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[Opening theme music]

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Hello, and welcome to this episode
of ArtsAbly in Conversation.

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My name is Diane Kolin.

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This series presents artists, academics,
and project leaders who dedicate their

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time and energy to a better accessibility
for people with disabilities in the arts.

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You can find more of these conversations
on our website, artsably.com,

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which is spelled A-R-T-S-A-B-L-Y dot com.

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[Theme music]

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Today, Artsably is in conversation

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with Precious Perez,

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a blind Latin artist based in Kentucky.

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You can find the resources mentioned
by Precious Perez during this episode

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on ArtsAbly's website in the blog section.

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[Excerpt of Agua de Valencia by Precious Perez]

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[Instruments playing a soft intro for a few seconds 
before Precious Perez starts singing in Spanish.]

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In the video, a screen shows: Agua de Valencia, 
for Shane Lowe, Valencia and Puerto Rico.

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Lyrics in Spanish:

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Cuando te pregunto, 
siempre estás ahí 

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para validar mis sentimientos
y aleja el dolor.

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Sabes encantado
como un poción mágica 

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con cada sobro
tú me dibujas.

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Agua de Valencia
eres mi preferencia.

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Cada momento contigo se
siente como una luna de nieve.

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Agua de Valencia, 
Agua de Valencia,

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Agua de Valencia.
Tú eres mi preferencia.

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Ciento años, cuánto te he conocido.

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La misma cantidad de tiempo
es cuánto tiempo te amaré.

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Me enamoré de mi mejor amigo.

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Agua de Valencia
eres mi preferencia.

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Cada momento contigo se
siente como una luna de nieve.

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Agua de Valencia, 
Agua de Valencia,

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Agua de Valencia.
Tú eres mi preferencia.

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[Instruments playing the bridge.]

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[End of the excerpt.]

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Welcome to this new episode
of ArtsAbly in Conversation.

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Today, I am with Precious Perez, who is
a blind Latin artist based in Kentucky.

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Welcome, Precious.

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Thank you.
So great to be here.

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And great to see you.

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I'm very excited to receive you today.

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Okay, so I always start my episodes
by asking a little bit about

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the background, the story of my guest.

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What is your story?

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What led you to music?

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Did you have a particular family
with musicians inside?

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Tell me about how 
you got to music.

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Absolutely.
So I'll go backwards.

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As you said, my name is Precious.

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I am a Latin music artist

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and music educator, songwriter,

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disability advocate, author and actress.

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So I do a lot of different things.

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And I also serve as President of RAMPD.

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And I'm sure we'll get
to that at some point.

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Oh yes!

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I really knew from a really young age
that I wanted to do something with music.

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My mom always had all kinds of music 
playing in the background since I was little.

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And when I was about six years
old, I was like, maybe I can sing.

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I want to sing.

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And so I was painfulIy shy as a kid.

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But I started on my little Barbie
karaoke machine by myself in my room.

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And then a music class really opened
that door for me in elementary school.

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And then I was in chorus.

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And then I really started
to songwrite in middle school.

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And in high school,
I took a lot of different classes,

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like music production, and guitar,
and piano, and

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finally figured out in my junior year
of high school exactly what I wanted

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to do, because I didn't realize you could
major in different aspects of music.

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I thought music was a general thing,
and then you had to pick another subject.

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And so I was like, I'll just
do English and music because

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I loved English, not necessarily
analyzing literature, but I loved words

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and creative writing, and I still do.

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So poetry became songs for me.

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I was able to turn my love
for poetry into music and lyrics.

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And so I decided that I was going
to major in music education

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and performance so that I could have
a fallback that I also loved

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if performing full-time didn't work out.

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And so I ended up choosing
Berklee College of Music,

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and I studied music ed and performance,

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graduated in the spring of '22.

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Everything got deferred in December
of 2021, so I just walked in the spring.

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And after that, I really was finding my
way and deciding what was going to work

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for me, what wasn't going to work for me,
trying different things, trying this job

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and that job and finding the right fit.

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Eventually, I just finally got the courage
to open my LLC for music and just

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start doing everything I possibly could,

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from acting to writing to voice lessons

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to teaching, and of course,
performing and songwriting and creating.

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And so that led me to where I am now
working on a bunch of different projects

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because the freelance life is not
for the faint of heart.

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And so I do a lot
of different things that I feel really

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aligned with my passion overall.

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And it's really exciting, and
it can be terrifying at the same time.

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Yes.

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So as a music educator,
where do you teach?

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So right now, I teach voice lessons
at a local music store.

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So I actually was originally from Boston.

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My parents are Puerto Rican,
but I grew up in Boston, Massachusetts,

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and specifically Chelsea, which is like
a little town north of Boston.

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And then I got married in 2022
and moved to Louisville, Kentucky.

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So that's where I live now.

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And so I teach at a local music store
called Mom's Music.

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And I have one student there.

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I have another online student
at a company called Music for Humans.

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And then I do music enrichment
for a daycare that I used to work at.

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I do that two hours a week
with three and four year olds.

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And it's a lot of just singing and playing
with puppets and doing song games that

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help them develop their rhythm and their
pitch and singing and all of that stuff.

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It's so much fun.

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I get so much joy from it.

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Yeah, I can imagine that.

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As a musician with multiple strings
and multiple instruments, multiple

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possibilities, what you chose...

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I frequently see you with a ukulele, right?

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Yes.

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Tell me about that. Why did you choose...

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Finally, that's like, Okay, we're going
to do ukulele and singing, and that

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works perfectly as a combination.

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Yeah. So, I have always tinkered around

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with different instruments, so piano, 
a little bit of guitar, a little bit of...

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And with music education, you have
to learn the foundations of being able

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to play a lot of different instruments.

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For a while, I played the French horn
and the flute and the clarinet.

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I did flute in middle school,
so I've always loved the flute.

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But man, trumpet was the hardest, and

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violin, all these different instruments

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I've been able to interact with.

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But nothing came as naturally
to me as when I picked up a ukulele.

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That happened when my freshman year
of college, one of my roommates had one,

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and I was like, maybe I can learn this.

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And I found this YouTube channel
called The Ukulele Teacher, and he's 

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very descriptive, which is really helpful for me 
because I can't see what someone's doing.

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So he tells me, put your ring finger
on the third fret of the second string.

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I'm like, okay, I can do that.

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And so I learned how
to play songs that way.

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And little by little, that built up my
knowledge of how to play different chords.

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And so because it's so portable
and it felt really comfortable

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for my hands to play.

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It just became what I gravitated to.

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And so I can play a little guitar
and piano, but my favorite

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and the thing I accompany myself
the most with is the ukulele.

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When you were in Berklee, did you
decide to record some or to video

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record or to record some audios

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to put your work online?

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Did you try that already
in Berklee or did it come after?

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I actually released my first album
during my freshman year at Berklee,

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and that was with the help
of my high school music teacher,

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his name was Pete Papavassiliou, and
producer Doug Batchelder,

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who was his friend and somebody
that is now one of my dear friends.

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It became a dream that was achieved

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through a kickstarter campaign because

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one day he pulled me aside and was like,
hey, I think you have a gift.

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I can help you make an album.

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Is this something you're interested in?

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And of course, I had over
100 songs written by then.

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I was like, yes, absolutely.
Let's do it.

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And so I was able to record it,
and they did a lot of the arranging

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and everything else.

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That was my first body of work that was
ever released during my freshman year.

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Then following that, I studied abroad
in Valencia the first half of

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my sophomore year and really became inspired
by my time there to write more.

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I wrote an EP that eventually
got produced by Doug as well,

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and we put out into the world in 2019.

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I just kept building from there.

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Some things I tried my hand
at producing myself at home and

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released a couple of things that way.

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And then that built up to
last year when I got to work with

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a phenomenal label called 
We Could Be Music, based in Costa Rica.

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And we released three singles, two
of which they pitched to me based on

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my vision, and we worked on together,
and one of which I wrote.

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And It really...

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The music that I created with them
and that I'm working towards making now

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is really fully in the Latin space and
exactly where I've always wanted to be.

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And so I feel like my body of work
that's already out represents my growth,

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and you can definitely see it
from the beginning to now.

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It's really fun to look back on.

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What are the titles of these releases?

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So, Hummingbird, my very first album.

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The title track is also
called Hummingbird, and that song is...

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I call it my flagship career song
because it's timeless in the sense

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that no matter where I am in my life,
I can play it and I still almost cry.

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It seems to have really
touched a lot of people every time

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that either I play it in a band
or I just perform it anywhere.

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It's really one of my most favorite
songs I've ever written.

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My next EP after that is called 
Agua de Valencia, for Valencia, Spain.

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It's named after
an alcoholic beverage that I loved.

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One of the songs is also titled that.

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Then I released a children's EP in 2020.

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That was a random inspired by 
the children in my life, my stepson, 

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my little cousins, my brother, all of that.

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I just was working on some 
music education things, 

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and In my music Ed guitar class,

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my teacher challenged me to write songs
so that I could get more comfortable

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playing the guitar chords,
and that came out of that.

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So it was really fun to have
that come to fruition.

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And what's hilarious to me is that
the number one song on my Spotify

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continues to be Dinosaur Lullaby.

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It doesn't matter what other songs
I've released and that they have

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more traction or anything.

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That one has maintained the top spot
for years, and it makes me laugh.

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I'm waiting for someone
to request that at a show one day.

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And then I've released between then
a couple of singles and a cover,

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and then my three singles,
my three Latin singles last year.

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Those are called Sin Preguntar,
and Melanin Queen, and Rosé.

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Okay.

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Thank you.

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Yeah, of course.

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When did you meet 
RAMPD for the first time?

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I got involved with RAMPD very early on.

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It was somewhere, I think it was right a
couple of months before official launch.

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I got involved with RAMPD
in September of 2021, I believe.

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I was just so thrilled to be part
of an organization that

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was doing the work that I'm so
passionate about because my entire goal

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with my art is to represent and uplift all
of my communities and to really show

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the world that,
hey, people with disabilities are people,

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and we're here, and we're successful,
and we're powerful,

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and we deserve to be celebrated.

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And that coupled with being
really proud about being Boricua.

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And I'm just like, yes, I'm here.

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I'm Hispanic, and I'm proud of it.

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And all of these different things,
being a woman, having anxiety

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and depression, all these different
intersections that I represent

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just really being open and authentic.

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And so when I heard about RAMPD,
I was immediately like,

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I need to be a part of this.

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This is what I want to do.

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This is work I want to be doing.

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And so I became one of
the members that got called

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in the first class of membership.

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And then from there, I became the co-chair
of the Memberships Committee, which is

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00:16:02,561 --> 00:16:10,069
now called Engagement, and transitioned
to VP, and I now serve as President.

232
00:16:10,102 --> 00:16:11,537
Wow.

233
00:16:11,804 --> 00:16:16,608
Yeah, it's a fantastic organization.

234
00:16:16,642 --> 00:16:22,481
I know people who watch this
or watch or listen to this podcast,

235
00:16:22,481 --> 00:16:26,719
they hear a lot about RAMPD.

236
00:16:26,719 --> 00:16:28,620
Absolutely.

237
00:16:28,654 --> 00:16:35,694
Actually, before we started recording, 
we were mentioning that you

238
00:16:35,728 --> 00:16:40,833
were gracious enough to participate
in one of the shows that I organized

239
00:16:40,833 --> 00:16:43,635
with my music school a few years ago.

240
00:16:43,635 --> 00:16:44,536
Yes.

241
00:16:44,570 --> 00:16:45,604
It was fun.

242
00:16:45,637 --> 00:16:48,474
I think you just became
president at this point.

243
00:16:48,507 --> 00:16:49,842
No, or VP?

244
00:16:49,842 --> 00:16:51,443
I think it might have been VP.

245
00:16:51,477 --> 00:16:52,311
Yeah.

246
00:16:52,311 --> 00:16:54,680
I think you're right.

247
00:16:54,680 --> 00:17:01,487
Actually, the school also provides
this variety of music from the early

248
00:17:01,520 --> 00:17:05,057
musical beginnings to teenagers.

249
00:17:05,057 --> 00:17:10,329
When you participated, it was
like trying to engage the teenagers.

250
00:17:10,362 --> 00:17:13,432
Actually, we had a lot of questions.
Oh, yeah, that's cool.

251
00:17:13,465 --> 00:17:14,666
That's awesome.

252
00:17:14,700 --> 00:17:19,138
I was very happy that
you participated in that show.

253
00:17:19,171 --> 00:17:20,272
That was a lot of fun.

254
00:17:20,305 --> 00:17:23,809
I'm glad you back today.

255
00:17:24,009 --> 00:17:26,812
So what is...

256
00:17:26,812 --> 00:17:31,383
As a RAMPD member, I think we share that,

257
00:17:31,383 --> 00:17:34,720
the fact that we have opportunities that are 

258
00:17:34,720 --> 00:17:39,224
offered through RAMPD.

259
00:17:39,258 --> 00:17:40,225
Absolutely.

260
00:17:40,259 --> 00:17:47,332
What are your interesting projects that
you worked with that you got through RAMPD?

261
00:17:47,566 --> 00:17:53,205
Absolutely.
I've gotten a few inquiries through RAMPD.

262
00:17:53,238 --> 00:17:59,511
RAMPD, just as a quick overview, we promote 
inclusion, amplify disability culture, 

263
00:17:59,511 --> 00:18:03,415
and advocate for inclusive
and accessible spaces in the industry.

264
00:18:03,449 --> 00:18:08,153
And so a lot of what we do is we
provide inclusive tools and strategies

265
00:18:08,187 --> 00:18:12,658
to the music industry, but also
we have a network of peer-vetted

266
00:18:12,691 --> 00:18:19,898
musicians, music professionals,
songwriters, everything under the sun.

267
00:18:19,932 --> 00:18:23,769
And all of these creators
and professionals are musicians

268
00:18:23,802 --> 00:18:26,705
with disabilities and chronic conditions
and mental health conditions.

269
00:18:26,738 --> 00:18:32,277
And it's really a space for anyone
with any disability or neuro divergence

270
00:18:32,277 --> 00:18:37,182
or chronic condition
to be represented, uplifted, and also

271
00:18:37,216 --> 00:18:41,553
to gain opportunities and really
grow and excel in their career.

272
00:18:41,553 --> 00:18:48,694
And so I've had the opportunity to speak 
on different panels such as Folk Alliance, 

273
00:18:48,694 --> 00:18:52,297
to perform at different places.

274
00:18:52,998 --> 00:18:58,871
It's just amazing to see
everybody in the community just

275
00:18:58,904 --> 00:19:03,609
not only coming together to celebrate each
other, but also elevating ourselves

276
00:19:03,642 --> 00:19:07,913
at the same time,
because RAMPD as a whole is a community,

277
00:19:07,946 --> 00:19:14,720
and community is so, so important
in any industry, in any field.

278
00:19:14,720 --> 00:19:19,391
It's just incredible that we have this
space and we've been able to create

279
00:19:19,424 --> 00:19:25,430
and build this space for each other,
but also for the industry to come to

280
00:19:25,464 --> 00:19:30,936
and really have a source for information
about disability,

281
00:19:30,969 --> 00:19:35,307
where to find disabled creators,
how to uplift and celebrate,

282
00:19:35,340 --> 00:19:39,912
how to accommodate, all of these different
aspects that are so, so important.

283
00:19:40,612 --> 00:19:42,481
Yeah, and the behind the scene
is really important.

284
00:19:42,514 --> 00:19:45,817
I remember the first years
when we started working with

285
00:19:45,817 --> 00:19:49,388
the Grammys and educating them.

286
00:19:49,421 --> 00:19:56,094
Lachi and Gaelynn Lea have been struggling
with that at the very beginning, the way

287
00:19:56,128 --> 00:20:03,035
that the Grammys was maybe envisioning
some things that were improved

288
00:20:03,068 --> 00:20:05,037
by the communication with RAMPD.

289
00:20:05,037 --> 00:20:06,305
Absolutely.

290
00:20:06,338 --> 00:20:11,677
It's amazing to see all these partnerships
we have and the Grammys just every year

291
00:20:11,710 --> 00:20:14,513
getting stronger and better.

292
00:20:14,546 --> 00:20:17,583
Being able to be a part
of that is just so incredible.

293
00:20:17,616 --> 00:20:21,820
It's amazing to watch it happen
and to be a part of it and celebrate it

294
00:20:21,853 --> 00:20:27,092
because it's changing the way

295
00:20:27,125 --> 00:20:30,062
that things are in a positive way.

296
00:20:30,095 --> 00:20:33,231
And positive change is
really what we strive for.

297
00:20:33,265 --> 00:20:38,170
Positive inclusion, working together
with communities and with the industry

298
00:20:38,203 --> 00:20:44,042
to improve things for everyone
is just what we're here for.

299
00:20:44,076 --> 00:20:46,445
Yeah, and also being present on the stage,

300
00:20:46,445 --> 00:20:52,884
being here in the mainstream media, being

301
00:20:53,418 --> 00:20:57,389
physically and mentally present
where the music happens.

302
00:20:57,389 --> 00:21:00,726
Representation, for sure.

303
00:21:00,726 --> 00:21:07,532
I saw an interesting video of one
of your concerts at the Kennedy Center.

304
00:21:07,566 --> 00:21:10,569
Could you talk about this experience?

305
00:21:10,602 --> 00:21:11,803
Absolutely.

306
00:21:11,837 --> 00:21:15,273
I performed at the Kennedy Center.

307
00:21:15,307 --> 00:21:18,910
Was that 2022?

308
00:21:18,944 --> 00:21:20,445
Yes, 2022. 

309
00:21:20,445 --> 00:21:22,814
2023? 2023.

310
00:21:22,814 --> 00:21:26,485
[Laughs.]
Time? What is time?

311
00:21:26,985 --> 00:21:29,321
But it was amazing.

312
00:21:29,321 --> 00:21:33,258
I got to bring some of really good
friends and bandmates with me.

313
00:21:33,258 --> 00:21:37,529
I have different people
I play with for different things.

314
00:21:37,529 --> 00:21:41,833
So I currently play in a local cover band
in Louisville called Sight Unseen.

315
00:21:41,867 --> 00:21:45,037
And they play with me sometimes
when I have solo gigs.

316
00:21:45,070 --> 00:21:49,675
But then I have other musicians that are
really good friends that are also in

317
00:21:49,675 --> 00:21:51,243
a band of their own, but they back me up.

318
00:21:51,276 --> 00:21:54,746
And so I was able to bring them
with me to the Kennedy Center.

319
00:21:54,780 --> 00:21:58,350
And it was incredible just being
on that stage,

320
00:21:58,383 --> 00:22:03,522
having the crowd just really engaged and

321
00:22:03,522 --> 00:22:06,224
having that opportunity and now

322
00:22:06,258 --> 00:22:10,929
having that memory and that archive
and that show to look back on and be like,

323
00:22:10,962 --> 00:22:14,433
wow, I wouldn't be here without RAMPD.

324
00:22:14,466 --> 00:22:15,801
And that's the reality.

325
00:22:15,801 --> 00:22:19,204
RAMPD has changed my career for the

326
00:22:19,237 --> 00:22:23,141
better in my life and really given me

327
00:22:23,141 --> 00:22:28,747
so much perspective and so many 
friendships that are really, really amazing.

328
00:22:28,780 --> 00:22:32,884
And I've met so many amazing people through 
RAMPD and these are the kinds of things

329
00:22:32,918 --> 00:22:37,823
that happen when we band together,
participate, uplift each other, and

330
00:22:37,823 --> 00:22:43,161
do this work to really make that impact.

331
00:22:43,895 --> 00:22:48,900
You already answered this question,
but I want to go back to one of the things

332
00:22:48,934 --> 00:22:53,772
that we do sometimes in RAMPD is to get
together and have these awesome

333
00:22:53,805 --> 00:23:00,378
conversations about
models of disabilities and how uplifting,

334
00:23:00,378 --> 00:23:06,184
we should have some conversations 
in disability culture.

335
00:23:06,218 --> 00:23:13,291
My work in music and in what I'm doing

336
00:23:13,325 --> 00:23:15,026
in academics and in what I'm doing in

337
00:23:15,060 --> 00:23:21,700
my life every day is to discuss what it
means to have an accessible environment.

338
00:23:21,733 --> 00:23:24,836
I would like to know what it is for you to

339
00:23:24,870 --> 00:23:29,841
work in disability culture and to work

340
00:23:29,875 --> 00:23:34,112
in a better accessibility in the arts.

341
00:23:34,112 --> 00:23:35,180
Absolutely.

342
00:23:35,213 --> 00:23:40,218
So I believe that disability culture
should always be celebrated and uplifted.

343
00:23:40,218 --> 00:23:46,258
And I think that disability inclusion
is working together and best achieved 

344
00:23:46,258 --> 00:23:51,229
through positive conversation
and a communication.

345
00:23:51,263 --> 00:23:55,233
So for example,
if there is a situation that I'm in where

346
00:23:55,267 --> 00:24:00,105
something in the venue isn't accessible
to me or I need assistance with something,

347
00:24:00,138 --> 00:24:06,611
I would communicate that to my point
of contact and say, Hey, this isn't

348
00:24:06,645 --> 00:24:09,214
great for me or for my audience.

349
00:24:09,247 --> 00:24:13,552
Here's a suggestion of how
you can improve that so that this can

350
00:24:13,585 --> 00:24:17,455
be optimized and better for the future.

351
00:24:17,489 --> 00:24:22,093
And as long as those people are empathetic

352
00:24:22,127 --> 00:24:25,664
and willing to do everything in their power

353
00:24:25,664 --> 00:24:30,101
to be accommodating, that's the
first step, and that's what's important.

354
00:24:30,135 --> 00:24:35,106
Because there are a lot times
where we talk about the ADA,

355
00:24:35,140 --> 00:24:41,713
and we talk about venue accessibility,
and we talk about RAMPD in those contexts,

356
00:24:41,746 --> 00:24:47,352
and RAMPD is not here to enforce the ADA,
to sue anybody, to do any of that stuff.

357
00:24:47,385 --> 00:24:51,957
RAMPD's mission is to really
create inclusion and inclusive spaces

358
00:24:51,957 --> 00:24:55,026
through education,
communication, and conversation.

359
00:24:55,060 --> 00:25:01,500
And so positive,
really, communication in general

360
00:25:01,533 --> 00:25:07,439
and teachable moments are really, for me,
how I can help

361
00:25:07,439 --> 00:25:10,542
celebrate and uplift disability culture
and really just being myself,

362
00:25:10,575 --> 00:25:16,481
like living my life,
showing a little bit of my world and being

363
00:25:16,515 --> 00:25:20,919
really authentic at who I am
and being proud and celebrating

364
00:25:20,919 --> 00:25:23,989
who I am in every aspect of that.

365
00:25:24,022 --> 00:25:27,392
We are all in disability culture, and 
everybody's going to be a little different 

366
00:25:27,392 --> 00:25:31,129
because people in general
are different, and everybody's needs

367
00:25:31,162 --> 00:25:37,369
are different, and everyone's
thoughts are a little different.

368
00:25:37,402 --> 00:25:42,908
But the reality is that
disability culture is our story.

369
00:25:42,941 --> 00:25:48,547
Disability is the one minority
left out of diversity conversations.

370
00:25:48,580 --> 00:25:51,283
And it's the one community
anyone can join at any time.

371
00:25:51,316 --> 00:25:54,519
Someone could fall, have
an injury, and become disabled.

372
00:25:54,519 --> 00:25:59,991
And so really, there needs to be so much
more just openness and education

373
00:25:59,991 --> 00:26:04,062
about disability, and that's
what I strive to do through my art

374
00:26:04,062 --> 00:26:10,702
and through my content, is to really
spearhead that in, specifically,

375
00:26:10,735 --> 00:26:14,172
the Hispanic community,
because disability is something

376
00:26:14,205 --> 00:26:18,677
in the Latin community
that is rarely talked about.

377
00:26:18,677 --> 00:26:22,314
And so opening those doors
and having those conversations is so,

378
00:26:22,347 --> 00:26:29,354
so important in order to create
that change and that awareness.

379
00:26:29,354 --> 00:26:34,960
Yeah, and being a disability rights 
activist is also educating people

380
00:26:34,960 --> 00:26:38,330
because at the end, they don't know.

381
00:26:38,363 --> 00:26:46,871
We were raised altogether in a society
where disability is following

382
00:26:46,938 --> 00:26:53,178
the medical model where that's
something also we discuss in RAMPD that is

383
00:26:53,178 --> 00:26:57,949
a bit complicated,
but the idea of different models

384
00:26:57,983 --> 00:27:02,554
that define the society today 
and disability is

385
00:27:02,587 --> 00:27:07,993
not included in the society itself
or rarely included because the world

386
00:27:08,026 --> 00:27:14,265
itself was built for able bodies,
people who are not disabled.

387
00:27:14,299 --> 00:27:20,038
It's hard sometimes, but by educating
people, I believe, I'm like you,

388
00:27:20,071 --> 00:27:25,410
I believe that educating people is
the key of disability rights activists.

389
00:27:25,410 --> 00:27:27,312
Absolutely.

390
00:27:27,345 --> 00:27:31,116
Through creativity and art and music,

391
00:27:31,116 --> 00:27:35,620
that is a way to bridge gaps through anything.

392
00:27:35,653 --> 00:27:41,393
And so by being on these stages, being
in these rooms, being in these spaces,

393
00:27:41,393 --> 00:27:48,099
is also a form of celebrating
and educating, just by being there.

394
00:27:48,299 --> 00:27:53,038
That's why representation
is also so important.

395
00:27:54,739 --> 00:27:57,942
Yes, definitely.

396
00:27:57,976 --> 00:28:04,449
I wanted to know if you are working
on any specific projects right now

397
00:28:04,482 --> 00:28:07,819
that you could maybe develop?

398
00:28:07,852 --> 00:28:13,992
Right now, I'm
working on booking more local gigs.

399
00:28:13,992 --> 00:28:17,328
Here in Kentucky, because a lot of
the performance and other opportunities

400
00:28:17,362 --> 00:28:22,200
I've received are all over the country,
but not yet so many locally.

401
00:28:22,200 --> 00:28:27,772
I play with my cover band,
excited to do more of that this year,

402
00:28:27,806 --> 00:28:32,477
work on getting more gigs,
I'm working on getting some brand deals.

403
00:28:32,510 --> 00:28:34,412
That would be really awesome.

404
00:28:34,446 --> 00:28:40,085
But the thing I'm most excited about
is the Latin project I'm working towards.

405
00:28:40,118 --> 00:28:42,954
So I'm working towards a Latin EP,

406
00:28:42,987 --> 00:28:47,692
really building my catalog of music

407
00:28:47,726 --> 00:28:53,698
in Spanish and really solidifying where I
sit in this space in these intersections.

408
00:28:53,698 --> 00:28:58,136
And so that's something I'm working on and
working towards, and I'm really hoping

409
00:28:58,169 --> 00:29:00,939
for it to come to fruition this year.

410
00:29:00,972 --> 00:29:03,675
So I'm excited about that.

411
00:29:04,576 --> 00:29:05,844
Well, that seems good.

412
00:29:07,178 --> 00:29:10,381
This project is an EP?

413
00:29:10,415 --> 00:29:11,483
It's an album?

414
00:29:11,483 --> 00:29:13,118
It will be an EP.

415
00:29:13,118 --> 00:29:13,685
Okay.

416
00:29:13,718 --> 00:29:14,953
Yes.

417
00:29:15,854 --> 00:29:19,324
We I do not know more for now.

418
00:29:19,357 --> 00:29:21,025
Not yet.

419
00:29:21,025 --> 00:29:22,460
[Laughs.]

420
00:29:22,460 --> 00:29:25,130
I'm a bit curious as you can see.

421
00:29:25,130 --> 00:29:28,099
[Laughs.]
She's like, Tell me more.

422
00:29:28,099 --> 00:29:31,503
Tell me more.

423
00:29:31,803 --> 00:29:33,805
Okay, thank you.

424
00:29:33,838 --> 00:29:41,880
Well, we will wait impatiently.

425
00:29:43,314 --> 00:29:46,951
Okay, so I have a last question
to conclude this interview.

426
00:29:46,985 --> 00:29:53,725
It's about people who might have
a specific particular place in your life,

427
00:29:53,758 --> 00:29:58,496
in your career, people who have guided
you, who have motivated you.

428
00:29:58,530 --> 00:30:04,335
If you think of these people
in your life, who would it be and why?

429
00:30:04,335 --> 00:30:06,771
Oh, my goodness.

430
00:30:06,771 --> 00:30:10,508
All I can really say is
that it takes a village.

431
00:30:10,542 --> 00:30:14,479
There are so many people
throughout my life that have

432
00:30:14,479 --> 00:30:19,184
inspired me and got me where I am,
and I wouldn't be where I am or who I am

433
00:30:19,184 --> 00:30:23,721
without them, without my family,
my friends, my mentors,

434
00:30:23,721 --> 00:30:29,327
my RAMPD community, my bandmates,

435
00:30:29,894 --> 00:30:32,697
anyone I've played with, worked with.

436
00:30:32,730 --> 00:30:38,002
Just there's so many, and I never want
to name people because then I don't want

437
00:30:38,002 --> 00:30:44,642
to forget somebody because I'm blessed
to say that there's been so many people

438
00:30:44,676 --> 00:30:48,980
that I get to, say, have touched
my life and believed in me in my career.

439
00:30:48,980 --> 00:30:52,784
And that means more
to me than anything else.

440
00:30:52,817 --> 00:30:56,020
I have a lot of musical influences.

441
00:30:57,455 --> 00:31:03,094
Bad Bunny, for example, his latest album
is incredible, and I'm obsessed with it.

442
00:31:03,094 --> 00:31:08,199
Daddy Yankee, Taylor Swift really
inspired my songwriting

443
00:31:08,233 --> 00:31:14,272
for the first little while and really
showed me how to craft songs in that way.

444
00:31:14,305 --> 00:31:19,677
Alicia Keys, Tori Kelly, there's a lot of -
Ed Sheeran, all these musical influences

445
00:31:19,711 --> 00:31:23,081
that I don't know personally, of course.

446
00:31:23,314 --> 00:31:24,282
Yet!

447
00:31:24,749 --> 00:31:27,852
They say, all heroes don't wear capes.

448
00:31:27,885 --> 00:31:29,887
And that's so real.

449
00:31:29,887 --> 00:31:35,293
A lot of the people in my life don't even
really know the impact that they've had.

450
00:31:35,326 --> 00:31:38,563
And sometimes it just takes
that one like, Hey, I see you.

451
00:31:38,596 --> 00:31:41,900
You're doing well, or here,
let me help you with this,

452
00:31:41,900 --> 00:31:43,601
or let me give you this contact.

453
00:31:43,635 --> 00:31:45,903
And you never know how
that's going to come back around.

454
00:31:45,937 --> 00:31:50,375
I'm just immensely grateful for everybody.

455
00:31:50,808 --> 00:31:53,912
Wow.
Thank you.

456
00:31:53,945 --> 00:31:58,082
There's a lot of great names
and great influences that you have here.

457
00:31:58,116 --> 00:31:59,384
Oh, yeah.

458
00:31:59,417 --> 00:32:01,853
For sure.

459
00:32:01,886 --> 00:32:02,654
Okay.

460
00:32:02,687 --> 00:32:08,259
Well, thank you so much for taking the
time to have this conversation with me.

461
00:32:08,293 --> 00:32:12,697
And I think there will be...

462
00:32:12,697 --> 00:32:16,134
With each episode of ArtsAbly, 
there is always

463
00:32:16,167 --> 00:32:18,469
what is called the Resource Page.

464
00:32:18,503 --> 00:32:24,075
We will post some of the names

465
00:32:24,108 --> 00:32:26,911
or the conversations, the topics that

466
00:32:26,944 --> 00:32:29,614
we've mentioned on this Resource Page.

467
00:32:29,614 --> 00:32:30,515
Oh, awesome.

468
00:32:30,548 --> 00:32:34,919
So that people can also follow
some of your links, your YouTube channel.

469
00:32:34,919 --> 00:32:41,326
I know one of my favorite clips
is Sin Preguntar.

470
00:32:41,359 --> 00:32:42,860
Oh, thank you.

471
00:32:42,860 --> 00:32:46,564
I really love this clip, so I think
we're going to post all that content.

472
00:32:46,564 --> 00:32:47,732
Awesome.

473
00:32:47,765 --> 00:32:49,500
Yeah, thank you so much.

474
00:32:49,534 --> 00:32:55,206
I'm sure we're going to see us around
in one event or the other.

475
00:32:55,239 --> 00:32:57,275
Oh, absolutely.

476
00:32:57,275 --> 00:32:58,176
Yes.

477
00:32:58,209 --> 00:33:01,579
Well, I wish you a great
day and talk soon.

478
00:33:01,879 --> 00:33:03,414
Thank you. You too.

479
00:33:03,414 --> 00:33:04,449
Bye, Precious.

480
00:33:04,482 --> 00:33:05,216
Bye..

481
00:33:06,417 --> 00:33:11,556
[Closing theme music]