MANILA, Philippines – Call him MAX when he joins us at the Rappler headquarters on Friday, July 8, to perform a few tunes and talk more about his rising career.
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"[I] wanted my music to be separated from my full name. It's still me & my name but wanted it to be more of a vehicle for the music," explained the 24-year-old Max Schneider, a man who wears many hats: actor, singer, songwriter, dancer, and model.
The above quote shows that Max has known the entertainment industry since he was young. He started performing at the age of 3. Since then, he has had a Broadway stint (as an understudy) in 13 the musical, modeled alongside the Queen of Pop herself – Madonna, and starred in several television shows, including Nickelodeon's How to Rock.
He also found a home in the booming YouTube platform, as he collaborated with the likes of Kurt Hugo Schneider, Tyler Ward, Sam Tsui, and more.
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Immersed in this industry, Max has interacted with several high-profile figures – even mentored by them. He spent several days with Pharrell Williams in the studio, as the seasoned musician was working with Snoop Dogg and Stevie Wonder.
Pharrell, who is behind hits like "Get Lucky" and "Happy," imparted some wisdom to the budding musician. Max shared this in an interview with Rappler, July 7: "You gotta stick to who you are because nobody's gonna be you – ever – except for you."
In 2015, Max signed on to Pete Wentz's (of Fall Out Boy fame) DCD2 record label. He released a studio album in April 2016: Hell's Kitchen Angel, which features danceable and slick pop tunes – the likes of "Home" and "Basement Party" – but still anchored by personal narratives.
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– with reports from Paolo Abad/Rappler.com