By Morgan James
Inspiring, award-winning, ultra-creative soul, Giselle Woo, has taken on the role of showcasing other talented musical artists as Music Director at KCOD, yet all the while continuing to strengthen and cultivate her own songs and performances. This incredibly talented songbird completely moves any crowd she faces with her powerful, yet delicate, presence. Her words are sung with such tenderness before they hit you right between the eyes and uncover a stark realness that flows from songwriter right through to your soul and then back again. Giselle Woo will toy with a range of your emotions, bringing you to the brink of tears and back to bliss within the span of a single song. She now channels this gifted energy to inspire those around her as she looks toward the future, hoping to also teach and inspire youth. I spoke with Giselle about her current accomplishments as well as her aspirations for the future of her career.
MJ: Tell me about your job as Music Director at KCOD. Why did you join the team? What exactly do you do? How are you feeling about yourself in this role?
GW: “My job as Local Music Director is to do my part in shining light on all of the amazing talent that is created in our lovely Coachella Valley. As a musician who understands that lifestyle myself, I think I can speak for many when I say that musicians want to be heard. The station gives us all the opportunity to be heard, and every semester we try to make it better and better. We hope to expose the music that is made in this desert, and get it heard nationally and internationally via internet radio. My role is being a bridge for local musicians to use by delivering their radio friendly tracks. Then I work with students and we create sweepers, introducing the artists and the name of their songs, so people listening to the station know when a local artist is on the radio.”
MJ: How about your music? Are you in the process of writing? Recording? Where can the readers find your music?
GW: “Funny how it’s easier to promote everyone else’s music but my own! I’ve been working on newer tracks, songs that I play to myself in hopes of getting them public ready. For the longest time I’ve been thinking about recording, I won’t even say trying, because that would be a lie. I think I’m closer to finally getting into the studio more than I’ve ever been. It’s a tricky thing, you know? It’s a different audience, a different feel. Not the easiest to express myself the same way I do on a stage than in a recording booth. But I’ve been getting more and more comfortable with my voice, I think I’m ready. My music is best found when I’m performing live. I have a YouTube channel and a soundcloud as well.”
MJ: What influences your music most these days? How has your music evolved over the years?
GW: “The things that influence me the most are my peers. Going to shows and being around that energy really inspires me to be a better musician/artist/performer. My music has evolved in a way that I probably don’t see as clearly as my friends and fans that have followed my process since day one. But honestly, when I record myself on my iPhone or when I mess around with garageband, I know that there is something special in my music. It’s passion; it makes you feel a certain way.”
MJ: Where can the readers find you playing live?
GW: “My good friend Symara Stone, has locked in the Scorpion Room inside of Chill Bar off of Arenas, in Downtown Palm Springs. The evening of music is called Music Mondays, a collective of local musicians have the chance to play from 8-12pm. It’s free, and super exciting and different every week. That’s pretty much where you can find me, also with a lot of community things I always like to do that as much as I can. Just because I appreciate events put together to promote the arts and create an environment that is family friendly and gives local venders a platform to sell their products and stuff. Also, I need to give a huge Thank You to the Coachella Valley Art Scene for always keeping me in mind for their awesome and innovative events. I’ll be performing July 1st for the Friday Nights at the Pick, and July 21st for the Summer Series at MAKE inside the Westfield Shopping Center. You can follow me on Facebook for more information, or pretty much any social media outlet. @gisellewoo is my username for all.”
MJ: What direction are you moving toward with your career in music and what shape will it take moving forward?
GW: “I hope that once I get an album done, that it’ll make it easier for me to just keep going into the studio. I have so much music to pump out, songs that I’ve written in Spanish and English. I think it’s beautiful to have so much variety. I think my peeps will dig it! I’m working towards a music degree, but I think what I really want to do is become a Music Teacher. I want to inspire the youth and give them something to hope for. Show them that music and the performing arts is something that they should pursue, if they’ve ever felt that impulse. I think music is something that I will always do, I’d love to also record Church music with my parents. My goals and dreams constantly change, but music is always something that is present and very much alive, inside of me and in my life.”
