As a young artist training… slowly but surely, I became incredibly good at technique. But, I was feeling less and less creative, less and less free, less and less expressive. There were specific songs I would sing to show off my mix-- other songs weren’t good enough. Focusing on being a good technician diminished my artistry and joy. It was a long road back to my joy.

“Where is the melody?”, the producer asked me. The verses didn’t match, the chorus was consistent, but still had lyrical changes each time. There were some golden nuggets, but there wasn’t anything about the song that was truly solid and reliable.

I thought, as the artist, I had to carry the song - riffing and lots of changes would show off my singing and the songs would be more exciting.

How often do artists worry about being boring?, I hear that one from most!

“Learning the ‘right’ way to do things made me feel like a fake, no longer like the artist I am. Applauded for being something that didn’t sit right with me. It took years to break this pattern - to change my perspective, my focus and get back to my love of making music.”

The most important thing is that everything created for your stage performance like merch, and artwork are spearheaded by you!

A bad haircut ruins everything. And you know why?! Because you don’t feel seen for who you are, in your best light, in a way that represents your personality.

It seems so trivial, but it’s not. IT’S DEEP. One of our most basic human needs is TO BE SEEN, APPRECIATED and LOVED for Who we are and if you’re showing up not looking like / feeling like yourself it’s horrible.

Managers tell me all the time, artists don’t really know who they are and knowing who you are is the key to success.

Your name is unique and special to you. Don’t let anyone tell you otherwise.

Don’t be afraid to live everyday like it’s your last

Go for you dreams and don’t turn back

Find love for yourself and be reminded of how you feel everyday. Money won’t buy you happiness or success, you will

So, here I am 17 years old, heading to Harlem to audition for Showtime at the Apollo TV show. I picked a song that I love, and knew really well. I auditioned and made the cut! The woman in charge suggested other songs for me. I thought that because I knew my song, and I’d rehearsed it over and over again, that it would be better for me than any of the other songs she suggested, so I stayed with my Stephanie Mills.

Showtime at the Apollo was the longest 90 seconds of my life …

Doing something with passion, purpose and internal drive is an incredible experience. Being motivated by perfectionism is a paralyzing, fearful, white-knuckling it form of hell.

A unicorn song is that one of a kind song you sing anytime, all the time, the go to that gets you going

I struggle with time management, and it’s because I often get distracted and do whatever is in front of me. That can sometimes be something really menial that has no time constraint and it’s not really that important, but what happens is that I focus all my energy on that, and now I have taken the time away from doing the things that matter most or that are most pressing.

What will move you closer to your dreams? Is it practicing something specific you’ve been putting off? Reaching out to people and making connection?

The most important thing is that everything created for your stage performance like merch, and artwork are spearheaded by you!

What is it you want to say?

How do you plan on executing your talent

These are some of the obstacles I’ve had to overcome and what I’ve learned along the way

You don’t have to sacrifice technique for unique expression

The creative world relies heavily on self ambition, but it’s not always just about you. Rejection can help you grow and develop. Trust the process.

Don’t let anyone stop you in your career, even those you trust the most

It’s the journey, not the destination.

Find the beauty in every step of your process.

Feeling Shaky

Learn to have fun with the skills you have