We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Tobias Hill a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Tobias, appreciate you joining us today. When did you first know you wanted to pursue a creative/artistic path professionally?

Back in 2015, I wanted to give up on music all together. July 3rd 2015, I lost one of my icons; my grandfather. My grandfather passed away 8 days before my birthday. My grandfather was going through so many health challenges and God called him home. I know we’re not suppose to question God, but I had to ask Him why. My grandfather was the man who taught me the basic principles of music and for him to pass away, that was something I wasn’t ready for. So I made up in my mind to quit music all together.

But the day after my grandfather’s funeral, I had a dream where my grandfather was talking to me. To keep a long story short, he basically told me to keep the family legacy alive. He wanted me to continue to pursue music and pass that gift on to the next generation; just like he did with me.

After that dream, I decided to take this music career seriously. Ever since that day, things have just been falling into place for me. That’s when I knew I wanted to pursue my creative/artistic professionally.

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’m an all around artist. I’m a singer, multi faceted musician (piano, drums, guitar), dancer, songwriter, arranger, producer, and composer. I also have a background in social media marketing!

I specialize in 90’s R&B Music, Gospel, Country, Classical and Smooth Jazz Ballads. Some of his inspirations for singing are Stevie Wonder, Tank, John Mayer, John P See, Deitrick Haddon, PJ Morton, Joe, and Brian McKnight; just to name a few.

I’m known for my voice, musicianship skills, and dancing. When I was younger, everyone would love to hear me sing, play piano, and/or dance. I’m grateful for the gifts that God has given me.

I’m most proud of my accomplishments during these past 2 years.

During the pandemic of 2020, I took advantage of the time allotted and began to grow my social media platforms; with Instagram being my main focus. Not only did I grow my following by 10,000 followers but I also performed for A class celebrities such as LL Cool J, Affion Crockett, J. White, Eric Bellinger, Avery Wilson, Karlton Humes, and even Wanya Morris of Boyz II Men.

I was involved in a competition on Instagram called #WanWednesday hosted by Wanya Morris. I competed against 66 other contestants and made it all the way to the top 20. This opportunity opened countless avenues for me and prepared me for the big stage.

In 2021-2022, I was a contestant on the legendary, iconic television show “American Idol”. Out of 100,000 singers who audition, I had the opportunity to audition in Los Angeles in front of Katy Perry, Lionel Richie, and Luke Bryan. During the audition, I received such compliments such as, “You have the stardust”, “I admire the enthusiasm of your showmanship” and “I’m surprised he’s not a star already”. After these comments from the judges, I received the Golden Ticket and headed to Hollywood. I made it through the Genre Round and Duet Round. Even though I didn’t make it to the Top 24, I still made an impact on my friends, family, students, and community by making the Top 59.

What sets me apart from others is my work ethic, humility, and musical abilities. I live by the motto that my dad created, “Humble But Hungry”. I apply this motto to everything I do. My work ethic is 10 times more than the average artist because I’m determined to succeed. Even with that tenacity, I still remain humble to those around and above me. With the gifts that God has given me, I can be successful in any genre or job. If you need me as a dancer, pianist, guitarist, singer, producer, arranger, etc. I can perform those tasks at a high level. That is what sets me apart from others.

What can society do to ensure an environment that’s helpful to artists and creatives?

I think society can support artists, creatives, etc. by streaming our music, supporting us at our shows, buying our music/artwork etc.

There are some amazing artists out here who are not well known yet! The best way to get them on these television shows and to be these huge artists is to tell others about their product and/or gift.

What do you find most rewarding about being a creative?

The most rewarding aspect of being an artist is touching fans/listeners lives through my experiences; which is expressed through my music! For instance, recently I performed one of my original songs “Love and Hate” live for an audience in Raleigh NC. After my set was over, someone came up to me explaining how that song touched them in a way that they’ve never felt before. The lyrics of my song gave them the freedom they needed to let go of the hurt and pain from their past relationship!

This is what I do it for. To make a difference in someone’s life through my music

Contact Info:

• Website: www.princetch.com
• Instagram: www.instagram.com/princetch
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/princetchofficial
• Twitter: www.twitter.com/princetch_
• Youtube: https://youtube.com/@PrInCeTcH1194

Image Credits
Butterfly Visuals LLC Ria B Photography Suzanne Suggs Photography