We were lucky to catch up with Arianna Pappas recently and have shared our conversation below.
Arianna, appreciate you joining 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?
I always loved to write. English and History were my favorite classes in school because of all the writing assignments. However, I was required to write about topics I wasn’t able to choose. I started journaling more often and writing lyrics in the margins of my papers. When I started out, I could have pushed myself to not only write more, but to be braver when telling my stories. Learning how to play guitar when I was young changed everything for me because it allowed me to learn new cover songs and experiment with writing like never before. I had also participated in talent shows for years, which helped me build up my performance skills. One obstacle I encountered was not knowing how to play piano, but after taking a class in college, my skills improved and I learned more about music theory as well.
Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.
I started singing and performing when I was very young. I would come home every day after school and belt out songs on my karaoke machine. Growing up, I was inspired by a lot of different types of music. I would listen to classic rock and rock ‘n’ roll with my parents in the car. Then I discovered country music. I loved artists like Taylor Swift, Carrie Underwood, and Miranda Lambert. I studied the exquisite songwriting in each of their songs, and it motivated me to start writing my own. After learning to play guitar, I started performing around my hometown more often. I realized that I was truly passionate about country music and Music City was where I needed to be. In 2020, I arrived in Nashville to study songwriting at the prestigious Belmont University. I recently graduated with a Bachelor’s degree and I could not be more excited to pursue my songwriter and artist career. I am also looking forward to continuing to perform the National Anthem at various sporting events. To date, I have had the honor of singing at 100+ events. In 2022, I performed at the Tennessee Titans’ 5K event outside Nissan Stadium, for Belmont Basketball and Vanderbilt Baseball. I have also performed at Hofstra University in New York.
I think what sets me apart from others is that I am a powerful performer, and I say things in my songs that listeners don’t expect to hear. Many people who know me say that they never expect such a powerful voice to come out of a seemingly quiet girl like me. I take this as a huge compliment and I want to continue to surprise people with my music. Surprise makes for the most interesting artists.
I am most proud of myself for staying the course. Some people assume that music is simply a hobby for me, but I always make sure to let them know that I am pursuing it as a career. It is incredibly difficult to seek out a career in music, especially in 2023, but I think it is also incredibly brave. I want my potential followers and fans to know that my ultimate goal is not to shine a light on myself, but to inspire people with my music.
For you, what’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative?
I love writing stories, and for me seeing and hearing people’s reactions to my songs is extremely rewarding. My family and friends are my biggest fans. Their constant support motivates me to keep creating.
Is there a particular goal or mission driving your creative journey?
My main mission is to make music that moves people. I want to write songs that strike a chord within us. We all know that feeling when a song comes on and it’s as if it was written for you. You turn up the volume and it resonates. I want to write those special songs.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://ariannapappas.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ariannapappasmusic/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ariannapappasmusic/
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ariannapappasmusic/
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/_ariannapappas
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCckH25jf_a8m1i_5-lgikqQ
- Other: TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@ariannapappasmusic
Image Credits
Ray Aley Media Chris Suppa Ashley Alfermann