Art & Life with Seneca Pettee

Today we’d like to introduce you to Seneca Pettee.

Seneca, please kick things off for us by telling us about yourself and your journey so far.
My name is Seneca Asia Chase Pettee. I was born in Los Angeles but grew up in Hawaii.

I came back to California in 2007 after spending some years away to be able to have more opportunities and to have a relationship with my mother.

My mom was a violinist and pushed me to play the piano. I instantly fell in love with writing and showing my mom all my songs.

Right after high school, I didn’t know exactly the path I wanted to take. My mom really pushed me towards music and helped me apply at a few music schools. Just a few months after graduation, she had a heart attack and had to have surgery to keep her alive.

I was accepted into the Musicians Institute, and my mom moved her and I up to Los Angeles. I loved going to school and being able to play music every day, but her health was deteriorating. It was a constant struggle to be busy with school and still have time to spend with her.
I graduated in 2014 with two AA degrees. In 2015, my mom was diagnosed with breast cancer.

She had chemo and then a mastectomy. Everything seemed to be working, and the doctors were telling me she was getting better. I was continuing with music, and my mom would be at every show. I released an EP with my folk band, Seneca and The River, and she supported me the whole way through.

I got married in 2016. It was a very small wedding. My mom was so excited to start planning a big wedding with me that all our friends and family could come to. We went wedding dress shopping and looked at venues. We put down deposits and started booking the event.

Then the doctors told us that the chemo wasn’t working and her cancer had come back.

At this time in 2017, my marriage was already starting to fall apart. I went into a deep depression with knowing my mom was getting sicker and having to leave my husband.

July 18th, 2017, my mom had a stroke. This changed both our lives forever. She was unable to have conversations, and her memory was all over the place. Sometimes she would know my name, and sometimes she wouldn’t.

I had to move everything out of her house and put her into assisted living, where she just became sicker and sicker. I tried to spend as much time with her as I could, while still having two full-time jobs.

The doctors eventually told me that she only had a few more months to live. She was moved into a hospice where she was watched over 24/7.

I spent almost every day with her at least for an hour, either on my lunch break or after work before I went to my other job. It was extremely hard to still focus on music, see her, and deal with depression.

January of this year, my mom passed away.

I saw her the morning of and introduced her to my new boyfriend and his dog. Even though she couldn’t really comprehend the meeting, she seemed peaceful that morning.

Only a few hours later I got the call while at dinner with my friends.

The next month was extremely hard. My family came to LA to be with me and to come for her memorial.

I have been taking a couple of months off from music to deal with my emotions and just spend some time getting my life back together. When she passed, it felt like a piece of me died, and I felt empty. She was my best friend.

I am now just starting to play again and write. I have another EP coming out later this year, and I have a residency with a band every Monday in Santa Monica.

Music will always be around, but family and friends won’t. They come before anything.

Can you give our readers some background on your art?
I write music about my life.

About things, I have gone through personally or things I’ve dreamed about.

I really believe that music is therapy.

If I wasn’t able to write songs while dealing with depression, I’m not sure I would be here.

And I know that sounds cliche and everyone says it, but It’s so true.

No therapist I have ever been to has helped me the way music has.

It helped me through my parents divorced when I was young.

It helped me through close friends of mine passing away.

My marriage is falling apart, and now, my moms passing.

How do you think about success, as an artist, and what do quality do you feel is most helpful?
Success is feeling something.

I just want to be writing and singing and being able to share my music.

Success is different for everyone. I do not need to be a super famous rock star on the radio or playing giant festivals.

I just want people to hear my music and listen to the lyrics and connect with me.

Whether it makes them sad or happy.

I just want people to feel something when I play.

That is success to me.

What’s the best way for someone to check out your work and provide support?
I have an old folk EP on Spotify and apple music under, Seneca and The River.

I currently post a lot of songs I’m working on now on my Instagram, senecapettee

Later this year, I will be promoting a new EP that I will be releasing, and that will be promoted on Instagram and eventually available on streaming platforms.

Contact Info:

• Address: 4301 Colfax Ave, Apt 306, Studio City, CA 91604
• Phone: 714-398-6827
• Email: senecapettee@gmail.com
• Instagram: instagram.com/senecapettee

Image Credit:
Image of me on couch: Tyler Ross

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