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10 Questions with ... Elizabeth Chan
December 12, 2016
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BRIEF CAREER SYNOPSIS:
Facebook: www.facebook.com/LizChanMusic Twitter: twitter.com/lizchanmusic YouTube: www.youtube.com/user/lizchanmusic Instagram: @lizchanmusic
Singer-songwriter, producer, entrepreneur and CEO, Elizabeth Chan is constantly reinventing herself with a holiday flair. The founder and CEO of Merry Bright Music, Chan has produced five albums since 2012, beginning with "Naughty & Nice," which hit Top 5 on the iTunes Holiday Chart the first week of release. In 2013. Her single, "A Christmas Song" was nominated for Best Original Song by the Streamy Awards. That same year, Chan released the single "Fa La La", off the "Everyday Holidays" album, which charted on Billboard. She made an encore appearance on the same chart last year for her single "Christmas in the City". Her holiday dedication has paid off: ASCAP has recognized Chan as one of the most played original Christmas songwriters on terrestrial and satellite radio in the U.S. Her new album "Five Golden Rings" was released on September 30, 2016 and she recently released a powerful music video for new single "Ghost of Christmas Past" which is currently gaining top 20 footing again on the Billboard AC charts. "Ghost of Christmas Past" is the only original tune in the Top 10, by a truly Independent artist.
About Merry Bright Music: Founded in 2012, Merry Bright Music is a New York City-based entertainment company, exclusively focused on producing Christmas and seasonal holiday content worldwide.
1. Your new song "Ghost Of Christmas Past" has been doing very well on the Christmas Charts. Please tell us about the inspiration for this song?
I am so honored to have the support of my music as I've had for the past few years. "Ghost of Christmas Past" is a particularly personal and special song. Being that my life is solely dedicated to writing and producing Christmas music, I wanted to offer the world a song that is more reflective of how some of us feel during the holiday season.
The inspiration of this song is quite simply my Grandmother and my experiences of Christmas' gone by. My maternal grandmother was really the person that brought Christmas to my family. My Christmas experience has definitely changed throughout the years from childhood through today. I look happily back at the memories but there is a wistfulness I feel for a time that has long gone.
As children we used to celebrate these huge get-togethers with my family, and now as adults we have our own worlds and families. Some of them are no longer with us. The memories are still always happy, and every Christmas the memories come back and overwhelm me. I feel so lucky to have the large family I was born into ... but time is vicious no? It is scary how fast the years can go by, but at the end of the day, I respect time. I respect memories, because they fuel our hearts and who we are as people.
I feel a lot the music at Christmas today doesn't really reflect the way we feel presently. Many songs are sweet and evocative of a different era where we might have been just a tad bit disingenuous about how we felt about life today.
Don't get me wrong, I still love the classics. If I didn't, I wouldn't be working so hard to become part of the canon of Christmas standards. I just feel that it's my legacy to provide a time capsule of humanity as we are today. It's ok to be more open with our feelings than it might have been in the 50s. In my music I also try to dial into the reasons of the season beyond "Santa Baby" and the commercialism around us. I really try to evoke this idea that our "presence" is our "present" for the holiday.
2. Please tell us about the making of your new video for "Ghost Of Christmas Past"?
Time is the most beautiful and vicious resource we have in our lives. Time gives us the chance to build and enjoy memories and it also has the power to take those memories away. When I wrote the song, I had my grandmother and all of my Christmas' pasts in mind.
I know a song is ready for a video when the vision appears in my mind the way I want to tell the story. Although the song was for my grandmother, I also know that many others during this time experience a bitter-sweetness of missing someone they love. It's a universal theme not often explored, especially not in music video form and especially not during the holidays.
This was a difficult video to produce because it is a strong narrative with some pretty unbelievable scenes for a Christmas video. I worried that the story and vision wouldn't translate, but it came out beautiful and thought provoking. It is a stunning video that feels more like a movie. I have already received responses from around the world telling me how it really touched them and how they loved the message. The message? Love each other while we are here.
Producing, directing and acting is another aspect of my artistry I get to share and I am so proud of this video. There are some really special messages in the video about myself as a person and my philosophies on Christmas.
Rather than going through the motions and doing a "safe" music video, renting a snow machine, donning fake furs and ugly Christmas sweaters, I prefer to be more invested in telling a story. Most of my songs are autobiographical and since I live Christmas all year long, I am very philosophical about the stories I want to share. I do not take the genre for granted on any platform. There are many scenes in this video that are extraordinarily personal. Easter eggs of sorts that if you really know me you will appreciate how I've woven my own life into the story line.
3. You are best known as that one artist who only does Christmas music. Some even call you "The Queen Of Christmas Music. But you did recently release your first non-Christmas song called "Concrete Tears" as a tribute to 9/11 which you experienced first-hand as a resident of downtown Manhattan. Please tell us about this song and why "Concrete Tears" and what this song means to you?
It is really difficult for me to explore and dig into what the holidays and Christmas mean to me without paying homage to the two things that make the holidays special; family and home.
I had been personally traumatized by the attacks on the World Trade Center. Having grown up across the street from the Twin Towers, my family home was destroyed and we were homeless for over a year. Admittedly, as New Yorkers we were encouraged to move forward. So, many of us probably didn't get the proper therapy to work out our collective post-traumatic stress. It wasn't until I came back to songwriting and dedicating my life to the ideals of home, family and the holidays that I felt I was able to truly heal. My songwriting about family is very cathartic. There isn't a song that I write that doesn't touch on my personal experience.
Having put so much thought and energy into holidays, it was very natural for me to write a song commemorating September 11th. In my heart I believe 9/11 should be a national federal holiday of remembrance.
My Christmas music is inspired and written for my family. "Concrete Tears" is a letter for my future family. A reminder to them that although Ground Zero is now a pristine shopping and tourist center, it has left a mark upon their future ancestors and a glimpse into the inspiration that paved the way for my legacy in Christmas music.
I acknowledge my future family as I acknowledge my ancestors. My latest album "Five Golden Rings" should really be called "Christmas Heart On My Sleeve." I've really opened up in a way about my family I haven't on any other record I've produced.
4. What are some social media strategies that are using to help you connect with your fans?
My social media lights are always on! If a fan spends the time to reach out to me, which is the best part of the Christmas season, then they are really going to get to speak with me! :)
At the core of every strong social media strategy is having great content. That's why my team and I always envision fun things that people will remember when they visit me online. That's why I am so detail oriented about my music videos! Also, this year, we put out a fun little web series called "The Christmas Office." They are really short snippet videos inspired by real life events that happened in our offices at Merry Bright Music! :)
5. As a one-woman writing, recording, producing and marketing machine (along with the help of a few elves) please tell us what it's like running your own label, and what a typical day would be in the hallways of Merry Bright Music?
I will be honest. I became the CEO of a record label because when I started, there was no other record label that took my dream seriously. No one handed me my label. I'm not backed by some rich father or benefactor. I'm not the kind of person to wait for someone to do something for me, time is my biggest enemy and if something needs to get done, I will try to figure out how it can get done. I feel lucky to have the professional capability to run my own record label, and I am thankful for the professional experiences I've had in my life to help me become the CEO I am. I realize I have skill sets most artists don't have, but I also earned those skills through hard work. I'm really lucky.
My lifestyle leans more towards a CEO than a Rockstar. I don't drink, no drugs, don't smoke. I like to get to bed early because I start my day early. This helps considering many of my partners are international. A typical day involves me reviewing my action items and call list. I answer all my emails and work on any business planning, reviewing contracts and deals. I make sure to schedule all my strategic team meetings before 1pm EST every day.
After 1pm I move on to creative and networking endeavors. I usually set up business lunches to discuss goals and opportunities. I find my strategic business mind needs the morning and my creative side is better during the afternoons. By the early evening I try to work out and I always have dinner with my family. Before I fall asleep, I will set up my action items and send emails. Rinse and repeat. I am a machine like that.
Nothing at Merry Bright Music is typical because I am also the principal artist/producer/composer. When I am in composing season - I treat my composing and producing like a structured job. I wake up very early, have my coffee and hit the keyboards and workstation. I produce, write and arrange until 2pm. Then I drop pencils, answer emails and address any business issues that I have to. I run all my studio sessions, I hire all the musicians and I run the production. From the first scratch vocal to the final mix, I review everything. I am a workaholic and a perfectionist. I am fueled by this insane need to do the best work I can do.
I rarely watch TV. I read A LOT. I always listen to the radio. The weekends I have learned to reserve a significant amount of personal time, but I pretty much consider work days seven days a week.
My work ethic is my fortune.
6. You recently reached the milestone of receiving over one million video views on YouTube. This is a big accomplishment for any independent artist. At what point does an artist actually start to receive checks from YouTube? And since streaming is one of the primary sources of revenue for an artist these days, are these payments significant?
If an independent artist simply enumerates success purely based on the dollars they make off of one channel, it is losing sight of the larger goal. The truth of the matter is that record labels (and I include major labels) invest nearly $500K to $2 Million dollars for artist development. Customer acquisition is a considerable investment that all record labels have to consider. Having a sincere and valuable presence on YouTube is part of the customer acquisition. I cannot tell you how many times during the Christmas season where a new listener will hear my song on the radio and immediately try to find the song, through Shazam or by remembering a portion of the lyric. That is conversion. YouTube is the place where most people land and connect. Once they find the videos they get to know me more as an artist and they follow me on my other socials every year. That's how I got the Million Video views. It's a recurring fan that remembers me every Christmas. I build my audience one Christmas at a time. The lifetime customer value for Elizabeth Chan is the most important KPI (Key Performance Indicator). The proper question is, how has your YouTube strategy helped in your customer acquisition? It is extremely valuable. The checks do come in, but it's not as important as developing a relationship with new and existing fans.
There will be artist and managers that have no idea what I just said. This is the problem in the music business. You have to know what I'm saying if you want to make it in this business.
On the second part of the question, streaming is incredibly valuable as a source of revenue and they are significant for Merry Bright. You just need to know your business and the intricacies of your revenue streams.
7. I hear you're big in Asia these days? Was this intentional as part of your global marketing strategy? Or did it just happen virally on its own?
No artist is an island. Christmas music is popular beyond this continent! I have an international team that oversees my global marketing and efforts outside the US. Although the world is getting smaller, my international fan base is extraordinarily loyal and stay engaged with me throughout the year. I am grateful to my entire team and my cohorts at Sony/RED, Kobalt, Viva and the dozen other folks that help spread the Christmas cheer around the globe. I was lucky to have caught the attention of a label in Asia that offered Merry Bright a distribution deal.
However, it takes continued work to cultivate an international audience. This is something I think about every day, and that is the reason why "Five Golden Rings" is my first release that has offered up tracks in 4 languages. I also have produced and sung on Christmas tracks in Mandarin, Spanish, Latin and Tagalog. Celine Dion, watch out!
8. You have previously had your songs placed in TV shows by the Kardashians and others. Do you have any interesting new publishing placements you can share?
Yes I always do, they are in pre-production now and some of the opportunities unfortunately end up on the cutting room floor. All I can say in an effort not to jinx is ... stay tuned! :D
9. What are your thoughts on the current paradigm shift in the music business and how radio, marketing and distribution seem to be evolving these days?
I am the beneficiary of entering the industry during this changing music business. I do believe if I tried to establish myself and ventured onto the scene as an independent label even 10 years ago, I would not have the success that I have today.
That being said, this is in no way to mean that establishing and developing an artist today is easy. NO WAY! The fact that the avenues are so democratic means there are more artists and talents to break through the noise, which puts the onus on the artist or in my case on the indie label.
Despite the technological advances in the industry, I still believe that radio is a powerful medium. The fact that there is so much content to find and listen to requires expert curation. The programmers of Christmas music across the country are true experts in this genre. So I never take for granted when a PD gives one of my songs a shot. It is a meaningful vote of confidence to share your art and work with their audience. Marketing and distribution is only meaningful if you have an audience to deliver to. This isn't a new phenomenon. Just the mechanisms in which we reach our audiences are evolving. Being an artist and label takes a lot more work and hustle. That's really the paradigm shift. Gone are the days of receiving a loan from a major. You have to give yourself the chance.
10. What has been your most inspiring moment as an artist?
Watching others cover my music all over the world. This is why I became a Christmas songwriter. Not to be the artist, but to be the vehicle to share the music. From children to adults, to hear their covers brings me to tears. Recently I found some YouTube videos of dancers, ice skaters and students who have taken the songs I've shared and they have made them their own. Watching them share it with their community and friends is such an extraordinary feeling. That's the mark of the start of a Christmas classic, when people make it their own.
Bonus Questions
What is one of your Christmas traditions?
I grew up celebrating the Italian Christmas tradition of eating Struffoli. Every year, I buy freshly made Struffoli from New York City's Little Italy and I wait patiently until Christmas day and spend the rest of the year eating myself silly with that stuff. It is a personal tradition no one in my family shares anymore. I guess everyone outgrew it except me!
Besides your own music, what is your favorite Christmas song?
For any person who truly loves Christmas music, this is possibly the most impossible question to answer! Favorite connotes the one song you cannot live without. Listening to Christmas music is very different than listening to any other genre of music. You can listen to your favorite hit song on repeat for a month and be content. If you listened to Christmas music that same way it would not be as pleasurable.
Think of it this way, a spotlight is great, and does its job. It's hot and to the point. That's like a regular pop song. A Christmas light is not as powerful unless it is on a string connected to others. That's how Christmas music is.
This is how I approach how I release Christmas music by the way. I subconsciously curate my songs in context of the other songs that they will play next to. Nothing makes me happier than to hear one of my songs followed by The Carpenters, Nat King Cole or Mariah. It's so beautiful and context is everything.
So, I can't say I have a favorite Christmas song - I do gravitate to different songs every year. I know there is one song that isn't on my playlist ever. It rhymes with "Maybe, It's Old Pout Slide." I really can't say.
Please tell us what Christmas means to you?
Christmas is my life. Every day I live in this sense and spirit of perpetual hope and generosity. I thought I would spend my life trying to find the perfect Christmas song, but what I'm realizing every day is that Christmas music has really found the best me.
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