For singer/songwriter Mira Goto, surrounding yourself with the right people, networking and writing your truth are essential ingredients to furthering your career and keeping your songwriting chops up to speed.
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“People always joke about how ‘it’s who you know’ but there is a bit of truth to that. It’s not about meeting someone high up and asking favors of them. It’s more about building your team. Finding people who LOVE what you’re doing and cannot wait to champion you. You have to be good at what you do, but you are still a business owner. Networking is SO important.”
Goto appears this Friday as a featured artist on American Songwriter’s Instagram page, where she will perform a few songs from her recent EP Nobody Warned Me and take questions from viewers. Nobody Warned Me features co-writes with Lance Carpenter (Kelsea Ballerini), Simon Gugala (Kris Allen, Muddy Magnolias) and Michael Logen (Kelly Clarkson, Point of Grace).
The Northern California and Nashville-based singer recently signed a production deal with acclaimed producer Ken Caillat’s company Artistmax after she won the West Coast Songwriters annual competition.
“Ken and I met at the conference. I won the songwriting competition and as a result, had the opportunity to perform in front of industry representatives. He liked what I was doing, and I of course loved the work he’s done. We never would have met if it wasn’t for that conference, and the organization who hosted it!”
Goto’s first experience performing were at open mics which helped her build confidence in front of people. “My teenage years were an uncomfortable mix of stage fright and diving in head-first, out of tune & doing it anyways!” The songwriting bug also hit her hard as she built up her musical repertoire, with the writer’s credo- ‘if you tell the truth, people will listen’- guiding her from the start. “I’ve tried to stay true to that, not necessarily in the details, but more in the emotion. If you can capture true emotion, you will resonate with others.”
Two of Goto’s most recent songs- “Nobody Warned Me” and “Anybody Else” have charted in the Top 40 on the Music Row Country Breakout Chart. Goto cites Lori Mckenna, Jane Bach, Steve Seskin, Brandy Clark, Katy Perry, Kacey Musgraves and Alanis Morissette as songwriters who inspire her.
Catch Mira Goto performing on American Songwriter’s Instagram page this Friday, February 19 at 6 pm Central, presented by Elixir Strings.
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