We recently connected with Eboni Muse and have shared our conversation below.
Eboni, 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?
My parents did and continue to do everything right! Lol! They are my home, my confidants, my agents, my advisors, my crew, my light, my comfort, my “get right!”. I wouldn’t be the person I am without them. From the moment I let them know that I wanted to perform they had my back. And not only that, they both made sure I knew the hardships I might face. Unfortunately, in this career, actually, in life, people like to either sell you pipe dreams or rain on your parade. I was blessed to have parents who kept me level headed. Cuz baaaaaaby, I am a dreamer and if it weren’t for my parents I’d be THEE most depressed person. Now, I’m only a little depressed every few months lol! I’m rambling, let me give an example of what I mean.
As a working artist I wear multiple hats. Not only do I perform, I teach voice, went to school to be a CNA with medical assistant, phlebotomy, and medical billing and coding skills, I am an assistant site supervisor for PrimeTime programs, I do in home care with people who have developmental disabilities, I’m a hell of an admin, and then some. My parents taught me to have a backup plan. They taught me to hustle. They taught me stability. I knew that performing was a hard gig, so I didn’t come into this business thinking that the next day my name would be in lights. Now don’t get me wrong, I wasn’t immune to the heartbreak, the disappointment, the hardships, and ignorance. But I was better prepared and able to bounce back faster. I also want to express how blessed I am that I have parents who love and support me within this career and who let me carve my own path. A lot of performers don’t get to have that. As performers we get looked down upon by most of society. Our profession isn’t considered “real” or “regular”. So it’s not surprising when parents don’t want their children to be performers. I mean, we don’t always make the money we would like to make and it’s possible that you could never make it in this business no matter how hard you try. So I get it, but there’s no need to crush someone’s dreams. My parents are a prime example of how to support your child while still preparing them for the world.
Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers?
Oh goodness. I started performing very young. I always tell people that I was born to an audience lol! Instead of crying I was belting! Though I did have a TON of people in the delivery room because all my Mom’s coworkers wanted to see her give birth, I didn’t start performing until elementary school. I had always had a love for the arts because my parents have a love for it too. At some point I decided I wanted to be a ballerina. The first fat Black ballerina. I didn’t see people who looked like me in ballet so I wanted to break the mold. However, my mind was changed when I had to sing at a talent show for my after school program in elementary. We had these ladies named Ms. Cynthia and Ms. Renee who ran a program they called the YWCA! I loved them so much and along with my parents they nurtured my love for myself and the arts. So at this talent show, for whatever reason, I was only given the option to sing. I reluctantly went along with it but when I opened my mouth at the show I was surprised at how much people liked my singing! So I was like, “I guess I’m a singer now!”. I decided I wanted to be like Aretha Franklin and Patti LaBelle and from that moment on music was the path that I took. That meant church choir, school choir, show choir, singing at assemblies, graduations, funerals, etc. But then I hit my sophomore year in high school and after A LOT of convincing from my drama teacher Mr. Osborn, I auditioned for and was cast as Mama Noah in Children of Eden. The musical theatre bug bit me HARD! I found that I could sing, act, and dance if I took this path! Two of the things I loved to do and one thing I hated but people said I was good at. I kept going after that and I don’t have any plans of stopping!
What can society do to ensure an environment that’s helpful to artists and creatives?
Give money and resources to Artists of Color and put us in positions of power. Period. Stop giving to these P.W.I.s (predominantly white institutions) that participate in white supremacy while smiling in our faces pretending to “support the community”. Your “diversity statement“ means nothing because it’s extremely vague and a lame regurgitation of every statement out there. You’re not actually doing anything to create the diversity that’s needed. Your “ethnic show” isn’t the change we asked for. We don’t want your scraps.
What’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative in your experience?
Art is therapy. Art is love. Art is breath. Art is never ending. Art just is. We all have our own reasons why we create and sometimes those reasons change and/or grow. For me, performing went from just being fun, to making people happy, to being my therapy, to now helping others be their own artistic therapist. I love creating performance opportunities where people can really dig deep within themselves and heal or come out with a new take on their artistry. Don’t get me wrong, I still love performing! It’s my life blood. I’m like tinker bell applause fuels me lol! But there’s a different blessing that washes over me when I see an artist in their element after they have broken through personal barriers and leveled up! Its a beautiful thing to witness.
Contact Info:
- Instagram: @ebonimuse
- Facebook: Eboni Muse
- Twitter: @ebonimuse
- Youtube: Eboni Muse