We recently had the pleasure of catching up with Deena Goodman. A fabulous singer-songwriter in her own right, Deena also heads up Rebel Spirit Music, an NYC-based organization assisting independent musicians. She wears several different hats, all of them quite impressively, and was kind enough to tell us more about both her creative and community endeavors:

Where are you from?
Raised in Teaneck NJ, live in Manhattan

How did you get started in music?

My dad played his favorite records on our road trips, including all artists listed above, plus a little jazz and standards for good measure, I have been singing every since. After graduating NYU’s Tisch School for the Arts I began to pursue a recording career, writing songs with big name songwriters and playing shows nationwide. I eventually realized the need for community involvement amongst independent artists, that the notion of doing this together was more savvy then the notion of doing it yourself, so I started Rebel Spirit Music, an effort to promote all artists music, hand in hand.

Speaking of promoting music, what’s the most creative/shameless way you’ve seen a musician publicize themselves?

Hate to say it, but the Naked Cowboy has it down to a science. I am also a big fan of artists who set up accounts devoted to producing records that fans donate money to, giving fans a hand in the making of their favorite artists’ record is a great way to maintain loyalty and camaraderie amongst musicians and fans alike.

Whats next?

Continued work towards bringing new musics to music lovers, through Rebel Spirit Music, live music at Canal Room and perhaps producing some more of my own.

Where can we catch the next Rebel Spirit showcase?

August 5th: The Rebel Spirit Music Series Presents: Garrison Starr, Abby Payne, Jon Solo and Jerzy Jung @ Rockwood Music Hall/196 Allen St (btwn houston and stanton), 8 pm, FREE.

Check out Deena performing “Follow You Down”: