SAMMIES • Mix N' It Up

All-time favorite song?

01.29.20

Marissa: “Try a Little Tenderness” by Otis Redding has always been my jam! You truly feel each lyric of that song.

Anthony: It is hard to choose just one, but I love pretty much any '90s R&B song.

As a child growing up, music surrounds us. What type of music did you hear the most back then? How does it differ from what you listen to now?

01.29.20

We all grew up in very musical families. So we always had music around us at all times. Earth, Wind & Fire, Mary J. Blige, Stevie Wonder, Mariah Carey, Etta James, Celia Cruz, Héctor Lavoe. Such a wide variety of music inspired us back then and even today. Honestly, we listen to pretty much the same music we always have, but have mixed in a few new amazing artists like Bruno Mars, Tori Kelly, Shawn Mendes and H.E.R into our playlists.

Can you describe a moment in your musical career, where you felt like you truly reached somebody or made a difference?

01.29.20

We feel like every time we perform we see people in the audience who are smiling, letting loose and just enjoying life. They may be sitting there at the beginning of the gig after a long work week, quiet and serious. But by the end, they are up dancing and having a blast. When they come up to us and let us know how much fun they are having, we get the opportunity to see just how much our hard work and love is felt through our music and that is so rewarding.

Favorite colors?

01.29.20

Marissa: PINK! Hands down.

Anthony: Red has always been my favorite color.

How did it first start?

01.29.20

We both grew up around each other since we were 5 years old, but never really knew of each other’s musical talents. So when we started dating in 2008, we began to be a dynamic karaoke couple. We entered a bunch of different competitions and soon began to want to take it more seriously. In 2017, we finally decided to take a leap and start Mix N’It Up. We went to Guitar Center and purchased everything we needed to start up a band. We got our band members on board and Brookside Restaurant & Bar, who had seen us perform karaoke a million times at their bar gave us our first opportunity to play there and we have been gigging ever since.

How do you describe your music to people?

01.29.20

They always ask what kind of music do you guys play and my answer is always, “We play old-school, R&B and Top 40.”

If you were stranded on a deserted island, what animal would you be?

01.29.20

Marissa: I would be a fish so I could swim back home. Haha!

Anthony: I would be a tiger so I could survive.

Name a pet peeve.

01.29.20

Marissa: My pet peeve is someone that chews with their mouth open.

Anthony: My pet peeve is total silence. I have to have some sort of noise in the background.

Tell us about how you first started gigging.

01.29.20

Brookside Restaurant & Bar was our very first gig as a band and then from there it was all just posting on social media and word of mouth. Our friends and family who knew we started a band have been and still are our biggest supporters. So they would tell local places about us and we have just been gigging as much as we can since then.

Tell us about your best gig in Sac.

01.29.20

Honestly, I feel like every gig we have had has amazing parts to it. We always give our all and feed off of the energy of those watching us. I do not think we have ever left a gig feeling disappointed in what we did.

Tell us about your worst gig.

01.29.20

I would not define this as a bad gig by any means, but playing the California State Fair was not the most comfortable because we played on a day that was approximately 103 degrees! The staff was amazing and trying to make us as comfortable as possible, but playing in that heat was no joke.

What are your musical goals?

01.29.20

Our musical goals are to continue doing what we love and getting to have even more amazing experiences. We have met some really awesome people in the Sacramento music scene and we just hope to keep getting to gig and do this as long as people want to keep listening.

What did you want to be when you were 7?

01.29.20

Marissa: I have always wanted to be teacher/singer. And ironically, that is exactly what I am doing. I have worked with youth for the past 14 years and am in school for my teaching credentials. All while getting to sing and do what I love.

Anthony: I know it is super random, but I actually wanted to be a data analyst.

What do you sing in the shower? (Be honest.)

01.29.20

Marissa: I honestly always sing songs that we have on our set list for our next show! Haha, it is a great place to get some extra practice in.

Anthony: The shower is my place to practice my runs.

What drives you to keep interviewing even though the music industry can be so harsh?

01.29.20

It can definitely be disheartening when you experience harsh situations in this industry, but I think if you keep a solid foundation of why you are doing this and you truly love it, you can overcome those obstacles.

What's next for the band?

01.29.20

We have gotten some cool opportunities to play regularly at some local spots, so we are excited to gig even more this year. We are also just super grateful for this opportunity with the SAMMIES, so we are excited to see what is to come.

What's the best part of this experience?

01.29.20

The best part is just being able to be a part of this. We are a newer band, so knowing we have so many people that support us is really amazing. Every part of this experience is so fun and exciting.

What's the story behind the band name?

01.29.20

We were tossing around names and for some reason Mix N’ It Up popped into my head and it just stuck.

What's your favorite jam from the '90s?

01.29.20

Man this is a tough one because '90s music was pretty awesome. Mint Condition “Breakin My Heart” is my jam though.

What's your favorite local artist/group?

01.29.20

There are so many, but a few that we love to go watch is The Pressure Lounge, Cover me Badd and Shane Q.

What’s your favorite song to perform live right now?

01.29.20

We love performing any of our Bruno Mars songs. "Finesse" and "24K Magic" always get the crowd going.

Where do you see yourself in ten years?

01.29.20

Still playing gigs, still happy, but with a lot more cool stories to tell.

Who first inspired you to play music?

01.29.20

Marissa: My family pretty much inspired me to recognize my voice at a young age and have continued to be a huge inspiration and support. Even though they would yell at me when I would sing Christina Aguilera songs at the top of my lungs in my bedroom as a teenager, haha!

Anthony: I would honestly say Marissa inspired me to sing. Her love and passion for music made me excited as well. And us being able to have that cool connection as a married couple has been amazing.

Words to live by?

01.29.20

Be kind to people. You never know what struggle someone is going through, so just giving a smile to someone can make their day.

You're given a magic wand. What do you do with it?

01.29.20

End homelessness.

Mix N' It Up

Q & A

All-time favorite song?

As a child growing up, music surrounds us. What type of music did you hear the most back then? How does it differ from what you listen to now?

Can you describe a moment in your musical career, where you felt like you truly reached somebody or made a difference?

Favorite colors?

How did it first start?

How do you describe your music to people?

If you were stranded on a deserted island, what animal would you be?

Name a pet peeve.

Tell us about how you first started gigging.

Tell us about your best gig in Sac.

Tell us about your worst gig.

What are your musical goals?

What did you want to be when you were 7?

What do you sing in the shower? (Be honest.)

What drives you to keep interviewing even though the music industry can be so harsh?

What's next for the band?

What's the best part of this experience?

What's the story behind the band name?

What's your favorite jam from the '90s?

What's your favorite local artist/group?

What’s your favorite song to perform live right now?

Where do you see yourself in ten years?

Who first inspired you to play music?

Words to live by?

You're given a magic wand. What do you do with it?

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