“Fans don’t realize how humbled I feel when they spend even a penny on me. I love them wholeheartedly whether they do or don’t but it is very touching.” – @sarantosmelogia
GETTING TO KNOW SARANTOS MELOGIA
by Jacqueline Jax host of A.V.A Live Radio
a little over a year ago when I finally decided to start releasing my music into the world. What finally got my butt into gear was my dad passing away a couple years ago. I decided I have been putting it off long enough and finally got my dream into motion. Of course, it’s something I’ve wanted to do for as long as I can remember, ever since I was a little kid. I always regretted not giving it a shot and now I am at peace with myself because I am doing what I love and loving what I do.
I am probably most afraid of making it…
Don’t get me wrong. I want it. Probably more than I have wanted anything else. The reason I say this is because when you’re small time, you can almost fly under the radar. I can write book chapters, I can post whatever I want on social media and nobody is going to be really offended by it. I fantasize about being with fans out to dinner, hanging with them, being myself around them. I don’t ever want to feel like this is a job! I can only imagine what the bigger stars have to deal with. That must be especially tough to always be cognizant of what you say and be careful not to offend someone. Can you imagine always having to look good and wear something nice?? I can’t. Love me or hate me, I still never wear makeup and am myself. I’m sarcastic but playful. Someone somewhere will most likely be offended at something that the big stars say or do, even if it was not meant in that manner. It must be especially tough if things are taken out of context. So I will keep doing what I do, going out to movies and parks and not worrying about a mob or the paparazzi…
My personal definition of success …
with my music is very simple. I just want people to actually listen to my music and share it. If someone finds my music worthy of listening to and then sharing, then I’ve accomplished what I set out to do each and every day. When I get an email or see a post that I made their day or a song really hit home for them, I feel honored. That’s why I give away everything for free and don’t monetize youtube (so they don’t have to be annoyed by ads).
If they love me or my music enough to actually purchase something, then all I do is shake my head in amazement and wonder. Fans don’t realize how humbled I feel when they spend even a penny on me. I love them wholeheartedly whether they do or don’t but it is very touching. Since I am donating 33% of all profits to charity, this actually enables me to give back something. It is so amazing to be able to do this though and the fact that I am not doing it for the money, really gets rid of any and all pressure. I have no financial goals. I just do what I do. Create, release, repeat.
“What if I never see you again”….
The backstory is pretty simple. My father passed away a few years ago after a long hard fought battle with lung cancer. About two years after his death, I was still somewhat struggling with accepting the finality of it. I missed home sorely. One cold, rainy night I just really couldn’t sleep. One question kept gnawing at me. I kept wondering, what if I never see him again? That was the inspiration to the song. https://itunes.apple.com/us/artist/sarantos/id784136489?ign-mpt=uo%3D4
I live in Chicago….
The music scene is pretty cool even though most people don’t talk about Chicago music much. I love going to concerts of all sorts – big events like the 96 or iheart radio summer bashes or smaller events and more intimate settings also. The one fun thing I love to do would be go anywhere for dessert than involves cookies, brownies or ice cream. Yes I have my weaknesses just like anyone else.
There are many advantages to social media…
I love interacting with the fans directly and since I do not have an ad agency, everything is coming directly from the horses mouth – me! One of the challenges that I’ve had to overcome that is a lot of fake followers or people that are not real. Some of them even start following you even though you are spending real money advertising directly on facebook or twitter. Since I spend my own time interacting and responding to each person, it is sometimes very disappointing to find out that your follower is not even a real human being. The other challenge I face has been especially difficult since I’m not with a big label and don’t have a marketing budget. There’s a tremendous amount of resources they throw into marketing with a financial commitment driving followers and social media that I simply cannot match. I have to be smart and economical about where I put my small marketing budget.
I would love to have 5 minutes alone with….
Musically, I am very influenced by the 80s. Of the artists still alive, I would love to have five minutes alone with Bruce Springsteen. I think what he did was tremendous for music in general and the fact that he is still going strong. I can really respect what he has accomplished. Of the artists that are not alive any longer, I would definitely have to say Michael Jackson or Elvis.
I do think that people sometimes put too much of an emphasis on being trendy and current….
I think the key is trying to find out what the next trend is and being ahead of it. Ultimately though, be yourself. I have tried not to let trends influence my decisions too much as I want to be real for my fans. We are all unique in our own way. I want to share the reality with them of who I am as a person but also who I am musically. They are noticing the lyrics, music and singing ability all continue to improve as they have followed me. I am not afraid to take risks. One of the advantages of not being with a label, is that I can do what I want. I try to get input from everybody especially the fans, but at the end of the day the decision is mine. I alone am responsible for the image I am building and that is kinda cool!
Social:
Website: http://www.melogia.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Sarantosmelogia
Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/sarantosmelogia
Google+: https://plus.google.com/u/1/+SarantosMelogia
Youtube: http://www.youtube.com/user/SarantosMelogia
Instagram: http://www.instagram.com/sarantosmelogia
Soundcloud: http://soundcloud.com/sarantos-melogia
Apple App: https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/sarantos/id887879221?mt=8
Tumblr: https://www.tumblr.com/blog/sarantosmelogia
Vimeo: https://vimeo.com/sarantosmelogia/videos
Reverbnation: http://www.reverbnation.com/sarantosmelogia
Sarantos Jango : http://www.jango.com/music/Sarantos?l=0
iTunes: http://bit.ly/SarantosAppleStore
Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=ntt_srch_drd_B00HDITFBW?ie=UTF8&field-keywords=Sarantos&index=digital-music&search-type=ss CDBaby: http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/sarantos
Google Play: https://play.google.com/store/music/artist/Sarantos?id=Axqsqckstzcugmg6tmymkiu7iuy
Spotify: https://play.spotify.com/artist/0fSzbfDxSHL10T1ryPsRLQ
Last.FM: http://www.last.fm/music/Sarantos
Good Reads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/24921651-not-where-i-wanna-be