SecondLife Singer/Songwriter Showcase

 

The MOONDOGGIRL FILES


Accomplished singer-songwriter Jan Edwards with ties in Nashville...got a bent for the blues, a bit of rock, dab of jazz, tad of country, some roots and swamp thrown in for good measure. Her powerful voice, strong guitar, attitude and emotion seep through her originals like red velvet chocolate cake in a delicious mix of her own tunes and covers.



Q&A


1. Why are you a singer/songwriter?

It is a gift and feel a responsibility to transcribe the words and music that comes through me. Also I just love it!


2.  What is your musical background? Do you have a musical family or did you just fall into songwriting all on your own?

My grandparents on both sides were musical, both my parents were musical. I was exposed to music at a very young age.


3. What sorts of things have you done to improve your songwriting?

I have taken many workshops, attended conferences and written with other writers in Nashville and Minneapolis. About 5 years ago or so I had my own writers group I established called THE ROUND TABLE. It gave writers a way to exchange ideas, thoughts and experiences, and I brought in a guest writer from Nashville to co-write with each person. I bought a house in Nashville and commuted back and forth from Minneapolis. In Nashville I did a lot of writing, recording and performing. I am just in the process of recording a CD in Nashville on Music Row, to be released in April.


4. Have you written any songs in the last 12 months? What are you working on now and where do you feel your music is headed?

I write constantly, usually have several in the works, either solo or with a co-writer. My music is headed wherever it takes. me! I am a slave to my craft!


5. And finally, what advice would you give anyone looking to follow a similar path to yours?

Don't have expectations of overnight sensation, that never happens - one is not just "discovered" - only after hard work and diligence do you see the fruits of your labor. It seems to me the more you put INTO it, the more you might REEP. But I do think talent plays into it. You need to get serious and go to Nashville and network, become a part of the fabric of Nashville (or another music mecca/community like Austin, LA or NY) and just do it for the passion of it. Don't take it personally if you don't get to where you want to go. There are thousands of writers just like you out there. The cream always rises to the top. Sometimes it's not what you know but WHO you know. And sometimes, it's 90% luck, 10% talent. So who really knows. If you have success then that is just the cherry on the top. One final word: CO-WRITE!!

MOONDOGGIRL LINKS








The MOONDOGGIRL MP3 Sample