Today we’d like to introduce you to Drea Rose.
Drea, let’s start with your story. We’d love to hear how you got started and how the journey has been so far.
I come from a music oriented family! My dad and brother both played trumpet and piano and my mom sang. Motown and jazz lived in my house growing up. My mom was always belting Diana Ross or Natalie Cole while she was cleaning and my dad and brother both played piano. My brother is a phenomenal jazz musician so I learned so much by watching him growing up. Throughout my childhood, I started on a nylon and studied flamenco then went on to study jazz in junior high and high school. I sang all my life and quickly discovered songwriting when I was 13/14 years old. I knew music was going to be my life and knew LA was always going to be my destination.
In 2014, I made the move to LA and attended Cal State Northridge where I majored in liberal studies with a minor in humanities. As I was attending college, I was gigging around the LA area connecting with industry folks and recording/writing music with other songwriters and producers.
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?
Failure is necessary to endure in pursuit of success. There are days I feel significantly discouraged but have to remind myself how essential those moments are. I’ve had various humbling moments that have become an integral role in who I am and have become as a creative.
A consistent challenge I’ve faced is being a woman in a male-dominant space. When I attended jazz camp in junior high, I was the only girl in the guitar clinic who was also a minority. That was the first experience I had feeling out of place as a musician. I felt intimidated and uncomfortable in a space I had hoped would allow me to progress. But it’s awesome to see how the culture has changed and inspiring to meet more female musicians nowadays.
We’d love to hear more about your work and what you are currently focused on. What else should we know?
I’m an artist, songwriter and producer. I write music for myself and other artists. I’m proud of my personal growth wearing those different hats. I’ve sonically evolved as an artist as well as a producer and have learned to adapt to the energy in the room as a songwriter.
What moment in your career do you look back most fondly on?
Playing the Teragram Ballroom opening for Gabe Bondoc was personally a proud moment for me. I’ve listened to Gabe’s music throughout high school and I’ve seen some of my favorite big league artists play the Teragram. It was awesome to play that venue.
Contact Info:
- Website: drearosemusic.com
- Email: [email protected]
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/drearosemusic/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/drearosemusic
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/drearosemusic
- Other: https://open.spotify.com/artist/5bnrW5YIWMf505sF5WmJ06?si=Q8CPQVErSjqX3vB4rB7OGQ
Image Credit:
Brilyn Aguilar and Britt Kapesi
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