Who and what to trust..The business of unveiling scams!

Scams! What can I say? They are out there and everywhere. There are tons of vultures trying to prey on poor, innocent independent artists. They know these artists will do anything to make their dreams come true. It's disgusting really. I have been a victim to a scam or two, and even though I am extremely wary now, I want to believe that every opportunity that is presented to me is real. I can't help it...I'm an optimist. It is good to be positive and optimistic, however it is also important to be realistic. Most people in the music industry are looking out for one person, and that is themselves. How do you determine whether an opportunity is a scam or not? Research is the key to discovery. Research everything you can about the person, company or event. You will usually find other people commenting on their experiences or better yet, if you can't find anything at all, stay away. Another good hint of scoping out a scam, is if the person or company is asking you to pay up front. When someone asks you for money while promising you something in return, that is usually a bad sign. This morning I woke to an email from an individual in the music industry. This person is claiming to be putting on a tour this fall for 15 undiscovered talent acts. This tour is set to take place in 10 different cities, all expenses paid, and even a projected earning per show. Sounds too good to be true doesn't it? Well, it just might be. To submit you have to pay $7.77 and that's it. Hmmmmmm....Is this legit? Is there really going to be a tour? Yes, $7.77 is cheap but I hate to be taken advantage of. If I submit, and it does turn out to be a scam, I won't lose much, though I would hate for the guys behind the scam to gain from it. However, if the tour turns out to be the real deal, it could be a fantastic opportunity. Is it a risk you take? Only you can answer that. Make sure you go with your gut. If something doesn't feel right, then it probably isn't!

Where is my assistant when I need one?

The beautiful thing about being an independent music artist is that I get to make all the calls. I am able to be the artist I want to be, because I have full control over my projects. The downside of being independent, is that I don't get all the perks that come along with signing to a big label. I don't get the signing bonus, the connections, the A list manager, the publicist or the assistant. To have an assistant would be a dream. Especially now that I am 36 weeks pregnant, and as slow as molasses. I woke up this morning thinking I was going to be late for this meeting at 11am, and I still layed in bed for an extra 10 minutes. If I had an assistant, I could have sent him or her, and slept another hour. He/she could have written this blog for me ha-ha. Just Kidding! I would have had time to finish my new record instead of walking Tonto, and making dinner while replying to emails. I still haven't showered today. Gross I know! NHD, don't judge! It's hard being the artist, the manager, the publicist (though I did have one at one time), the assistant, the this, the that. It's hard! I would love to just focus on my music, but nope, that doesn't come with the territory of being independent. I am as good at writing contracts as I am at writing songs lol. However, I love this life, and at the end of the day, the pay off will be much greater. When I look back, and see what I have accomplished in such a short time, I'm astounded. Saying this, I will still get my assistant, but for now it's just me and NHD...my trusty supporter, producer, friend and soon to be husband. Thank you to all my talented friends who have lent their skills to enable my dreams to move forward. Without you I would be stuck! Many indie artists make it big. I know I will, and when I do...HELLO ASSISTANT...boy do I need you! Dream big DO BIGGER!

New Dance Remix for "JACK" OUT Now On Itunes https://itunes.apple.com/ca/album/jack-ayce-beat-junkie-remix/id661968062

I Am A Pop Recording Artist and Pregant!

In the music industry "they" say never reveal your age. Never tell people you are in a relationship and especially never tell people you are pregnant. Babies and success don't mix. Well, too late! This singer is serious about her music career, will make it big, and is about to pop. I have questioned whether I should keep my pregnancy on the down low or reveal it to the world. Well, the world knows, and I am proud that I made the decision to not feed into the industry's expectations. One of my goals in life was to become a mommy and now I get to be just that. Why should I hide something so precious and dear to my heart? As an artist I believe it is important to share all sides of your life; that's what makes you so relatable to your fans and the people who love you. When Raekwon, formally of the Wu Tang Clan, showed interest in helping me with my career, the first questions he asked me were, "How old are you?", Are you in a relationship?" and, "Do you have any kids?" Don't get me wrong, I understand their fear, but honestly, if you make great music and you are dedicated to your craft and business, you will go far. People will want to listen to you and read about you, because they can relate to you. One of my guilty pleasures is watching the reality television show, Love and Hip Hop Atlanta. Don't judge! I spent 3 months in Atlanta and fell in love with the place. This show reminds of me of the short time I spent in that incredible opportunist of a city. The show is about the lives of these music artists whom I tend to relate to on a lot of different levels. In the show Rashida, who is an American female rapper, falls pregnant. She is a woman who wants to do it all and will not let her pregnancy stop her. In the show she decides to shoot a music video while pregnant, against the wishes of her manager/husband Kirk and another manager by the name of Deb Antney of Mizay Entertainment. Deb tells Rashida that she should have waited till she got her body back to shoot this video. She said that her trying to be sexy and pregnant wasn't appealing. "First of all Deb, being pregnant made Rashida more curvy which is sexy. I believe that women would find Rashida inspirational, and will watch the video just to see her win. When I was 3 months pregnant I shot my second music video for my single "The Unknown." I was not about to let pregnancy stop my momentum. I am a beautiful and bountiful woman. Why should I be afraid of sharing this? If anything my child will be motivation for me to want to work even harder. A man in the industry can have 5 children from 5 different baby mamas, but God forbid a female music artist having 1 child. If you are a music artist, pick and choose what you want to reveal about yourself, but don't be ruled by "industry expectations." Live you life, work hard and be yourself. Be proud! You decide what is right and wrong for you. I am about to give birth to my first child and I still intend to travel the world while performing. Passion and dreams never stop. I am a recording artist, pregnant and DAMN PROUD OF IT!

Recording Studio Rip Off...Solved!

Ok, so as you all know I am in Saskatoon visiting family and awaiting the birth of my first child. Even though I am preggers, work don't stop! I wrote a new song called "Falling", and couldn't wait to lay down the tracks. When I looked around for a recording studio in Saskatoon, I realized that this girl definitely wasn't in Toronto anymore. First of all there is ONE major studio in Saskatoon, and they charge double what the studios in Toronto charge. I know there are less recording artists out here and virtually no competition so they can keep their prices high. I called this ONE studio, and after the owner gave me his rates I thought, "WHAT! You can't be serious?" Well he was, however, as I have learned as long as you have a great space, a wicked mic and a wicked engineer, you can still make magic happen. This is when it comes in handy to know people...yes even in Saskatoon! I emailed a guy whose email I got from a girl who got this guy's number from another guy;) Let's just say it was a process. However, it all worked out! When I saw the space, heard the music and got the quote I was like, "Yes, Yes, Yes" give it to me now please. I will take it as soon as possible. This past Tuesday was my session. I went in to record and BAM, a hit was born and I didn't have to sell my first born child to do it. I am already onto the next song as I have been holding on to so much the last few months. I think this "other" studio is going to be seeing a lot of me this summer and I can't wait! Though I do dream of a label deal so that I can fly to LA whenever I need to record. Having some palm trees around couldn't hurt. Got to love being Independent! It's a challenge, but it will all pay off, as long as I keep myself from getting ripped off!