If you haven't seen her, you should know that Melissa Reaves is one of the most energetic musical souls gigging around this part of the country. This extremely talented performer recently had the opportunity to play to an international audience in Cannes, France at MIDEM. MIDEM is "a fully comprehensive boundary-free hub for international music industry professionals." This interview shares some insights for Melissa Reaves fans as well as fellow musicians interested in pursuing an international audience.

How did you get involved with MIDEM?

I met some of the organizers at a performance of mine at another music conference in New Orleans last April (LMNOP) and in conjunction with my publisher in N.Y., they organized the show.

Was the event well-organized?

I thought MIDEM was extremely well run. It's been happening for over 30 years so I guess they've worked out all the kinks - I think it's the oldest industry conference in existence.

How long was your performance, and how did it go for you?

The showcase performance was with 4 performers "in the round" which means we each do one song then the next performer and so on... We each had time to do 3 songs. I felt good about my performance overall. I was definitely nervous - there were some heavy hitters there so... But I tried to stay focused and feel good about it. I did also perform in a local club in Cannes each night at a Songwriter's night with other performers which was great. I met lot's of MIDEM folks there as well.

What was the audience like? Anything stand out as being different from your American audiences?

I performed a couple of different times while I was in France. Once with a blues band in Annecy I sat in for about 45 minutes which was great. The audience really responded well and were so open to me and my performance. I found the audiences to be attentive, supportive, and genuine overall. For the most part, American audiences are the same but sometimes it seems to take a bit more energy to engage the audience.

What sort of thoughts did you take away after the show?

Well, I'm usually pretty critical of my performances, so I went through the whole performance critique and then we had several people approaching us after the show and then the rest of the evening we had meetings so it was actually pretty hectic, not a whole lot of time to reflect while there. Now that I've had some time to think about it all I do think that I learned not to get overwhelmed and stay grounded so as not to get too swept away. I also know now that I can tour in Europe and probably do pretty well there. I just had such good responses from the folks from Scandinavia, the U.K., Germany, France just all over Europe which is exciting.

What were some things you did while you were in France, BESIDES playing?

We stayed in Paris for a few days & did the Louvre, Eiffel Tower, Arc de Triumphe, and Notre Dame tour. We also went to the Alps for a couple of days as well as up to Normandy which was neat.

Anything in the works for a European tour?

Definitely a European tour in the works. I'll be heading to London in March for a few shows & hopefully some European festivals this summer. I think we'll be in Sweden, Denmark & Norway in the fall if all goes well!

Please share some of your thoughts about your latest album.

The lastest album is pretty raw Melissa Reaves material. I'm ready to record again though!! I guess every musician says that. The record is closer to what I do live, but I'm still hoping to really capture the "live" experience on CD on the next record. So much of my show is improv that trying to record a studio album in a short amount of time just doesn't lend itself to getting ultra creative while in there - we pretty much had to be ready to record and utilize our time that way.

Can you give us some backgound on where you are in your music career, how you got there and your current philosophy on music & the industry?

At this point I feel pretty good about where I am right now. I've had some great opportunities lately that have been a real boost such as Lilith Fair, MIDEM & LMNOP(New Orleans). I've spent the past several years concentrating on building a grass roots tour base which has been pretty successful. I am able to sell lots of CD's from the stage which I think is really important. As far as my philosophy goes, the independent, grass roots thinking is important to me. I think that I have really been able to understand what my fans are like and relate to them. I also think that this important for me & my career to have built such a following on my own & with my manager. The industry is a big question. Part of me is pretty leery of getting in too "deep" with the industry, but another part of me considers embracing the industry because that's where my living really gets made! I do think the industry is really changing with the accessibility on the web which I think is a good thing. The more opportunities to share the gift the better as far as I'm concerned.

For more information about Melissa, her album, her touring schedule and more, visit http://www.melissareaves.com.