Sandra D. McCarthy
is a Song-Mapper for her scratch demos.
Tell me about your history? How did you get where you are now?
Music has always been a part of my life.
I began singing at the age six in church choir, then progressed to High School chorus and onto The Bel Canto Singers.
Professionally, I have my degree in Fine Arts. So, I thought listening to music and singing to the radio would be just an enjoyable hobby.
One day, a friend and I were playing "You gotta hear this!" I played him "Guitar Psychedelics" by The Ventures.
He said, "I really like this" and then I quipped, "Needs lyrics."
"Write some."
"Yeah right."
As you see, I reconsidered, and grew to love the process of writing lyrics and music.
As English poet, Christopher Logue succinctly wrote:
Have you performed live in front of an audience? Any special memories?
I home record. The rush comes from after months of hard work, a project comes together nicely. The plus is receiving positive feedback from colleagues and my audience. More importantly, learning from the constructive criticism.
Your musical influences
I enjoy 60's,, and . The more obscure, the better. I appreciate the originality and the experimentation from this generation of musicians and songwriters.
and , which is rich with love songs and a Latin beat, always inspires.
I also enjoy female artists. These sassy firecrackers mean business with their rippin' vocals and kickin' gee-tars.
Going back to my roots is always a comfort too. Putting a modern spin is challenging, but the results blend into my favorite genre, .
For fun and smiles, listening to music.
What equipment do you use?
M-Audio MIDI keyboard, Roland-Fantom S, Shure mics, M-Audio StudioPro speakers, Sony headphones, GarageBand, Logic Pro 9, Mac G-5 with A Big Honkin' monitor, voice, patience, and wits.
Anything else?
The process of building songs from the bottom beat to the melody is what I can do, but the magic comes from the hand of God.
