Today we’d like to introduce you to Ciera Harding
Hi Ciera, thanks for joining us today. We’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
My journey to getting to where I am today is an interesting one! But the main theme of it all, is that believing in yourself, knowing your worth and staying consistent, will ultimately get you to every dream and passion your heart desires. I started out very young acting and singing in community theaters and school performances. I was at the time also playing sports, because that too was something I was fired up for as well! As a kid I moved around so much. I’ve lived in Cincinnati, OH., Indiana, Michigan and Florida. Throughout all that time I was still finding ways to perform in the arts and entertainment side and in sports. I ended up moving to Florida my senior year of High school, so that was a big shift. Coming in as the “new kid” as a senior wasn’t the most ideal, but since I had already adapted to the lifestyle of making friends quickly and trying to navigate the new place I was in, I was up for the challenge. It was then, that I actually had to decide if sports or art was going to be my focus. And after bombing a softball tryout (sooo embarrassing!) I kind of knew at that point, it was time to shift my entire focus to art! I auditioned for the Fall play “Clybourne Park” at Dr. Phillips High School. It was the show that was going to be entered into the Florida State Thespian Festival that our High school hosted. I auditioned, killed it and booked it! I ended up booking the lead role! I was so proud of myself and also very frightened because it was my first lead! At the end of it all, we go to the festival and we killed it. We didn’t win the whole thing but I got awarded best actress in a lead role that day!
From then on, I graduated and then went to Point Park University, in Pittsburgh, PA. There, things got a little different, because EVERYONE was good. My entire class was filled with the “lead role” bookers. I was honestly at the end of the “lead role” bookers totem pole. That cut my confidence up, but the training really built me a great foundation of who I am today. It was there that singing started to come into the mix. I had been singing since I was young. But with singing I didn’t take it as seriously. I taught myself how to sing from listening to the radio and trying to mimic Mariah Carey, Brandy, Whitney and so many others. Singing came naturally but I wasn’t as confident in it. I actually remember auditioning for the Discovery Middle School Talent Show, I decided to sing “Put Your Records On” by Corrine Bailey Rae and ended up running off the stage crying and not finishing the song, cause the bridge was kicking my butt. So, yeah. Singing was not my strong suit.
I took my first private singing lessons as a senior and was taught by a lovely woman named Eva Rainforth, who instilled in me a confidence that my voice was beautiful and I could really be great if I kept at it! As this was happening, I was also still focusing on acting. That was my major and what I believed I was destined to do. We had a senior showcase in New York, I didn’t sing any songs at all. I did two monologues, ended up getting some agent meetings and nothing clicked.. I was devastated. I actually thought I had failed at life because no one wanted me.
After that, I set my sights on LA! I was supposed to move with a friend and it ended up not working out at all. I still decided even if I have to go at it alone, I was determined to follow my dreams! I got to LA, did some PA work and ended up getting my SAG card within my first year and a half out here. Got myself a theatrical agent and kept it pushing! What was interesting though, is that as I continued my craft I felt this calling to really commit to music. I studied at Groundlings and as I was getting ready for the next level, my heart just wasn’t in it as much. I had shifted my focus to writing music and recording with different producers. I was getting such great feedback from producers! They’d say that my voice was dope and already sounded like there was auto-tune on it, or that they could already hear my voice on songs on the radio and something clicked! I needed switch my focus to music! I put out my first single in 2022 on my birthday, ‘Know Your Worth’. Then got a little scared about doing more, so I kind of kept writing and making songs and not putting anything out. I was getting discouraged, because I felt like no one was listening. But I also couldn’t be too upset, because I also wasn’t pushing it out to people either.
I then came up with this concept called “Tiny Mic Music'” where I would sing covers songs and also sing some of my original songs as well. I was a big advocate of it for like 3 weeks and then I stopped. I was noticing a pattern of starting and stopping if I didn’t feel like my content was going anywhere. I got really serious about it this year in 2024 and have been consistent with it since April and it’s crazy what consistency and discipline will do for you!
Since that, I’ve also been going to a lot of Jams and open mics and just putting myself out there, because I know that when I do drop my EP ‘Earworms’, I’ll have people waiting to hear more of me and less of cover songs!
That’s my story and I’m sticking to it!
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?
I mentioned this in my overall story, but getting to LA was probably the most hectic thing that happened to me to start my LA journey. I was supposed to move with my best friend at the time. We had actually been to LA two separate times. Once to see if we liked it and the second time to find our apartment! We found this beautiful two bedroom apartment on Vanowen street and were set to move on July, 23rd 2020! I want to say about two weeks out from moving to LA, she told me that she actually wasn’t going to go. There were too many obstacles that were stopping her from coming. Therefore, she backed out and left me to find somewhere to live in a 2-week time frame. I had to leave on July 22nd still because I couldn’t change my ticket. So, I scrambled to find a place through an LA Roommates Facebook group. A girlie reached out to me and I immediately jumped on it. I ended up shipping out all my stuff to this apartment I’ve never seen and took a risk!
Besides that I’d say that the biggest obstacles I faced really had to deal with my self confidence and again consistency. I had this really bad habit of self sabotaging myself or thinking the worst case scenario of things before they’d happen. I actually had so many great opportunities come my way and did right by them but would tell myself the worst possible things before performing or just knowing I would fail.
I was in a band called ‘Gold Shimmer’ for a while and those first few performances were definitely interesting because I had great energy, but I wouldn’t rehearse too much before and would have a lot of moments on stage where I’d be a little off key or forget certain things I was supposed to do. I even got invited to perform my first solo show in San Diego at this club called Phantom. When I’d rehearse, I’d almost be in tears telling myself I wasn’t good enough. I rehearsed that show to the ground. Then the night of the show, they decided to change one of my songs to Closer by Goapele. I literally had a panic attack. I was in my head thinking they were trying to sabotage me, when they were really trying to help me. That song by the way ended up being the best song I performed that night, funnily enough.
Negative self talk and self sabotaging behaviors really had me in a chokehold for awhile. It was like I wanted to see myself fail. Even though that was the complete opposite of what I knew I actually wanted. Which was to succeed!
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
I am a singer/songwriter, actor and model! What I’d say I’m most known for now, is my singing. I specialize in R&B/Neo-soul but I absolutely love indulging in different genres as well. Rock and Jazz especially.
I am most proud of my current mini-content series called “Tiny Mic Music”. I post covers every Wednesday at 10:24am and just share musically what’s been on my mind and heart that week. It’s made me so proud, because in this day and age; you really have to push the things you love yourself. There’s so much content out there and there is truly nothing new under the sun, so it makes me proud that I’m putting my spin on making original content and remaining consistent!
I believe what sets me apart from others is my tenacity to keep going and follow my passions. Also, my childlike zest for life! I love life! I had to really train my mind to be kind to myself and truly believe in myself! It’s one thing to have others telling you they believe in you and that you’re going to be the best there is. They can say that ‘til they’re blue in the face and it not mean anything, until you believe and desire it for yourself! Despite the negative self-talk and sabotage that I’ve been through, throughout it all I’ve never lost myself! If anything, I’ve been finding out more about myself. As I take more risks and the less I care what people think and just do what brings me joy, the more authentic I become. I think what also sets me apart, is that I am focused on my goals and dreams, but I keep God first. If there is anything I take more seriously than my career, it’s my relationship with Jesus. I’m enjoying my life journey! The good, the bad, the ugly, the sad. It’s all working together for my good!
We’d love to hear about how you think about risk taking?
I believe in taking big risks! But I also think that the risks you take, need to be calculated and not reckless. The first risk I ever took was choosing arts over sports. I had a scholarship to go to a ju-co to play softball. School would’ve been paid for as I was playing, but that felt too safe. So, when I auditioned to go to a conservatory and they gave me a $19,000 scholarship, to a school who’s tuition was in the high 40s and kept rising, it was risky. My parents paid for my first year of school. After that, I had to take out my own loans and take a chance on myself! Am I still paying for that tuition? Yes. It pains me to pay Sallie Mae every month, but it was so worth it! I wouldn’t be who I am today without that training. I learned so much about myself there and I use things I learned from Point Park every day.
The biggest risk that I took was truly moving to LA alone! I moved all the way from Pittsburgh, PA and left all my family in the east coast, in the middle of a pandemic. I knew that if I wanted to be an entertainer of any kind, I would have to take that risk! I knew LA was expensive and I had no idea what to expect. As big of a risk that was, I was also calculated about it. I saved up $14,000, thanks to stimmy checks and tips and such from being a waitress and took a leap!
The most recent risk I took on myself was buying myself a home studio set up! I said to myself if I’m serious about being a singer, then I need to invest in myself. So I spent money that I really don’t have to spend, but told myself that there’s going to be a huge return of investment from this. I’m betting on myself big time and I know that it will pay off! I believe in me!
Contact Info:
- Website: Email me, I’d love to hear from you! [email protected]
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/hardingciera
- Youtube: https://youtube.com/channel/UCpu1YsNCIE__COS4KST-vew?si=8oxrAhFZe9-uZPzk
- Other: https://distrokid.com/hyperfollow/ciciharding/know-your-worth
Image Credits
Lovingood media LLC
Knotty.PNG
Anthony Anastasi
Craig Allyn Photo
