matter what kind of content you create, if it can be translated to video form somehow, you should have a YouTube channel. It doesn’t mean it has to be your only platform though – I actually think it’s a good thing to create content for different platforms. What are some other platforms that you use? How do they compare to YouTube? We’ve been using Spotify a lot lately. While it lacks a lot of the versatility that YouTube has, it works in a way much more suited for musicians and has a few interesting tools for promoting our music. How do you feel about the internet in the music business?  How has the internet affected your music career?    The internet has always been the defining tool for my career. Where to find my music, to where people get to know us, where we take feedback from our fans to decide our next steps, and where we’ve been singing live in 2020 since we can’t have concerts in real life this year. What are some of your fondest memories throughout your music career?  Playing live. Writing songs or recording cover is a fun process, but being able to look people in the eyes as they sing your songs with passion or tell you how much your music helps them go through stuff makes it not only fun but  meaningful. What advice would you give to musicians just starting out on YouTube? Focus on the best you have to offer. Learn from others but remember to be true to yourself. The smallest thing could be what sets you apart from others. And it’s not up for you to decide what is it – people may get charmed by things you didn’t even knew were your strengths, but as long as you’re being true to yourself, you’ll always be able to keep doing and improving it.  What has your experience been during Covid-19?  How has it changed since March? We have been streaming a lot more and started working even harder on our connection to the fans via the internet. Since we already used the internet a lot and already had our digital shows from before, it wasn’t as hard as it could have been. How have you seen the music industry change or adapt? Many artists gave a go at streaming as well, with different results. Some did amazing things; some still haven’t caught up. I particularly loved big artists trying their own things, such as recording videos on their own houses.