We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Jessica Delacruz a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Jessica, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today Did you always know you wanted to pursue a creative or artistic career? When did you first know?

I’ve always knew I wanted to sing as long as I could remember. Music is a big part of my family especially with my dad who was a musician himself. He played guitar, piano, and sang so I ended up doing the same. He also inspired me to write which I started when I was 9 years old. I decided to go out and do gigs about 5 years ago.

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’ve been singing for a long time. I was in choir from middle school to college. I studied vocal performance where I focused on classical and opera music. After I graduated I decided to pursue writing my own songs and started singing out for gigs at restaurants, bars, and other music venues.

I perform in gigs where I would do covers which would be a mix of top 40 hits of different genres from different decades. My original music is Alice in Wonderland theme where I use characters from the book and use it to express real events in my life. Marina is one of my biggest inspiration when it comes to songwriting. She is so honest and raw with her writing. She made me not be afraid to say how I feel in music which is the most therapeutic way of writing. Therefore my Alice in Wonderland music will reflect that. The genre my music would be a mix of pop, r&b, and soul.

One of the things I’m most proud of was competing in the World Championships of performing arts. Basically the Olympics for the performing arts. I won several medals in various categories and even won a plaque for best overall pop.

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

The best thing society can do to support the arts is really just go support your local theatres, musicians, and artists. If you can buy a $200 ticket to support someone like Taylor Swift or Beyonce, you can spend $10-15 to support a local artist who can be the next Taylor, Beyonce or The Black Keys. While one would go out and support an artist, they might find an artist that they absolutely adore. It’s like finding a gem before it reaches its full potential. There’s a lot of talent here that needs to be nurtured and it can’t be done without the local community. Join in and discover something amazing that’s literally next door to you.

What’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative in your experience?

The most rewarding aspect would honestly be performing and connecting with strangers through music. It’s honestly a whole other feeling to pour your heart and soul into a song and pulling people in. Music is healing and to be able to do that for others is a gift. People connecting to the songs I’ve written and being surprised by how much a song I wrote could mean to someone I’ve never met before. It’s amazing.

Contact Info:

• Website: Www.jessicadelacruz.com
• Instagram: jessicadelacruzmusic
• Facebook: Jessicadelacruzmusic
• Youtube: @jessicadelacruzmusic

Image Credits
Meghan Shea