By CA Marshall
When I first discovered Abigail Belcher, it was via her
family’s participation in the February Artist of the Month competition. Being
that they were avid Kaylin Roberson supporters, the sharing and re-sharing of
the Voting Poll Panel was consistent. So, I decided to take a look into their
connection with the Roberson family and found that the Belcher family also had
a very gifted songbird in their midst: Abigail. I spent the rest of the evening
listening and researching Abigail’s YouTube Channel (click here) and found
incredible content with clips of her performing in and out of the home. Shortly
after, I contacted the family and suggested that they too, enter Abigail into
our monthly competition. She won by a landslide!
Since her epic win in March, Abigail and I had the chance to
sit down and have an interview for here spot on our Website (click here) and
was delighted to learn that she is coming out with some new music shortly! Very
exciting! Here’s how our interview went down:
SMC - Hello Abigail and congratulations on your win for the
March 2016 Artist of the Month Competition! How do you feel about your win?
(You completed the competition with 484 fan votes in total)
Abigail - I’m very excited! I can't wait to see what new
opportunities arise from this!
SMC - Have you even entered into any other competitions
which were fan voted?
Abigail - No ma'am, this was the first.
SMC - We have now implemented a Judge voting panel in
addition to our fan voting poll monthly. This will also apply to the Artist of
the Year award with all of our AOM Alumni winners such as yourself. So, 30% of
the votes will be accounted for each Artist and 70% would be the final judge’s
decision. We felt this would make things more balanced so that there are no
longer accusations of having 'fake votes' from fans. How do you feel about this
new voting process?
Abigail - I think it will better in some ways and more
people will think that it's fair, although, I had nothing wrong with the fan
based voting poll. I felt as if my fans could actually help me!
SMC - We see that you have entered on 'The Voice'! Wow, what
an accomplishment! Can you tell us anything about that experience so far for
you?
Abigail - The Voice was so much fun! Unfortunately, I didn't
make it through, but it was still a great experience! I'm look forward to going
back next year.
SMC - What is your ultimate goal when entering these kinds
of competitions? Of course, everyone likes to walk away as the winner, but for
most, it's much more than that. Can you tell us your thoughts on that?
Abigail - I like doing competitions and performing because I
love the effect my music has on people! I also love good competition and
meeting new people.
SMC - There was one voter who was insistent that Artists in
these competitions have original music and no covers. We did see a significant
amount of songs you have done covers of, but at the end of the day, what do you
think is the most important in terms of talent? We also saw that a family
member shared an original of yours to the page.
Abigail - Whatever sets you apart from others is key to
having success in the music industry. It's not about being the same as
everyone, it's being different. My fans
are very supportive! When someone saw the negative comments, my fans reacted. I do have a couple originals.
SMC - We at SMC believe that even though many of our
competitors have a lot of songs they have done covers for, regardless, we feel
if they have the vocal ability it accounts for something as far as talent goes.
What are your thoughts on what makes an Artist truly talented?
Abigail - I do lots of covers, and I don't think you have to
have original music to make you an artist. You're love for music, and your
originality with the covers you do make you an artist.
SMC - Ok, moving away from the 'covers' theme, how many original
songs have you written?
Abigail - I only have a couple originals, but I have started
on many others.
SMC - Do you have plans to release some new music in the
next 6-12 months?
Abigail - I do!
SMC - Are you already working on something new?
Abigail - I am working on several, and I hope to have them
completed soon.
SMC - I read in your bio that you are multi talented on
other instruments. Can you tell us all which instruments you can play and which
one(s) is your favorite?
Abigail - I play piano, ukulele, bass, and most recently the
violin, but guitar will always be my favorite. It' the first one I learned to
play.
SMC - I have seen you do a couple duets on your YouTube
channel. Is that another Recording artist friend of yours?
Abigail - She is! Her name is Régan, and she is one of my
best friends. I love performing with her!
SMC - We would like to know more about your involvement with
'The One Voice Project'. Can you tell us what it is about?
Abigail - The One Voice Project is a group of young
musicians that raise awareness of the bullying that happens so often. Once a
year we take a tour to middle and high schools and perform for them, bringing
bullying to their attention. We hope to make a difference in the lives of the
students.
SMC - What are the kinds of venues or platforms you have
sang on with 'The One Voice Project'?
Abigail - We perform mainly for teenagers, but we have had
other opportunities to sing at malls and restaurants.
SMC - What dies anti-bullying mean to you as an Artist
trying to get a message out? What kind of feedback have you received from youth
who are listening to you when you perform?
Abigail - Last year on our tour so many people opened up,
shared their stories and told us our music helped them, and to me, that means
the world! The involvement we received from the teenagers and the support was
outstanding!
SMC - What is your personal experience with bullying? The
website for The One Voice Project states that the Artists share their
stories....
Abigail - Most people think bullying is physical, but it can
also be emotional. I have experienced a lot of shunning. Mostly because of my
music.
SMC - How many siblings do you have? Are you the oldest? Do
any of your siblings have the same gift of music that you have?
Abigail - I am the oldest of four. I have a younger brother
and two younger sisters. My sister, Savannah, plays the piano very well, and my
other sister Olivia has an amazing voice. My brother, Steven, on the other
hand, has no interest in music.
SMC - Your spot as March's Artist of the Month will also
appear in our spring magazine coming out in April 2016. Are there any new
projects that we might want to add to that article when we launch it? Generally
what we do is post these interviews into the magazine but we also like to
update our readers on anything that's new for the Artists as well. So, anything
new coming up?
Abigail - I, along with other One Voice members, attended a
tour at the end of March to Nashville, TN!
SMC - We read that you are friends with Kaylin Roberson who
was our February 2016 AOM winner. How will you feel competing against her for
the Artist of the Year title?
Abigail - I love Kaylin and her family. I'm looking forward
to competing with her!
SMC - How many venues have you performed in to date?
Abigail - Too many to count! I love performing, but I've
never kept track. I sing at church every week.
I have performed all over the State of West Virginia and surrounding
states.
SMC - Have there been any Artists in the Industry that you
have sung live with?
Abigail - I perform mostly with Régan any chance I get, but
I have also performed with another friend of mine, Jordan Keesecker
SMC - Which venue that you performed in was your favorite?
Abigail - My favorite places were during our One Voice tour
last year. I loved every single school I performed at and can't wait to do it
again.
SMC - What has been your biggest challenge to date in
building your singing career?
Abigail - My biggest challenge was learning to ignore the
ones who don't like my music. It was tough, but I've learned to not let the
haters bring me down...but to let them put me on the map!
SMC - Have you ever written your own music?
Abigail - I have written a couple songs.
SMC - How supportive is the music scene where you are from?
Abigail - I have a big family that is very supportive. I'm
thankful for my music school, they are also very supportive!
SMC - How old are you at present? And where are you
originally from?
Abigail - I am 15 years old, and I have lived in West
Virginia my whole life.
SMC - What genre do you want to gear more towards when you
begin mass producing your music?
Abigail - That's a tough question! I love and sing a little
bit of every genre. At this point in my life, I'm not really sure.
SMC - Which Artists would be your dream to do a duet with?
Abigail - I love Adele, and I would love to just meet her! I
could never imagine getting to sing with her!
SMC - Okay, Final question: (we always like to ask this one)
If you had any advice for someone new wanting to get into the music industry,
what advice would that be?
Abigail - You got to have a love for this kind of thing.
There have been so many times I've wanted to give up, but I always seem to go
back to how much I love it. Lately, I've been struggling physically with
it. I've been sick with laryngitis and
bronchitis. I've somehow managed to get through it...simply because I love it
and know it will always be there when I need it. Music truly is good for the soul and I thank
God for the talent he has given me.
SMC - Thank you so much Abigail! We look forward to seeing
you compete in our TEEN Artist of the Year competition!
For more info on Abigail Belcher, click the link with her photo on the right side menu option.
