Meet Muse Salgado

Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Muse Salgado. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Hi Muse, appreciate you sitting with us today to share your wisdom with our readers. So, let’s start with resilience – where do you get your resilience from?

Being the oldest of three kids in a family that is built upon immigration kinda forces one to be resilient. My dad came to the United States from El Salvador when he was a kid and my mom’s family came from Germany during WWII. I think my resilience is one part stubbornness and one part ingenuity. I refuse to stay knocked down, I refuse to give up, because I already set my sights on something. But also, I know I can get to my destination even if I have to get creative about what path I take, or maybe especially if I have to get creative. Nothing motivates me more than being told I can’t do something or a door closing in my face. It makes me think… Watch me.

Thanks for sharing that. So, before we get any further into our conversation, can you tell our readers a bit about yourself and what you’re working on?

I founded Moon Culture Cafe, a blog and podcast focused on music and culture from around the world, as a way to show that I am capable. Every application I filled out wanted a portfolio, and that was how Moon Culture Cafe was born. I review music and highlight artists that perhaps are flying under the radar as well as interview both New and Established artists, songwriters, producers, and music industry professionals.

But beyond Moon Culture Cafe, I also work in A&R and Live Events, with NACE talent agency and Kool Beat Crew. I am also working on some super cool stuff that I can’t reveal just yet, but if you watch the Moon Culture Cafe socials, you’ll get to see it first within the next few months.

Music is my passion. I originally wanted to be a dancer and due to a series of unfortunate events arrived at a new destination. The goal with everything I do is to help artists present the best version of themselves to the eyes and ears that need to see and hear them the most!

Looking back, what do you think were the three qualities, skills, or areas of knowledge that were most impactful in your journey? What advice do you have for folks who are early in their journey in terms of how they can best develop or improve on these?

I think being resilient is incredibly important in life but especially in the music industry. Things change, plans get shaken up, people change their mind, funding falls through, etc. And you have to be able to pivot and redirect quickly and efficiently, and often with very little information. Being able to pick up and keep going no matter what is an invaluable quality to have.

As a kid I was always told I had the “gift of gab” but as an adult this means networking is less awkward for me. Being willing to approach people and talk about whatever cool thing you’re working on is something a lot of people find really awkward and uncomfortable, but it is a skill to cultivate and grow if you want to get anywhere in music. Since it’s largely about who you know.

And lastly, having a good ear is something that is paramount in music. Listening to as much music as possible and listening with intention and purpose, finding the instruments, the beat changes, the layers, and really knowing the music terms and techniques being applied, will help you in the aforementioned conversations. To be taken seriously, you often have to prove you know what you’re talking about. And you can cultivate the ability to hear by simply listening.

When you combine the three, you get the ability to get up again and again and find new people who share your vision again and again and really listen to the conversations and to the music and find the sweet spot among all the noise.

How can folks who want to work with you connect?

I am always looking for new people to work with. Singers and rappers looking for someone to critically listen to their music and provide feedback. Producers looking for singers and rappers to feature on their tracks. Asian and LATAM artists looking for marketing assistance, A&R advice, or live events (especially in Florida). 그리고 저는 미국 행사하고 마케팅을 찾고 있는 한국 가수들하고 함께 일하는 것에 관심이 있어요.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://moonculturecafe.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/moonculturecafe/
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/megan-em-salgado/

Image Credits

Muse Salgado