Barrista Music Interview

I grew up in a family of artists. My parents were singers and musicians. I began acting in shows during elementary school. As an adult, I acted in community and regional theaters. I performed in Urdu and Punjabi languages. I grew up in a culturally diverse household and community. This enabled me to relate to different personal and societal experiences, and to live out my own and other people 's stories through my acting. Also, my collaborative nature, strong sense of imagination and interest in poetry, literature, politics, public affairs and human experience has helped me play many roles effectively.

Music is a passion of mine and has been for a long time (it's in my blood.) My dad played the bass guitar in a few groups, and he sings in our church's choir. His taste of music has been passed down and adopted by my brother and me.

Music has always been integral in my life. During my childhood, when I was four years old, I pressed my fingers on an oven handle like a piano. Throughout my childhood years I listened to my mom’s old-school mix CD’s, along with the Pandora music app on my old Kindle. In fifth grade, I picked up the piano. My alto saxophone studies began in seventh grade. When high school arrived, I turned my focus to guitar and voice. The more knowledge I absorbed, the more knowledge I craved. My decision to pursue music was also influenced by the inspirations I’ve encountered on my journey so far.

I grew up in Washington D.C with my dad’s recording studio in the basement. Day and night, I would hear the beats of R&B and jazz surfing up through the floorboards. My parent’s were always listening to everything from Motown to John Lennon, Broadway musicals to Otis Redding. I loved it all - Etta James, Frank Sinatra, Nina Simone, The Supremes, Elvis, Billie Holiday, musicals. To this day, those musicians inspire me. The second I knew that I had to be a singer was the day I fell madly in

VH1 Save the Music provides "35,000 worth of high quality, new musical instruments to public elementary and middle schools and […] are able to jump-start beginning music programs across the country". This agency, VH1 Save the Music, helps young lives around the world develop or advance in an art that is becoming known lesser in the world. I believe that this organization could thrive further than it already has by having people share their qualities. I believe that I have the qualities necessary to benefit this institution. I can contribute my attributes to "VH1 Save the Music" through my talent of being able to play a musical instrument, connect and relate with adolescents, as well as speaking on how important instrumental music has been in my life and how it can change others.

A musician’s ultimate purpose should be to create a combination of words and sounds that can heal the soul. This is why I spend countless hours after school and on weekends recording, writing, and producing music. When I get to college I will major in music production, yearning to be with other musicians who share my passion. Music gave me a home when I did not have one, now I know where I

“I pay attention to those things. I'm not one to follow the pack and have always wanted to sound unique, always searching and stretching. I understand how to write and play interesting music. This is what I do and what I love. It's my passion and it comes naturally to me. Plus, I'm obsessed with it. I listen to everything and often. I know what's happening in almost all music areas. So there's a lot to draw from. I'm constantly thinking about creating, finding inspiration along the way. I really don't stop! Whenever I go to the studio, I have the framework. The writing part of my music is usually pretty strictly adhered to and then everyone is free to do whatever they want during

Musicians, actors, and authors are just of the famous people we look up to. They are the ones we wish we were and the ones we hate at the same time. For me there is one person who I look up to, one of my biggest idols, Billie Holiday. She is one of the greatest musicians in music history. I look up to Billie because she relates her music to what happened in her life. This shows how much emotion she puts into her music; how passionate she was about it. I am a musician myself and as a musician you need emotion. She really taught me how to express emotion when you perform.

I love music and it is a big part of my life. After all I’m currently majoring in music with a concentration in vocal performance at the unsinkable Albany State University. Music is a part of everything I do. It helps me do homework, express my feelings, and keep my sanity. I play several instruments such as the piano, trumpet, and mellophonium. I also sing and write songs. Analyzing and dissecting songs and lyrics helps me differentiate mediocre artists from exceptionally great artists. Jill Scott and Jazmine Sullivan are two of my favorite singers, but they have many different qualities.

you can. You hear people all the time tell you can’t become an actor/actress, that it’s impossible.

Although only 20 years old, Malik has already established himself as one of the foremost creative musicians in Austin. The trajectory he has set himself on with these two albums has led him to making what he believes are his most expressive and creative works yet with Spectrum. Eliminating all pretense from his and preconceived notions about what he should create with Spectrum, Malik let his mind wander wherever it wanted to go. “I feel like I’ve been tense for a long time, but with this [project] it's like... I'm tired. I'm done. I'm just gonna let

Because Michael Damian always knows the best people in the world of entertainment to check out, I closely follow who he happens to tweet about. And this summer, the name Dru Ross popped up in his tweets, and I immediately investigated this up and coming musician and his works. I was elated to discover that he is a Washingtonian by birth (an instant connection for us), and his music is definitely unparralleled in the world of music today. I approached him towards the end of a summer for an interview, and he jumped at the chance. Due to my hectic schedule, I am now able to share our wonderful chat with all of you, and I invite you to savor the positive message of life and music Dru shared with me.

The dramatic arts have enthralled me from an early age; I have always been in awe of the deceptive ability that professional actors are able to display on the big screen. This fascination inspired me to dream of becoming an actor for much of my early life. I began trying out for television advertisements at the age of four until I turned seven. Eventually, after a string of unsuccessful auditions, my parents told me to accept the fact that I had as much of a chance of becoming a successful actor as I had of becoming a professional basketball player (my mom is 5’4’’ and my dad is 5’8’’.) Regardless, I continued to pursue my dream of acting throughout middle school, auditioning for an inordinate number of school plays and operas. Confronted with

I also feel like musicians are exactly like anyone else. Fame for some people is just a label. They all have songs to sing and words to say that will influence anyone. It’s amazing how powerful rock bands are with the way they bring people together. Who they are along with the words they sing can fix you, motivate you, and make you happy. Not a lot of people get to experience music the way I do; but, for those who can experience music on a deeper level, it’s truly a magical thing. In a way, you get a sense of belonging and everyone wants to belong.

This organization is a full-service recording artist project management company based in Nashville, Tennessee, which specializes in producing all popular mainstream genres of music that need marketing, venue and audio support. Our business model will specialize in a much-needed grass-roots launching pad for underground hip-hop artist services in the music industry. We will book these grass roots clients to play extensively during the summer of 2010 based on their target demographic profile. All band clients will be part of the "On the Road" tour in various global regions. The Artists and repertoire (A&R) department will be a division of the company that provides a network of outside vendors to develop and produce any