We were lucky to catch up with Crissy J recently and have shared our conversation below.

Hi Crissy, thanks for joining us today. Can you tell us about a time that your work has been misunderstood? Why do you think it happened and did any interesting insights emerge from the experience?

Great question! You know, till this day, I still get a shocked look when I tell people my main career choice and creative outlet is, Violin. Back in college everyone automatically thought that I was a singer simply based off of, my race. Then I’d get the follow up statement, “well, you don’t look like a violinist.” In which then I always like to challenge that narrative with “Well then, tell me what exactly is a Violinist supposed to look like?” And thats what mainly drives alot of what I do in general, and the paths I choose to take when it comes to my creativity and artistry, not being in a box.

Crissy, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?

Absolutely! Well I was born in Miami, FL to Caribbean parentals, and ever since I can remember, the arts have always been apart of my life. Whether it be through dancing, art, school plays or of course my main love, music, it all helped me evolve into the multi-faceted, multi-genre artist and creative I am today, and continue to grow into. I really feel like I am not your average artist, but more of a vibe, an energy… an aura if you will.

In addition to me being a Grammy and Emmy performer, by the grace of God, I’ve also gotten the chance to perform on many other stages across the country from Carnegie Hall to Sofi Stadium. As well as having had the unique pleasure of being featured in global campaigns for brands such as Bose, Whirpool and Nissan to name a few. However, even though my talents and overall love for all forms of creativity has brought me to experience many different cultures and parts of the world, I feel like ive only just now begun to scratch the surface of my purpose, and i hope to continue on my journey of attempting to break artistic and cultural barriers by ‘unifying the universe,’ and stimulating the senses of those i come in contact with through my Art… One experience at a time.

What do you find most rewarding about being a creative?

The most rewarding aspect for me as a creative artist has to be, getting to meet people from all different walks of life that my music or energetic frequency resonates with. No matter where I perform in this world, it not only expands my sense of self, but I find it also breaks down any language or cultural limitations there may have been, and unites me with experiences I most likely never would have had, had I not tapped into my creativity and being willing to share it with those called to witness it.

How about pivoting – can you share the story of a time you’ve had to pivot?

To be honest, the amount of times I’ve had to pivot on this artistic journey, I’ve lost count. I feel there is an unspoken oath that all creatives agreed to endure, at some point or another, if you want to be apart of this ever evolving industry, you must learn to pivot. For example, I went to school for music business / management and at that time, I really wanted to be behind the scenes, represent my fellow artists and take them to new levels in their own careers. However in the middle of me doing that, I had to pivot to a private teaching career, for more stability. Then after a while, my commercial and performance career started to take off so I had to make yet another pivot to fully focus on my artistic career if I wanted to see that also grow to its full potential. Sometimes a pivot may feel like you’re starting over, and clearly starting over is hard. However if you’re aligned within what you feel is your passion or calling, no matter what the pivot is, you’re just adding on a new level / facet to your artistry to which they can all coexist and feed off one another if done correctly. Pivots should enhance your journey, not derail it.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.msCrissyJ.com
• Instagram: @Ms.crissyj
• Youtube: https://youtube.com/@mscrissyj?si=TYwJAgPC9-7O757G
• Other: Tiktok: @ms.crissyj #goddessofviolin

Image Credit:
Daniel Lupercio – Last 2 photos