I was born and raised in New Orleans, a culture soaked in jazz. Everything we did involved music in some form. I was introduced to music by my Mother, who volunteered me to join our church choir. I started to write my own material in high school and taught myself to play guitar several years after that.
Why do you do it, now?
My early influences were Whitney Houston, Michael Jackson, Anita Baker and Mariah Carey. Today, I still have several favorite artists, but what inspires me are the fans. The folks who listen and are touched by what I’m sharing. The people who say “I saw you playing the other day Anitra, and I want to learn to play guitar.” The people who say how touched they are by what I shared, that they want to start their own business, or leave an abusive relationship, or come to know Christ. That inspires me to keep going.
What was the last song you listened to (disc in the car or what-not)?
“Ain’t No Sunshine” by Bill Withers.
How did you connect with Artists in the Plus and what attracted you to working with them?
I got connected with Artists in the Plus through Sara Corbin and Robert Combs. They are on staff with Artists in the Plus and they are the brains behind Scratch Track Studios. They showed up at an Artists in the Round show that I host regularly and the rest is history! I was attracted to working with AITP because I’m not sure there’s anything like it. The camaraderie among the artists, the huge community of fans, and the humbleness of the staff (being so down-to-earth and all about promoting the artists) are all qualities that caught my attention.
Last year’s festival was a huge success and changed a lot of things about music on the net. Were you a part of that?
I just recently got involved, so I was not a part of last year’s festivities. But I’m super excited about being a part of the festival this year! 🙂
What would you like to see as a result of the festival, this year?
Good times and connections. This is a grassroots movement. I’d like to see it receive the attention it deserves. I’d like to see artists connecting with fans and vice versa.
Have you been using services like Hangouts On Air, U-Stream, Street-Jelly, or others to perform live via video on line? What kind of reaction are you getting?
I have used Hangouts On Air. People from all over the world are tuning in. They are saying “I can’t believe I didn’t know about you. Where can I get your music. This type of stuff should be on the radio.”
I am fortunate enough to live nearby the North Carolina Stage, Scratch Track Studios. I will be broadcasting from there during the festival.
I would say Raul Midon. He is powerful, adventurous, and looks like a lot of fun to join in with.What one thing would you change about this world, if you could?
Oh my Gosh, there are so many things to choose from! I would put us all back in the Garden of Eden, before all the bad stuff started such as lying, corruption, murder, hard work, labor pains, and sin! We would all be traipsing around naked without a care in the world. Ooh, does that sound like hippie talk????
Where can we find you and your music?
Reach out to me on Facebook and Twitter. I answer back!
Shout out to John Voshell and the AITP staff for putting this festival on and creating the AITP community. You are working really hard and on behalf of all the artists, THANK YOU!
