I write and perform my own music;
I am still involved in the cover scene by working as a wedding and event vocalist in a wedding band, and I am one half of an acoustic duo called Acoustic Soul. It is by no means enough to make it a living, but it’s definitely enough to keep me busy and keep my name out there locally @mal32
Live Interview
Episode #372 : A.V.A Live Radio Behind The Music with Jacqueline Jax :http://www.blogtalkradio.com/avaliveradio/2016/10/11/episode-372-ava-live-radio-behind-the-music-with-jacqueline-jax
GETTING TO KNOW MAL MAGOREL
by Jacqueline Jax host of A.V.A Live Radio
Mal Magorel
I write and perform my own music;
I am still involved in the cover scene by working as a wedding and event vocalist in a wedding band, and I am one half of an acoustic duo called Acoustic Soul. It is by no means enough to make it a living, but it’s definitely enough to keep me busy and keep my name out there locally.
It has definitely changed but I think it’s changed for the better.
With the explosion of the Internet and social media, it allows independent artists like myself to make music that more than just our family and friends are going to hear. It allows us to do a lot of it on our own. Blogs and Internet radio allow independent artists to gain exposure and introduce their music to people who would never hear it otherwise. Gone are the days of submitting demos to record companies and crossing our fingers – we can make albums and create a brand on our own.
Rejection is the biggest con.
It’s hard to put yourself out there to the masses knowing that everyone has an opinion and will have no trouble voicing that opinion. Although it is a con, it does help make you stronger, develop a thicker skin and help make you realize that you won’t please everybody and you should be focused on being happy with yourself.
I’ve had some pretty awesome experiences
as well – singing the anthems for our local sports teams, being a part of many a happy couples’ special days, being on the radio, being a regional semifinalist in a country-wide songwriting competition, releasing my album (finally), seeing people stream the songs and buy the album from all over the world, putting on my own shows – it has all been very cool and definitely a big pro in my books!
I use my struggles as motivation to keep going.
If a band I was in broke up or an audition didn’t work out, I used to mourn for days – believing I just wasn’t good enough, a lot of “whoa is me”. Now I use those bumps in the road as learning opportunities. They help me to discover more about myself and how I can grow as an artist, a songwriter, a vocalist and an entertainer and I keep going because if something doesn’t work out it only means it’s because there is something better on the horizon.
Mariah Carey.
She’s been my idol since I was a kid and probably the reason why I started singing in the first place. Her music helped me through some very tough times as a kid. I was bullied (like many) and didn’t have lots of friends. Music helped me through that. Her track, When I Saw You off of her Daydream album was the first song I ever sang in public. She’s had an incredible career and is an amazing lyricist, which is really what I consider myself over the term “songwriter”. I would love to talk to her about vocal health, writing tips and just advice as to how to navigate this business. She’s amazing.
When I was young I was very shy.
Somehow I would always audition for the musicals, plays or shows that were going on in my elementary school and would always end up getting a part. This continued throughout junior high and high school and I would also always be involved in the school choirs. I made sure to hide in the back rows until 8th grade when I decided to enter my school’s talent show. I sang a Mariah Carey song and after the 100th kid at my school asked me if I was lip-syncing, I had a feeling I was onto something. I continued to sing at assemblies and choir and other school events but it was my great aunt who had a long history as a member of the Sweet Adeline’s Toronto chapter who told me I had a great voice, I just needed to learn to open my mouth and not be so shy. I haven’t looked back since.
Malfunktion
The music video is going to be shot in the next few weeks.
I hope to have it out by mid-late October to celebrate the one-year album release party of the record.
When I started singing professionally,
the first cover band I was in was called Malfunktion, a play on my name, Mal. At the time I was just starting out in the scene and was fairly “green” as the industry folks would say. My agent at the time told me it was a great name, but would have so much more impact if “people knew who I was”. After a while the guitar player of my band decided to leave to pursue other opportunities and I had the option of replacing him and continuing on as Malfunktion or joining up with another band that was looking for a female vocalist at the time. I decided to join up with that other band and kept Malfunktion in my back pocket for future projects. Although I’ve always written songs and poems, when I became more serious about songwriting and started writing my album 4 years ago, I knew it was going to be entitled Malfunktion. I also knew I would write a track for the record with the same name. It was going to be my way of making sure that people knew my name.
The song itself is supposed to be a fun dance track
with the goal of making people want to move – It is essentially about me and the long journey I experienced until I was able to step into the spotlight and shine.
The album was released last year
and although I worked on it for 3 years before its release, it really is a culmination of the last 15 years of my life; my journey from shy, little girl to confident and fierce entertainer. A lot of these songs are literally ripped from my diary. It is a story of love, heartbreak and perseverance and it chronicles a lot of my experience in becoming the person and artist that I am today.
What I like most about it is it isn’t your typical pop record.
I am influenced by a number of genres from soul, funk, and R+B to pop and jazz and all of those genres are represented here. The result is something that isn’t really considered “mainstream” however it does appeal to variety of audiences, which is ultimately what I wanted.
I live in Winnipeg, MB Canada that for reference
is 8 hours north of Minneapolis. It is the home of Neil Young and The Guess Who so it has been making a serious mark musically for the last 40+ years. The city’s music scene right now is diverse to say the least; probably some of the best talent has been coming out of Manitoba for the last 10 years. It’s also very supportive. We have a great non-profit association (Manitoba Music) that brings us together and helps us grow and develop as artists, as well as make connections between each other, both personally and professionally. Although the number of places to go out and enjoy live music or play live music has declined in recent years (likely with the growing popularity of mainstream DJs), there are still lots of opportunities if you are an eclectic artist like myself.
Social Media Links:
Official Website: http://www.malmagorel.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/malmagorelmusic
Twitter: https://twitter.com/mal32
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/malmagorel/?hl=en
Soundcloud: https://soundcloud.com/mal-magorel
CBC Music: http://artists.cbcmusic.ca/artist/57903
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/user/TheLadyMal