We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Diamond In The Rough (dir). We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Diamond In The Rough (DiR) below.

Alright, Diamond In The Rough (DiR) thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. We’d love to hear about when you first realized that you wanted to pursue a creative path professionally.

Ever since I can remember, I’ve always loved music, and in particular, singing and playing the piano. I was really shy growing up, and being born and raised in the US with Japanese parents, I think music really became one of the biggest ways I felt I could express myself and connect with both my Japanese and American backgrounds.

After convincing my mother I wanted to study singing, I had my first voice lesson with an instructor. As an introverted child, I was quite nervous to sing in front of her, but I was determined to step out of my comfort zone and seriously learn vocal performance. That day became one of the most meaningful moments in my life because at the end of the lesson, the instructor called me a “diamond in the rough.” She was the first person to seriously recognize and praise my potential to become a skilled singer, which meant the world to me and became my origin story.

After years of singing, songwriting, and playing the piano, I decided to officially launch my artist career as Diamond In The Rough (aka DiR, pronounced as “dear”). As a Japanese singer-songwriter born and raised in the US, I want to not only continue expressing myself and connecting with people around the world through music, but also create something new that bridges the Japanese and US pop music industries. With my artist name, I also want to pay homage to the people who believed in me in my journey that made me the artist I am today. I hope to carry the name forward by inspiring people around the world through my music to pursue their dreams and believe in themselves.

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 Diamond In The Rough (aka DiR, pronounced as “dear”), a Japanese singer-songwriter based in the US. I began anonymously posting covers on TikTok, and at the start of this year, I started releasing cover videos regularly on my YouTube channel (https://www.youtube.com/@dir_official) and Instagram (@dir_officialmusic). I’m essentially a Japanese American “Hannah Montana” for lack of better comparison, and just getting started.

Being born and raised in the US, I grew up around Japanese and US pop music, but it was difficult to find Japanese American artists and pathways in the music world bridging my two cultural backgrounds. I am working on new music and content this year, with hopes to become the next biggest Japanese artist out of the US. I aim to bridge the Japanese and US pop music industries in my musical journey.

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

For me, the most rewarding aspect of being an artist is connecting with and making an impact on people around the world through the power of music. I am currently working anonymously under my artist name, so it means so much to me when my music connects with someone, whether it be through an Instagram reel or a YouTube cover. I believe music can heal, and I want to inspire and bring happiness to people through my music and content.

How can we best help foster a strong, supportive environment for artists and creatives?

In my experience so far, I’ve learned it can be challenging to develop a “new” creative pathway or idea from scratch. Creatives who are trying to make something new often need something that goes viral or the aid of an already popular concept or hit to get “buy-in” from supporters in society such as record labels and film studios.

I think platforms, community organizations, and people (such as CanvasRebel Magazine) that uplift and share the work of diverse creatives are truly inspiring. You never know who or what will become the next big thing, so I think that it’s important for society to be open-minded to new ideas and creative risks. While it may feel “safe” to go with what has already succeeded commercially in the past, I think it is important for the creative ecosystem to feel supported in bringing new and bold ideas to life, as they can change the world.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: http://www.instagram.com/dir_officialmusic/
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@dir_official