Today we’d like to introduce you to Scarlet Parke.
So, before we jump into specific questions about what you do, why don’t you give us some details about you and your story.
Everything began with singing. I discovered my voice in the church choir, dabbled in opera, fell in love with jazz, grew into the blues, and then found my way to pop music. I love writing and composing but not as much as I love performing. A few years ago, I was performing with a 6-piece blues/jazz band, which was pretty great but very time consuming and expensive, so I recently switched to pop music and have really been enjoying learning all the new
I quit my ‘real’ job as an event planner two years ago to pursue music full time and ended up starting a side hustle business called, Parke Ave, which is a networking app for musicians. I started from the very bottom. When I moved to Seattle from my tiny hometown – Port Orchard, WA, I didn’t know anyone in the music scene or how to find people to play with. That feeling is what prompted me to launch Parke Ave and has remained the driving force behind my hustle.
I just moved to LA from Seattle and it’s been invigorating to be surrounded by hustlers like me. It makes sense why everyone moves here, the energy is electric!
Overall, has it been relatively smooth? If not, what were some of the struggles along the way?
My origin story is a little rough.
I was a very sheltered kid. My parents shielded me from most ‘bad things’ in the world, so you can imagine my horror when my parents got a divorce and ended up alcoholics (don’t worry, they’re great now). I did my best to take care of my little sisters while Mom & Dad were MIA but like I said, I was sheltered. I struggled to graduate high school and ended up moving out when I was 17 to live with a boyfriend. He turned out to be a drug addict so I packed my bags and skipped town, living with strangers off craigslist. I bounced around from place to place, feeling more alone than ever before finally making the choice to sleep in my car and shower at the YMCA. This was my rock bottom (at the time) and I’m not sure what would have happened to me if it wasn’t for an old high school friend who offered to let me live on her couch. That’s how I ended up in Seattle. It changed my life.
What else should we know?
First and foremost, I’m a full-time singer and songwriter. My voice is especially jazzy but I’ve been getting into a faster-paced style of music so I’ve been dabbling in writing raps. I’m best known for my live performances because I do everything I can to bring the drama and pizzazz.
When I’m not performing, I’m a business owner. Parke Ave has grown into more than a side hustle these days and we are moving into ‘phase 2’ ahead of schedule. I can’t say too much but if we can pull off our goal, it will change the music industry.
If you had to go back in time and start over, would you have done anything differently?
Honestly, I’m not sure that I would change a thing. I’m so hard-headed that I believe wholeheartedly that I needed to go through my struggles and pain in order to grow and appreciate the life I have now.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.scarletparke.com, www.parkeave.com
- Email: scarletparke@gmail.com, scarlet@parkeave.com
- Instagram: @scarlet.parke, @parkeave
- Facebook: www.facebook.com/scarletparke, www.facebook.com/parkeavenetworking
- Twitter: www.twitter.com/scarletparke, www.twitter.com/parkeave
Image Credit:
Amanda Farmer, Freelance Flame, Matt McDonald
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