When Maximilian Wentz selected Performers on the Go to do his final major internship with his senior year, we were excited to have him join our team. For three months Max has focused on a variety of different projects covering music reviews, operations and content development. His enthusiasm has been welcome, and the artists who have worked with him have really enjoyed the engagement. Below is a summary of projects Max has worked on during his internship.
Pre-recording song reviews with recommendations in song structure, harmonies and lyrics.
Reviews of songs released for incorporation into press releases and blogs
Flyers on the song reviews for posting in the newsletter and on Instagram stories
Participation in writing of press releases on new music coming in May 2022 including singles and an album release
Synco Band session musician band participant and practice coordinator
Participation in the development of the sync library and associated technical requirements on song data required organized into a newsletter summary
Songwriting participation and critiques
Zoom calls on sync licensing
Mentor to younger artists in the POTG program
Max has become a valuable song review contributor throughout the process, and was always excited and enthusiastic to hear new music. Max receive an "outstanding" review on the internship evaluation document for his college. Projects completed were high quality, and there was attention to detail, accuracy and deadlines. We look forward to continuing to involve Max in future Performers on the Go projects.
We wish Max great success on his future career in business and music. He is currently completing his debut album, "Mare", and has a new album coming right behind it.
AN INTERVIEW OF MAXIMILIAN WENTZ ON HIS SUCCESS WITH HIS MUSIC WHILE COMPLETING HIS SENIOR YEAR OF COLLEGE
Performers on the Go blogger, Marcia J. Macres, caught up with indie singer-songwriter, Maximilian Wentz, to interview him about how he was able to reach his musical success while simultaneously juggling college. Maximilian is a heavy metal artist and multi-Instrumentalist from MA with German and Latin roots. His unique songwriting takes listeners on a dramatic and emotional journey with a blend of rock, heavy rock and metal.
POTG ~ How did the pandemic affect your music goals? Were you able to find more time to work on your songwriting?
MAXIMILIAN ~ Throughout the pandemic I have focused on writing and recording new material, including the songs on my upcoming album “MARE”. The pandemic has ultimately given many artists like myself the time to truly focus on writing our best material to date. Not only was I able to write and record my entire album, but I also released a three-song EP with my band 51st State and have written enough material for a second solo album as well.
POTG ~ How were you able to manage writing and releasing new music while being a college student with loads of homework?
MAXIMILIAN ~ Almost all the tracks on my upcoming album were written at night after I had completed a ridiculous amount of homework. As for recording, I dedicated many of my weekends to 8-hour recording sessions. I was so determined to record my album that I would often lay down the instrumental tracks (guitar, bass, drums and piano) in one 8-hour session and then have another 8-hour session the next day during which I would sing. One thing that helped the recording process was that I made sure to plan exactly what I was recording, and in which order. I would record each instrument (guitar scratch track, then drums, then real guitars, then bass, then piano, and finally vocals).
POTG ~ How did your college years influence your music and vice versa?
MAXIMILIAN ~ My college years have definitely influenced the depth of my music, as they have given me a great deal of new and important experiences as well as the ability to reflect on many aspects of my past, the hardships I have faced and the obstacles I have overcome to get where I am today.
POTG ~ Where did the concept for your upcoming album “MARE” come from?
MAXIMILIAN ~ The idea for the concept behind “MARE” came to me when I saw one of my friends playing the video game Little Nightmares. I immediately became interested in the game due to its storyline and began to research the lore behind the world of Little Nightmares. The result is an album that focuses on the storyline of Little Nightmares, while also relating that story to aspects of real life.
POTG ~ Can you share with us some of the hidden meanings of some of the songs on the album?
MAXIMILIAN ~ While the album does focus on the storyline of the game, each song is also about an aspect of real life. For example: “The Hunter”, while it is about the creature known as the hunter in Little Nightmares, is also about domestic abuse which is something many people unfortunately face daily. “Centerpiece”, while it is about the monster known as ‘the lady’ in Little Nightmares, is also about how anger and jealousy can corrupt people and lead them down the path of self-destruction. “Hospital”, while it is about the monsters known as ‘the patients’ and ‘the doctor’, is also about the throes of depression and the desire to feel complete.
POTG ~ What are your goals for this new album?
MAXIMILIAN ~ The goal for this album is to take it to the live setting, submit it for competitions, and to do whatever I can to promote it and attract listeners.
POTG ~ The quantity of new songs is inspiring. How were you able to write so many songs in the past couple of years?
MAXIMILIAN ~ Music is something that is always on my mind, no matter where I am or what I am doing. If there is an instrument in the same room as me, I will undoubtedly start playing it because I always have a riff to write or a vocal melody in my head. I draw inspiration from both my own life-experiences as well as other mediums such as art, written work, and even video games. Even something as simple as one line in a conversation can lead to an entire song.
POTG ~ What is your vision for your future career in music?
MAXIMILIAN ~ Take what I am doing now and take to the live setting and take it to a live show. Want it to be a real life experience. I want to create a live performance unlike anything anyone has ever experienced, one that encapsulates the music in its truest form while maintaining a sense of showmanship and theatricality that allows for the audience to immerse themselves in a different world, even if only for an hour or two.
POTG ~ What other locations would you like to play?
MAXIMILIAN ~ I would love to play the Worcester Palladium and House of Blues for starters.
POTG ~ What do you feel are your biggest accomplishments?
MAXIMILIAN ~ I recently passed over half a million streams on Spotify (currently sitting at 553,730 streams exactly). I was also nominated in 2021 for new act of the year at the New England Music Awards.
POTG ~ What are your musical goals after college graduation.
MAXIMILIAN ~ My musical goals after graduation are to release the remaining six tracks from my upcoming album “MARE”, to take my album to the live setting, and start recording my second album early-mid 2023 for which I have already written all the songs.
POTG ~ Where can people listen/buy your music?
MAXIMILIAN ~ People can find my music on Spotify, Apple Music, YouTube, and SoundCloud by searching my name. And, they can FOLLOW ME on:
, Spotify and Instagram.
POTG ~ What advice can you give to other young performers on how to follow your successful path?
MAXIMILIAN ~ My advice to other young performers is to never doubt your dream, and always strive to be the artist you want to be, not the artist people tell you to be. While you do make music for the fans, you make it for yourself first. Never underestimate the positive impact that one song can have on a person’s life. One song can remind someone that they are not alone, can inspire them to overcome obstacles, and can even be lifesaving. Your song could be that song. Your song could be the soundtrack of a generation.
Interview prepared by Marcia Macres
Blog introduction by Performers on the Go, LLC
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