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We met up with Margaret Becker, or 'Maggie B' as she is affectionately called by her fans, and talked about what she has been up to lately.
MQ: Can you tell us a little bit about what you've been working on lately? I know you've been producing, as that's something you like to do. I know you've produced, for example, Ginny Owens recently.
MB: Yes.
MQ: Do you still work on songs of your own, and do you still write songs for others?
MB: Boy, you nailed it all! I could just really say "Yes" and we'd be fine!
all: laughing
MB: Yeah, actually I'm doing a lot of things at the same time....just trying to pursue the interests I haven't been able to pursue because of time contraints. One of them is producing. I've produced several artists both here and abroad - including myself. I've really enjoyed that process. To not be in the hot seat as the singer - is just a gift. To be able to boss somebody around, that's even better! (laugh)
My goal as a producer is to locate what that artist is about and try to enhance those things, and bring them out more - both in the production and in the environment so they can be more relaxed and deliver more accurately. But I'm still doing my own music. But the luxury of unplugging from the big machine here is that I can do it at my own pace. So since I'm doing everything on a licensing basis, which means I'm not obligated to put out a record every 12 months, that's what that translates into, and so because of that I can take my time building my material. I did one just like that - The one that's out now (Just Come In) - and it was a compilation - an anthology in a sense. I asked for my most ardent supporters to give me your top five Maggie B songs and I'll do those and then I'll put in 5 fresh ones as well. That's kind of what's been holding me over for the last 12 months. 
But I've already begun working on another record. I'm working on a psalms record right now. It's geared towards a straight at the church, type of presentation. Then I'm also working at another record from me, but it's not going to be business as usual - just really a little offbeat and all of the colors I haven't been able to use before on a record.
MQ: Since you've seen so many sides of the industry, do you have any advice you'd give to singers or songwriters who want to get started?
MB: The world has never been better for the aspiring anything when it comes to music right now - mainstream, CCM, all of it. The one leveling factor here is the internet. The internet allows you to accomplish customer and fanbase support more quickly and efficiently than ever before. And frankly, any publisher, record company or anybody like that, they're looking for "How does this translate?" And if you already have a track record of how this translates, you're so much ahead of the curve. In fact, I think that's why I got my record deal when I got here and it took me a long time to get a fanbase and support, and have a track record. But when I arrived, it wasn't like, "Here, pick me! I think I can do this." It was, "Hey, in the upper north east, I went to number 'such and such' on the charts without any help. I play 'x' amount of concerts a year. I have 'this many' people on my mailing list. All of a sudden, I've done most of their job. All that hard work of breaking an artist, it's not there. So I encourage people, 'Be faithful to your craft, perfect your craft.' But also be faithful to the marketing side of it. Make sure that you're keeping track of who you play for, that you have a mailing list going at all times, that you're communicating with those people. And that you're keeping track of how well you do in certain places so that when the door does open and you do have an opportunity to speak to someone, you'll have something to say of value that translates in their world. Which is, unfortunately but true - numbers, "Give me numbers."
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