We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Ruby G. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Ruby below.
Alright, Ruby thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. We’d love to hear about when you first realized that you wanted to pursue a creative path professionally.
I’ve been singing since I was a child. I would regularly put on performances of The Lion King for my parents, but singing in public always terrified me. A former voice teacher once told me my voice was my achilles’ heel—not because I couldn’t sing, but because I was afraid to perform. We all have gifts, whether innate or ones we grow into, and it can be intimidating to share them with the world. Things clicked when I auditioned for The Voice. Although I didn’t get a chair turn (Why, John Legend, why?!), the experience was thrilling and transformative. I was proud of how far I’d come, and I knew that I needed to make music the priority in my life.
Ruby, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?
I started in special education and worked in schools for 10 years while pursuing music on the side. My dad was a school psychologist, and my mom is a therapist, so helping people and discussing feelings was a regular part of my life. When I moved to NYC in 2015, things shifted, and I was fortunate to connect with a group of artists all working to pursue music careers. I began performing, collaborating with other musicians, and writing my own music. When I returned to my hometown of San Diego in 2022, I decided to fully embrace a creative path. I left my full-time teaching job and transitioned to teaching voice lessons part-time, performing at events, weddings, and bars—you name it and writing and releasing original music.
Is there something you think non-creatives will struggle to understand about your journey as a creative?
First off, it’s definitely a full-time job! I have a lot of friends who are doctors, lawyers, and teachers, and sometimes they see my artistic life as more of a dream. But I’m here to tell you—it’s not always sunshine and butterflies! As a creative, you’re essentially your own business. I’m a performer, songwriter, and teacher, but I also wear all sorts of other hats—manager, promoter, social media newbie, band wrangler, photographer, videographer… the list goes on! Things don’t always go as planned, so being flexible and ready to adapt is key. And honestly, having a strong support system is crucial for surviving in this industry. I’m so grateful for my artist friends and connections who I can always lean on.
We’d love to hear a story of resilience from your journey.
One of my biggest moments of resilience happened in 2016 when I was diagnosed with a benign brain tumor. Unfortunately, it was affecting my hearing. As a musician, that was terrifying—our ears are key! I needed brain surgery to try and save the rest of my hearing. At the time, I was living in New York, but dropped everything and flew back to San Diego for the surgery and recovery. Thankfully, I was able to preserve half of my hearing in that ear. The whole experience showed me not just my physical strength, but my inner strength, too. A few months after surgery, I hopped on a plane and returned to NYC with an even stronger drive to pursue music.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://rubygmusic.com
- Instagram: @rubygmusic
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC7Y2PfH1e75zPahe-CTju_A
Image Credits
Some of the photos taken by Samantha Madnick including the main image.