Interview: Stephanie Schneiderman

Stephanie Schneiderman is a singer/songwriter from Portland, Oregon. Stephanie is not afraid to change her music up a bit and head in a completely new direction. With her most recent album, Dangerous Fruits, she brought on producer/DJ, Keith Schreiner, to lead her in a new direction, and it was a really good decision. Her new sound is a mixture of sultry, electronic with smooth vocals to sooth listeners. It could be described as Zero 7 meets Goldfrapp, yet totally her own.

Stephanie Schneiderman is not the ordinary singer/songwriter. She is an actress, producer, has worked on the soundtracks for a series of childrens’ videos, and is involved in humanitarian aid for Uganda.

She was kind enough to talk with BeatCrave about her sixth studio album, Dangerous Fruits, her radically different sound for the new album, how she ended up playing music, and her charity concerts for the Mercy Corps.

Check out the interview below…

When did you first realize you wanted to pursue music as a career?

I didn’t know that’s what I wanted actually. It took me a while to know that. I got my degree in speech-language pathology and focusing on a career working with kids with autism. I was in bands throughout college (a big Motown funk band did well enough to help put me through college). I started writing songs, and my focus became more and more on music, until I realized it was what I was going to do…

Can you tell us about Voices for Silent Disasters and how you got it started?

I wanted to put together a house concert series involving a few other songwriter/musician friends to raise money for Mercy Corps’ programs in Eastern Africa. They shifted my focus specifically to Uganda. Many musicians wanted to be part of it, so we made it a bigger, more public series involving 10 concerts and featuring 37 of Portland’s top musical acts. We raised $70,000 for Northern Uganda and Mercy Corps’ support there. I made a trip there to meet with the communities that would be directly affected from the proceeds of the concert series. I was amazed with how resilient they were in the aftermath of such a devastating war. They were capable, resourceful, professional, and I learned so much from being there. Our mainstream media is limited in terms of what they share about the communities in Uganda or other countries in Africa. We only get part of the picture. I saw strong women, strong leaders, and strong communities.

How was it that you got to working with Keith Schreiner?

Keith was part of the humanitarian concert series with his band Dahlia. He and I got to talking afterwards about working together. He had approached me a few years ago but the timing wasn’t right. This time, I had a batch of new songs; I knew I wanted to do something different with the next CD, but I wasn’t sure what. After our first session in the studio, I was sold immediately. Keith had a vision and we met in the middle, sonically speaking.

Which shows/events are you looking forward to this year?

I’m really looking forward to playing throughout the East Coast.

If you had to recommend one of your songs to someone, which would it be? And why?

It completely depends on the context and who that person is. Without that, it’s impossible to answer.

You have other creative outlets, such as acting and producing. What is it that interests you about these fields? How do you feel you are able to tie them into your music?

I produced the soundtrack to a series of 3 children’s videos called OyBaby 1, 2, and That Baby. I learned a ton doing it; doing the arranging, charting and producing is a good skill to have for any musician. My sisters recorded a lot of the tunes with me, and I brought in other musicians from Portland. Acting is excercising a certain kind of freedom on stage, being an instrument yourself, which is important as a performer.

How do you think this new sound has influenced your image? And in turn, how do you think that your image effects the way that people view you?

I think the changes have happened simultaneously and organically. The vibe and new sound has a bit more sexuality than in the past. It has an edge and a soulfulness. I think that most fans really love the new direction on all accounts. It felt like a really natural evolution.

What kind of affect do you hope your songs have on your listeners?

Well, when I’m listening to songwriters I love, I’m filled to the rim with my own experiences and associations. I love listening to the same CD and getting something new from it each time. I hope that listeners can pull the same things from listening to Dangerous Fruit.

What is your mission as a songwriter?

To contribute the way my favorite artists have contributed. To stay honest, and at the same time push my own envelope with each release, and to keep changing and discovering new things.

What’s your favorite drink?

Side car

Thanks Stephanie for your time!