FABULOUS NEW YORKERS
MARJORIE MAYE
Marjorie
Maye is a very expensive enigma. A puzzling and complex delightful
“Femme Fatale”. She looks stunning, she flirts with “La Forza del
Destino”, she mocks the absurdity of intellectualism, she spreads beauty
and passion around her, and her “scent” dissolves you in a mirage of
sensuality and daring thoughts…and she loves dessert and mint chocolate
chip ice cream. Everything about this Diva is challenging and magical,
including her humility. Really? Is she really humble?
Marjorie follows fashion and wears European and American expensive designers labels. She loves Charnel and Prada. Manolo Blahnik shoes are her favorite. Michael Kors and Vera Wang live in her wardrobe walking closets. Black is her favorite color. Marjorie told me: “Black is versatile, mysterious and sexy. I'm from New York, where we're legally required to wear black at least 75% of the time.” But, the wall colors of her apartment are of an earthy tone, lots of neutrals. I expected something different, en vue of her visions of the world, style and mesmerizing persona. I expected Napoleonic Style Empire burgundy wall colors covered with contradictory Toulouse de Lautrec drawings. Marjorie came to the rescue. Asking her “What usually, do you have on your desk?”, Marjorie replied: “A Macintosh G4 Titanium PowerBook, a Sony digital recorder, a Motorola cell phone, a Monte Blanc pen, and a white orchid plant.” Marjorie loves the finest things in life yet, she does not collect artifacts unless it is Manolo Blahnik! Why should she? She is a piece of art herself! A masterpiece in motion. A modern Bizet’s Carmen driving a Mercedes ML SUV and a BMW convertible inviting the wind to flirt with her hair and driving crazy those who were left behind. Marjorie is not a Democrat, nor a Republican. She is an Independent. She votes for the candidate, not for the party. What people first notice about her? “First my eyes, then, my mouth. I¹ve been told I have a big one!” explained Marjorie Maye.
IMPRESSIVE ACCOMPLISHMENTS
Photo:
Marjorie in her wedding dress.
Her biographer wrote: “So after a few years of working 90 hours a week, the music side of her life started to pay off. By 1996, her songs started appearing on prime time and daytime TV. Since then, Marjorie's music has aired on HBO, ABC, NBC, CBS, FOX, WB, UPN, LIFETIME, DISCOVERY and TNT; on Emmy winning shows such as The Sopranos, and on prime time series such as Seventh Heaven, Two of a Kind, Clueless, The Strip, Seven Days, ER, and Pacific Palisades; on daytime television, such as All My Children, As the World Turns, Young & The Restless, One Life to Live, Another World, Guiding Light, and Sunset Beach; and in NBC movies of the week, such as Witness to The Mob, (exec. produced by Robert De Niro), and A Champion's Fight. "I even sang on some of the masters. It was great that other people were finally able to hear and feel the music I was making. But unfortunately, it wasn't enough to officially switch professions quite yet."
But one day it would be.
Her first
mutli-platinum release finally came in
November
1999, when her heart wrenching ballad "If Only Tears Could Bring You
Back," (co-written with Russ DeSalvo/ produced by Jimmy Bralower )
appeared in the Warner Bros. film, "Pokemon, The First Movie." and
on the multi-platinum soundtrack on Atlantic Records, featuring
artists such as 'NSync, 98° , Britney Spears, and Christina
Aguilera.
Soon after, Columbia
Pictures' "Stuart Little" hit the theaters and remained #1 at the
box office for several weeks. Her song, "The Two of Us," recorded by
"SClub 7" (co-written and produced by Soul Solution) was featured on
the "Stuart Little" soundtrack on Motown/Universal Records.
In the year
following, an assortment of artists began covering her songs,
including "Sentidos Opeustos." The Latin duo released their 3rd LP,
"Movimiento Perpetuo" on EMI Latin, featuring, "Promises,"
(co-written and produced by Jimmy Greco and Ray Contreras) . The
record went Gold and reached the Top10.
But it wasn't
until 2001, when she got her first back to back hit singles, that
things really started heating up.
"Strawberry
Kisses," (co-written with Andy Marvel and Jeff Franzel) debuted at
#2, on the Australian charts launching the career of hot new BMG/Gotham
artist Nikki Webster. The song held the slot for 8 weeks, reaching
ARIA Certified Double Platinum.
Meanwhile, on
the other side of the world, her first Spanish single, "Love
Colada," (co-written with Andy Marvel and Amy Powers) was released
by OV7, Epic's hottest young Latin group and reached #3.
Later that
same summer, Marjorie signed a sub-publishing deal with EMI
International out of New York.”
CANDID INTERVIEW WITH MARJORIE MAYE
Q- Are you fun or
strictly a corporate executive?
A- Fun.
Q- On a more personal level, what inspires you to write and compose?
A- Everything and anything. Titles are my thing, once I have that, I
imagine a story line and go from there. They come from everywhere.
Conversations, book titles, arguments, good movie lines, you name it.
Q- Is there "the right moment" to write and compose?
A- For me, it's late night. I don't do mornings. I can't think properly
till after 11am. Besides, my theory is that during the day, while
everyone is awake, all the good ideas are being used, however, if you
create late at night, when everyone is sleeping, more ideas are free to
access from the universal consciousness it's sort a supply and demand
thing.
Q- How do you bring life to
your music and lyrics?
A- Lyrically, I try to use images you can touch and feel in my writing.
Instead of saying, "she's depressed, but she hides it, "I'd say
something like "her eyes are filled with tears but she pretends their
stars". Musically, I shoot for the solid hook. In the early days, I'd
call a non-musical friend and sing the hook, then about an hour later,
call them back and see if they remembered any of it. If it stuck, I'd
know it was a keeper.
Q- What instrument (s) do you use to compose your music?
A- I usually compose my melodies vocally, right into a digital recorder,
but sometimes I use a baby grand.
Q- What do you fear most in life?
A- I prefer to go with "Faith not Fear".
Q- Do you talk about it in your music and lyrics?
A- Yes, actually, I have a song called "Faith not Fear".
Q- What do you say?
A- Chorus:
"Faith not fear, hope not doubt
if you love through the hate, you can turn it around
faith not fear, that¹s the key,
to the answer to the question
what is truth, just believe, it is faith not fear."
Q- How well do you do that?
A- I'd like to think I get the job done. The most rewarding thing as a
writer is when you know what you¹ve written has touched someone else¹s
life and made a difference. When the listener feels you wrote it just
for them.
Q- Science evolves and progresses, does your music or poetry evolve with
time or transcend it?
A- Both. I'd like to think my music is timeless. But sometimes,
especially with the pop and urban stuff, I'll use terms that are trendy,
timely, and way more street. For instance, in a hip-hop song I wrote
last year, instead of saying, "you've been going around town calling all
your friends to tell them that you kissed me", I'd say something like,
"drop the drama on two-way and the cell, off the heezy with the kissy
and the tell." Believe it or not, they mean the same
thing.
Q- Was it a stroke of
luck, meeting those superstars whom you work with?
A- Sure, a little bit of it was luck. But trust me, it was a lot of
work.
Q- What did you do to get noticed by those superstars?
A- I stuck around, refused to give up, networked, worked hard, and
surrounded myself with brilliant collaborators whose work I admired. I
spent almost 10 years writing before I got on my first multi-platinum
record.
A- Getting my calls returned. No, seriously. That's a huge step in
this business. That and you know that what you write, for the most part,
is going to get heard. The artist may not cut it, but either their A&R
or someone in their camp will most likely take a listen and let you know
what they think, even if it's a pass.
Q- What did you do first, short after you got your first break in your
career? A- I thanked God.
Q -If you were not a
singer, composer, musician and lyricist, what would you be doing today?
A- I'd probably still be a computer programmer. Yes, I am a total geek.
Q- While you are performing, writing or composing, do you look at the
faces of people who surround you?
A- Sure.
Q- Which face attracts you most? Faces that catch you attention? What do
you see in people?
A- The eyes attract me first. They say everything, without a word.
Q- Who approaches you more frequently? Who express more admiration
toward you, men or women?
A- Mostly young girls, but also middle aged Men, and older Women.
Q- Why is that?
A- Young girls because of the pop stuff I've written for lots of young
artists. I co-wrote “Strawberry Kisses," the single for Nikki Webster,
this incredible 12 year old artist in Australia. Same song was then
translated into Portuguese and released with Brazils Pop Star winners, a
girl's group on Sony called "Rouge" they went 10x platinum. The middle
aged Men and older Women, tend to be more familiar with artists like "Celine
Dion", and would be most likely listening to the adult contemporary
music.
Q- Who is your best audience? Why?
A- Teens. I have written a lot of young pop music, because it was so in
demand for a while, but now the audience is growing, thankfully, and the
lyrical content can get deeper.
Q- What are your best qualities as an
artist?
A- My versatility and my tenacity.
Q- And as a woman?
A- My sensitivity.
Q- Tell me about the best few lines you wrote?
A- It's hard to choose my favorite, but I really like this one:
"she can hear the
whispers at the garden wall
she can feel the rhythm as the thoughtless ocean rolls
Over castles in the sand that couldn¹t stand the test of time
All that¹s left is what she gets from living in her mind"
-- Verse from "She Dreams":
Q- And the very first
lines of the very first song you wrote?
A- First song I ever wrote was back in 1989, it was called " Time for
Déjà vu"
First lines were:
"I've lived it all before, I¹ve cried these tears and more
It seems like déjà vu whenever I see you"
Q- And what happened next? Did you keep what you wrote, store it, forget
about it or sell it?
A- I demoed it. Never placed it with an artist though.
Q- Does it happen to you (sometimes) that some superstars with whom you
work don't like your music or lyrics?
A- If they are working with me they usually like most of what I do.
But, sure, sometimes I’ll need to change a few lines, because the
artist is relating to most of it, but doesn’t feel a particular line is
true to who they are, or sometimes the artist is very young, and a line
needs to be changed because it’s too suggestive.
Q- Then, how you deal with it? What do you do next?
A- I usually make the edits. I want the artist to really feel the song
in their heart. If they don’t believe it, how can their audience.
Q- Have you ever had any unpleasant experience on stage, with producers,
singers, peers?
A- Not really. I must just be lucky, I haven’t had any kinds of
problems. I work, with the coolest group of writers producers and
singers.
Q- Did you write your "masterpiece" or not yet?
A- I don’t think I’ve created it quite yet. I’ve written some really
solid songs, some of which I’m especially proud of. Unfortunately, the
ones that get cut and become hits are not always the ones you love
most.
Q- Any advice to all those aspiring artists who need a break?
A- Surround yourself with the most amazing undiscovered talent you can
find. Today's demo singer who nobody knows, or the great arranger
working in his basement may one day be the next big sensation, so just
work with talented people and be loyal to them. Most successful artists
come with camps of people who got them there.
Q- What they should do when they are rejected?
A- Stick around. Don¹t give up and don¹t take it too personally, hone
your craft and keep going. Don't get jaded. People can tell when you
are. Stay positive and keep creating, and when you've created the best
thing you think you can create, start something else and make it even
better.
Q- What are the 3 most important qualities in a writer and a composer?
A- Wit, versatility and humility.
Q- Do you have those qualities?
A- I¹d like to think so.
Q- And the 3 most important strengths?
A- Creativity, Cleverness, and the inability to settle
Q- Your favorite foreign singers and songwriters?
A- Dan Hill is one of my favorite writers and Celine is one of my
favorite singers, both are from Canada, does that count as foreign?
As for overseas artists, I'd say Andrea Bocelli.
Q- And American favorite torch singers?
A- It would have to be Whitney Houston.
Q- Do you get mad sometimes?
A- Sure.
Q- What makes you mad?
A- Stupidity and incompetence.
Q- And do you make people mad at
You?
A- Sure. Who doesn't?
Q- Did your good looks help you in your career?
A- A pleasant appearance seldom hurts. So yes, it may have helped in
meeting industry professionals. But I always remember what my father
told me, "Good looks may get you in the door, but they won't keep you in
the room. Once you have their attention, you better have the substance
to back it up."
Q- Do you produce other's work?
A- I mostly produce what I write.
Q- What do you require as a prerequisite from those aspiring artists who
knock on your doors?
A- Some sort of vocal sample and a photo. It doesn't have to be a fully
produced demo, it could be as simple as a piano vocal, you can usually
tell when someone has that something special right away.
Q- Do you go by the book in giving a chance to others, or just you
follow your intuitions?
A- Intuition.
Q- Did any of those artists you previously helped or worked with, become
successful or famous?
A- Songs I've written have been the singles which launched new artist
careers at different labels from BMG to Sony, such as Nikki Webster and
Rouge, and several demo singers I've worked with have found success at
different labels, so yes, I guess indirectly I may have effected their
careers.
Q- Your greatest challenge as a recording artist, composer and
songwriter?
A- Writing for movie soundtracks. It¹s great. You screen the movie or
read the script or just get a music cue describing what they "think"
they are looking for, and write something for it. It's hard because you
need to be on tempo, nail the musical vibe, and most importantly, be
scene appropriate without being so dead on that it becomes corny.
Q- What do you like and dislike about American men? European men?
A- For the most part, I think men in general are pretty cool.
Predictable at times, but you gotta love them. What do I dislike about
them. not much, other than the fact that they all forget to put the
toilet seat down.
A- Late and late. I sleep around 2ish and up around 10ish.
Q- Last question. What are the questions you don't like to answer?
A- I take the fifth. Talk to me in 7 years after the statute of
limitations have expired (just kidding!).
THE POPE,
THE CHIEF RABBI, AND JEWISH ORPHANS AFTER THE HOLOCAUST” TOPIC OF FEB. 2
NYU LECTURE
Michael Marrus, a professor of Holocaust Studies at the University of
Toronto, will deliver “The Pope, the Chief Rabbi, and Jewish Orphans
after the Holocaust” on Thurs., Feb. 2, 5:30 p.m., at New York
University’s Rosenthal Pavilion, 10th Floor, Kimmel Center for
University Life (60 Washington Sq. South at LaGuardia Place). The
lecture is co-sponsored by NYU’s Taub Center for Israel Studies as well
as NYU’s Program in Religious Studies and the university’s Catholic
Center. The event is free and open to the public, but space is limited.
The public should RSVP to
fas.taubcenter@nyu.edu or 212.998.8981. Reporters interested
in attending should contact James Devitt, NYU’s Office of Public
Affairs, at 212.998.6808 or
james.devitt@nyu.edu. Marrus’ published works include: The Unwanted:
European Refugees in the Twentieth Century; The Holocaust in History;
and Vichy France and the Jews (with Robert Paxton).
How to get there: New York University’s Rosenthal Pavilion, 10th Floor,
Kimmel Center for University Life (60 Washington Sq. South at LaGuardia
Place) [Subway Lines: A, B, C, D, E, F, V (West 4th Street); N, R, W
(8th Street); 6 (Astor Place)]
EDITOR’S NOTE: The Taub Center for Israel Studies, established in 2003,
is one of the few university-based research centers dedicated to the
study of modern Israel and its recent history, society, and
politics. The Taub Center supports lectures, seminars, scholarly
colloquia, and other special programs for students, faculty, and
the community. The Center was established with a gift from the
Henry and Marilyn Taub Foundation.
___________________________________
Why Can't a
Woman Be More Like a Man?
A Provocative Lecture and Discussion of Gender and Physiology
Wednesday, February 15 at 7:30 pm,
sponsored by The Village Temple Sisterhood at 33 East 12th Street,
between Broadway and University Place, Subways: 4,5,6, L, N, R to Union
Square.
By Janet Falk, The Village Temple Sisterhood
It’s not only their genitalia that make men and women
different anatomically. Their hearts and brains also have distinctive
characteristics. But physicians are not usually aware of these
differences. According to Dr. Marianne J. Legato, MD, FACP, Director,
Partnership for Gender-Specific Medicine at Columbia University, “Unless
they are focusing on the reproductive system, most doctors have a
tendency to treat patients as though they were all the same sex: male.”
Dr. Legato’s lecture, “Why Can’t a Woman Be More Like a Man?,” is
sponsored by the Village Temple Sisterhood on Wednesday, February 15th
at 7:30 p.m. at the Village Temple. A suggested donation of $5.00 is
requested.
The Village Temple Sisterhood is a multi-generational group of dynamic
women. It serves the Village Temple community by offering supportive
programs that enhance the warmth of worship services and the
connectedness of all Jews. It also presents lectures and organizes other
events throughout the year, often in conjunction with holidays. Monthly
meetings are designed to inform and inspire members, and all women and
men of the Village Temple are welcome to attend. From Mid-Summer Night's
Supper to Chanukah Brunch to the annual Street Fair fundraiser,
Sisterhood members are actively translating the principles of Judaism
into concern and action. For further information on this event or other
Village Temple Sisterhood programs, contact Janet Falk, 212-677- 5770.
___________________________________
REMEMBERING JOHN LENNON
Music fans around the world have been marking the life of John Lennon on the 25th anniversary of his death. The singer was shot outside a Manhattan apartment building by Mark Chapman. Jeremy Cooke reports from New York.
____________________________________
One of the floral tributes was around the title to Imagine, the solo John Lennon song which became a hit across the world when it was re-released after his death.
Various images of Lennon were shown in the city where the singer was born during a German air raid in 1940.
Back on ground level, tributes were also paid at The Cavern, which remembers the historic venue The Beatles used to play in.
In Japan, fans paid tribute at a Beatles museum in the northern city of Saitama. Candles were lit in remembrance to Lennon, who was shot by deranged fan Mark Chapman.
Q: What is
the most pleasant sound to your ears?
Tina: The well produced (meaning well placed) sound of the human
voice. There is nothing that can touch me more deeply.
Q: And the most beautiful site to your eyes?
Tina: My children sleeping.
Q: If you had to summarize your whole life in one single song title, what
it would be?
Tina: Woman of Heart and Mind (Joni Mitchell).
"I don't change or try to be different for anyone."
Q: You have
multidimensional talents in so many areas. Singing, writing, composing,
entrepreneurial projects, stage, and..... of course, you have created so
many different stage personalities. Would this "varied persona of an
artist" deprives you from defining the Tina Shafer genre?
Tina: I would not say my stage personality is that varied. I am
who I am when I sing and write and perform, when I teach and even when I
do business. It is really all the same person. I don't change or try to
be different for anyone.
Q: You wrote and composed for giants and celebrities in the
business. Is there, somewhere, song (s) others sang you wished were yours?
Tina: Oh boy, that is a tough one. There are so many outstanding
songs I wish had come from me. A few are:
"Vincent" by Don Mclean almost every Joni Mitchell song, Early Carol
King, especially "you've got a friend" and "Tapestry" "All the Lonely
People" Lennon and McCartney "Kathy's Song" Paul Simon, "Superstar" The
Carpenters..."The Chain" Fleetwood Mac, "Moon River" Henry Mancinni
"Children and Art" Stephen Sondhiem, "The Song Remembers When" Hugh
Prestwood "The Moon is a Harsh Mistress" Jimmy Webb... "That Ain't me
Babe" Dylan....OK that is just a start!!!
"My two
children are the best gift I have ever received..."
Q: What was the best gift you have ever received?
Tina: My two children Ariana and Thomas
Q: And the one you have ever given?
Tina: Selfless love to my children, my husband and to my
students...( I teach voice)
Q: What people notice first about you?
Tina: That I am very short.
Q: And what you notice first about people?
Tina: Their faces, their voices and the way they carry themselves
(are they apologetic or tense or at ease)
Q: What do you fear most in life?
Tina: the way I will die.
"
I am by
nature like a little girl. I can have fun if I am with someone who makes
me laugh and can be childlike with."
Q: The two most beautiful lines of a song you sang or heard?
Tina: Impossible to answer. Too many to choose from
Q: Are you fun? What do you do for fun?
Tina: I am by nature like a little girl. I can have fun if I am
with someone who makes me laugh and can be childlike with.
Q: What does success mean for you?
Tina: Inner peace.
Q: Do you follow fashion? Is your wardrobe part of your stage presence?
Tina: I wear what looks good on me whether or not it is in
"fashion".
Q: What do you like most about yourself?
Tina: My ability to laugh at myself (alot).
Tyra's
Final Spin on the Runway
Photo:
Rod Gilbert.
Photo:
Chava Koster.
Cantor Kathy J. Barr
has been performing since the age of seven. A native New Yorker, Cantor Barr
made her operatic debut at the age of nine, as the Witch in "Hansel and
Gretel" at the 92nd St. Y, and her broadcast debut at the age of thirteen,
playing Beethoven's Pathétique Sonata on the piano over WNYC's Young America
Plays. Prior to beginning her cantorial studies, she was active in regional
opera and oratorio as well as in liturgical music and performed as soloist
both at home and abroad, including concert tours of the Caribbean, Italy and
two tours of Greece with Robert DeCormier and the New York Choral Society.
Orchestral engagements have included the New York Philharmonic, the American
Symphony Orchestra, the Pittsburgh Symphony, the Dallas Symphony Orchestra,
and the New York Opera< Orchestra, where she worked with such noted
conductors as Zubin Mehta, Lukas Foss, Robert DeCormier, Abraham Kaplan,
Matthew Lazar, Sergiu Comissiona, Robert Shaw, and Gerard Schwarz. She has
recorded for Vox Turnabout, Centaur, Sine Qua Non, Not Nice Music, Book of
the Month Records, and for the Western Wind, "The Birthday of the World," a
set of 2 CD's of High Holy Day music.She was ordained in 1996 by The Academy
for Jewish Religion, a seminary dedicated to Jewish pluralism, located in
New York City. Cantor Barr has taught grades K - 7 in religious school, led
High Holiday services at Manhattan's Central Synagogue (Reform) for eight
years and after ordination, served Congregation Beth Shalom
(post-denominational), West End Synagogue (Reconstructionist), and North
Shore Synagogue (Reform) in Syosset, Long Island. Cantor Barr is married to
Ed Weissman, an attorney, and is the proud mother of Sara and Nora Fantry.
