Alright, so thank you so much for sharing your story and insight with our readers. To kick things off, can you tell us a bit about how you got started?
I grew up around very talented people and around a lot of diverse cultures/music, so from a young age, I was quite open-minded when it came to art. In elementary school, I performed in every play and most times I was offered lead parts, though I was too shy to take them most of the time. I took piano classes for nine years and eventually dropped out because I was losing interest. My voice has been my main instrument for most of my life. For high school, I chose to go to Alexander Hamilton music academy where I took choir and music industry as my majors. Through the music industry class and the label, I’ve met multiple talented people that I’m honored to call my friends.
Currently, I’m the Vice President of MakeWavesMusic, the manager/ A&R rep for swandive and other artists, I’m an artist on the label, etc. I’m working on my own album right now titled “The World From An Empaths Perspective” which was originally going to be my suicide album but I’ve since changed that. My mental health plays a huge role in my creative process and how I am with people. I’ve spent my entire life going through trauma so I try to connect with people on a deeper level and give others the care and empathy I never got. My music is a direct look into my mental health and my need for human connection and empathy.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
Mental health, the biggest problem for most creatives. The perfectionist complex, the need for external validation, trauma after trauma after trauma. At some point, I had to push through and say screw it, I don’t care, which ironically shows I do care. The human mind is a very complex, contradictory, and dialectical thing. The biggest roadblock we have is ourselves, and not just for artists but for everyone. I do think this is amplified in artists as we are using our experiences and all of who we are to create something for the world to see that has never been before, and that is really scary.
Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
I’m the Vice President of the label MakeWavesMusic as well as an artist and manager. I’m also a creative director of sorts as I do photography and videography as well as digital design/editing. I kind of just play around with whatever I’m working on and see what I like or what looks good to me. Obviously, if I’m working on someone else’s project I get feedback and fine tune to what they are looking for.
We’re always looking for the lessons that can be learned in any situation, including tragic ones like the Covid-19 crisis. Are there any lessons you’ve learned that you can share?
This is actually really funny, I just started teaching myself guitar over this past year and I’d like to think I’m pretty good for how long I’ve been playing. Most of this crisis, I’ve actually been in treatment for my mental health either through partial hospitalization program or residential treatment centers. It’s also allowed me to write more of my own content and make connections with friends to help my projects come to fruition.
Contact Info:
- Website: Makewavesmusic.org
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kin_the_ocelot_lol/
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