Today we’d like to introduce you to Lisa Michelle.
Lisa, please kick things off for us by telling us about yourself and your journey so far.
At the age of 5 I began writing music. I was never sure where the passion stemmed from, but I knew I had found my first love. My family was very focused on my education and future, with no room for playful dreams of being an influential artist. I kept my involvement with music a secret until college, teaching myself piano and performing at small places around San Diego. At 18 and struggling with life at home, I dropped out of college, moved out and began living pay check to pay check. Music became more than just a passion, it became home for me. A year later I found myself hospitalized for an anaphylactic condition, watching my health slowly deteriorate and almost losing my life.
The stress and depression of my condition pushed me further away from my dreams. But one day I realized the only way to know if I could influence the world with my music, was by getting back on my feet and giving it my all. From there I returned home, enrolled at SDSU and joined their Electronic Music program. For the last few years I’ve produced with various artists ranging from Hip Hop/Rap to EDM, but recently my focus has changed to creating cinematic sounds. Through the program at State I now look forward to exploring the world of film scoring. However, no matter where my journey takes me I’ve learned it’s not about where we’re trying to end up, but the steps we take along the way.
Can you give our readers some background on your art?
Although I have created various EDM songs from trap to dubstep, I recently have begun creating film score pieces using a DAW called Ableton. I find most of the intense and suspenseful sounds I need from plug ins like Massive, Serum, Kontakt, and Splice. I really enjoy focusing on sound design where I combine multiple sounds I’ve created from collaborations and form them into one piece. This has helped me immensely with ear training and understanding music theory.
With any form of music, I create I really just want to be able to draw people in, giving them a moment of thrill, excitement and emotion. Even with pieces I create for those sad movie moments, I still try to add a variation of hope or an uplifting feeling. I would say my focus and what I hope people take away from my music is to be fearless, inspired, and to never let go of their humanity.
What responsibility, if any, do you think artists have to use their art to help alleviate problems faced by others? Has your art been affected by issues you’ve concerned about?
Trying to be involved in the music industry can be very hard when it comes to financial stability. I am still myself trying to figure out the best alternative to getting what I need to be as creative as possible. The best advice I can give is to continue saving and buy production equipment that will last and carries multiple features. Although this will be expensive, it will be worth it in the long run. Also, if you’re a student DAW’s like Ableton offer deals or discounts. There are a lot of plug ins you can find for free like beatbox or various samplers in Ableton. Splice is where I get most of my samples and it along with Kontakt, Serum and Massive offer monthly plans or payments. Always be open to networking and collaborating as well, this could allow you more access to any features you don’t have yet.
What’s the best way for someone to check out your work and provide support?
I am still currently finishing most of my pieces, but I have recently created a YouTube channel that will be my “portfolio”. So far, I have uploaded a recent piece I did over a compilation of scenes from the movie Blade Runner. If you have any time to check it out, and like or comment on the video please do! This is the link below: https://m.youtube.com/channel/UCaQPuQRTbunSuHs61tW13wg.
You can also check out my personal Instagram account @lisuhmichelle where I will soon be posting my music, alongside my traveling photos. Please message me if you are interested in collaborating or have any videos/films you would like scored.
Contact Info:
- Phone: 8583825245
- Email: lmichellerecords@gmail.com
- Instagram: https://instagram.com/lisuhmichelle
- Other: https://m.youtube.com/channel/UCaQPuQRTbunSuHs61tW13wg
Image Credit:
Chris Meierhofer
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