MTM: Let’s start at the beginning. Tell us a little about yourself. how and when did you start making music?

NM:  Let’s see… I was born and raised in Long Island, NY but reside in Charlotte, NC for now… and I was introduced to music at a fairly young age.  It all started with an old organ that my family had in our basement.  I had to be around 6 or 7 when I “played” like I was putting on a real concert to a huge audience on that thing–and now that I’m thinking about it, I don’t think I have ever actually told anyone about that!  I can’t even play piano!   My parents finally got rid of the thing in a garage sale and I moved on to clarinet in elementary school.  I got the itch for something more after Lisa Loeb’s “Stay” came out.  I saw a girl with a guitar and she was kind of dorky, which I was, and I heard the Hallelujah choir.  I don’t think I’ve ever pushed to get anything so badly, and I got my first guitar for Christmas in ’95.  My Aries traits kicked in and I was determined to be good, sore fingers and all!  Been playing, writing, and singing ever since.

MTM: Why do you do it, now?

NM:  A lot of reasons, really.  I love performing, I love playing, and I love writing, as much as all of those things infuriate me at times.  When I was a kid–and I guess a bit now– I had trouble really connecting with people and expressing myself because I am so shy.  Writing these songs and performing them for people is just a way for me to connect and say to people, “this is how I feel and it’s okay that I feel this way.”

MTM: What were some of your early influences and what inspires you today?

NM:  Early on life influenced me a lot.  Movies, television, people watching.  Music influences…  Sarah McLachlan pretty much shaped my entire pre-teen/teenage years.  When “Building A Mystery” came out, it changed my world.  Not just because of the song itself, but because it turned me on to music other than the everyday radio pop.  I started listening to female singer/songwriters who had so much to say and put so much emotion into their music.  That emotion is what hit me so hard and kept me going.  Lilith Fair was also a huge inspiration, as I’m sure it was to every other female player out there.  These days I am inspired by so much, it’s hard to narrow it down.  Musicians who inspire me lately are Brandi Carlile, Amos Lee, City and Colour, Meiko, Missy Higgins, Andy Shauf, that whole Ten out of Tenn gang, a whole list of other Nashville folks… man, I could go on for days.

MTM: What was the last song you listened to (disc in the car or what-not)?

NM:  Lucy Rose, “Lines.”

MTM: How did you connect with Artists in the Plus and what attracted you to working with them?

NM:   I connected to AITP through another Charlotte-based musician, Sara Corbin and the owner of Scratch Tracks Studio, Robert Combs.  They both spoke so highly of the group and everything that was going on that it got me excited and I jumped right on that bandwagon!

MTM: Last year’s festival was a huge success and changed a lot of things about music on the net. Were you a part of that?

NM:  Sadly, no!

MTM: What would you like to see as a result of the festival, this year?

NM:  I’d love to see more artists connect and continue to support one another.  I think that’s important.  Oh, and world domination.

MTM: Have you been using services like Hangouts On Air, U-Stream, Street-Jelly, or others to perform live via video on line? What kind of reaction are you getting?

NM:  I have not.  So far I have only dabbled in the Google+ world and so far everyone has been extremely positive and welcoming.

MTM: Village Studios in LA will be hosting the festival, this year and there will be a studio stage in North Carolina and another in Norway. Will you be travelling or performing remote from your own studio?

NM:   I will be performing from Scratch Tracks Studio here in Charlotte.

MTM: If you could ask one performer to join you on a record, who would it be?

NM:  This is such a difficult question!  Ummmmm… Brandi Carlile.  Love her.

MTM: What one thing would you change about this world, if you could?

NM:  Traffic. I would end world traffic! Who’s with me?

MTM: Where can we find you and your music?

NM:  My website NicoleMonroeOnline.com has everything you need!

MTM: In closing, is there anything you would like to add or anyone you would like to shout-out to?

NM:  Thanks for listening, reading, and watching!  Check out my site for updates on the E.P. that I am working on!

http://nicolemonroeonline.com/