Interview conducted November 15, 2022
By Dan Locke
Michelle Rose is a Pop/Alternative singer/recording artist, actress, model and speaker who also loves singing opera. This channel features her original music, music videos, cover songs and some fun acting projects. Many of her songs were created in collaboration with the legendary Dr. Fink, from Prince’s band, The Revolution. Michelle Rose planned and directed most of her own high-concept music videos, several of which have won multiple awards.
What was your upbringing like?
My parents are both very hard-working and determined, so they taught me to follow in their footsteps with my work ethic. They were my role models and inspired me to try my best to achieve my biggest goals. They also have very high morals, which they instilled in me, and it’s helped me navigate my life and make good choices.
How did you discover music?
I started out taking dance classes as a toddler and thought that I wanted to be a professional ballerina, so I danced for the talent portion of pageants that I participated in. However, I was recycled in my beginner Level One dance class THREE TIMES because I was so bad with my timing. I wanted to continue competing in pageants and doing the talent competitions, so my mom encouraged me to switch from dance classes to singing lessons so I’d have a better chance of placing. Apparently when I was little, I used to sit in the backseat of the car and sing along to Sarah Brightman CD’s, and my family thought I had some natural singing ability. After I started my voice lessons, I fell in love and never looked back! I was always fascinated with voices. I would hear choirs singing at church and say, “Mommy, are those angels?”
How did you start to write music?
I was introduced to a producer for the first time when I was 11, and he encouraged me to co-write lyrics for my first original songs with him. I only wrote lyrics, not music, until I started my degree at Berklee College of Music, where I learned about songwriting, music theory and composition. Once I had that knowledge, I began composing music underneath the lyrics.
What was your first performance at like?
It was very fun! I sang “Winnie the Pooh” at a pageant. The second song I sang was “The Tide is High”. I felt completely carefree and confident performing for the first time in front of a crowd. From that moment on, I knew that I loved performing for big crowds. The bigger the crowd, the better for me.
Describe your music.
It’s all over the place as I’m currently trying to decide on a genre. For all of these years, I’ve seen my music as Pop/Adult Contemporary, but lately I’ve heard people say, “Your voice is perfect for Country”. I’ve also heard people say I should just be a Jazz singer or an Opera singer. I felt conflicted hearing these comments, so I’ve decided to put my Pop songs on hold for the moment , and I’m in the process of dabbling in all of these new genres to see what feels right for me.
Royalties never appear like magic. Royalties are only sent to you through work undertaken by a PRO to ensure that their members are getting paid. If you’re not yet signed up to a Performing Right Organization like ASCAP, BMI or SESAC, you may not be receiving all the royalties you deserve.
Do you belong to any to songwriters’ organizations like the International singer-songwriter association, SESAC, BMI or ASCAP ?
Yes, I belong to ASCAP.
What makes a good songwriter?
Someone who can create a memorable experience for the listener es their attention so much that they want to keep playing it over and over again. I also personally love songwriters who are great storytellers or are very clever with their lyrics or topics/themes. And, it always helps when songwriters write a melody that’s an ear worm.
What was the title of your first original song? Did you record it?
My first original song was called “Notice Me”. I did record it, and it’s available on iTunes. I was 11 when I recorded that. My voice has changed a lot since then (haha)!
What is the process of writing your music?Michelle Rose – Last First Kiss (Official Music Video) – YouTube
It all varies. I just recently wrote a song based off of a dress! The dress was really cool and I wanted to wear it in a potential music video someday. It was a little expensive, so I justified buying it by creating a song around the dress, and then I created a music video for it. I sometimes start my songs with a title, a melody, chords, lyrics. It all varies. But most songs take me 20 minutes to an hour to write. Very few songs have taken me more than an hour to complete.
6 months ago you released a video for “Last First Kiss” Tell me about the creation of the video?
I wanted it to be Valentine’s-themed, so I found romantic filming locations and wore clothes that were Valentine’s-themed colors. I worked with POEM KING, who acts in the video, and my videographer, Joshua McGrane from Ironclad Production Co., to come up with ideas for the scenes, as well.
Before that you released a song “You’re the Kind of Guy” Why did you pick a 50 theme for the video?
I picked a 50’s theme because my producer thought it would be fun for us to try a retro song since there aren’t many new 50’s-themed songs out there right now. I knew that the music video had to match the theme of the song, so I tried to make it as authentically retro as possible, even down to the vintage cars and vintage diners. I’ve wanted to do a 50’s video ever since I was a little girl, so this was truly a dream come true for me.
It was produced by Dr. Fink (Prince and the Revolution). How is it working with Dr. Fink on your music?
It’s been such an honor and a joy. Dr. Fink has become a great friend to me, and I sometimes refer to him as my ‘Music Dad’. He has given me a lot of guidance and support over the years. I was a fan of his before I was introduced to him. I went to see The Revolution perform live at First Avenue back in 2017, and I was so excited when I was connected to him and he agreed to work with me in 2018. I felt very lucky! Even though he’s a family friend now, I’m still very honored to know him and work with him.
Tell me about your song “Love Potion”?
I co-wrote “Love Potion” with Dr. Fink’s son, MVXMILLI. I wanted to write a song based on the title, because I thought we could make the song a perfect mixture of Spooky Halloween and flirtatious/romantic/fun. I think we accomplished that goal. The lyrics are about a fictional story. It’s about a girl who is so desperate for her crush to like her that she decides to try witchcraft for the first time and cast her first spell on him. The spell works for a while, but then it backfires, and he turns into a zombie who’s obsessed and stalking her. The song ends by saying, “Be careful what you wish for”. An underlying message of the song is basically that spells don’t work.
You are about to release “Midnight Moon” Is this a follow-up to “Ghosted
I wouldn’t say that it’s a follow-up to Ghosted. I’m planning to release a whole Halloween album, so it’s part of that. There will be many more Halloween songs coming out in the future, so “Midnight Moon” is the next piece in this collection of Spooky songs.
How was it to do a commercial for Goodwill?
It was so fun! My videographer, Joshua McGrane, from Ironclad Production Co., was the videographer for the commercial. It was great to work with him on a non-music video project. I love Halloween, and I had a blast working on this Halloween-themed commercial. I played the “Bride of Frankenstein” and wore a fun costume with elaborate hair and makeup. I was so pleasantly surprised by the enormous selection of Halloween costumes they offered at Goodwill.
Have you had a chance to go into the Goodwin Bin Store where you pay by the pound?
No, I’m not familiar with that, but I’ll have to check it out now that you’ve mentioned it!
What are you’re feelings about streaming music?
I think there are pluses and minuses. As someone who consumes music all day everyday, I’m grateful that I don’t have to pay very much money to stream unlimited songs without ads. But as a musician, I am personally upset that there aren’t more laws in place that protect musicians and provide them with more income from streaming. I saw that a political representative in Michigan is working to put a law in place that would require a “minimum wage”, so to speak, that would guarantee a certain amount of money per streams for musicians, which I think is incredible, and VERY overdue. It is ridiculous to me that some artists might only get pennies from getting millions of streams. It seems that touring and selling merch are the main ways artists are making money these days. But what if the world shuts down again and live music pauses? Or if you used to be a star back in the day when you were younger, and now it’s harder for you to put on a show. I just think there has to be some kind of massive change so musicians have a liveable income and aren’t struggling just to survive. We put so much of our own money into creating music, and it’s hard to see a return. We deserve to have a guaranteed stable income, just like pretty much all other professions do. We shouldn’t be treated as second class-citizens because of our profession.
The symbol # is known as the number sign, hash, pound sign and a sharp sign in music. The symbol has historically been used for a wide range of purposes Since 2007, widespread usage of the symbol to introduce metadata tags on social media platforms has led to such tags being known as “hashtags”, and from that, the symbol itself is sometimes called a hashtag.
Are people forgetting that the # is a part of music?
It seems that they are forgetting it’s a part of music! But I definitely haven’t forgotten because I deal with the # (sharp sign) pretty much everyday with my music projects!
Digital vs. vinyl?
Digital for me. I don’t have room anywhere to keep a record player and records, and I like how portable my phone is. But I understand why so many people love the sound of vinyl. It’s a beautiful sound.
What song from the past is in your mind right now? Moreover, what is the meaning that song means to you?
One song that I play year round, because it’s one of my favorite songs of all time, is “I Can See Clearly Now”. It’s my go-to pick-me-up song. It’s so happy and uplifting. The lyrics are so good! It reminds me to look on the brightside and be thankful for what I have in my life – even if I’m going through a hard time.
If “Video Killed the Radio Star” do you think that the Covid-19 virus has killed live music? Do you feel the Covid-19 virus is going to affect the music business in the future?
So far, it seems like it hasn’t affected live music very much. It seems that live shows are back to normal now. However, it seems that less people are going to shows now, and some people are still choosing to wear masks in public. But for the most part, it seems to all be “normal” again. I think Covid-19 will continue to affect the music business in the future because we may have more waves of infections coming. Also, the music industry is more interconnected internationally now because we have learned that we can do more of our work remotely than we thought we could before. Social media/the internet are an integral part of the music industry now.
Do you think that Covid-19 has been a plus to an artist career?
It was a plus in a way, because it forced artists to think outside the box and find new ways to connect with listeners. People did more live stream performances, and TikTok blew up. All of those things will still be beneficial to an artists’ career going forward.
How do you stay healthy during the lockdown?
I just eat healthy. I try to go for walks to get some vitamin D, fresh air, and ligt exercise. And I try to sleep well, but that’s always a struggle for me. I also try to take care of my mental health by listening to healing/calming frequency/Hz music, taking baths, and listening to self-help podcasts.
Have you discovered or rediscovered any new hobbies?
I’ve rediscovered horseback riding! I used to take lessons when I was younger, and I loved it. I recently started taking lessons again. It’s so fun going on trails with a horse.
How can bands keep their fans if they cannot play live in front of the fans and sell merchandise to them at the show?
Through social media platforms like TikTok, Instagram, and Facebook. They can do livestream shows, cover requests, or sell merch online. There are so many possibilities because of the internet.
Pay to play has been a thing since the 1950s. It was called Payola. It was the illegal practice of paying a commercial radio stations to play a song. This has been stopped. But in the during the same time music venues took it to the next level. Many venues started to ask bands to pay for a spot on a bill and this is still going today with large tours having a unknown band paying money to open up for the tour in exchange for the band to get a bigger audience for their music. Is pay to play still a thing?
Yes, that sounds like paying to play to me. I know on a smaller scale, some venues will book you if you can guarantee to sell a certain number of tickets.
What about Holographic concerts in our living room?
I’ve heard of holographs of artists used in concerts, but never in a fan’s own living room. I guess I’d have to see it to judge it, but it sounds a little too futuristic and creepy for my taste. I think it would take away the live aspect of a performance, and would just feel like I’m watching a video (since that’s essentially what I would be doing).
In the past if a musician stop doing music they find a new career. For example David Lee Roth from Van Halen became a licensed EMT in NY for 6 years, San Spitz (guitarist for Anthrax) became a master watchmaker, Dee Snider (Twister Sister) voice over work for SpongeBob SquarePants.. If you can’t do music, what would you like to be doing?
My biggest dream before deciding on singing was to be an actor. I still act for fun here and there, but my dream growing up was to move to LA and be in major motion pictures. Otherwise, I think I would become a news anchor, because I’ve had a lot of training in public speaking from my pageant days, and it seems like it would be a really rewarding job, especially because I like to keep up on the news, both nationally and internationally.
What is your happy place?
Being by water, whether it’s the ocean, a river, a lake, a pool, a hot tub, or a bath. There’s something so calming about water to me, and I love to swim. I’m always happiest when I’m by water.
Red Hot Chili Peppers are about to sell their entire song catalog for $140 Million. In the past year a lot of musicians such as Stevie Nicks ($100 Million) , Bob Dylan (over $400 Million), Taylor Swift, Journey, Def Leppard, K.T. Tunstall, and Shakira have sold their catalog rights within the last year. Bob Dylan sold his entire catalog for a reported $300 million. Neil Young song 50 percent of his worldwide copyright and income interest in his 1,180-song catalogue to Hipnosis Songs Fund limited. Once you get to the age of about 70. Publishing is far more lucrative then the mechanical royalties paid to artist based on sales, airplay and streams. A good example of this is Michael Jackson brought the rights to the Beatles catalog in 1985. And in the late 80’s the Beatles Revolution appeared in a Nike commercial.
IT should be noted, that there is a huge differences between royalties for songwriting and performance. So if you made a deal to seel off your back catalog you can setup it so you can still perform your own songs. And that anything thing new you create you would still be yours.
The lump sums being offered by publishing firms are more tax friendly concerning estate planning.
Do you think you would be willing to sale your back catalog if someone like Universal is will to buy everything, such as all the rights to all your songs?
I would definitely be willing to sell my back catalog. I love my songs, but I also have to survive and make an income 🙂 haha. If I was offered $400 million, like in Bob Dylan’s case, there’s no way I could turn that down. It would be a bad business move not to take that offer. If I made that much money from my songs, I wouldn’t have to tour at all and could just stay home, writing songs. It sounds amazing to me!
What is your feeling about TikTok? With Sony Music and Warner Music strucking an “expanded” global licensing agreement with Universal Music Group. Now that TikTok is now fully licensed by all three major record companies, will you start using TikTok more?
I think TikTok is an amazing resource, especially for musicians. It has launched so many careers and gives everyone a fair chance to blow up, whether they’re signed to a major label or not. I will start using TikTok more, even though I don’t want to. I fully believe that TikTok is incredible for artists, but I also hate that posting on TikTok is an expectation for artists – ESPECIALLY independent artists. The music industry is telling us that we should be posting 3-5 TikToks per day. If I were to do that, I would want to take the time to put on a nice outfit and do my hair and makeup, and then come up with an idea, practice it, film it, and edit it. It seems like that would take so much time. Independent musicians are already doing everything themselves, from marketing/PR, networking, performing, making songs, practicing, etc. So, I think TikTok itself is great, but I also think that the new expectation for artists to constantly post on TikTok is wrong, since we don’t have much free time.
Also, TikTok has launching TikTok Radio (ch. 4), a full-time SiriusXM music channel. The station will be available is vehicles and as a streaming channel on the SiriusXM App, desktop, and all connected devices.
The station will be part of a new TikTok collaboration with SiriusXM and its subsidiary, Pandora, to jointly promote emerging talent. Do you think this platform could became a force in the future of streaming music?
I definitely do! It sounds very promising. I’m sure it will blow up just like the TikTok app has blown up.
They say create content content content. How does pre-save help with content
It helps by showing the algorithm that fans are excited to hear your music, and then the algorithm pushes your profile to new listeners and playlists.
Anything you would like to say in closing.
Thank you so much for asking me to do this interview!
