We recently connected with Gabi Amie and have shared our conversation below.

Hi Gabi, thanks for joining us today. We’d love to hear about when you first realized that you wanted to pursue a creative path professionally.

Growing up in West Texas as a Swedish-born Syrian immigrant, I felt constant gratitude for living in a land of opportunity. In first grade, I began learning English and appreciated its universally understood nature. With proper knowledge of American culture and language, I became the most literate in English of my family. This meant gaining skills of negotiation, career-related paperwork, and skillful writing at an early age to help my parents. Although in America I quickly became an adult, I still experienced a childhood when we traveled to Damascus every summer. And each time I returned to my individualistic American life, I felt overtaken by emptiness and masked my true essence with a fabricated version of myself. Thus, as a lonely and quiet child, I turned to find solace in a personality derived not from a bordered state, but rather an unhindered fountain of creativity: music. I began singing at seven years old and have not stopped since. Singing made me feel I had a permanent home rooted inside of me. It became my passion, my refuge, and most importantly, who I was and who I still am.

Gabi, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?

In the sixth grade, I used my love for music along with my crushing survivor’s guilt to draft plans for a non-profit, Kindle Hope Inc. What started as an afterschool group to raise money for Syrian children became an established 501(c)(3) non-profit. Through providing free private music and arts mentorship, we aim to give children without access to mental health resources a chance at building better self-reliance, self-esteem, and creativity. We have raised over $20,000, conducted music psychology seminars, and launched KHAMPA (Kindle Hope Academy of Music & Performing Arts) in foster homes around West TX to expand our mission.

Now, I hope to transform my passion for art-inspired aid into a more widespread and structured cause through a career in music and politics. Currently, I am a staffer on Capitol Hill, learning about the policy-making process while pursuing a career in music. I aim to make music that combines melodies of the Arab world and the deeper message storytelling of soul hymns. I hope that through the soft power of culture, and the hard power of policy, I can one day advocate for those of us who are defenseless.

Is there mission driving your creative journey?

I am an immigrant who has lived the American dream while experiencing the depression of falling between cultural and economic gaps but feeling the survivor’s guilt induced purpose to keep going.

What makes me different? I’m not trying to tell anyone else’s story. I’m not trying to pretend I’ve lived in a war zone, I’m not trying to act like I got racist remarks I never got, I’m not trying to pretend like I was dirt poor or super rich. I have a life where I have to work for everything I have. I left my family at an early age and am chasing a dream, realizing that everything I want looks a lot different than I thought it would, and dealing with self doubt. Identity crisis and mental health issues have been a huge part of my life in so many senses, ethnicity, language, jobs. I face middle class issues that make me feel like we really all stuck in a system that is impossible to change. Every time I feel any sense of pride in myself, I discount it with guilt because that’s what drives so much of my motivation.

I hope to make music that speaks to those who feel like me, and let them know that it’s ok to build your identity from scratch regardless of where you come from and who is around you.

What’s a lesson you had to unlearn and what’s the backstory?

I had to unlearn being a perfectionist. I realized early on in trying to start releasing music that it is very easy to get in a years-long rut that could prevent you from ever putting any music out there. I think I had a come-to-Jesus moment when I heard a song on Instagram use the same melody that I had been working on for a couple years but didn’t feel ready to release. That experience made me realize that if I don’t start releasing music that says what I want it to say (even if it’s not perfect), then someone else is bound to put it out instead (and not in the same way you would have).

Contact Info:

• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/gabiamiemusic?igsh=MTloeGs5azhjMWVwMQ%3D%3D&utm_source=qr
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gabriella-ghandour-696104199/
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QoF0eHWthX0
• Other: A podcast episode with my story in it:

Image Credits

Stephanie Ghandour
Photographer/Editor