Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Frankie Raye. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.
Frankie , thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today If you could go back in time do you wish you had started your creative career sooner or later?
Sometimes I wish I could go back 15 years and tell myself to just go for it. Now. Yesterday, in fact. When I graduated high school in 2007, I was motivated, excited, and confident that I would become a musician. I thought I’d enroll in a music academy, major in songwriting, and that it would just happen. However, I was told over and over that I was making a mistake by not following a traditional college career path. So I enrolled in a state college, and didn’t pick up a guitar or write a song for another seven years. Seven years. Could you imagine all of the progress I could have been making in six years? The real mistake was spending years changing majors, spending thousands in tuition for a degree that I knew I wasn’t going to stick with. If only I had just majored in music the first time! My biggest problem was that I didn’t trust my instincts, and I am fully to blame for that. Starting sooner would have given me more confidence when I needed it the most. Instead, I questioned and doubted my own judgement. I convinced myself that I didn’t know what I wanted. I told myself to listen to everyone other than myself. I told myself that I was wrong. After telling yourself that over and over, you start to believe it. And once you believe it, it’s really difficult to change that belief. I’ve spend a lot of time cleaning up the wreckage from the years of self-doubt that I put myself through, and my hesitance to start sooner is to blame for a lot of that.
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
I grew up in a musical family, so there was always a guitar being played or people singing. I have many memories of everyone sitting around the living room just singing and performing. I was lucky enough to have access to music at an early age, and as I got older, any extra curricular activity I chose was performance-based. However, it wasn’t until 2015 that I was able to make it an actual career. Through going to open mics and observing other working musicians, I was able to quickly figure out what I needed to make it happen for myself. I am not really sure what sets me a part from the others, but I do know that my goal is to always be honest in my music. I am not interested in following music trends and staying current. (My sound doesn’t really fit into what’s popular now anyway.) I try to really write what’s on my mind, and I don’t worry about being too specific or saying things that people might not like. I’d rather have a few people who really feel a connection with the song than thousands of people who are singing along to words they don’t really care about. I remember how I felt when I would listen to a song and literally feel like the words are my own – I would feel so relieved to hear other people singing about the same pain I was feeling. I think that’s why it’s hard to really describe my genre. My emotions are always shifting and changing, and so are my songs.
What can society do to ensure an environment that’s helpful to artists and creatives?
I think more people would feel encouraged to explore their creativity if society got rid of the assumption that all artists need to have some ultimate, top-of-the-world goal they are reaching for. I think success looks differently for different artists, but a lot of people have the idea that it isn’t worth pursuing unless you are on some path to a #1 single or whatever. For example, a lot of people think pursuing music is a waste of time unless you’re auditioning for “The Voice”, or hustling record labels, or writing songs like the ones on the radio. There’s this idea that if you aren’t trying to “make it big”, then what’s the point?” That’s so far from the truth. There are singers who are very focused on getting to the top, which is awesome if that’s your bag. But some are just kind of happy seeing where music takes them. It might not be to the Super Bowl halftime stage, but it might be to a cool little venue in a small town with a crowded room of people who are relating to your music and just enjoying the vibe. The problem is society kind of turns their nose up at those kinds of artists, immediately deeming them a “failure” or telling them they should just throw in the towel. That whole dialogue needs to change.
Can you tell us about a time you’ve had to pivot?
I’ve pivoted a lot in my short life! In 2007, I was accepted to a performing arts academy in NYC. I had spent a lot of time studying musical theater in high school, so I was prepping for the whole “Broadway actor” life. But, I am a terrible dancer and was terrible in my acting classes, so that was out. I changed my major countess times at my state university, only to graduate with a degree I wasn’t going to use unless I went further into graduate school. I did end up going to graduate school, but it was for a completely different field than what my BA was in. After years of regular jobs and college courses, I graduated with a Master’s of Arts in Teaching degree, becoming certified to teach K-6. There was a lot of career changing before becoming a full-time musician, but I intend to continue blazing this path for as long as I can.
Contact Info:
- Website: Www.FrankieRaye.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/frankierayemusic
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/frankierayemusic
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/frankie_raye
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/user/frankierayemusic
- Other: Livestreams on Twitch: https://www.twitch.tv/frankierayemusic
Image Credits
James Zambon Brian James Michael McBee Katie Talbert Bruce Waryzniak