The New Music Business with Ari Herstand GRAMMY Winning NYC Jazz Singer/Songwriter/Arranger Makes It Work
Oct 29, 2025
Nicole Zuraitis, a GRAMMY-winning jazz singer and songwriter, shares her journey in the New York music scene. She discusses her live album, capturing the essence of performances at VIX, and the challenges of touring in China with Jazz at Lincoln Center. Nicole highlights the importance of networking, the power of collaboration with Christian McBride, and how the pandemic reshaped the jazz landscape. She also dives into indie artist strategies, the value of physical music formats, and her plans for future projects, emphasizing authenticity and perseverance in the music industry.
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Episode notes
Keep Melody, Reimagine Everything Else
- Preserve the melody when rearranging songs and feel free to change harmony and meter.
- Use odd meters or reharmonization to make covers feel fresh while keeping the tune recognizable.
Paid Gigs Were Creative Practice
- Nicole spent years doing paid-radio and background gigs where she practiced and tested arrangements.
- Those hardworking gigs taught her craft and produced creative arrangements later used in her career.
Climb The New York Ladder
- Climb New York's career ladder: find income, show up, make connections, then trade lesser jobs for music work.
- Treat networking as making friends by attending shows and building long-term relationships.
