We were lucky to catch up with Cynthia Brando recently and have shared our conversation below.
Cynthia , thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today Do you think your parents have had a meaningful impact on you and your journey?
I remember when I first read Julia Cameron’s, “The Artist Way,” “A Spiritual Path to Higher Creativity,” a few years ago. I was in a group that went through the 12 week process of readings and exercises, centered around the issues of what gets in the way of an artist. One of the chapters discussed how often family is unsupportive of creativity; that parents often want children to be something “more.” In my group, there were a lot of stories of not feeling supported growing up as a creative person, and if one showed an inclination towards having a career as an artist, that it was highly frowned upon…I couldn’t relate because I had the opposite experience. I didn’t even get decent with music until I was much older, but all along my path, from when I first started playing guitar in high school, until now, a “struggling” artist, my parents have been extremely supportive and always encouraging. I didn’t realize how incredible that was until recently. I think this support that I used to take for granted has impacted me in my life and career by giving me an undying feeling of confidence and perseverance, even in the face of what seemed like a lack of belief in myself. Underneath any insecurities, I always felt like I was given “permission” to be myself and pursue my creative passions. This gave me the chance to pursue a music career at almost 40 years old after having graduated with a degree in a completely different field, without ridicule or shame from my family.
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 create music in the “acoustic folk rock” genre and perform around L.A. and beyond. At 38, I had a powerful realization that I didn’t want to leave this earth without exploring music in a more substantial way. I knew I needed to move to a major music city, so I left my home in the woods in Northern Ca. and moved to Los Angeles. When I began doing music in L.A. and interacting with other artists, I noticed that there was a lot of access and support to the technical side of the music industry, but not so much emotional support, I have provided this support over the years in the form of life coaching, workshops, vlogs, blogs and inspiring interviews with other artists. I also do concert booking and make music videos. I am most proud of the connection I have created with my fans and fellow artists in our incredibly supportive community. I am continually inspired by that deeper level connection and am excited to reveal more projects I have in development geared towards specifically supporting indie artists and their difficult journey running all the many aspects of their music careers.
Is there a particular goal or mission driving your creative journey?
When I moved to L.A., I didn’t know specifically what I wanted to do with music, or what I wanted out of music. After 9 years, I am still not sure! I can’t say for certain what my “purpose” is, but what I am experiencing in my journey as of late has led me to believe that my continued curiosity of my own exploration and struggles and the sharing of this journey serves a purpose. As I continue and find more joy on this path through all the roadblocks, my hope is to awaken this joy of music connection in every one I come across.
Can you tell us about a time you’ve had to pivot?
I am currently in a major pivot in my music journey. I worked really hard to support myself through performing music and was finally gaining traction as a street performer, a touring artist and doing many gigs and projects around the L.A. area. Covid hit and my entire business disappeared and I have yet to recapture that momentum. I was devastated about this until I was led to explore other avenues of creative possibilities through music such as book writing and course creation. I am currently in the process of creating these tools and products for musicians, working with creative business coaches for support. This scary pivot for me is starting to feel more exciting as I slowly move along this new path.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.cynthiabrando.com/
- Instagram: https://instagram.com/cynthiabrando
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/cynthiabrandomusic
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/user/cynthiabrando
- Other: https://open.spotify.com/artist/1E795jDuVTNE3LZ3KL658E
Image Credits
Danny Dickey Jeff Sherman Jacki Sackheim Karen Hadley