As printed in Orlando Decoded February 2023

It is rough to be a traveling musician, especially when crossing time zones with inconsistent schedules for eating and sleeping. Then there are times you don’t mind the schedule for the pinnacle event of the year – the GRAMMY Awards®!

As a voting member of the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences (NARAS), I have the exciting opportunity to attend the GRAMMY Awards® each year, and all the preceding events and after parties. It is a full week of non-stop activities and time spent with friends.Upon landing the week prior to the main GRAMMY Awards® telecast, I went directly into a meeting and private tour with Spotify in the LA Arts District. I toured their facilities and discussed playlists, new artists, podcasts, and streaming, as well as their new projects with their own studios nationwide. I am so excited to continue building our relationships with my own record label, Cosplay Records, and working with Spotify’s teams of artist management, engineers and producers!

The next few days included more meetings (formal and informal) with officers, board members and trustees from the twelve various Recording Academy/GRAMMY® Chapters across the USA, in addition to many organized events. One of my favorite events was the GRAMMY U Masterclass with Jacob Collier and Jessie Reyes. Jacob is the musicians’ musician, as he studied formal music composition and theory in the UK. He taught the entire audience how to build a chord, move the chord, and sing it all while he conducted from the stage. He calls it the “audience choir” and he says he ends every show with it. For a music theory nerd like me, I understood every word and it was a wonderful experience to witness Jacob as a born teacher.

Another of my favorite events that week was the GRAMMY® Fund Brunch with Maren Morris, supporting the Advocacy of NARAS and for artists’ rights in local, state and national governments. I am part of GRAMMY® Advocacy, and was happy to finally see fellow committee members in person. We have had virtual meetings for many years, so being able to actually hug someone was very healing. Fun fact: The “hang” after any of these events is as vital to furthering your career and reputation as attending. It’s where the relationships grow and build for musicians and creators. The official event hotel lobby bar is a key place to hang out and meet with your colleagues.

There were several more events and parties, but we were all there mainly for the big day – GRAMMY Awards® Day! This event emphasizes the importance of attending and being “seen.” Therefore, my friends and I wanted to represent our hometown of Orlando, Florida, by partnering with our local seamstresses and cosplay specialists to create “looks” that would stand out as a group and individually. When you are given the opportunity to showcase you and your friends’ fashion creativity, dedication to visual and performing arts, and responsibility to upcycle and repurpose clothing so it does not end up in a landfill, you do it!

Orlando Fashion District’s Emmy® Award-Winning Seamstress Gina Vincenza (PsychoSeamstress) asked me if she could help create my look for the 2023 GRAMMY Awards®. Gina is known for environmentally responsible fashion through upcycling and repurposing clothing. She was already working with Ms. MekaNism (President of the Florida Chapter of NARAS) and her partner Cross Prime for their looks. I immediately knew the primary part of my ensemble: the overskirt I designed and made with my mother and my sister when I was 16 years old! So much love went into that dress.  I won my first concerto competition playing violin in that dress, and it earned me a scholarship. I hand-sewed every sequin, every bow, every glass bead on the silk organza. Gina changed the waistband to an elastic with Velcro closure for ease of dressing, and we added pockets inside to hold my high heels/flats. Awards day is an 18-hour day as it starts at 11am Pacific Time with constant events, Premiere Ceremony, Telecast, After Party, and multiple after parties till 5am. I have to stay in the dress the entire time, so comfort, versatility and having flat shoes for walking are a necessity

Once we had the definitive part established, we rummaged through my closet to find a new base dress. We found a vintage beaded black sheer column gown with a hot pink underdress that I had purchased several years ago to wear onstage (thanks to Leigh Shannon at Ritzy Rags thrift section). We made it a short/long dress (short in front, long in back) so that I could show off my Saint-Laurent Tribute Sandal shoes and sparkle hose.  

The final piece was one I designed and needed help fabricating. I wanted a multi-function lighted pterodactyl collar. I started lighting up instruments and costumes in 2015, and have worn the only illuminated dresses at the GRAMMY Awards® through 2022. Well, this definitely posed quite a challenge for Orlando Fashion District, so we involved Melissa and Katelyn with Cryptid Roots. They are well-known cosplayers, and certainly stepped up to this momentous task.  With multiple fittings, mock-ups in muslin, plastic and metal wires strung together, and trial-and-error brainstorming, we finally finished this piece at 2:00 am the day before I left. These ladies spent so many hours and had the best attention to detail I have ever seen! It served every purpose needed, including traveling well in a suitcase across the country. Gina, Melissa and Katelyn were a dream team! 

Once in Los Angeles and checked in to the hotel, I immediately unpacked the gown and steamed them to be perfect for Sunday’s marathon of events. As I steamed the pink silk organza overskirt, I felt my sister and my late mother’s presence in my heart. They were in LA with me in spirit. On Sunday, as soon as I stepped out of the car, people started taking photos of me.

My accessories were Saint-Laurent Tribute Sandals, Valentino Garavani Calfskin Rockstud Bag and V Logo Signature Pearl bracelet, and Dark Garden Custom Corset with Finishing Belt.

After several photos, I met up with other attendees, and we headed over to the many red-carpet opportunities took lots of photos as a group. Meka’s ensemble used EL wire, was designed by her and her partner, Cross, and fabricated by both Cross and Gina. The embroidery of Meka’s Owl logo on her custom jacket was done by Cryptid Roots. Cross and Gina worked together to create his overall look. We all wore sustainable fashion, and everyone we met wanted photos with us, including many of the GRAMMY® Award Winners of the day. We got to share our stories of our ensembles, and everyone agreed our original looks and sustainable fashion were the highlight as we lit up the night!

Fun facts:

1. The GRAMMY Awards® are ONLY open to voting and professional members of the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences (NARAS). The only people who may obtain tickets and attend are those members in good standing. If you are invited to be a guest of a member, it is a high honor as the members all have a limited number of tickets we are allowed to purchase. No amount of money can buy you a ticket into these award ceremonies without having a person on the inside. Plus, as a member, we must be present with our guest(s) in attendance. Any violation of the rules (especially when it comes to tickets) may result in immediate expulsion from NARAS.
2. We as voting members actually vote for the GRAMMY Awards® winners and nominees. Professional members and record labels CAN NOT VOTE; only individual voting members in good standing. It is the only peer-selected awards for music in the world. The voting members are well-educated and well-versed in their specific genres, and are limited to those genres for actual voting purposes.
3. There is MORE THAN ONE “Red Carpet.” There are preceding events red carpets, premiere ceremony red carpets, standing in line for a photo op red carpets, non-celebrity and NARAS big-wig red carpets, guest of nominee/celebrity red carpets, after-party red carpets, and finally actual nominee red carpets. When you are there in person, you know which one has which background and can tell the difference.

Michelle’s Social: @vinylinist and @violectricmusic

About Michelle: Michelle Jones, the Vinylinist® is an award-winning rock violinist, recording artist, composer, and bandleader of the House Band for the City of Orlando, Violectric®. She is a producer and owns her own record label, Cosplay Records. She is also a voting member of the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences, a.k.a. Recording Academy/GRAMMYs® (NARAS), and serves on the Education Committee and the Advocacy Committee with the Florida Chapter of NARAS. With membership comes responsibility. As part of her responsibilities, she attend the GRAMMY® Awards and preceding events each year that she is able. She says, “I take this very seriously as it is a privilege to be a voting member.”

In the past, people have been separated into classes based on a number of factors:  education, money, titles, land ownership, ethnic background, and gender, among many other reasons.  In the USA, there are now legal protections to allow all people to aspire to be whatever they dedicate themselves to become without legal discrimination.  I didn’t say there was no longer discrimination in our beautiful country; I only said people cannot legally discriminate for employment and such that is protected under the laws and constitution.

But discrimination definitely exists.  I am seeing a trend that is creating a new separation in our society that has never existed before.  It is the lack of interpersonal communication between humans. Those who have practiced and learned proper manners, communication skills, and how to interact with all people will be THE LEADERS and likely the most successful people in our society. They will have advantages over people who don’t learn these skills.  Yes, they are learned, not just automatic from birth.

Examples of avoiding having to deal with people:  

• Amazon and doorstep delivery services – anyone can order most anything and have it left on their doorstep, never having to even see another human.  
• Texting and email – everything is quick and short; emojis replace actual faces and smiles and other non-verbal communication.  Email loses the value of handwriting and how to “read between the lines” based on the flow of the pen and space of the letters. Phone calls?  So many people WILL NOT even answer their phone because they don’t want to talk to anyone at all.  
• Self-checkout – yet another way to avoid dealing with someone.
• “Social Media” is another term for how to hide behind the internet to say anything you want without any personal repercussions of someone knowing who you are and how you just made them feel.
• Watching movies at home instead of going to a theater where attendees needs to understand respect for others and the manners of being around others.
• Ordering in meals at home or in drive through instead of learning how to dine at a restaurant and interact with people as well as understand how to properly treat people who are serving you with kindness and respect.  Even the “mobile apps” allow you to avoid having to speak to anyone at all as you can have it brought to your car or you can go pick it up like a ninja secretly stealing a cup of coffee.
• Digital payments through a device or chip instead of having to actually sign for anything (avoiding yet another step in communication).

This false sense of “security and protection” has given people a fear of going out of the house unless absolutely necessary.  How many people work from home and literally never have to leave their houses unless they choose to do so?  They order in groceries, supplies, everything they need.  If it weren’t for doctor’s offices or dentist offices, some people would never get out of the house.  But this generation does not realize what it is losing.  Not only are you losing the ability to interact with others, you are losing your humanity.  The ability to interact with, create art with, talk with, and just “be with” others is what makes us human.  Animals communicate with each other.  If we as humans stop communicating, what will happen to us?

I mentioned that this is a new class separation.  Those who understand how to read people and act/react with others is what will allow those people to be successful.  The ones who don’t learn to do this will become the “worker bees” for others, even though they may be thinking they are independent.  No one is autonomous; each successful person understands that they need others to work with and sometimes for them.  They also know that they are always working for someone, too – their customers and clients.  The ones who understand how to communicate with a variety of people will be the most successful. Knowing how to properly shake hands, make eye contact, carry on a conversation – this is how people learn to trust you and want to work with you.  You have to make an effort!  You have to be open to them, too.  It is a balance, and trying to learn how to do it effectively takes practice and patience.  And yes, it should be taught at home and in schools as children adapt into today’s society.

How many young adults today were handed a phone/video game/iPad – whatever screen device – instead of learning how to climb a tree or play a game with others?  How many children do you see today glued to a screen because it “keeps them quiet and entertained so mommy and daddy can ignore them”?  These same children grow up not learning how to behave in social situations.  They don’t know how to sit still without having a screen device. They don’t even know how to dress for an event, let alone have table manners when at a business function.  The young adults today do not understand the value of reading body language and voice inflections.  Why should they when a text or emoji will suffice?  And yet, they are the first offended when someone says something “mean” to them because they don’t understand the difference between irony and sarcasm and someone giving them clear orders or directions.  

Basically, it’s also a lack or respect for others.  A smile goes a long way and is a universal symbol in every language.  Especially if you are interacting with someone from another culture or country, the smile can mean everything.  You may not know the proper etiquette for every situation, but people tend to be understanding and forgiving as long as you are friendly.  When communicating on social media, the emoji can help, but the words can still be completely misinterpreted.  In person, you can generally gauge reactions and respond accordingly.  

Learning manners is not a way of being better than someone or “uppity.” It’s about learning to respect others and showing them that you respect them.  By not shouting in a theater, or playing with your food at a meal, you are showing those with you that you respect them.  By learning how to actually speak with others and introduce people, you are learning good business skills that are used around the world.  By learning how and when to write a thank you note, you are showing respect to your host.  By eating at a restaurant and learning the proper amount to tip and how to treat your wait staff, you are learning a very valuable skill in how to work with others and how to reward and compensate them.  By working for others, you learn how to deal with every type of person, and how to be a professional when in a sticky situation.  We learn how to problem solve as humans, not just as robots.  

This ability to communicate effectively and politely with everyone is what will separate the leaders from the followers.  This will create a further separation of the classes as the followers’ wages and earnings stagnate while the leaders’ monetary potential grows.  Those with the good manners and communication skills foster personal relationships with other humans, thus creating a type of “influencer status.”  Followers like to follow influencers and be on trend.  Of course, this also means that the leaders understand how followers learn and how to communicate effectively with them. It’s a balance, and adapting is tricky.  The leaders are the ones who learn to quickly adapt to every situation.  

So what are you?  A leader or a follower?  Which do you want to become?  If you want to be a leader, then you need to start interacting more with people in live, face-to-face situations.  It takes practice, and this is something you cannot do on the internet from your comfort of your home.  You have to be there.  Observe.  Be present without distractions (especially your phone). Be wholly there.

To stay relevant, one must continue to develop and evolve.

I have commissioned a new logo from an award-winning artist, and cannot wait to roll out the newly revised website for my brand, The Vinylinist.  New photos, calendar, and videos will be included, along with the educational blog.  Thank you for being a reader!

Have you ever been in a storytelling mood? I am in one right now. This is a true story. Names have been omitted to protect all the parties involved.

In the summer of a year not too long ago, I received a phone call from one of my agents. He is creating a show for a company coming to Orlando in January of the following year. We have 6 months to prepare, but they need a proposal this week. He came up with the concept “Orchestrating the Future,” and as his primary string musician and orchestral contractor, he asked me to join him in creating the proposal. Between multiple emails, draft proposals, price list comparisons, and numerous conversations, we had the finalized proposal ready within that week. Everything was in writing. Given the fact that it has now actually been done and performed, here is what we decided for the proposal:

The client wanted a theme and a session opener with live entertainment. The agent created the title “Orchestrating the Future.” We both decided it needed a 28 piece symphony with a conductor, plus 3 attractive female violinists playing in front of the orchestra. We decided it would start with one soloist, then add the 2^nd , then the 3^rd, then the full orchestra would be revealed onstage joining them for an approximate 4-5 minute high impact song. I chose the song “Explosion” by Bond, and pitched the 3 violinists doing improvised solos that led into it with the full orchestra. This would lead to the introduction of the keynote speaker and then the orchestra would disappear until the end to close the session. We were still undecided about the closing song, but we thought a choir with an orchestra would be an excellent ending, kind of like Beethoven’s 9^th Symphony finale (shorter, of course).

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Today’s thought is about food and why nutritious meals are REQUIRED in my rider. As humans, we must have it to survive. The question involves our daily choices. What we intake should be beneficial to our bodies, even if that benefit is a warm smile of occasionally tasting something sweet. I admit that food is not a priority in my life. I eat when I can. Unfortunately, I don’t always have good choices available in the limited amount of time I can eat. Sure, when I’m home, I have access to great food and healthy meals, but when I’m at a gig (which was 240 days of 2015), I’m at the mercy of the venue and what is around it. I’m onsite for usually 6-8+ hours per gig, and I have to keep fuel in my body to perform. And no, I can’t “brown bag it” when I’m miles and days from being home.

It appears there simply are not enough words to express my sincerest gratitude to Robin Cowie. For those that don’t know the name, Robin is best known as the producer of The Blair Witch Project, but he is in international news again for his creation of this year’s Howl-O-Scream themed event, “Unearthed” at three Busch Gardens and Sea World Parks nationwide. He is a filmmaking genius (I can call him that, even though he’s quite down-to-earth and would never say that himself).   He knows how to create and tell a story from start to finish, and still leave the audience wondering and wanting more. And he’s very selective with whom he works. Perhaps knowing all these terrific things about him is one of many reasons why I was surprised and completely honored that he asked me to be a part of this project. Thank you, Robin, for trusting me to create the mood and soundtrack for your vision.

Here’s how this happened (it is a long story, like everything in life):

Do you know how some people love Christmas so much that they want it year-round? It’s a happy time with children, lights, decorations, and oh, the music! No other season has more music dedicated to this one particular time of year.

For many others, people love Halloween in this same way, and for similar reasons. I definitely fall into this category. The costumes, the decorations, the candy, and the frights that delight! The music, though, has been mostly limited to loud, rumbling and intense sounds. Screams of horror and shrieks of high-pitched instruments pepper every haunted house, with no actual theme. We all hear the subwoofers rumble and the digital piercing tones. Only a handful of actual musical themes have become famous, and most are from horror movies and television.

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There exists a stereotype that all artists/musicians should be starving, working gig-to-gig, hippie-like, sacrifice-for-the-love-of-your-art poor.  I’m sure this stereotype, like most generalizations, exists for a reason.  But when did being an artist/musician no longer become a respectable choice for a career?  And should this career not also encourage us to give back to our community, too?

In ancient and not-so-ancient times, actors and musicians were regarded as the history teachers and storytellers of their cultures.  The Christian churches regarded their musicians as essential in following the rituals of worship, and those musicians also gave a tithe to their church.  Royalty may not have treated all of their musicians with respect and dignity, but many a famous composer from several eras were regularly employed by such courts.  In many countries, the musicians are still highly regarded as essential to the culture and heritage of the people.  Yet, in America, it appears that unless you are a top 40 act/artist, you should always have a “day job” or other means to “fall back upon” if you decide to become a musician.  Even the public thrives on the story and wants their top 40 artists to rise from poverty, playing dive bar to dive bar, and learning of their struggle and story to “be discovered and make it big.”  It seems to be the premise behind all the music and talent television shows of recent years, including “America’s Got Talent” and “The Voice.”  If you don’t have a good back-story, then they really are not interested in you or your actual talent.  A good back-story is essential for reality television.

Why can’t a person be a successful musician without having to come from dive bars or living at the poverty level?  Does this struggle make them a better musician?  Or more talented?  Or more or less devoted and driven to succeed?  And when does one determine that he/she is successful?

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As a musician, I receive requests every day to play for free for someone, some event, some charity, etc. I could play every day for an audience, if that is what I wanted to do. So how does one determine when to say, “yes” to play for free? Honestly, that decision must be left up to the performer, but I hope this article will help him/her make an educated decision.

There are thousands of charities/non-profits based in my local area, and I think I have been asked by every one of them to play for free for an event. While I do have some organizations that are close to my heart, I make my decisions each time based on a number of factors besides the emotional appeal. These questions are not just for charities, but also for any type of event where the asking party claims it is for “promotion.”

First – what’s in it for me? I know we as artists are not supposed to ask that question of a charity, but it’s the cold, hard truth that we have to pay our bills and feed our families. Are they willing to offer me signage/ad placement in the program/promotional opportunities where I can gain future work from paying clients? Are they willing to barter in exchange for something else they can offer that I may need (physical space for a student recital, video shoot, or a CD release party?) Is there a budget where the musicians can be paid, even at a discounted rate? Is it televised or recorded for additional promotional purposes that I may also use? Perhaps a mix of all of the above?

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Someone said “you don’t know what you don’t know until you know something.” Oh my, did this ever ring true this past week. I’m mainly talking about my recent shows with Fernando Varela and our dining experience at Bern’s Steak House​ in Tampa. This celebrity artist with whom I had the pleasure of touring treated the entire band to this delectable, decadent experience expressing his gratitude to us as musicians.

Having come from a very humble (read “dirt poor”) childhood, it was rare that we had any type of what I now consider decent meals. Most meals consisted of Southern staples (cornbread, biscuits, pork, beans, cooked vegetables) because they were cheap and could be kept several days. McDonald’s or other fast food was expensive, so we did not have that often, either. Steak was a treat only on the most special days, and even then, it was usually a place similar to Golden Corral or Ponderosa. When my mother played gigs regularly at a finer steak house, she would sometimes bring home leftovers to share. I would wait up for her so I could be the first to enjoy the delicious fare.

Just because we didn’t have the finest cuisine did not mean that we were ill-mannered. My sister and I were still taught proper table manners, and disciplined if we did not adhere to them. We were taught everything a Southern lady should know from how to walk properly in high heels to appropriate topics of social conversation. My grandmother said: “You should always act and look like a lady. Others will treat you as one if you are one. Regardless of where you live, don’t act like an uneducated hick.” And she was correct. We learned how to speak with a slight Southern accent instead of a country accent. She believed that people from other parts of the country thought being Southern was equated to low IQ and stupidity. She was correct about those misperceptions, too.

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Each day led into the next as we only had a few hours’ sleep between each day and not enough nutritious food.  Every morning started with a 4am – 6am lobby call with a bagged breakfast of bread and milk (sometimes a tea-boiled egg) for a 6am-8am flight to the next city, followed by bus ride to hotel, followed by quick change and bus to venue, concert, bus to hotel and/or dinner, sleep a few hours, repeat.  Food?  Sleep?  Shower?  Catch it when you can.  I took 35 meal bars and 8 small tubs of peanut butter, and came back completely depleted of all, and actually looked forward to the meals on the plane (yeah, I know.)  I understand that there are vast cultural differences between our Western standards and Chinese standards for health, accommodations and meals.  Many of the hotels and meals were considered “good” by their standards.  However, it really makes me count my blessings that I can live in America, where the air is clear and meals are usually safe to consume.  Our hotels are generally clean, and the tap water is safe and drinkable.  One can obtain safe protein at almost every restaurant in America, even vegan restaurants.

Of course, every one of us had something stolen from our luggage in Xi’an somewhere between the hotel and the airport check-in.  For me, it was hosiery.  For others, it was electric razors, medicine, anything that looked like money, and almost anything that was packaged (like souvenirs) or jewelry.  The thieves had the keys like the TSA to open the locks and close them back so you wouldn’t notice until you were at the next destination.

*the following should be an ad for China tourism:

Are you disgusted by mildew and other dirty fixtures in the bathroom?  Does dirty carpet frighten you to the point you never take off your shoes in the room?  Are you bothered when businessmen visit the hotel for only a few hours at a time and are visited by female guests during the daytime?  If you answered yes to any of these questions, do NOT stay in a “business hotel” in China.  Does moldy air in the bus ventilation bother you?  Do not take a tour bus in China.  Does the multitude of toxins in foreign cigarettes cause you to gag and choke?  Do not go into the backstage areas of venues nor stay in “business hotels” where every room is a smoking room and all hallways and elevators are smoke-filled.  Take a mask and use it!

Each city did have interesting characteristics, but we had little to no time to explore, except when searching for bottles of drinking water so we can hydrate and brush our teeth.  The concert halls in each city were beautiful, and the acoustics were wonderful throughout.

Xining Grand Theatre 12/30/14

Gansu Grand Theatre Lanzhou 12/31/14

Suzhou Grand Theatre 1/1/15 – this one is my favorite with all the LED lights outside

Xi’an Grand Theatre 1/2/15

Shanghai Poly Theatre 1/3/15

Xiamen Grand Theatre 1/4/15

Shanghai Oriental Art Center 1/5/15

Guangzhou Opera House 1/6/15

Once the concerts were complete, we did take time for a wrap party in Connie’s room on the final night.  At the airport the next morning, we all said our farewells as many of us parted ways on flights to our respective home cities.  As much as we enjoy visiting with each other, we also each had loved ones awaiting us at home for that first new year’s kiss.  And a USDA Prime Beef steak, with a fresh garden salad with lots of veggies.  And a hot, steaming shower with a soft, warm bed where I stayed for almost three consecutive days upon returning home.  Yes, I count my blessings every day, and am so thankful I live in America!