Today we’d like to introduce you to Gilli Moon.
Gilli, can you briefly walk us through your story – how you started and how you got to where you are today
I conceived the concept of Songsalive! over 20 years ago when I was in Sydney, Australia. When I moved to Los Angeles a year later to pursue my music career, I brought Songsalive! With me. Los Angeles has always been, to me, the epicenter of original music, but more particularly, the promotion of music to the world’s markets. We have the largest record companies and publishing companies here, and that is why we get a large influx of creatives who seek to get their music to the next level.
Songsalive! has been my personal philanthropic venture while I too, build my career in this crazy, creative town. I also have my own record company, Warrior Girl Music, and have launched 100s of artists careers, as well as my own. I’m about to release my 8th studio album as an artist, songwriter and producer.
I am still President of Songsalive! after all this time, but we now have a robust team that serves to offer our songwriters and composers value through our many in-person events and online engagement.
Great, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
It has not always been a smooth road. To start with, I particularly decided I’d take the “non-profit” avenue by setting up a 501c)3) public benefit charity, and that in of itself is quite a challenge. But the real challenge is us continue to gain funding for our efforts. We are still all volunteers, and we only survive from a very modest membership fee that’s under $100.
Did you know songwriters, who are the heartbeat of the “song” and music business, are the least financially rewarded when you are still unknown. It is very hard for fledgling songwriters to get noticed, let alone paid for their work.
So honestly, we are always trying to up our value of what we provide as services, to an audience that primarily is hurting financially, and this is tricky. The music business itself can be a struggle to navigate the most, so we try and lighten that load a little for the deserving talent providing a safe space and opportunity to shine.
Please tell us about the organization.
Songsalive!, run by volunteer songwriters for songwriters, is an official non-profit 501c)3) public benefit educational charity organization, and is dedicated to advancing and supporting songwriters and composers worldwide. We are the only completely volunteer-run, international (worldwide) non-profit organization for songwriters and composers, serving the songwriting community for over 20 years. We survive purely on memberships, donations, events and love.
I’m proud to say we have provided unparalleled support and opportunities for songwriters and composers for two decades, and we are still growing. We are indeed the only global non-profit membership organization for songwriters and composers, breaking the boundaries of country walls by definition, to unite songwriters on a global scale.
Songsalive! does this by offering an authentic, heartfelt yet experienced community where songwriters and composers can feel supported, nurtured, as well as educated, advised and ultimately promoted.
Our songwriters and composers who join our membership service gain an extra level of attention, with a dedicated and private social network, available via desktop or iOS/Android apps. In this “Backstage” as we call it, they can not only engage with each other and build a network around them of like-minded creatives, but they can gain feedback on their songs in a constructive setting, pitch their songs for music industry placements such as for films, TV shows and major artists. Also, they can learn from our Master Teachers – all serious music industry mega-talents, such as hit songwriters, producers, publishers or label heads, who talk at our in-person Workshops and we film them for our members to stream anytime online.
Do you look back particularly fondly on any memories from childhood?
Gosh, my favorite memory as a child is me living in my house with my parents on top of a mountain in the middle of the “Bush” (the Australian countryside). After dinner, I’d play on the piano in the living room making up songs before I knew what chords they were and then turning the ol’ tape deck on and dancing to Whitney Houston. LOL. I am an only child, so I used to get up to so many creative antics on my own. I think all that spurred me to head to Los Angeles at some point to put on grown-up shoes around my creativity.
Pricing:
- Songsalive! Membership – $99/year
Contact Info:
- Website: http://www.songsalive.org
- Instagram: @songsalive
- Facebook: @songsalive
- Twitter: @songsalive
- Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/songsalive-los-angeles
- Other: https://members.songsalive.org
Image Credit:
Gilli Moon, Artist/Songwriter and President of Songsalive!
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