Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to North Woodall. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.
North, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today Are you able to earn a full-time living from your creative work? If so, can you walk us through your journey and how you made it happen?
To earn enough money from music, so that you can do it full-time, takes a lot of work. The biggest factors are that you have to network every chance you get. Unlike when I started off back in the 1960’s, we have lots of tools that can be used for inspiring and upcoming artists. This ranges from social media to online radio stations and beyond. And the best part about these 21st century tools is that you don’t need to have a large budget or be sponsored by a label in order to benefit from them. But don’t get this wrong, it takes a lot of work. I sell my cd’s from my website and also from the great digital music platforms such as itunes, Spotify and many others. I put up videos on YouTube and constantly engage with my audience to build up my number of followers. But in addition to that, the non-online world cannot be ignored, so I keep cards in my pocket and CD’s in my car so that when I meet new people I am fully ready to promote my music to them. I play live gigs ranging from Sunday church services to bars and clubs on Friday nights. Anywhere the opportunity presents itself for me to make money with my craft or spread my music far and wide… I am there!
North, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?
I am a primarily self-taught musician. It was at the age of eleven that my mom introduced me to the guitar and a love affair with music that has stood the test of time. In my teens, I studied the playing styles of Ernie Isley, Santana, and Joe Walsh, among other R&B, funk, rock, and pop music styles. Hard work, determination, and a natural gift paid off and, as a result of this exceptional proficiency with the guitar, I was quickly established with popular groups in and around Dayton, Ohio, such as The Delvones and Round Trip Ticket. I have since relocated to Atlanta, Georgia and sought to share the stage with funk masters Lakeside, The Ohio Players, Roger Troutman and Zapp, Roy Aires, Millie Jackson, Tom Brown and Will Downing. I regularly appear at sold-out venues as the audiences know that they will be highly entertained and satisfied by tight arrangements and banging guitar solos with great licks. The blessings continued to flow. I have become a staple on the Atlanta music scene, appearing in venues from the Ritz Carlton to Wind-Down Wednesdays at Centennial Park, bridging the generation gap with my unique music blend of jazz, R&B, and hip-hop. I work for the listener and my music is designed for them. It is important to me that I give them what they want. I can’t be put into a box musically. I’m not one thing, but many things bringing people together from all sides of the music spectrum.”
Are there any resources you wish you knew about earlier in your creative journey?
Well like any up and starting operation, I wish I knew more about marketing and getting sponsors / backers to help me climb the ladder of success faster. Since the internet was not yet invented when I started back in 1966, times where much tougher in that day. However, in today’s digital climate, all that has changed. The tools and resources available today are astronomical in comparisons to yesterday. Tools such as Facebook, YouTube, Instagram, CD Baby and others are invaluable to inspiring musicians. I highly recommend learning and using them.
What do you think is the goal or mission that drives your creative journey?
That is a very good question. My answer to it is simple, yet profound. All my creativity is born from my deeply rooted love for music. Without that, I sincerely doubt that I would have been able to continue this journey across multiple decades. Now with that said, I do draw a lot of my inspiration from “Dayton Ohio” which is the place where I grew up and the home to “in my opinion” some of the greatest musicians to ever walk the earth. I owe a deep debt of gratitude to them that will take at least two life times to repay.
Contact Info:
- Website: 2unes.net
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/north2uneswoodall/?hl=en
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/2unesmusic
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/2unes
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/user/22ttuunneess/videos
Image Credits
North “2unes” Woodall