October updates

Advice for struggling songwriters, Boston's favorite and more

View this email online It’s been a busy fall! Since we last wrote, this year’s Contest winner, Alisa Amador, was interviewed by our friends Felix Contreras and Anamaria Sayre on the NPR podcast Alt. Latino. The conversation is honest and heartwarming; they talk about Alisa's songwriting process, the intentionality she brings to building community and the moment when she almost quit making music. Felix also asks a question that might be on some of your minds: What advice does Alisa have for other artists who are facing career setbacks and feeling burnt out? “I would say: I hear you,” she says. “Keep listening to yourself because that’s what’s going to guide you. Everyone else is going to tell you what they think — but you’re the one who gets to notice what feels right and what doesn’t feel right, and act upon that.” You can listen to the full conversation here. (This month, Alisa also was announced as a recipient of a microgrant from a Boston-based non-profit that awards emerging musicians. We can’t help but notice that Tiny Desk alum Jon Batiste was on the organization’s advisory board!) Speaking of Boston, just last week our friends at WBUR revealed their favorite Contest entry from Massachusetts: “A Man Is A Man” by Lee Zangari. The Quincy, Mass.-based artist sings over a mountain dulcimer in their entry song, which stood out to WBUR panelists from this year’s 150 Massachusetts entries. WBUR’s Amelia Mason profiled Lee, who told Mason that they were thinking about their gender identity when they wrote the song, but also wanted to tell a more universal story. “I think that trans experiences, when they’re abstracted or turned into metaphors, are often very appealing to broad audiences,” Lee shares. “Feelings that are associated with transness are not foreign to anybody. Anyone can feel like they’re different; anyone can change.” Congratulations, Lee! Also notable from October: Los Angeles entrant Jack Rabbit released its EP, If You Saw Me Today, which features a rendition of the duo’s 2021 Contest entry, “The Stack.” And 2022 Contest entrant Amanda B. Perry released her second album, My Time. Also, T: The New York Times Style Magazine featured 2019 Contest winner Quinn Christopherson’s new record, calling it “the sort of dreamy record you want to listen to at night, maybe with some flickering candles” — we agree!  What are you up to this month? Let us know by replying to this newsletter, and we’ll share your updates in our November recap. From the Desk, NPR’s Tiny Desk Contest team Newsletter continues after sponsor message Listen to your local NPR station. Visit NPR.org to hear live radio from WBEZ (edit station). What do you think of today's email? We'd love to hear your thoughts, questions and feedback: tinydeskcontest@npr.org Interested in connecting with music-lovers and music-makers across the Contest community? Join our Tiny Desk Contest Community Facebook Group! Need a new playlist? Follow NPR Music on Spotify and Apple Music! Looking for more great content? Check out all of our newsletter offerings — including Music, Books, Pop Culture and more! You received this message because you're subscribed to Tiny Desk Contest emails. This email was sent by National Public Radio, Inc., 1111 North Capitol Street NE, Washington, DC 20002 Unsubscribe  |  Privacy Policy