Exclusive Interview with Alan Cass

Upcoming 100: What role does your cultural background play in your music, and how do you incorporate it into your artistry?
Alan Cass: I have a mixed cultural background from growing up and spending much of my life in New York City. As a result, my music tastes vary widely. I try to create music in different styles with upbeat tempos.

Upcoming 100: How do you stay connected to your fans, and what is your favorite way to interact with them?
Alan Cass: I really do not spend enough time on Social Media, largely because I am almost always busy working. I do some promotional work for my music and have finally started to devote more time to Social Media. I would have to say that the way I currently stay in touch with fans, is to keep creating new songs that they will hopefully enjoy.

Upcoming 100: Can you share your experience working with a music producer or band members, and how these collaborations have influenced your music?
Alan Cass: I produce my own music. I work with other artists, who also work independently. I find that I sometimes have to do 100 demos or more, when recording a song. A song can always be improved. One of the songs I am currently working on has seen at least 100 demos and I feel that the song can still be improved. The more time I spend on a song, allows me to really fine tune the piece.

Upcoming 100: How do you handle the pressures of maintaining a successful career in the music industry, and what self-care practices do you employ?
Alan Cass: I have had only limited success thus far, largely because I had been doing music for fun. I am now creating songs with the intention of licensing my music. So, the game for me has changed and am now taking music far more seriously than in the past. I also spend a good amount of time writing, which helps me keep ideas flowing for my songs.

Upcoming 100: In your opinion, what sets your music apart from others in the same genre, and how do you maintain this unique quality?
Alan Cass: My life has always been fast paced and my songs are almost always fast moving. I prefer hi-energy music, which has a powerful impact on the listener.

Upcoming 100: How do you approach the business side of the music industry, and what strategies have you implemented to grow your career?
Alan Cass: As an Indie songwriter, I had to educate myself about the back end of the music industry and the Industry Standards I had to follow. I had to make sure that my music was produced according to Industry Standards and Legal Standards. There is a lot to learn. I devoted two years to learning the requirements for being an Indie Artist. I have a business and legal background, so, learning the business side of the Music Industry was not too difficult for me. I have done a number of promos and advertisements to get my songs heard on Streaming Sites. I am considering re-releasing some of my songs, where I will be doing the vocals.

Upcoming 100: How do you handle creative blocks, and what techniques do you use to overcome them?
Alan Cass: Since I also write, in addition to creating music, I always delve into one of my writing projects when I hit a block. I find a project where my words are flowing nicely. This usually helps me to stay on track when working on lyrics for a song. Since I did a lot of legal work in the past, which required re-reading a document multiple times, I constantly revisit my work, to get a song's lyrics to sound correct. I am constantly looking for grammatical errors in my lyrics.

Upcoming 100: Can you tell us about a time when you had to make a difficult decision in your music career, and how you navigated the situation?
Alan Cass: Difficult decisions never end. I am going through a difficult time at the moment. I feel that the vocals for some of my songs can be improved considerably and am deciding about whether or not to re-record them. Also, my decision to pursue my music and writing interests at this point in my life, had also been a very difficult decision for me. But, here I am with all kinds of writing music projects.

Upcoming 100: What are some key lessons you've learned throughout your music career, and how have they shaped you as an artist?
AlanI have learned that the Music Industry demands perfection. There are loads of good songs and loads of good artists, but the Music Industry demands more. Music has to be perfect on every level to go anywhere. A song can almost always be improved.

Upcoming 100: How do you stay motivated and continue to grow as an artist, and what challenges do you face in this process?
AlanI am always looking for newness in life. I always stay open to new thoughts and ideas, as a writer. I am a big fan of exercise, meditation, visualization and self improvement. I also read a lot, to stay relevant.

Upcoming 100: How do you envision your music career evolving in the next 5-10 years, and what goals do you have for your future as an artist?
AlanMusic never ends for me, since I also do music for enjoyment. I will just keep working on my lengthy list of songs, which I truly hope will move people in a positive way. I want to keep improving as a songwriter.