Today we’d like to introduce you to Carli Storms.
So, before we jump into specific questions, why don’t you give us some details about you and your story.
I discovered my passion for music early on. In the elementary school, I went to, we had music class. I remember we were learning the song, ‘If I Had A Hammer’ by Peter, Paul and Mary. I loved the song and sang it for my mom one day after school. We decided I should start taking vocal lessons, and I became heavily involved in musical theater and several chamber choirs throughout the years. I continued to do that for a long time and was passionate about making it to Broadway. Around high school, I took a hiatus from music because I was enveloped in the dynamics of school, work and social life. But, after finishing high school and starting my freshman year of college at ASU, I found myself feeling unsatisfied with the direction my life was going. That was when my mom suggested to me that I consider going to CRAS aka the Conservatory of Recording Arts and Sciences to study audio engineering and music production. I jumped at the opportunity and started the program in 2014.
As I neared graduation, I decided I wanted to move to LA and work in recording studios. So that’s exactly what I did. I moved to LA in June of 2015 and worked at Larrabee Studios for a year and a half. Afterwards, I moved on to Paramount Recording Studios for two and a half years. During my time there, I re-discovered my passion for singing and decided I had all the tools to create my own music. I ended up making a five song EP called ‘Soul Searching’ which I curated myself up until the mixes and masters. I found myself moving more towards the creative side of making music again as opposed to engineering which to me, feels more technical. At the top of 2019, I made it my mission to go to as many shows as possible, network and start playing my own shows around LA. By the end of 2019, I had done just that. So now, I am continuing to push myself further. Striving to make every show better than the last, as well as building my brand. I’m also working on another EP named ‘Unconditionally Myself’ which I am excited to release soon. There’s so many things in the works for this year. I’m aiming higher than ever.
Great, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
I’m not sure any road to success is a smooth one. There’s a lot of trial and error involved. I’ve struggled with self-doubt, rejection, financial setbacks, business and personal relationships fizzling, and creative blockages. There have been so many times where I have had to go out of my comfort zone and push myself to think outside of the box to problem solve. But to me, it’s all about perseverance. This is what I’m passionate about, so I am willing to make sacrifices as long as it comes from a place of integrity.
We’d love to hear more about your work and what you are currently focused on. What else should we know?
My business is myself. I am an artist who sings, writes, plays piano and guitar, produces and audio engineers. I am building my brand from the ground up and forming my team along the way. I am most proud of the fact that I have started branding myself from the vision I have in my mind and making it into a reality. Everything that I do, I want people to resonate with the fact that it’s 100% authentically me. I think that’s something that sets me apart. I’m not trying to be like anyone else. I am trying to be my most authentic, loving self and express that through my music in order to bring people together.
What moment in your career do you look back most fondly on?
I think the proudest moment in my career so far is the music that I’m working on right now. I can hear the progression I’ve made in my art and I can’t wait for others to hear it too. I’m also very proud of myself for putting in the footwork to start playing shows in LA. I had no clue how I was going to do that. So I went out on a limb, put myself out there, made the connections, and was able to start booking shows.
Contact Info:
- Email: [email protected]
- Instagram: carlistorms
- Facebook: Carli Storms
Image Credit:
Staci Anderson, Vic Hernandez and Chris Camargo
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