Do you consider video an important part in promoting and marketing your music? Yes, where can we find your latest video? https://www.desmondthesongwriter.com/about-desmond Studio recordings or performing live in front of an audience, which of these do you prefer most and why? I prefer performing in front of a live audience because I can respond to the energy of the audience. Tell us something about the beats and music production on your releases. Do you write and compose them or do you work with other writers and Producers? Five of the songs on the new album, “Happiness Is Priceless” were produced with live instruments and 5 were produced with beats produced by others. Four of the latter were bought online and one of them, the beat of the first single “Rise Up”, was commissioned by me and produced by Courick Clarke, a Jamaican musician and producer. I wrote the melody and lyric. On which of your songs do you think you delivered your personal best performance so far, from an emotional and technical point of view? I think I would say “ Laugh About IT”. Which ingredient do you think makes you special and unique as a performing artist in a genre overflowing with new faces and ideas? My music tells uplifting stories that are inclusive and thought provoking. If you were forced to choose only one, which emotion, more than any other drives you to stay in this tough business. Is it joy, anger, desire, passion or pride and why? I would say passion. When I have felt like quitting, passion is the only thing I can think of that makes me want to continue. Which aspect of being an independent artist and the music making process excites you most and which aspect discourages you most? I like the fact that I am in control of my career. Lack of capital discourages me the most. Tell us something about your songwriting process. What usually comes first the lyrics or the beats? I tend to work on the lyrics first because melody writing comes easier to me. Also my lyric writing separates me from the field. How involved are you in any or all of the recording, producing, mastering, and marketing processes of your music? I am heavily involved in the recording, producing and marketing. Do you outsource any of these processes? I outsource the mastering. The best piece of advice in this business you actually followed so far, and one you didn’t follow, but now know for sure that you should have? The best piece of advice I have followed is to be yourself and invest in yourself. The one I did not follow is to produce music that follow trends instead of what is in your heart. My parents discouraged me from pursuing a careeer in music and I spent a number of years pursuing a career in the corporate world instead, to please them. I should have ignored them. At this point, as an independent artist, which is the one factor you desire most, and feel will undeniably benefit the your future (for example increased music distribution, better quality production, more media exposure, bigger live gigs etc…)? The factor I desire most at this point is more media exposure and bigger live gigs.
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