Rising Stars: Meet Antonio Travis

Today we’d like to introduce you to Antonio Travis.

Hi Antonio, so excited to have you on the platform. So before we get into questions about your work-life, maybe you can bring our readers up to speed on your story and how you got to where you are today?
When I was eight, my grandparents got me an acoustic guitar. I played around with it for a couple of months learning really basic stuff, then a year later I got my first Gibson Les Paul. As soon as I got it, I loved it. It was amazing, heavy and little did I know it would help me achieve so much.

I started lessons at School of Rock Fairfax and learned under one of the best guitar players and teachers ever, Jesse McIntruff. He pushed me through the years and got me into performance groups. Those helped me progress even faster and I got to perform on some of the most iconic stages all over LA — the Troubadour, the Mint, The Whisky — some of the same stages Queen, Sir Elton John, The Stones, and Freddy Mercury played on, which was so unreal! That same year, I auditioned for House Band and didn’t get it. Tried the next year and didn’t get it. All the guitarists who made it had a few years on me so the third year, I thought I’d try something different. So I started working on my singing, and that became my priority. Adam Timmerman, House Band Director and one of the best drummers in LA started to notice my singing little by little and gave me the confidence to keep going. That year, I auditioned as a vocalist.

I sang Bohemian Rhapsody and finally made it. House Band was one of my greatest experiences at School of Rock. I always believed that when you surround yourself with people who are so talented, it rubs off on you too. I met some of my best friends and collaborators there. But the shift to my current journey happened when I took a songwriting class. None of us knew each other and I saw a kid on his computer deep into making beats. His name was Jackson, who is now a close friend of mine, and he was producing amazing stuff. I gravitated to it right away and realized I liked being behind the scenes more than performing. I was also getting more into hip-hop and R&B. Producing allows me to showcase my style and it’s almost addicting. It takes me to a different place like my own world, my own reality, also it’s just so fun and I am extremely happy that my journey led me here.

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?
No road is ever smooth and there are always struggles. I didn’t make House Band for two years back to back, on an instrument that I had been playing for years, but I bounced back and found another way. I never could have imagined making House Band as a vocalist. I also learned that everything you do ends up being a step to something else, even if you can’t see it in the moment. I also struggle with ADHD, and music is a big plus for that too.

Thanks – so what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
I specialize in making Hip Hop and R&B beats. I love to make music that sounds like what I listen to so I can reflect and try different sounds and things like 808s etc. My guitar background has also been extremely valuable because it helps me listen to every part of a beat in a very detailed way. I am most proud of the fact that I found something I loved at a young age and that I figured it out through different experiences. It just shows that we all come from somewhere and can always surprise ourselves. I am also very proud of the opportunities I’ve had already to produce for different people and projects. I feel like I’ve progressed quickly to have people like and trust my work this early on in my career. I think my willingness to be open to different things musically. I also love to love to help others who want to do what I do. I love to absorb knowledge and then share that with others instead of housing it all inside.

What were you like growing up?
Growing up, I was and still am very musically oriented. I have always enjoyed listening to all genres of music. When I was a baby, my mom used to put me to bed with everything from Sade to REM to Incubus to Mozart so it started early. Personality-wise, I have been somewhat of a solitary person. I like to be in my own world at times but love hanging out with fun talented people who live life to the fullest. I am a very joyful person who has very broad taste in everything, in music, food, shoes, and just ideas of thinking. I also love cooking and for a while, I thought I wanted to be a chef which could have made this a very different conversation.

Pricing:

• Beats on my Instagram page are 10$
• Pre made beats are 15$

Contact Info:

• Email: [email protected]
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/antonio_r_travis/
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCtGSiLdI–5yw-qPIRCFDTg?view_as=subscriber
• SoundCloud: https://soundcloud.com/antonio-travis-805225081

Image Credits
Melinda Travis (mom)