Today we’d like to introduce you to Dina Valenz.
Hi Dina, we’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
I’m a singer songwriter from the city of Long Beach with a passion for music that goes back as far as I can remember. Singing has always been a part of my life. I’ve always loved to sing and would do so for anyone that would listen to me growing up. As a true child of the 90s, artists like Alanis Morissette, Sheryl Crow, and Jewel dominated the radio when I was a teen and these women inspired me to pick up the guitar and write music. On a trip down to Mexico to visit my grandparents, I convinced my parents to buy me my first guitar. It was nylon string, and could barely stay in tune but I practiced obsessively and learned to play all my favorite songs. After about 6 months of playing, I took the stage a local youth talent show and performed Jewel’s “Who Will Save Your Soul” which wowed the audience. The experience of connecting with people through song was so impactful that I decided I’d want to pursue a career in music.
I continued playing open mics, singing in the high school Vocal Ensemble and in my church choir. Eventually, I went on to attend college at the University of California, Irvine and formed my first band called Not Like the Other. We played gigs at the strangest places from dive bars, to boxing rings, to parking lots but it was so much fun! As most young bands go, we were not great, but we had a lot of fun together and eventually went our separate ways after graduating. That’s when I decided to go solo and really try to give my music career a shot.
I worked in television production as my day job and took songwriting classes through the UCLA Extension program in the evening where I met my mentor Mark Winkler. He really believed in me and encouraged me to take more creative risks and develop my songwriting style. Mark and I wrote a few songs together and he produced my first album in 2013. I took the show on the road after that and toured. I had the great fortune of playing so many amazing venues and events throughout the country including most notably the Aladdin Theater in Portland, OR, and a showcase at the SXSW music festival in Austin, TX. The touring life was fun, but it was also draining so I decided to take a break from the road in 2017. I would still play local venues here and there, but I was burned out and where music had brought me the most joy in the past, it was now causing me the most stress. Just as I was beginning to feel the urge to write music and play again — the pandemic hit and I was forced to continue my musical hiatus.
During the first year of the pandemic, I wasn’t singing, I wasn’t writing, and it was taking a major toll on my mental health. After doing some inner work, I realized that a major part of the reason I was struggling was because of the lack of music in my life. Together with some of my neighbors, we started hosting safe and socially distanced front yard music events where we would get together to play songs on our instruments and sing. I almost instantly felt better having that sort of community and joy back in my life. Coming out of the pandemic I made a big effort to incorporate more music in my life. I started writing again, I joined a choir, and I started receiving requests for me to play at local events and private parties.
I feel whole again! My calendar is full of great community events that need live music, I’m meeting wonderful people via private parties and corporate events, and I recently joined an amazing 5-piece band called Jon Franco and the Rebel Scum. I’m excited to see where this musical journey will take me next.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
There have been so many challenges throughout my musical career. Being a solo musician is hard because in addition to writing, singing, and performing, I am also forced to be my own promoter, booker, web designer, social media manager, etc. It’s a lot for one person to take on and without having anyone to share the load with I burned out.
Additionally, the money isn’t always great. Tours are expensive and there was no way I could maintain the lifestyle I wanted without also having a day job. I learned a lot working for myself as a musician and I believe that a lot of those skills have made me successful in the profession I have today working in a nonprofit development.
I had to learn that just because I wasn’t going to be the next Alanis Morrissette didn’t make me a failure. I can keep making music and work a full-time job that also feeds my soul. I am happy to share that I feel more joyful now than I ever was when I was living the “musician’s dream”. I have a career I love, a lovely home in Long Beach with my husband and rescue dog, a desire to serve the community, and a reignited passion for music and singing, which I am honored to have the opportunity to share with the local community and the world.
As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about what you do?
I’m a pop/rock singer-songwriter with a deep connection to my community in Long Beach. I am very proud to have been voted Best Local Artist in the 2022 Absolute Best of Long Beach Awards.
In addition to performing my own brand of acoustic pop songs, I also love including cover songs in my sets. That’s the thing that’s so special about music– it has the ability to unite and inspire. I am available to perform solo or with my band for private parties, corporate events, and community fairs and festivals. As much as I love sharing my original music with people, nothing makes me happier than seeing someone really get into a cover tune and watching them enjoy it!
Lately, I’ve been working on incorporating more songs in Spanish into my repertoire. I am a proud Latina and I feel a deep connection to my roots and my family when I sing in Spanish.
If you had to, what characteristic of yours would you give the most credit to?
The quality that has been most important to my success has been my ability to push forward and adapt. No matter what life has thrown my way, I have always been able to figure out how to make things work. For me, that has meant taking a break, prioritizing my needs, ending relationships, taking new opportunities, shifting my expectations, and ultimately pursuing the things that bring me the most peace and joy.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.dinavalenz.com
- Instagram: www.instagram.com/dinavalenz/
- SoundCloud: https://soundcloud.com/dinavalenz
Image Credits
IKEA Image only – Happy Photos
