Issue 35 // MEGAN NICOLE

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. s t n e t n o C 11 Quotes for the Season 06 Editors Note

18 Festival Vibes All Summer 56 Renee Olstead 73 Megan Nicole 68 Monthly Creative Tips 13 Summer Playlist 34 Krysten Simone 50 Andrew Butcher 30 Destiny Cashma 62 Alexa Ferr 46 Carly Gibson 42 Kyan Zielinski 14 In Focus: Sylvia Path

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notes Welcome to our summer issue! I' m the Editor in Chief of Gold Crwn Magazine, you can call me Ella. I' m so excited to releases this new issue and my new project GurlX. I was lucky enough to get one of my favorite people, Megan Nicole to chat with me again for the summer issue. She spills on her wedding, mini album and whats next. I also have interviews from Carly Gibson, Krysten Simone, Destiny Cashma and more. I also launched a teen girls social site to give girls 13 - 21 a place to socialize online and earn cool rewards for being positive. I hope you enjoy this seasons publication as much as my team and I loved putting it together.

E llaA udrey R ae

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Edit or in Ch ief / / Darnisha Ali (OnlineMoniker-EllaAudreyRae) Wr it er in t h is issu e / / Natalia Vรกzquez PR Team / / Omina Unlimited LLC Pu blish in g / / Self Published Gr aph ic Design Con t en t / / In house & Various Artist Dist r ibu t ion / / Issuu.com Ph ot o g r a p h y Cr ed it s Alexa Ferr Photos // Blair Caldw ell Tobi Photos // Cou r t esy of Tobi Destiny Cashma Photo // Self Megan Nicole Photo // Gr eg DeSt ef an o Krysten Simone Photos // Jason Code @sk in n ydr ipp Renee Olstead Photos // Dylan Lujano Kyan Zielinski Photos // Pat r ick Ch ai Social M edia Of f icial Websit e / / www.goldcrownmag.com Tw it t er / / twitter.com/goldcrwnmag Facebook / / facebook.com/goldcrwnmag In st agr am / / instagram.com/goldcrwnmag Issu u / / issuu.com/goldcrownmag Em ail / / hello@goldcrownmag.com

Sub scr ib e & Sup p o r t In order to subscribe please visit issuu.com/goldcrownmag and follow us on our profile. If you have questions, you may email us at hello@goldcrownmag.com.

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JOINTHE TEAM We need inspiring creatives to add content to our publications and we wouldn't mind having you! All you need to apply is a sample of your article, artwork, or photography, two social media accounts and a positive vibe. You can visit goldcrow nmag.com/ jobs or email the team at hello@goldcrow nmag.com with why you would be perfect for the team. If hired, you would get a monthly spread of four pages to express your topic, promotion on all of our social media and accesses to our in house web designer for your own personal creative needs and dreams free. Come on queen, join the kingdom. Oh and boys are welcome to!

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My favor it e quot es t o br ight en your mont h. " Don?t Let Yesterday Take Up Too Much Of Today.? ? Will Rogers " You Learn More From Failure Than From Success. Don?t Let It Stop You. Failure Builds Character.? ? Unknown " If You Are Working On Something That You Really Care About, You Don?t Have To Be Pushed. The Vision Pulls You.? ? Steve Jobs " People Who Are Crazy Enough To Think They Can Change The World, Are The Ones Who Do.? ? Rob Siltanen ?We May Encounter Many Defeat s But We Must Not Be Defeated.? ? Maya Angelou

Let 's Be Int er n et Best ies / / 11

@ellaaudreyrae x ellaaudreyrae.com

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Pla y list Gold Crwn Magazine R&B/ Pop/ HipHop , June

? Downloaded ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ?

PLAY

SHUFFLE

? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ?

1. Tag Me In by L2M ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ?

2. Want You by RYNX ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ?

3. No More Tears Left To Cry by Ariana Grande ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ?

4. Giant s by Light s ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ?

5. Easy Love by Alexi Blue ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ?

6. Diving by Bridget Mendler ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ?

7. Red Light s by Shamba The Artist ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ?

8. So Fly by Levi Johnson ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ?

8 songs, Follow Our Playlist On Apple Music @ellaaudreyrae.

Curated by Ella Audrey Rae 13

in focus

SYLVIA PATH 14

Written byNatalia Vรกzquez Photography by Hey there!

So, it?s been a while since we last got to share a space, but I really wanted to talk about a few things that have been on my mind lately.

As far as profiling goes, I?ve been reading up and studying someone who?s not within my usual realm of modern-day artists; a writer, who despite the difficulties of the social era she moved in, was progressive enough to make me refute the fact that she lived in a time a lot prior to mine.

Before I even knew about her, I remember her constantly being quoted on Instagram captions and being praised by online writers- this was enough to spark my curiosity, and in no time, I found a few things about her worth sharing.

Born in Boston in 1932, Sylvia Plath grew up with her father Otto, her mother Aurelia, and her brother W arren. She showed an apt for writing and competence for art throughout her early days and even used to keep a journal.

As time progressed, she found herself with an opportunity to attend Smith College and later, Cambridge University, which not long after, turned her into the majorly acclaimed writer she is today.

Although Plath published a variety of written works throughout her distinguished career, where the majority of these were poetry compilations, her only novel, The Bell Jar, stood out for its controversial nature.

Specifically referring to this book, I was a bit reluctant to read it because of how little I knew about her and her style. I?d mostly read praise and good reviews online, yet the obscure comments prevailed, only adding to my vacillation.

Nevertheless, I knew that what I held in my hands was a literary classic intended for people like me to read meticulously and dive into what I would describe as an entirely fulfilling experience.

The Bell Jar tells the story of Esther, a young writer trying to succeed within her career path; she is described as a responsible and hyper-aware college student with big ambitions.

I?d consider Plath?s writing style almost cynical, just like the pace the story moves in at first before continuing on full speed. At the very beginning, you are met with Esther?s unique thought process- a recurring stream of bold opinions about the people she interacts with or the food she gets to taste- although you can tell she is a bit of an outcast, always watching things from the front row seat, curious about how they work, and hesitant to participate.

As she decides to engage in more socially driven or intellectual environments, a feeling she isn?t as accustomed to, disappointment, perseveres throughout, leading level-minded Esther into a downward spiral nobody?s prepared for.

For a moment, Plath might even have you trusting Esther?s sanity more so than the people that surround her, as she usually proves to reason her way out of one self-destructive situation after the other.

I found that the two major twists that juggle with the plot in the book, confuse the idea that you?ve already built about the story and simultaneously clears up any foreshadowing you might have done beforehand, leaving you astonished and eager to continue: 1. The moment you register that Esther has actually lost her grip on reality and is living in an altered conception of what only she perceives as ?true?;W hen you realize that it?s not just a phase that?ll last a chapter or two, but an authentic emotional breakdown that has been building up since you first got introduced 2. Nearing the end of the book, unaware of how it might end, anxious about the small amount of pages left for you to read, and still noticing no drastic change in her attitude. It isn?t until Esther verbally confirms her mental stability, that you can finally become tranquil and proud of said character, because you?ve watched her surpass the motions within her own mind.

Even though the ending is relatively ?happy?,

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Even though the ending is relatively ?happy?, what makes this novel so eye-opening is the real factors that overtake the fiction aspects, almost identically mimicking her own experiences; the combination between imagination and verisimilitude really expands the emotions flowing throughout the storyline.

I can only imagine, that while reading the book was a turmoil itself, writing it must have been a personal cataclysm.

Although Sylvia went through a numerous amount of personal struggles with her mental health, the open essence typically displayed in her work sparks a dialogue that was not usually tackled in 1963 when the novel was published; yet, the fact that it can surpass an epoch of such little empathy for subjects of this nature and into modern conversations shows that there?s still so much to talk about and improve.

Until next time, Natalia Twitter & Instagram / / nataliavazquezf Snapchat / / nataliavazfel

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PRINT IS SO IN Gr a b Yo ur Pr int Lik e N ow .

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San n a Zoe Pr in s 29

DESTINY CASHMA 30

Written by Ella Audrey Rae

What is your goal with your debut?

Photography by Self Credit

DC: "To add color to a world of black and white and let people know creation has no limits."

Your next RNB obsession? Her name is Destiny Cashma. Hailing from Atlanta, GA, Cashma always knew this path was where she belonged "Music started in me . It?s been with me from the beginning . It?s crazy my mom used to write in my baby books. She thought I would be a singer because I was always humming ."

Cashma started on social media with covers that showed off her amazing vocal abilities in various ranges and caught the attention of Kalombo Records founder, Mike Kalombo. That collaboration sparked her Yondo produced debut ?City Of Betrayal?which was released along with the music video exclusively on Gold Crwn. According to Cashma working with Mike was organic as ever "We create most art from scratch. He?ll start laying down instruments and I?ll freestyle on the mic or vice versa, It?s all about frequency?s. Music is sound waves . If you pay attention, the music is always there waiting to be created . You just gotta tap into it" . Three days prior to the released she posted a sneak peek of the song to her Instagram, where she sung it live and too no surprise you almost thought it was the track.

Artist have different and sometimes weird places that they write the best songs, Cashma's debut single was written in her bathroom "I wrote this song late at night in my bathroom. I swear my best songs are created there. I turned on the beat and started free styling ?Yes I?m heartless , a little lawless ? and from there I knew the song was about to be trouble . It was effortless ." She continued " The recording process was a vibe. I showed Mike the song the day before and he loved it. We got in the studio the next day, laid it down and knew it was special. " 31

What is your style like?

DC: "I have a love for creation and a hate for boxes. So I create what feels good . However it comes out I leave it to the people to decide for themselves . I just create and have fun .

What is your favorite part about the Atlanta music scene?

DC: "The people. There?s so much talent coming out of Atlanta right now. I salute everybody out here fighting for good art .

What artist inspires you?

DC: "Im the last of the 90?s babies so I grew up having a love for 90?s R&B. My early influences were Usher and Mariah Carey .

How do you plan to deal with the negatives of being a music artist on social media?

DC: "I love this question . Rarely do you hear people talk about the negatives. I plan to post my art and go . It?s easy to get wrapped up in a world that doesn?t exist outside of four screen corners but it?s just that it doesn?t exist. Whatever you feed your brain grows.

So , many times I?ll take vacations to feed my brain with real food, good people and great creation.

She is currently working on her debut EP 'Incognito' No information on the date has been given but this debut single will definitely hold fans over until she?s ready to release it.

Get her new single 'City Of Betrayal' everywhere now.

Dr in k Wit h Love 5% of Ever y Pu r ch ase Goes To Global Wat er AVA ILA BLE @ LOV EBOTTLE.COM

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Jason Code 34

KRYSTEN SIMONE TALKSNEWSINGLE'I WILL' 35

Krysten Simone, formally Krysten Simone Caudle, is a singer-songwriter and producer from Michigan. "I had a great childhood, when I was younger I was really into art and went to art camps almost every summer! " Growing up her dad would play music around the house that seemed to spark her interest "My Dad would play music over the speakers around the house all the time, that's how I found out I could sing, it was by singing along to my parents music like The Beatles and Earth Wind And Fire. I was also in a girl group with some friends growing up, which really trained my ear!" She started creating and recording various projects on Garage Band, until she ultimately gained enough skill to become proficient in Logic Pro, where she now produces and writes all of her own music. " It was my brother who got me into Garage Band, He's a Dj and when he started out producing that's what he used and I wanted to use it because he was, I thought it was so cool that he made his own music! It was very much a, I want to do everything my big brother does, sort of thing!" She continued " My goal actually wasn't to be a producer. I ended up becoming a producer for myself first because I just couldn't find anyone who could create a sound that fit my style, and when I did find people they always seemed to have better things to do. I'm not mad at it though I'm actually really grateful. I feel like God put me in those situations to develop this talent that I would not have if I had other people to produce for me. I also want to inspire other women to go for it as well, don't let someone elses expectations define you, you define you." During her Middle school and High school years. She performed at several basketball, football, and hockey games; she was also involved in various ensembles and choirs where she gained her first experiences in performing live. Simone, along with two of her friends also participated as contestants in the popular television show America?s Got Talent, summer of 2011. "It was a night and day difference, honestly AGT was one of the most 36

exciting performances I've done, there was an outrageous amount of people. My school performances were so much but also nerve-racking those all felt very much like reality, where as AGT felt like a dream. All positive experiences though." She continued, "I learned to just always be ready. I learned how much growing I had to do, the whole experience forced me to have more confidence in myself as an artist and not relying so much on other people.

Simone also partook in the first launch of Grammy Camp New York City. She was one of thirty-five high school students selected.

Simone along with her camp members performed their final concert at the Best Buy Theater, in Times Square New York City. "It was amazing, That was the first time I'd been in an environment where I had complete control over my experience. I could write what I wanted and be in whatever collaborations I wanted. All the faculty really nurtured every campers creative goals!"

Why do you think that kind of camp is needed? SK: "A lot public schools don't have good music and art programs and kids are just not exposed to or given the opportunities to express themselves in that way. If there programs are developed they are usually classically base, they aren't able to put on fully produced concerts performing the music they created, they usually sing in choral groups or large choirs with a line or two as a solo, Not saying theres anything wrong with that, Grammy Camp is just a very different experience also you aren't graded. " On May 4th of this year, she released her debut single 'I Will'. The song recently hit 200k streams on Spotify. "I came up with the line "Do I still matter to you" at 3am one night after class and loved the melody so much I wrote a song around it. " She continued "I came up with a chord progression and just whet from there. I seem to write a lot of good stuff at 3am".

Continued on page 39

Jason Code

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Is 'I Will' a taste of your EP or album?

KS: "I'm trying to just focus on singles and firing them out, I like that template better."

Will there be a video?

KS: "I've played around with the idea, I might wait until my next single when my supporters have a better idea of who I am as an artist. " How do you get into producer mode?

KS: "I go on Spotify or Youtube and just listen to records that have the sound/ essence I'm trying to capture and study how those producers created them."

What is your advice for new singers?

KS: "Never give up, the moment you give up is the moment it will never happen. Really figure out what matters to you, and put all your energy into that, putting energy into thing that don't matter will only distract you from your goal. Grind, grind, grind and pray pray pray pray!"

Krysten currently attends Belmont University to study Commercial Music with a Music Business Emphasis and is gearing up to release new music. You can get her debut single 'I Will' anywhere digital music is sold.

Written by Ella Audrey Rae Photography by Jason Code @skinnydripp

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KYA N Z IELINSK K yan Zielinski is seen as ?L iam M cK enna?, the eldest brother in the M cK enna family, in the comedy ser ies ?The Dangerous Book for Boys?, created by Br yan Cr anston and GregM ottola. The ser ies premiered M arch 30th on Amazon. The six-episode, half-hour ser ies is based on Conn and Hal I ggulden?s book, ?The Dangerous Book for Boys?. The ser ies will follow a young boy named Wyatt and his brother s L iam and Dash as they deal with the death of their father.

K yan will next be seen in the hor ror film, They Reach and the comedy-dr ama, Small Things both set to release in 2019.

Written by Ella Audrey Rae Photography by Patrick Chai STYLI ST: Shannon Komsky GROOMER: Patrick Chai

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KI

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How did you get star ted in the industr y?

KZ: "As a young kid, I would watch movies and record them in my head having it all memorized and then I would act it out. My parents recognized my love for acting and enrolled me in summer acting classes. I then went on to perform in musical theatre professionally for 4 years and then decided to pursue the film and television side of acting as that is where my true passion lies."

Your fir st proj ect was ?The L unchbox Br igade?. How was your fir st time on set?

K Z: "It was exhilarating and more amazing than I had imagined it would be. Once I stepped on set, I immediately realized that this was what I wanted to do for the rest of my life. It was truly an incredible experience that I enjoyed every minute of."

What drew you to the Dangerous Book for Boys and what has been your favor ite moment?

K Z: "When I read the pilot script, I immediately could tell this was something special. I instantly fell in love with the characters & the family bond they have. I felt a connection to Liam with his need to be a role model for his younger siblings.

My favorite moment was going to the first table read and creating Liam. " How many auditions did you go through before booking the roll?

K Z: "I went through 5 auditions plus a Directors Session. While they were all different and challenging, I began to feel more connected to my character with each round."

What?s your favor ite genre?

What was your most memor able moment?

K Z: "Honestly, I love most genres, but my favorite would have to be action-thriller."

K Z: "Shooting the first take for the first scene that we shot. When they called action, it was so exciting, and it?s a moment I will never forget."

I t says you also want to be a director. How come and what director inspires you?

What would be your advice to new actor s when it comes to auditions and callbacks?

K Z: "Always give your best and stay positive. In this industry there are a lot more no?s than yes?s, but your time will come if this is your true passion. Patience is very important, and it takes a lot of hard work and dedication. When one door closes, another one will open. "

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K Z: "I would love to be a writer and director of film one day, so I could see my visions come to life. I am inspired by 2 directors, Steven Spielberg & M. Night Shyamalan. Some of my favorite movies are Jurassic Park & The Sixth Sense."

The movie is on Amazon Now.

PHOTO: Patrick Chai STYLIST: Shannon Komsky GROOMER: Patrick Chai 45

CA RLY GIB t alk s h er

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BSON st ar t an d n ew sin gle 'Love M e'.

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Carly Gibson is an Atlanta based singer-songwriter who has 13 years of performance under her belt. She also is a 2009 and 2010 alumni of the prestigious GRAMMY Camp, and is a 2013 graduate of the renowned Atlanta Institute of Music. I decided to get an interview with her to learn more about her start and music.

took me under her wing and was the main benefactor in my training as a performer and musician; getting to play guitar in her band and opening for her was a huge honor that kept me on my toes, and still does when I get the opportunity to share a stage with her. Caroline Aiken is the momma bird of the Atlanta music scene. I had so much gratitude and respect for her.

W hat got you started in this industry?

Your music seems to have a nostalgic vibe to it. Is that intentional and if so what about that era do you like?

CG: All my family members are musicians and they all inspired me musically through what they would listen to and play. My dad and my big brother inspired me the most, at least with guitar-- dad being a professional guitarist and singer/ songwriter for most of my childhood, and my brother who always played and shared his musical tastes with me. There was always music in the house. My parents also took me to a lot of their shows and other great concerts. They forever inspire me. If it weren't for all of them, I wouldn't have been exposed to some of my most influential artists and guitarists at such a formative age.

" Never compare yourself to ot hers; only to yourself "

I didn't really get immersed in a music scene till age 17 when I had the opportunity to play with singer/ songwriter/ guitarist Caroline Aiken. She 48

CG:The music I grew up listening to was primarily "old school", Classic Rock, Soul, Funk, R&B, Country, Jazz Fusion, and Motown. These genres were all born from the Blues-- and in my mind, the Blues IS nostalgia. It encapsulates the human experience; love, light, pain, and, strength. The Blues feels like a comfy old t-shirt or pair or jeans; It just FEELS good and feeds my soul like nothing else. I would absorb everything I could while listening, to be able to recycle the techniques and nuances to eventually express my own feelings with them. You have to learn to read another poets words before you can write your own.

Continue >

So, yes, I would say the nostalgic vibe was intentional, but it was also a no-brainer. W hen I got into the studio, I already new my ears wanted to hear a warm vintage sound, because that is what the song was asking for and what my gut was telling me. Again, it just felt right; true and honest to the song. I don't write a song thinking "I'm going to make this a nostalgic tune." It really just starts with a feeling, and I know I better to keep follow that feeling to see where it leads me."

She released her new single 'Love Me' on April 20th. She stated that the new single is the first positive love song she has written.

CG: "Initially, my songwriting was an outlet for negative feelings and internal struggle as an angsty teenager. I would say my writing still naturally flows from pain and struggle. That being said, as an adult now, and especially in the last couple years, I've grown to honor and accept the darkness that is inevitable with the light, more than ever. I have a very realistic and sometimes cynical view on life; this song is exactly that. Although it is written about love, it also openly admits that cynicism and struggle experienced in keeping a relationship fed and alive long term. No fluff or sugar coating. This song is a reflection piece in a sense, of just how grateful I feel to have found and put in the work with my person. " Does the single give us a taste of an upcoming album or EP or will those projects be different?

CG: "Yes, I think so...the solo music I'm writing nowadays is definitely more in the groovy, trippy, bluesy vein. I'm writing for me and no one else, so when I'm able to get back in the studio...I know I'm going to get pretty weird, in the best way of course.

I have so much inside of me that I haven't yet gotten to tap into. This is just a chip off the iceberg. " I saw in a recent interview that you have been in a relationship for 7 years. W hat do you think keeps relationships going that long?

CG: "My friend Donna Hopkins has a song called "You're The One." In it she says "You're the one I wanna work it out with." That line is everything to me. There is no perfect relationship. Perfection does not exist. You have to work it out with 49

someone sooner or later, so the one you choose better be worth it for goodness sake. I believe long term relationships have to have a solid foundation of friendship and true comradery before anything healthy can cultivate long term...because love isn't enough. You can love each other but still treat each other like shit. You have to be willing to kill your ego.

Have respect.

Listen, or at least be able to eventually have it sink in shortly after haha.

The ego is really your worst enemy.

On so many levels of human existence. "

" Ca r o lin e A ik en is t h e m o m m a b ir d of t h e A t la nt a m usic scen e." "

You are also in two bands. W hat do you think is the key to keeping a band together and doing solo projects at the same time?

CG: "Yes, I'm in two other bands besides my solo project. It's all about communication and juggling properly. There is always a few balls up in the air.

The most important aspect though is loving it and having a piece of yourself in everything you do. " Your advice for beginners?

CG: "Do you want it bad enough?? haha. Just like a relationship, or anything else in like really, nothing is perfect. If you feel like music is your purpose, then be ready to grow some tough skin and hustle your ass off. Everything is kind of a pain besides that hour or so on stage, to be quite honest. You have to be about the music and be willing to work hard for it. You are you're own product, so get business savvy. Never compare yourself to others; only to yourself and the last show you've played.

Don't be afraid of a day job haha. Learn to juggle multiple outlets. Do what you have to do. Attract the right people by being the most unique and genuine you can be, without an ego. Humility goes a long way. " Get her new single 'Love Me' everywhere.

A B D E 50

A N DREW BUTCHER DEBUTS EP NBC's 'Boy Band' Alum, Andrew Butcher released his debut EP ""Everything & More" in April.

The first single "You Were There" has been included on nearly 800 Spotify streaming playlists and has amassed over 100,000 career song streams on Spotify in just under 6 months.

Andrew's follow-up single and accompanying music video, "What Is" will be released in the spring of 2018.

Written by Ella Audrey Rae

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Andrew star ted music at the young age of 9.

AB: "My dad had dared me to do a talent show at my elementary school. So I sang "Don't Stop Believin'" by Journey. And that's when my music career began. Since then I've done a lot with my music career. And I will continue to do so."

What made you go on Boy Band?

AB: "I was invited to go on the show by the show's producers. I had gotten up that day and was getting ready to do my online schooling, and had gotten an email from them asking if I would try out. It's one of the best things that's ever happened to me."

How was your exper ience?

AB:"The experience was thrilling! Probably the best 3 months of my life. For being in Los Angeles, CA for the first time ever, I had an amazing experience. And I met friends who became family who will continue to be for the rest of my life."

What is your advice for people who want to go on a music show?

AB: "My advice would be to give it all you have, and try your hardest, even if that means getting 3 hours of sleep every night. That's what we had to do. But it was totally worth it. Like I said before, it was probably the best 3 months of my life. I learned things about my voice and about music that never knew before."

writing with a lot of hit songwriters, working with some great producers, and I'm so excited to be able to share all of that with the fans."

How has your relocation helped better your music?

AB: "The help of my manager, the talented people I write with, and the new contacts and team we've built have bettered my music and career tremendously. I had never have thought I could learn to write great songs until I moved to Nashville. It was a great move."

What made you name your EP 'Ever ything and M ore'?

AB: "In my song "She Did", there's a line in the chorus that says "everything and more", so I decided to use that as the album title because it's one of my favorite songs on the album and I think it defines what this album is for me, which is a little bit of influence from all the genres of music that I enjoy and that have shaped my sound."

What is the wr iting process like?

AB: "The writing process is awesome. I love watching the songs unfold during that process, from idea to tracking a demo, especially when I'm writing with a hit songwriter or producer, which has been thankfully happening a lot lately. Writing songs is one of my favorite things to do in Nashville."

What was your favor ite moment?

What is your favor ite song you recor ded and why?

AB: "The favorite moment in the show would definitely be right before we performed "Living On A Prayer". We all prayed together, right on stage right before we went on live. It was one of the greatest moments of my life for sure!"

AB: "My favorite song on the album is "Out Of My Mind", which has a different sound than any of the other songs on the record, and the guys I wrote it with are some amazing writers and I love and appreciate their talent."

What made you relocate to Nashville?

What does an Andrew Butcher live show look like?

AB: "After the show had ended and the finale had aired, my manager reach out to me and asked if I would be interested in pursuing my career in Nashville. I was thrilled, so of course I said yes.

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AB: "My live show consists of some of my favorite cover songs that have a lot of meaning to me. And of course some songs from my album and even a few that have not been released yet. "

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A CHAT W ITH REN EE OLSTEA D Actress and singer Renee Olstead has just released her new single "Help Me Make It Through The Night" and I had to get an interview about the new music. You may know her from her breakout role playing Madison Cooperstein on ABC Family?s hit show The Secret Life of the American Teenager or from the big screen in the People's Choice nominated movie 'Unfriended'.

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What made you want to pursue acting as a career choice?

passion. Billie Holiday has always been my favorite though.

RO: "I got started really young. I?ve always loved the idea of looking at the world through another person?s perspective."

What is a pro and con for you as a celebrity?

How did you get the breakout role on The Secret Life of the American Teenager?

RO: I?m not sure if I?d call myself a celebrity, but there are a lot of perks to being me! I?ve been very lucky. The entertainment industry has opened a lot of doors.

RO: "It was a long lead up! Working on The Secret Life of the American Teenager was especially wonderful because I got to work with my best friend Camille Winbush. Camille and I first met on a project when we were ten.

I booked CBS?s Still Standing around the same time she booked Bernie Mac, so we spent about four or five years working on the same lot together. We became really good friends.

Secret Life came in as an offer, so when we were at dinner later that day, we both started talking about how we had just booked an untitled pilot. It wasn?t long before we realized we were not only going to be on the same show, but playing best friends. To say we were excited would be an understatement."

What is your advice to a young fan who may want to get into acting and/or singing?

RO: Use the Internet to your advantage! You don?t have to try to get a record deal or on a show. If you?ve got the talent, you have everything you need to build a career in the entertainment industry. Lean on your talent!

What is something you learned while being in this industry?

RO: There?s a lot of people that will try to tell you what they want you to be. You?ll never be fulfilled until you?re doing what?s true to you.

What is your favorite on set memory?

What is your favorite fan moment?

RO: There are too many to count. I?ve been very lucky to work with such wonderful people.

RO: When I meet fans that really love my music. It means so much to me. :)

You also do music, primarily jazz. What made you fall in love with the genre and when did you discover your voice?

RO: I do! I love all kinds of music. Old Billie Holiday records, Dolly Parton, Etta James. I started singing when I was really young but I discovered the American Songbook/ Jazz when I was around 11 or so.

Who is your music inspiration?

RO: Anyone who really creates music with 58

What is your go to spring outfit?

RO: Anything vintage, fuzzy, or leopard print!

That?s basically all I wear!

Rene is currently gearing up to release her third studio album, which she describes as ?alternative country.? No set date has been made. This new single will defently hold her fans over until the release.

You can follow Renee on social media and check out more of her work by visiting her website www.reneeolstead.com. As for her acting, Rene is working on a new project now.

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A LEX A FERR IS BACK

Since moving from Toronto to Los Angeles over four years ago, Alexa has actively been working with a number of producers to help craft her sound and her image as an artist. She released her hit single 'Hit The Switch' in 2016 which racked up over 30,000 streams on Soundcloud. After the success of that single she and the producer of that track, Th3ory, produced another heavy hitter track 'If You Only Knew' that debuted April 20th, 2018. In this new interview Alexa talks her new music, EP, and the hardest song she has recorded. This new single defiantly will hold fans over until the EP debuts.

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'Hit The Switch' is your most successful to date which is an amazing song. Did you think it would get so big?

AF: Honestly, at the time we made it (myself, Th3ory and Travis Bruice) I knew it was a big record but I never anticipated all the love and support on Hit The Switch!

How have you handled the success?

AF: I stay focused on the music, it's what I love to do, and the positive responses and support I've been receiving motivates me to create and to continue to inspire others with and through my music.

What made you wr ite 'I f You Only K new' ?

AF: A lot of my songs inspired by personal stories or by situations people that I knew were in.

However, "If You Only Knew" is a song that is inspired by a personal story. I was feeling like the person I was dating tried to play me, meanwhile they didn't realize how many people I was curving for them and I remained loyal no matter what. So essentially the song basically says "If you only knew, the things I could do, when I'm not with you, I stay loyal and true."

artist and wanted to try something totally different.

I stepped out of where I was vocally on this track, as the song had some high parts but a little practice went a long way!

How was it wor king with Th3or y and how did your collab star t?

AF: Working with Th3ory is always a fun time!

I've known him since I was 17 years old, when I released my debut EP 'Lipstick On The Glass'! We met and worked in LA and Houston, TX in 2013 and from there on, we've maintained a friendship and a great work vibe. Our sessions always feel like therapy to me, so usually everything always goes smoothly! He's super talented as well and has always pushed me out of my comfort zone. He's definitely helped shape my sound.

I s this recent single a taste of your future EP and when can we expect it ?

What is the har dest song that you recor ded?

AF: Yes!! I'm hoping to release the EP this Summer! I am excited for this upcoming release because I'm going to be releasing some new sounds and vibes that people may or may not expect from me, but it's going to be authentic to me and who I am as an artist. It'll be about love, heartbreak, proving others wrong and going after my dreams, etc. I think this will be a great introduction to who Alexa Ferr truly is!

AF: Out of all the songs I've released to date, I'd have to say "Hit The Switch" was the hardest song for me to record. At the time, I was growing as an

Alexa is tr uly an amazing ar tist and I can't wait to listen to her EP. this summer Until she is ready to release it, you can view her music on streaming ser vices and digital music stores all

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Monthly Tips For Creatives Welcome to this month' s creative tips from the desk of an Editor Chief. I hope you enjoyed last months three. This issues three will be about the wonderful joy of starting with Wordpress and Graphic Design DIY. Enjoy.

1. Gr a p h ic Desig n s o n Ca n v a . When it comes to creating graphics for your project, the best place to go is Canva.com. They have so many cool templates for different media projects like magazines, album cover' s and even book covers. In the beginning before finding Lucidpress for the magazine, I used Canva for everything in my issues. It' s so much easier and it their stock photos and graphics are only 1 dollar to use on your projects. You just take a cool template and then throw your style on it and you have a professional graphic for your project without spending so much money on programs.

2 . W eb sit es o n W o r d p r ess. When me and Wordpress first met, I hated it. It was sooooo complicated and didn' t have all the features I needed without a costly plugin or coding customization but when it comes to a blogger or magazine, Wordpress is defiantly the best option.

With a good theme and a little reading of the documentation you can defiantly make a dope site for your blog or magazine on their platform.

The best place to buy themes other then the free ones on wordpress is CodeCanyon. Make sure you pick the ones that have 4 stars. Now if it' s still not your thing, I also recommend Wix. My personal blog is hosted on Wix. It' s very creative and beginner friendly plus they have some really nice templates. You just pick one and then drag and drop until your creative heart is in love.

3 . Dist r ib ut io n o n Issu u . This is specifically for the magazine' s. The best place to distribute your issues online has to be my favorite, Issuu.

They are the BEST platform for magazines. Not only is it free to distribute to your readers but their team even helps promotes your issues for free. I won' t go in depth on the features but there are so many good ones. My favorite is the ability to share gif ' s of the inside of your issues.

Hope these helped you with your awesome project xoxo E llaA udrey R ae

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"It 's a reminder t hat I'm st ill here and have a lot more music to share"

Written by Ella Audrey Rae Photography by Greg DeStefano Three years ago, I interviewed Megan Nicole when she released her hit single 'Mascara'. Around that time she had also just gotten off of her 'Escape' tour and was still getting over the fact that she was chosen to interview Michelle Obama. She was only 22 years old. It is now the summer of 2018 and Megan is married with a new album out. In this updated interview Nicole talks her new album, marriage, being bullied and what's next.

She independently released her EP 'Escape' in 2014. " I think I was waiting for the perfect moment, but there never really is one. I released some singles in between the two projects and was just writing for a bit without really a plan to release them. That is, until a group of songs really stuck out to me."

On February 9th 2018 Megan finally released her long awaited album 'My Kind Of Party' as an independent artist. The album comes with six tracks and already has 100,000+ views on the official video. "I was just so excited to get music out there again. It had been so long and I was ready for anyone besides my family and friends to hear what I've been working on."

The name of the album came after she wrote the title track in the summer of 2017.

"Nothing" was a song I had first recorded back when I was with my label, so it was pretty spread out. "My Kind of Party," funny enough, was the last of the songs I wrote, and it was some time in the Summer of 2017.

It kind of tied it all in together. It's a look into my world or a welcome to my party."

One event that inspired this new mini album was her relationship with now husband Cooper Green whom Nicole married in the summer of 2017. "I was introduced to Cooper through one of his old roommates who was in a music video of mine. It was funny though, because I was never told we were being set up. I would hang out with their group of friends and Austin (his 75

roommate who set it up) knew me and Cooper would connect. We were definitely drawn to each other from the start." She continued " Cooper knew me through a crazy season of my life. Knowing he has seen all sides of me and still loves me the way he does showed me we could go through anything together. He's someone I want to grow with, who I want to go on adventures with, and who I want next to me when I wake up. He understands my schedule, he's supportive of me, and we make a great team" Megan and Cooper planned their beautiful wedding in three months after he proposed in a short but sweet way. "I didn't want to drag things out when it came to planning. We somehow managed to plan everything in 3 months which is insane, but it all came together. One of the producers I was working with on "My Kind of Party" was getting married a couple months before us, so it was fun talking about the craziness of wedding planning in between recording. According to Megan she wasn't a bridezilla but very laid back and sometimes too laid back while planning her wedding " I think I was one of the most laid back brides. Probably too laid back at times because we didn't even try our caterer, just went off of reviews, but it worked out! If there was something I wish I had more time for it would be the dress, but I found one that I really loved and I understood that feeling so many brides have felt when they put on the dress they'll say "yes" to."The best moment of her wedding? "I just loved having both of our worlds collide. I wish there were more moments where all of our family and friends could come together for a weekend. If I had to pinpoint one thing though, it was the end of the night when the last song was played and it was "When You Look Me in the Eyes" by the Jonas Brothers. I had thrown it in the list of songs to have played and there was something so fun about everyone singing it together to wrap up the night. In some way, my 14 year old dream came true because Nick Jonas was kind of (but not really) at my wedding.

Before they said 'I Do', the newly weds took marriage counseling to ensure they both would understand each other and communicate better in this new journey. "I think it's never a bad idea to seek counsel before getting married or even living with someone because that's an adjustment. It helps to have a better understanding of where the other person is coming from. Too much surprise Cooper had no idea of who Megan Nicole was an artist before they got together but he ended up loving her music as much as she loved his "When we both learned that we did music, we were nervous about the other being good. He came to a show of mine before we had started dating and I had him play and sing me a song one night when we were hanging out. In a way we kind of both had to audition for each other. I think we we're both relieved that the other was good at what they said they did. It would be hard to support your partners dreams of music if you couldn't enjoy it! Megan Nicole's wedding was covered in the Spring 2018 of Inside Weddings.

Amonst all of the music recording and wedding planning Megan was also able to launch her own fashion line with designer Julie Mollo. Jullie Mollo designed a lot of Megan's attire over the years. "My partner, Julie Mollo, has been creating my stage wear and event looks for about 5 years.

We've created so much together that I told her one day we should just start a line and she was already on the same page." She countinued "We actually discussed a lot over Skype because Julie is based in New York and I'm on the West Coast. We looked through fabrics and finalized things the moments we could while I was in New York. I had the title "Confetti Heart" for a potential song or album name, but it just fit so perfectly for our project. We both love confetti and hearts and everything colorful and fun."

While we were on the topic of fashion, I thought I would ask Megan about some of her thoughts and experiences on the topic.

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What are your thoughts on today's beauty standards? " I think it's easy to get caught up in trends, but finding things that work for you and reflect what you want is so much more important.

In middle school Megan got teased about the size of her boobs by students "It wasn't just guys who had the jokes, but girls too, which still surprises me. It did hurt my feelings, but I either ignored them or would say "good for you" when guys said they had bigger boobs than me. Ha. I then asked her what she would say too that Megan Nicole if she could speak to her younger self in that situation. "It's okay, you can buy bigger boobs one day if you r

" I t hink it 's easy to get caught up in t rends, but finding t hings t hat work for you and reflect w hat you w ant is so much more import ant ." eally want to (lol), but love who you are and remember that doesn't make you any less of a woman." Online she was teased for not having a more 'Latina' look. "Thankfully it was mostly online, so I never really had to confront anyone face to face. I know who I am and where my roots are. I know that no matter what other people say, it's a part of me that no one can take away. " She has advice for those dealing with the same issue both online and in real life. "Remember your roots, and also remember you don't have to fit into other people's boxes for you. Not fitting into other peoples' standards of what being "latina" etc means, can't change what's in your blood."

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GET MEGAN'S MINI ALBUM NOW

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When Megan was 18 years old, she was signed to Bad Boy's as their first-ever pop artist in collaboration with Interscope Records . "I learned a lot about interacting with different people in sessions and about what my boundaries were regarding what I "You don't have would sing about even want to to fit into ot her or sing about.

I people's boxes learned that even with a powerful for you." team behind you, it can still be hard to move forward because there were moments when I wasn't recording.

Overall, it was an experience I wouldn't take away. Even though I didn't release much, I'm still thankful for that time. I grew up a lot over those couple years and learned a lot.

Even though being apart of a label has it perks, Megan says that in her experience her con would be not getting a say on when she got to release music, or sometimes which songs it will be. In 2015, three years after she was signed, Bad Boy and Interscope disbanded. Megan then decided to go independent instead of waiting for Bad Boy to partner with another pop label. "I feel like if the right partnership came along, I would be open to signing with a label again, but it is nice being able to create what I want and release it when I want. There is a nice freedom that goes along with it." She continued on with advice for independent artist "Remember that even though you have more freedom, there are still challenges that go along with it. Like taking money from your own pocket to create and release the things you want. You are going to have to take more risks. Think of creative ways to share what you are doing, and also know once the music finds its way to other ears, it will speak for itself."

Being independent has done Nicole much more justice then when she was signed even though it did allow her a bigger platform in the beginning.

She now has 4.1 million YouTube subscribers, 2 million Facebook likes and 79

500k + twitter followers along with a massive collection of music that captures audiences around the world.

What has the journey been like as a women in the musuc industry who plays by her own rules? " There have been moments where I've been expected to fit certain molds, but I've found a good groove of who I am as an artist and what I want to say. I know it's not always the most popular thing, but I'm creating things that I enjoy and reflect who I am. I'm not trying to be "edgy" for the sake of being "edgy" or always dance because I'm a "pop star". " What made you take on the role model role as an artist? " It wasn't something I thought a lot about at first, but then you remember people are paying attention and maybe even looking up to you. I am human, and making mistakes goes along with it, but my main goal is to always encourage and create a positive environment. I want young people to know they should chase after what they love and for girls to feel empowered. " Is it a lot or does it come naturally for you? "Of course it's always easier over social media than the day to day, again because I'm human, but I do have a strong desire to create a positive place in my little corner of the Internet. There are moments when I want to be sassy with someone, but then I think, what's the point? I'd rather spend that energy to encourage someone."

M egan enj oys releasing 'feel good' music.

The world can always use more of it. Music can be an escape, and I want to feel good when I listen to it. Of course, I have my share of sappy songs and Lord knows I've also enjoyed moments eating ice cream, in the bathtub, most likely crying listening to sad music, but those are select moments. Most of which happened during heart break.

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