We were lucky to catch up with Ruby Blu recently and have shared our conversation below.

Ruby, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. Can you open up about a risk you’ve taken – what it was like taking that risk, why you took the risk and how it turned out?

Performing is always a risk. You’re seizing the moment. You hope it goes well. But sometimes you do something and you wonder if you pulled it off. Or you make a mistake and try to catch yourself. Did I fix that in time? Could they tell?

Performing music is bending time and instantaneous creation to your will. It playing what you know and filling in on the fly what you forget. It’s channeling energy and keeping your own vessel clear.

As they say, music decorates time; and musicians, when they do it right, bend and manipulate time to do their bidding.

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 a musician, poet, songwriter, performer and educator. I moved to the Twin Cities in 2012 to pursue my undergrad degree in English Literature at the University of Minnesota. I finished my Master’s in Education in 2020 and currently teach K-5 music at Minneapolis Public Schools. I have released two studio albums, a book of poetry and music videos under the name “Red Eye Ruby.” We perform quite a bit around the area!

I am a strong advocate for music education and for gender equality in the local music scene. I believe in inspiring future generations to create, and inspiring young women to get out on the scene and take up space.

For you, what’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative?

The most rewarding aspect of being a creative, by far, is feeling empowered through my music and art and using it to heal myself. I create out of a desire to process, learn about myself and ultimately heal. There have been times in my life when I have felt powerless; music always brings me back into a place of personal power when I feel lost or confused.

Can you share a story from your journey that illustrates your resilience?

I have been through a lot in my time here on earth, and like many women I have stories of hope and resilience, trauma and heartbreak. As a young woman, I had experiences with sexual assault and domestic violence that shaped my worldview and my mental health. I have made it my mission as a woman artist to uplift and uphold the power and agency of women and girls who have experienced abuse, trauma and sexual assault in their lifetime. It is my hope to shine light on the healing and resilience possible even in what can seem like the darkest of times.   

Contact Info:

• Website: www.redeyeruby.com
• Instagram: @redeyerubymusic
• Facebook: @redeyerubymusic
• Twitter: @redeyerubymusic
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/c/RedEyeRuby
• Linketree: https://linktr.ee/redeyeruby

Image Credits
Bud Ingraham Tom Smouse Chelsea Oxborough