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

Hi Kaiza, thanks for joining us today. When did you first know you wanted to pursue a creative/artistic path professionally?

I think I knew from the moment I first realized it was even a possibility. There weren’t too many peers around me with my creative aspirations growing up. I don’t think it’s necessarily because those kids didn’t want to follow their passions, they were just told from a young age that they were expected to become doctors or lawyers or to take over family businesses. That was the strict reality of it, so many of them never even dared to follow their passions. I had wonderful parents who encouraged me to chase after my desires, so I got very lucky in that aspect. In childhood, most of us took some kind of creative outlet as an after school time filler, but the average parent was pretty clear it was just to be a leisure thing, or an extra skill set. One thing about me though, is I’ve never really been in the habit of following societal standards. Following the path of music was the only way for me, whether it was a social norm or not.

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?

Absolutely. I’m Kaiza – I’m a singer-songwriter currently living in Los Angeles. Before my venture as a recording artist, I was more known musically for my live performances and work as a competitive singer and classical pianist. I got my start in singing with opera and theatre vocals, but my personal style as an artist indulges down the path of dark romantic pop.

I’ve been working on a new project for a while now, and it’s going to be my first that I feel will showcase my raw and true artistry. The project is to me, deeper and more personal than anything I’ve written or released before. There’s a lot that goes into the music making process and I want to make sure it’s done right. My first EP ‘The Writer’ took a bit of time to complete; including the writing process, finding producers, recording, behind the scenes legwork and a couple of moves around the country, I would say it took around a year for that project to be finished. I expect my next project to be longer, which means it will likely take more time to get it ready for its release. I’m so grateful for the responses I received with ‘The Writer’, because it makes the journey better knowing I have the support of my consistent and amazing listeners. I know a lot of my existing fans are curious and have been asking about when my next release will be. To that I’ll just say it’s a work in progress, but I believe good things take time and it will be worth the wait.

What do you find most rewarding about being a creative?

The human connection between an artist and a listener is easily the most rewarding part. It’s a vulnerable space if you think about it; it’s a listener trusting an artist to take them on an emotional journey. With certain songs there’s a sense of being understood between both the listener and the artist that I don’t think you can really find elsewhere. And with others, you might feel on top of the world or get your daily dose of dopamine and serotonin in under five minutes.

How can we best help foster a strong, supportive environment for artists and creatives?

Inside the creative sphere, I encourage everyone to remember there is always more than enough success to go around for everyone. Building each other up is the most effective way to create a lasting career. I just had a meeting earlier today with a rather respectable member of the music industry, and among many other gems she said something that I think really applies here. She reminded me that the music and creative industries are many things, but above all things they are relationship based industries. With that in mind – uplift your peers, never tear them down.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.kaizamusic.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/realkaiza/
• Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/7iHVAIES6t21jVI9BLI8Zd?si=WxDd4FqLRm2RgS86dGjvxg
• Apple Music: https://music.apple.com/us/artist/kaiza/1628318568