We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Cary Singman. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Cary below.
Cary, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. Do you wish you had started sooner?
I selected this question because I believe it closely aligns with the situation I’m navigating as a creative. I initiated my music career at a young age; however, I acknowledge that I lacked a clear understanding of how to approach it for optimal outcomes. I also hesitated to explore multiple creative interests concurrently. Despite harboring interests in acting and directing films, I held the misconception that, as a musician, my focus should exclusively be on music. While uncertain about the origins of this belief, I had observed instances where actors venturing into music were not accorded the same respect as those dedicated solely to the musical craft. This notion led me to develop a peculiar belief that a similar fate awaited me.
However, I recognized that certain actors successfully transcended this perceived barrier, earning recognition for their musical talents. Although I aspired to direct films, a lack of confidence in navigating the complexities of such a career path deterred me. Fear of failure in a domain as intricate as filmmaking prompted me to concentrate predominantly on music. As a self-professed perfectionist in selecting projects and lacking comprehensive knowledge of the music business, tangible success eluded me until my thirties.
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 had an amazing sister named Michelle who unfortunately passed away at the age of 16 due to a car accident. Despite her early departure, she was one of the best guitarists I ever knew. She could play Jimi Hendrix, Eric Clapton, and more. As her younger brother, I would sit and watch her play. She passed away when I was nine, and at around 11, I began taking lessons from her former teacher for about two years.
Later, I attended Crossroads Middle School where I got to play in my first band called “Bugs Bunny and The Elmer Fudds” with Cher and Gregg Allman’s Son Elijah Allman who was also the vocalist for (Deadly). I also joined the jazz ensemble at Crossroads, writing solos and performing live at school events. In my 20s and 30s, I attended the Musicians Institute as a performance guitarist. I auditioned and played with bands, including the punk band Misguided Youth from ages 18 to 21. We had some success opening for bands like Pennywise, NOFX, and even performing with Sublime.
In my early 30’s, I joined a band called The Chimpz, releasing music featured on TV shows like Sons of Anarchy and MTV’s Jackass. We toured for about nine years, opening for bands like Hellyeah, Avenged Sevenfold, Disturbed, Linkin Park, and more. We were fortunate enough to be managed by Jerry Heller (N.W.A., Eazy-E, Elton John, Marvin Gaye, etc…), The Chimpz eventually went our separate ways due to dfferences.
Now, I compose for films and pursued acting at Alan Feinstein acting studios. I’ve acted in a few films, including one by Luc Besson (Leon The Professional . Acting became a way to network for composing jobs. I’m also part of the heavy metal band Striking 13, produced by Billy Graziade (Biohazard), with plans to tour. Additionally, I have an electronic project called Fluorescent Death with Film Director John Kline. It’s in the style of witch house music, and John directed a film, I composed, acted in and produced, “Descension (Day 267),” which is currently in the film festival circuit. I’m always open to opportunities, looking to collaborate and utilize my creative abilities. I think I’m proud of everything I’ve worked on as it’s about the journey of course not just the destination, so I just work on stuff and whatever requires more attention I’ll put it there and hope it takes off and hopefully gets some attention, no closed doors, only opened ones.
Let’s talk about resilience next – do you have a story you can share with us?
“So, I can share a story; recently, I’m not one to hide anything—I completely wear my heart on my sleeve. After my last band, The Chimpz, broke up, I found myself in a new place in life. For the first time, I was worried: would I still have a career or find work in music? I was receiving residual checks from some TV shows, but I had to find a new career to pay the bills and set myself up for retirement, etc. So, I started working in a few businesses, including the cannabis industry, and took odd driving jobs.
I began making a lot of money in the cannabis business, but I was spending money like a rich guy as I wasn’t used to making that much. I had a personal trainer, took private jiu-jitsu lessons, and my wife and I went on luxurious vacations to the Philippines, Greece, Italy, etc. I paid off two cars and was renting a very expensive townhome in Valley Village, CA.
Recently, a few months ago, my business came to a sudden halt due to a robbery, costing my cannabis a lot of product and money, which wasn’t insured due to legal reasons. So, I quickly learned I can’t live at this level anymore and didn’t really have savings to help us. My wife and I moved out of the townhome into her uncle and aunt’s mobile home. I had to find some random work doing odd driving jobs, but of course, when you go down, you’ve got to go back up.
I also fell into a deep, dark depression and regretted that I wasn’t making money as a musician and had to struggle like this. Then, all of a sudden, a short film I had in festivals got recognized for the score I composed by another director. He reached out to me and offered to pay me to score some music for his film. I also got asked to write a script by some bigger players in the film industry based on my experience in the cannabis industry and because I have studied screenwriting and written a few scripts. I came up with a treatment based on their idea, and they loved it.
Also, my licensed cannabis business started picking up again as an investor came through. I’m taking a new approach this time, though, to live below my means instead of above my means and put money away for the future. It was really rough to go through all that, but thanks to my training in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu under Jean Jacques Machado, where you learn to go through tough situations and get out of them, I think it helped my resilience along with years of struggle in the music industry overall.”
In your view, what can society to do to best support artists, creatives and a thriving creative ecosystem?
The best thing society can do to support both new and established artists—newcomers looking to build their following and veterans navigating today’s entertainment landscape, largely based on social media—is to share, share, and share their work! It’s a longstanding experience that gaining recognition is challenging for any artist. While it’s crucial for the artist to put in the hard work, fans sharing the artists’ posts, songs, music videos, etc., online makes a significant impact.
A considerable portion of exposure is through word of mouth until an artist secures record label support. They rely on fans sharing. So, every time you come across a post, announcement, or learn about an upcoming event from the artist, share it! Additionally, be willing to pay the door fee at clubs and purchase merchandise if you support and appreciate the artist. This is how they fund their shows, cover expenses like gas and gear, and manage their bills while rehearsing and touring.
I recall an ongoing inside joke with a bass player in my last band that some fans might spend $100 at the bar but complain about a $20 door fee. I know people who have skipped seeing their favorite band over a door charge. Don’t be that fan; $20 is equivalent to a fast-food meal these days. Part of that door fee contributes to supporting the band.
Certainly, fans have busy lives with bills, work and other issues to worry about, but sharing content of your favorite artist when scrolling online is super easy. So, that’s the key—share when you can and promote the artists when possible. With the industry evolving towards social media and artists becoming more independent, fans now have an increased opportunity to actively participate, and artists truly need that engagement.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.carysingman.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/singkrenisedes/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/carysingman1
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/cary-singman-03583161/
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/scarycary11?lang=en
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@carysingman742
- Other: My Tik Tok: https://www.tiktok.com/discover/Cary-Singman?lang=en My metal band Striking 13 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/striking13la/ My electronic project Fluorescent Death Instagram https://www.instagram.com/fluorescentdeathofficial/
Image Credits
Headshot credit – Tim Sabatino