We were lucky to catch up with Alyra Rose recently and have shared our conversation below.

Alyra, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today How did you learn to do what you do? Knowing what you know now, what could you have done to speed up your learning process? What skills do you think were most essential? What obstacles stood in the way of learning more?

Hmm…There are so many things that have brought me to this moment of doing what I do and knowing what I know now but if I had to boil it down to a few things, I would start with one of my greatest teachers in perfecting my craft as a musician was probably experiencing my greatest breakdown in my early twenties where nothing made sense to me and all I wanted was to disappear completely. I felt very alone. This breakdown to the breakthrough incited a fire within me. I was fighting for my life and music and my creative process was the way-shower for me to walk myself through a dark night of the soul. I had been writing and making up songs since I was 10 but when you are just wanting to feel okay again you write and create from a different place. It was like my higher self stepped in and started communicating to me directly from my songs and writings. As Krishnamurti said “It’s no measure of health to be well adjusted to a sick society,” and it is completely OK to not feel OK in this mad world.

The little sparks of hope and guidance I received from every song and melody slowly lifted the weight from my shoulders. The creative process is truly miraculous and I felt like someone handed me a key to the universe. But that someone was me, my own soul. Writing songs filled me with such awe and wonder and having the courage to let myself explore and try new things allowed me to find my own unique voice. I don’t think this discovery process ever ends.

I would also say that one of the greatest teachers in learning my craft was coming face to face with all of the insecurities and feelings of being utterly terrified to be seen and put myself out there but doing it anyway. I was extremely shy growing up but there was a driving passion inside me that was and is louder than my shyness.

Finding a group of people to jam with that shared my passion was also life changing. One of my first bands was called The Voodoo Medicine Show inspired by The Yard Dogs Road Show. I learned a lot during the few years we played together. I felt so held by everyone to be my full self and explore different ways of singing, writing and crafting songs. Definitely some of my favorite memories was just jamming in a cabin in the woods for nothing else but for the fun of it. The guys in the band taught me a lot about guitar too. This was where I started learning how to solo on the guitar but it wasn’t until the band the Siren’s of Soul where I felt more confident to solo in front of people. In my project Mirror Pool with long-time friend Aly we would perform with my loop pedal building musical soundscapes with our voices, my guitar and beats. Every band and project has taught me so much and helped me develop as a musician.

I think listening to music and being creative was my escape growing up. It was the buffer between me and my chaotic environment. So I listened to a lot of music and so much about learning our craft as a musician comes down to learning to LISTEN. I am grateful for my older sister for making the best mix-tapes and introducing me to incredible artists that shaped me like Bjork, Portishead, Lou Reed, Tori Amos, Nine-inch Nails, Erykah Badu, PJ Harvey and so much more.

There are probably a lot of other things that helped me learn my craft, but the last major teacher for me would be learning how to live-loop with my RC-300 and my Voice Live Touch 2. Just fooling around on the loop pedals taught me so much about song arrangements, building dynamics, harmonizing and creating catchy hooks. It’s one of my favorite things and I recommend it to any budding musician to take their music further.

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?

I am an independent artist living off-grid in Northern California. A lot of the songs I have been making recently are recorded off-grid in my home studio and infused with solar energy, I think that’s pretty cool. People don’t really understand what it takes to live off grid what it takes to just have some of your basic needs met sometimes. It can be extremely difficult at times and somewhat isolating, but I am learning this way of life not just for myself but for future generations to learn how to come back into harmony with nature. I know I still have a long way to go in learning this way of life but step by step as they say.

Over the years I have studied different healing modalities such as yoga, massage and Ayurveda in search of understanding my own body and health issues I have had over the years. I have been learning to weave these two worlds together. Sometimes I like to sing people out of their shavasana after teaching yoga which gives me great joy. I also have been cultivating different vocal workshops and retreats. I am available for one on one creative coaching sessions where I share the power of the alchemical magic of getting to know your muses and using our creative process as a crucible and a powerful tool for transformation and soul awakening. I feel that the more people do the inner work of integrating their shadows the less we will see these shadows playing out on the main stage of society.

A lot has changed with the music industry over the years. I feel pretty turned off by mainstream music. It has no relevancy to my life. Music is and will always be one of the most powerful tools on the planet which is why it seems there have been people and forces in the industry trying to manipulate the kind of music that is considered mainstream. As an artist I feel it is my duty to use my voice and platform to speak truth and share my authentic voice and protect that at all costs. That’s more important to me than the amount of followers and such. I come to table with my whole soul and I will never compromise that. I am also a human being finding my way in this wild world, which means I fall down, make mistakes, have metaphorical scrapes on my knees but I keep showing up. That’s all I can do. Keep showing up.

I have a lot of new material that I am excited about sharing. I am working on an EP with Grant Chambers of Heavy Weight Dub Champion and most recently known for Liberation Movement. This has been almost 5 years in the making and feels like these songs are next level for me.

I have also been learning how to produce in the last few years and I have albums worth of material that I look forward to finalizing and sharing with the world. The songs range from many different genre’s including, dance, ambient, hip-hop and experimental. I don’t like to be confined by genres.

Most recently, I am proud of the songs I have been releasing with Entheo including ‘ Over Land and See’ and ‘ Open like a Lotus’ as well as the song ‘ Move like Wolves ‘ with my dear friend Luna Zaka.

I also have a budding project with my love called Jessica Pisces. Our genre is cheeky mayhem. ;)

Needless to say there is a lot on the table. The world is “cukoo bananas” as my best friend likes to say, so I try to stay focused on sharing my heART and music from my soul and showing up the best I can however I can in this time.

These last few years I have been focusing mostly on recording and releasing music but I look forward to playing more live shows and just continuing to perfect my craft.

What do you find most rewarding about being a creative?

I think one of the most rewarding aspects of being an artist and being creative is having a spark of inspiration and a vision and seeing it come to life. I love the process of taking a song idea and then recording it, creating a sonic painting for it and then getting it mixed and mastered and listening back to it. For me it is my own medicine and I get to the hear the unique words that my soul whispered to me to hear. The whole journey is healing and magical. Sometimes when I am singing I start to cry and I can feel my heart being literally cracked open. It doesn’t happen all the time but when it does, it reminds me of the power of music.

When I create the space to slow down and connect with my muses I get the answers I have been seeking. We truly just need go within, as they say….”the only way out is through.”

There are lots of things that can be hard about being a creative in this society but those moments when you feel like you really struck a chord with someone and created a safe space for someone to feel their feelings and perhaps heal even more – that right there is gold for me.

I think also when I am playing or performing and I hit that flow state, I feel almost weightless and so free, time disappears and it is absolutely THE BEST feeling ever.

What do you think is the goal or mission that drives your creative journey?

I think my goal and mission with my pursuing my music is pretty simple. My goal is to keep following my passion because it just feels good to me and lights me up, and if along the way I can inspire others and help them to reclaim parts of themselves just as music has helped me to do, that would be a dream come true.

I have a strong passion for sustainable living and protecting nature and it would be a dream to unite these worlds together. I have some ideas in mind but I am not ready to share them yet. And lastly but most importantly, to stay true to myself along this journey.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/alyrarosemusicat/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/alyrarosemusic
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@alyrarose1003
• Soundcloud: https://soundcloud.com/alyrarose
• Other: bandcamp : https://alyrarose.bandcamp.com/music

  spotify : https://open.spotify.com/artist/7eYPKUOrmKtVmUQca3toiH?si=anAGGHwEQQ2satYeC-OElw

Image Credits

very first pic with me and my guitar – Matt Haber

second and third pictures – Bobby Cochran

fourth picture – Rose Dayal

last picture – Matt Haber