Just Hold On
There are times when you feel great being a musician and times when you don’t. I know I’m not alone when I sometimes think “why do I keep doing music?” I’d be lying if I said music is an easy industry to be in, but in my opinion it is the most rewarding and fulfilling art form I could ever pursue.
I have a background in classical music, specifically piano and vocal performance. I studied piano as a child and majored in piano performance at university. I also studied opera and musical theatre during my university years. Auditioning and the constant training in classical music gives you a thick skin of perseverance, discipline and determination, however, the lifestyle of a classical musician was not really my thing.
While doing my studies I started to write my own music and enjoying it quite a bit. I never really thought my original music was “good” until I decided to bravely share it with family and friends. After getting some positive feedback and encouragement, the song writing process started to get easier. I began to write without judging myself so harshly.
I started performing my original music in Toronto, then across Canada, Australia and the UK.
Now it sounds like this was a piece of cake to get live shows, however, it took a lot of work booking shows in different cities/countries. Self managing yourself as an artist takes a lot of time not just in writing, recording, performing, but countless hours marketing and promoting yourself to get your music out there in the world.
My music is not your normal pop, it has a mix of classical and soul elements. Since my music is unique, I have had some critics dislike my music. Some critics don’t like my voice or my style, but in reality not everyone is going to like you. I’ve gone through the self-doubt questioning if my music is any good at all. To be honest, the criticism can either bring you down or make you push yourself to be better. I try my best to be on the spectrum of pushing myself create more music that I’m proud of.
My latest album “Alive” was released September 2018. Each song dives into a different theme ranging from bliss, political change, human rights, depression and love. For example my latest single “Hold On’ from the album is about dealing with depression. You can watch the music video here https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nkFxdQuTL9o (see below)
I think one of the greatest things in creating your own music is expressing yourself freely with no boundaries. To be able to perform and share your music worldwide is one of the coolest feelings. Yes, there is a lot of rejection, heartache and work in this music industry, but it’s all worth it in the end when you create something that is yours and you are able to share it.
Moral of the story - keep doing what you love to do. It’s all worth it in the end when you keep pursuing your passion even if it is difficult. What would the world be without art? It would be extremely boring!
Links to Monique angele
Website: https://www.moniqueangele.com/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/monique_angele/
Spotify: https://spoti.fi/2CxXBr6
Soundcloud: https://soundcloud.com/monique_angele
Twitter: https://twitter.com/monique_angele
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