VP: I always loved to sing as a little girl… watched boatloads of musicals and sang Billy Joel at the top of my lungs in the car with my parents… I didn’t pick up a guitar until college though. And I had stage fright too…. so I never really thought I would become a performer. But I started performing live in 2002 and I fell in love with it. It took a number of years before the butterflies went away, and even now, if I haven’t toured in a while, those first few shows are nerve-wracking.
MTM: Why do you do it, now?
VP: In all honesty, I ask myself that question sometimes. I still love music and writing and performing, but sometimes, the daily grind of booking/management/etc can really stamp out the fire of creativity. It’s gotten so that I need to take off long stretches of time from doing all of the leg work so that I still enjoy working on new albums, putting out new material.
MTM: What was the last song you listened to (disc in the car or what-not)?
VP: “New Lover” by Josh Ritter.
MTM:How did you connect with Artists in the Plus and what attracted you to working with them?
VP: I think John Voshell got in touch with me at some point. I was struck by his enthusiasm for this project – and his long-term dedication to it.
MTM: 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?
VP: We were on the road last year and unable to be near a good internet connection. We’re excited about this year!
MTM: What would you like to see as a result of the festival, this year?
VP: I am not sure – keeping an open mind. Since I wasn’t able to do last year’s, I have no idea what to expect. It would be great to be able to reconnect with fans that I haven’t seen in a long time.
MTM: 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?
VP: Not yet. I am still kind of new to all of these services. They intrigue me, but I have to confess that I’m still more attracted to in-person performances…but I think that is changing. It’s just a matter of getting used to the new forum.
MTM: Village Studios in LA will be hosting the festival, this year and there will be a studio stage in North Carolina and another in Norway. Will you be travelling or performing remote from your own studio?
VP: Remote from home!
VP: Sarah Harmer. She’s my favorite singer/songwriter.
MTM: What one thing would you change about this world, if you could?
VP: It sounds so dumb… but I wish there was a lot more kindness, and a lot less meanness in the world. I just don’t understand mean-spiritedness, and sometimes it weighs on me.
MTM: Where can we find you and your music?
VP: Everywhere! www.vanessapeters.com, or via iTunes, Bandcamp…
