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Deena Goodman


Deena Goodman
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Interview With Deena Goodman By Chris 7/12/06

Deena Goodman is a fantastic singer songwriter who I discovered.
I was very impressed with her voice and her tunes
Read on as she has something to say.

Denna Website
Deena MySpace Page

1. How did you get into music?

I fell in love with music at a young age, not rock music per se, rather singers randing from Ella Fitzgerald, Judy Garland, Billie Holiday and even Barbra Streisand. My only musical outlet in high school was do perform in musicals. I moved on to study at the Tisch School of the Arts and through my life at Tisch I became increasingly more interested in the art of writing music along with performing it. Artists that influenced that aspect of my craft include Carol King, John Prine, Joan Osbourne, Janis Joplin, The Rolling Stones, Shawn Colvin, Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young among others. Upon my graduation from college I was diagnosed with nodules on my vocal folds and with that was forced to remain silent for about 2 months when most of my writing came to form. Since getting my voice back I have continued on the musical path I am on today.

2. Who were your idols growing up?

Barbra Streisand, Judy Garland for their vocal talents, Carol King for her skilled writing, Nina Simone- for both. The Rolling Stones and Janis Joplin for truly rocking out. My parents for thei dedication.

3. Who were your influences?

Carol King, Patty Griffin, Jackson Brown, all artists previously mentioned...the city I live in and the people I love.

4. Are you happy with the responses from the Hard To Get To EP?

All the response I have received has been excellent, I would have liked to have had the EP reach more ears, but I believe as an independent artist, that is often the case....

5. What have responses been like to your music on the web?

The web response has been excellent, most reviews have been great and my itunes sales have been good. I am not sure I have reached out to all of the web outlets that I could have, but I reach out to more and more each and every day. I am also working on a new EP that will allow me to offer more material to those that I have already had a good response from.

6. Has the Internet helped with your music?

Yes- particularly MySpace.

7. Do you think tools like MySpace are useful?

Absolutely- a wonderful way to reach out to a network of people seeking out new music. I have received EXCELLENT response via MySpace- it is my largest marketing tool next to my own personal e mail list and cd baby.

8. What is the scene like for the type of music you play?

There is a great scene of singer songwriters here in Manhattan. I run a songwriter's night called the New York Songwriter's Circle, a songwriters showcase that has been in existence for over 15 years, started by singer, songwriter Tina Shafer. It is an excellent network for local songwriters to share new material and network with one another. Other then that, there are clubs all over the sity where many of my artist friends paly- very often we will book nights playing together at these various clubs

9. Has street press and music media/websites helped with getting your name out their?

I have not really utilized that sort of promo. I use Myspace as my main website at this point as well, as I feel its better for touring promo then street teaming and an easier way to find me then to find my own website.

10. What inspires you when writing music?

My experiences at the time. The city around me. The rythm of the subway when I ride has, no joke inspired me with melodies for songs I am working on. Other artists always add to my inspiration. Words alone inspire me. I love to connect one word to another to create an image or a phrase that people will remember. love. or lack there of.

11. Have you had much response from radio?

I have had response from various pod casts and Internet radio stations.

12. What has been your favorite gig to date?

I have two, both at my favorite venue in town. I opened for two artists I have huge amounts of respect for- Toby Lightman and Missy Higgins. Both shows were a blast.

13. Who would you most like to record a song with?

Van Morrison.

14. Have you had much response from labels regarding your music?

I have had positive feedback from many label friends, but have not officially introduced myself to them just yet ;)

15. What are your thoughts on talent shows like Idol?

I think that, though it seems to be a somewhat cheesy show, that they actually work with kids who otherwise would not know how to pursue a dream of theirs, and many of the contestants have had some real chops on them. It is not the ideal contest for a writer like myself, but for a singer who does not mind singing music that is not their own it is a great way to be discovered if you can handle a host like Simon).

16. What are some of your favorite musical artists/bands?

I am a huge Macy Gray fan, Joss Stone, Shawn Colvin, Brandi Carlile, Patty Griffin, Regina Spektor, Carole King, Radiohead, Black Crowes, Counting Crows, Chantal Kreviazuk, Bonnie Raitt, Julie Miller. Older artists include, as I've mentioned: Jackson Brown, Van Morrison, Janis Joplin, Bill Withers.

17. Do you think Idol is the downfall of the major label?

I think that overproduced pop music, due to the intense techniological boom that we began to have a few years ago led to the downfall of the original and ultra talented artists- making it easy to create and work with people with no real talent. I think that free downloading and file sharing has led to the downfall of the labels. I don't think that Idol has led to much wrong in the business, it is simply another way of creating a path for an artist who might not otherwise have found it. I don't necessarily respect the artists that have come out of it for their ultimate drive and talent, but I don't think they have destroyed the idea of a major label.

18 Who have you has helped you out the most?

I have had help from many people in my life, musically producer Mike Shimshack probably took me the furthest in my creative journey. Mostly, however, I would say it is my parents, with their loving support who have kept me on this path.

19. Who would you like to do a split EP with?

A contemporary artist I would love to share an EP with would have to be Brandi Carlile.

20. What next for Deena Goodman?

I will hopefully be playing some shows out of town (I play primarily here in NYC). I am currently working on getting a team of people together to help me step this project up to labels and so on. Immediately and forever I will always write, listen and learn in order to create more and more songs that reach people.

Thanks for your time any last words

Thank you so much for your interest in my music and my happenings. I love what I do and hope to continue to share it with people!