We were lucky to catch up with Sheldon Smith recently and have shared our conversation below.
Sheldon, appreciate you joining us today. Are you happy as a creative professional? Do you sometimes wonder what it would be like to work for someone else?
I am immensely happy as a creative. Right now, I could complain about not having a ton of money and taking performance/recording work more free more often than not, but music (and the Lord) is the only thing that fulfills and restores my soul. Plus, it won’t always be like this, because I know I’m destined to make it. I don’t believe that God places gifts inside of us by mistake. He wouldn’t bless us with such amazing gifts if we weren’t destined to utilize them in impacting the world around us, and if he provided me with the gift, why wouldn’t he provide me with opportunities to maximize myself with the gift? Music is embedded in every single part of my life — I’m always humming some melody or tapping a random rhythm… singing or having a song stuck in my head, so why not do it for a living when you know you can’t live without it? Sometimes I do think about what it’d be like to teach or do something stimulating like math or the social sciences, but I’d tire of it pretty quickly. Music is so personally life-giving for me in the same way that saving lives is for a doctor or scientist, and I’m simply cannot imagine myself doing anything else.
As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?
Originally hailing from one of the quintessential cultural-creative hubs of the south, Houston, TX, Sheldon Smith grew up with the roots of Black music entrenched in his creative intelligence. From singing gospel in church on Sundays to belting R&B ballads from his parents’ various records, Smith knew he wanted to perform from an early age. After participating in esteemed choirs and musical competitions, he began writing songs at age 12, and knew that he wanted to pursue music from his personal perspective, and stuck to these activities throughout the beginning half of his career, Sheldon Smith has been forging his own unique musical lane since moving to Nashville, Tennessee. Known as “Music City” Nashville is primarily known for its booming Country music scene and emerging indie pop/rock community, but Smith is destined to further expand the city’s musical merits with his unique foundation of Pop music interwoven with elements of jazz, funk, R&B, soul, and gospel. A soon-to-be graduate of Belmont University’s Commercial Music program, Smith has honed his craft to a degree of creative excellence in which his musical talents and craft are unmistakably compelling. Immediately captivating listeners with his warm and riveting gospel-tinged baritone, Sheldon Smith holds the vessel for one of the best voices of the next generation. Incorporating intricate melismas, rich harmonies, and vivid storytelling within his seamless fusion of modern pop and contemporary R&B/Jazz harmony, Smith is equipped with the musical tools for a sound that is uniquely his. From fun and flirty bangers to evocative and profound ballads, Smith allows his personality and range to shine in his songwriting while adding a whole new musical meaning to wearing one’s heart on their sleeve. Continuing to draw listeners in from all over, Smith is sure to strike any listening soul, and he’d love to share a little bit of his heart with you in every song.
Do you think there is something that non-creatives might struggle to understand about your journey as a creative? Maybe you can shed some light?
Something I believe non-creatives struggle to understand about creative journeys is that they are nonlinear and uneasy. Many people (not just non-creatives) often have difficulty comprehending or believing what they cannot see. It’s kind of like what happened during the pandemic — so many people didn’t take COVID seriously because the virus was invisible. Of course, it was affecting millions worldwide and crucial information was being disseminated by health officials and scientists alike, but because the virus was intangible in the sense that it didn’t directly affect someone, they couldn’t understand it. That sentiment is immensely comparable to how non-creatives can sometimes view creative journeys. Many people think our journeys are perfect because they’re often observed at the peak of the culmination, which is often achievement (awards, recognition) or notoriety (fame, household names, etc.). Folks don’t see the countless nights of writing, recording, and training, the multitude of “no’s” compared to the rarity of “yes,” or even the times in which we’re broker than broke but still pursuing the passion that we love when we could be making money slaving at a desk job we dislike. All that is seen is the pinnacle of success while consuming the art without question. Likewise, something I’ve observed in my creative journey is that people don’t realize the importance of the fine arts and how failing to support creatives, performers, artists, etc., directly affects our daily lives. At the end of the day, we are all consumers. What are we doing when we need a little entertainment? Watching Netflix or a reading a book. When we’re at a restaurant on a date and something consumes the awkward silence? Music is playing. Trying to remain focused when hard at work? You open Spotify and play your favorite podcast or artist to keep you going. Art is interwoven into the very fabric of our daily lives, even in the smallest parts. Without art, we don’t have much going on. It’s crucial that we not only support art, the journeys of the artists creating that art.
Is there a particular goal or mission driving your creative journey?
One particular mission driving my creative journey is to break barriers as an artist. Artists, especially in an age where consumption is king, are often pigeonholed into adhering to one genre or brand, and in my art form, that can be essential to whether or not you’re successful. Especially as a Black Pop music artist in the South, it’s easy to label me as an R&B or Soul singer simply because of the soul in my voice or the way I look. I want to exemplify to listeners that you don’t have to fit in a box to be a true artist or sacrifice who you are to make it. If we’re not going against the grain as artists, why are we doing this thing in the first place? Everyone’s always looking for something fresh, and change isn’t born from tradition. I want to show the public that it’s cool if I make a Pop-funk record and stick to that as my main brand, but that doesn’t mean I can’t also make a kickass country record if I wanted to (I probably wouldn’t do country though, haha. I’d do rock.) My point is, that we shouldn’t be obsessed with trying to fit in or accept expectations that have been placed on us as artists simply because of tradition. It’s okay to shake things up a bit, and I can’t wait to continue doing this artistically by doing what I want, when I want.
Contact Info:
- Instagram: @sheldonsmithmusic
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@sheldonsmithmusic
Image Credits
Ryan Gilbert Kam’Ron Young (black and white photo)