Today we’d like to introduce you to Yahm Steinberg.
Hi Yahm, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstory.
I was born in Oakland, CA and raised in Las Vegas, where I went to an arts high school. Both of my parents are immigrants from Israel. I grew up speaking Hebrew at home and was raised Israeli-American. Growing up in a financially strained home, I worked hard throughout high school to ensure I would be able to go to a good college and pursue my dreams. I’m lucky to have a family that is so supportive of me going after a life in the arts. I’ve always loved singing and acting and have truly been in love with performing since a very young age. I recently graduated from USC, where I studied acting, directing, music, and dance. As a first-generation American and a first-generation college graduate in my family, this is an accomplishment of mine that I’m quite proud of.
Growing up in my household, healing and spirituality were prominent themes as my parents are both practitioners of various mind and body healing techniques. My dad is also a martial arts instructor in an Israeli system called ‘Hisardut’ which is a system with a focus on real-world survival. I trained in that system and feel it has impacted me on a fundamental level.
I’ve spent the past several years developing my artistry and spirituality in tandem with my craft. I am now interested in telling authentic and meaningful stories relating to being Queer and Jewish, but also of humanity. I want to make art! I am at the beginning of building a life where I am able to act, sing, dance, draw, write, and play as a career. Discovering the importance of play and remembering that inner child’s presence has been crucial for me.
I’m sure you wouldn’t say it’s been obstacle free, but so far would you say the journey have been a fairly smooth road?
I mean, it’s definitely not been a smooth road. School is objectively hard and I had to work very diligently to achieve my goals. I sacrificed a lot of mental health and any sense of a social life for the grades I earned. Since then I’ve had to learn that living your life and experiencing new things is just as important, if not more, to becoming a well-rounded, honest artist. And now, the beginning of this journey into the professional acting and music worlds outside of school is challenging in new ways. Trying to get your name out there in what is arguably the most oversaturated market there is can be quite frustrating. It’s like trying to shout your name so someone can find you in a very crowded room, but every other person in the room is shouting as well. But patience is the name of the game! I had a professor at USC tell me that as long as you keep your passion alive, keep developing your craft, and just don’t give up, that your opportunity will eventually come. And I keep that advice central to my core. It’s tough not knowing whether this dream will take off in the next year or next decade, but all I can do is keep going and finding any chance to do what I love. Constantly working to trust myself and letting that be enough.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
I’ve been acting for a very long time! My background is primarily in theatre and musicals, but I have also been singing jazz for quite a while. Now in the acting realm, I’m interested in doing stage, screen, and voiceover work. I’ve also begun songwriting and collaborating with other musicians and am planning to release music this year! I love to sing for people and have been told by many that my voice is unique. I also create visual art, primarily through illustration and collage. If you ask anyone in my life to define me, most people would probably note that I am, to my core, an artist. I aim to create art that is honest, full of meaning and reminds people of some element of the humanity within them. Especially living in a world that urges us to be desensitized to robots that must report to work every day. Also, drawing from my parent’s backgrounds in healing, I can only hope to create art that helps people heal some part of themselves. My mother taught me it is very important to be discerning with what we welcome into our psyche. I want to make art that contributes to a positive effect on those consuming it.
What makes you happy?
Nature! I spend as much time as possible in the park. I love to read, journal, draw, and soak up the sun. One of my favorite things to do is take off my shoes and socks and dance in the park to my favorite songs! It is something I can always return to that will remind me of who I am and that everything will be okay. A good reminder of how small we are in the grand scheme of things. I think everyone would benefit from more time outside. I also am a big believer in kinesthetic and somatic practices. My body wants to sing and dance and play, and it feels great when I lean into those things! All of our bodies want to! Definitely value the importance of listening to that inner child’s wants. Any quality time spent with loved ones will also be a surefire way to make me happy. I have such lovely, talented, supportive, passionate and empathetic people in my life who inspire me to no end. In a nutshell, nature, art, and good people make me happy. Also, learning to prioritize joy and let stress roll off my shoulders as much as possible. Money is real and important in our society, but it isn’t the thing that matters at the end of the day and doesn’t get to take away from my happiness.
Contact Info:
- Instagram: @yahmsteinberg
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@yahmsteinberg
Image Credits
Ginger Gordon, Luis Alfaro, Gloria Park, Erin Newsom, Ericka de Alexander
