Volume 1: Intriguing Facts You Didn't Know About Indie Collaborative Musicians

By Eileen Sherman, co-founder of the Indie Collaborative

I can proudly state that on any given day or night of the year, an INDIE COLLABORATIVE member is either entertaining devoted fans, offering an in-depth interview on a podcast, receiving a well-deserved award, or laying down some incredible sounds in a recording studio. While our 2000+ electrifying members shine a special light on music around the globe, I think it’s always fun to take a peek behind the scenes. With that in mind, I plan to ask (throughout the year) a unique question to random members. So, don’t be surprised when you hear from me! In the meantime, keep reading and learn what my first 10 “victims” had to say:

1. Kalani P’ea

(4 x Grammy Award-winning singer/songwriter of Hawaiian music.)

QUESTION: If you could travel back in time, which composer would be your first choice to share a meal with and why?

ANSWER: I would want to have lunch or dinner with Pavarotti and eat his favorite pizza on the rooftop of Carnegie Hall, and ask him what his best vocal warm-ups are.

2. Toni Jannotta

(Professional dancer, television & stage actor, jazz vocalist/composer.)

QUESTION: Toni, your fans around the world certainly know what a superb vocalist you are, but they may not know your beginnings in Show Biz were as a dancer. So, in the early years of your career, who was your favorite choreographer and what was it about his or her style that impressed you so?

ANSWER: My favorite choreographer was Joe Bennett, with whom I studied for years and who scared the hell out of me. The movement that flew out of his brain was like stretching and running simultaneously.

3. Noshir Mody

(Grammy nominee and InterContinental Music Award winner in Contemporary Jazz.)

QUESTION: You are an accomplished guitar player, Noshir, and you are doubly impressive since you are self-taught. If you had your choice of any outstanding guitarist in the world, with whom would you like to take a masterclass and why? 

ANSWER: Thank you for the kind words. I’d love to connect with Kurt Rosenwinkel – his deeply personal fusion of modern jazz, lyrical phrasing, and complex harmonic landscapes, all expressed with his distinctive sound, is something I’ve long admired.

4. Jeff Eisenberg

(9 x Global Music Award-winning songwriter and music producer.)

QUESTION: What was your absolute favorite concert you ever attended? Where was it held, and what one thing sticks in your memory?

ANSWER: One would be a Diana Krall concert in NJ, where during the encore, she said, "I'm going to bring out a friend of mine to help with this last song." It turned out to be Elton John. They did three songs together. It was a complete surprise to the audience. Very memorable!

5. Wouter Kellerman

(3 x Grammy Award winner - South African flautist, composer & producer.)

QUESTION: You are a flautist extraordinaire, but if you were asked to learn to play another instrument in the orchestra, what would be your first choice, and why?

ANSWER: I would choose the cello – it is such an expressive instrument, capable of producing passionate sounds. My favorite musician of all time is Jacqueline du Pré. Often, when I play the low flutes, I imitate her cello sound :)

6. Madi Das

(Grammy-nominated recording artist, combining Eastern chant with American influences.)

QUESTION: You have lived in several countries throughout your lifetime, which certainly impacted your musical artistry and style. I won’t ask you to choose a favorite musical influence, but what about a favorite food (or drink) of all the places where you studied and made great music?

ANSWER: My absolute favorite is a drink called Makhaniya Lassi. It is a type of mango lassi they make in the deserts of Rajasthan. I discovered it during a visit to the Jaisalmer Fort. It was early Summer, and the heat was over 100 degrees, dry, blistering sunshine, from which we hid until evening. Down one of these beautiful alleyways, there was a store owner who would make this lassi. It would be served ice cold in a tall clay cup, featuring fresh mango and saffron, and topped with a thick dollop of shrikhand —a thickened yogurt flavored with rosewater and cardamom. All of this was topped with a sprinkle of cashews, pistachios, and sultanas. On a hot desert day in India, there is no better experience. 

7. Tess Remy-Shumacker, D.M.A.

(Professor of Cello & Director of the Brisch Center for Historical Performance at the University of Central Oklahoma/ Concert soloist around the world.)

QUESTION: As an acclaimed artist in the classical world, I am assuming you began your studies as a young girl with books that introduced you to all the classical composers. While these classic “old-timers” have been dead for centuries, I am wondering- if you could go back in time and have dinner with just one great classical composer, who would that be?

ANSWER: I would meet with Ludwig van Beethoven in his birth house in Bonn to discuss his beliefs in humanity, unity, ethics, and love for all humans. I would also ask him about his often immense struggle and the continuous corrections he makes to find his inner voice towards achieving perfect compositions.

8. Kathryn Washington Shipley

(Global, Josie, and Hollywood Independent Music Award winner in the Gospel & Christian genres.)

QUESTION: Your music is always so moving, spiritual, and heartfelt. I have always found that folks whose creative work is serious also have a lighter side. Tell me, what song by another artist makes you smile, laugh, or giggle?

ANSWER: Many know that Journey is my favorite band, and ‘Don't Stop Believing’ is my favorite song. From the time I first heard them and now, after almost 60 years, they still are. That song is kind of my walking Billboard in life with music.

9. Kitt Wakely

(2 x Grammy Award-winning composer, artist, producer with 7 x BILLBOARD Number 1 hits.)

QUESTION: When you are not composing, producing, performing, or dreaming of music, what is your second favorite art form, and how do you participate in it?

ANSWER: I love to cook! It's a different avenue for creativity and a sense of accomplishment when people try the food and like it.

10. Tholsi Pillay

(2025 Winner of the Forbes Woman Africa Summit Award, Owner, manager at Kellerman Music CC.)

QUESTION: Without a doubt, all IC members agree that you are one of our outstanding fashionistas in the organization. You always look sensational at the Grammy Awards each year. Tell us, remembering all those gorgeous outfits, which one was your favorite and why?

ANSWER: Each designer I've worn has brought something uniquely beautiful to life, like memories captured in fabric and thread. Although they differ in style and story, they all hold a special place in my heart, equally cherished, each with its unique magic.

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