Today we’d like to introduce you to Gules.
Thanks for sharing your story with us Gules. So, let’s start at the beginning and we can move on from there.
I wasn’t always a songwriter. As a kid, I was always in school bands and little music groups with my friends as a drummer, vocalist, guitarist or saxophonist. It wasn’t until my freshman year of high school where I wrote my first song. My biology final was coming up and my best friend and I were studying together. She came up with the idea to write a song to help us fully absorb the material. We spent the rest of the night songwriting, actually, we spent the rest of our high school lives songwriting. The next three years, we spent all of our time writing songs. I was writing songs every day, sometimes two or three a day. I fell in love with the art of songwriting. I knew I wanted to be a songwriter, so when it came time for college and after high school life, I auditioned for one of the best songwriting conservatories in the country; SUNY Purchase Conservatory of Music. I was accepted into the Studio Composition department; known for their successful alum like Regina Spektor and Mitski. Since my acceptance, I’ve been writing, recording, producing, arranging, and performing music. I’ve performed at notorious venues like the Bitter End and the St. George Theatre. I was awarded as a finalist in the 2018 NYC Coffee Festival songwriting competition and I’m currently working on my first full-length album scheduled to be released in fall of 2019. I’m now a full-time artist under the singer/songwriter genre umbrella. I didn’t ace that biology final but I did find my passion.
Has it been a smooth road?
As a woman in the music industry, it’s hard to be taken seriously, men dominate the field which makes it hard for a woman to enter the industry as serious, talented musicians, especially in the producing and recording fields. As a woman songwriter, I’m often discredited at first glance because people assume that I’m just a girl with an acoustic guitar and a cajon singing break-up songs. I have to go the extra step to prove that I’m a serious songwriter with credentials just as established as the man songwriter next to me. This includes exuding confidence and power to stand out in the male dominant industry.
As women musicians, we have to be persistent and confident. It’s important to have faith in ourselves and to be our own motivators. Success is not going to be handed to us so we must stay active musicians and be involved in as many musical activities as possible.
Please tell us more about what you do, what you are currently focused on and most proud of.
I specialize in songwriting, arranging, producing and singing. For every show I play, I’m backed by my five-piece band (sometimes seven pieces) which includes drums, lead guitar, rhythm guitar, keys, bass, trombone, trumpet, and back-up vocals. I’m known for writing and performing singer/songwriter music with a groovy flare. I like to incorporate my music with pictures and videos that are visually satisfying using Instagram and Facebook.
Are there any apps, books, podcasts or other resources that you’ve benefited from using?
Every move I make in my musical career is backed by one of the truest and informative books about the music industry I’ve ever read. The book is titled: ‘How To Make it in the New Music Business’ by Ari Herstand. Herstand gives amazing first-hand advice in the industry everything from promotion, touring, booking and performing. I highly suggest anyone and everyone looking for a career in music read this book.
Also, for motivation and fun, I like to listen to the Vox podcast, ‘I Think You’re Interesting.’ It’s hosted by musicologists, producers, and composers that have great discussions on all things music, like the latest movie soundtracks to the newest pop albums.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://gulesmusic.com/home
- Email: gulesmusic@gmail.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/gulesmusic/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/GULESmusic/
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/GULESmusic
- Other: https://soundcloud.com/gulesmusic
Image Credit:
Sergei Golubnichiy
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