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

Joanna, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. Earning a full time living from one’s creative career can be incredibly difficult. Have you been able to do so and if so, can you share some of the key parts of your journey and any important advice or lessons that might help creatives who haven’t been able to yet?

I decided to pursue music full-time in 2016 after getting a college degree in something totally irrelevant and have never looked back since. Living in my hometown Honolulu, Hawai’i was not cheap and I didn’t realize you could make a living playing 2-3 hour gigs at hotels and restaurant venues. I also didn’t know if I would even have the skill or potential for its demands given that my musical background was knowing only a few church-y campfire songs with four chords and a capo. It all started when I randomly befriended a successful gigging musician and started to attend more live music spots and open mics around town. I slowly started learning my favorite songs on the guitar to perform out at these open mic events. My go-to song would be Electric Feel by MGMT and I’d follow that up with an original tune I wrote. I became more and more familiar with all the other live music venues in my area and became friends with a bunch of musicians all at once. I became obsessed with music, singing, writing and guitar. At this point in life I would be practicing chords and learning songs in my living room until late at night until the next open mic came back around for me to sign up and perform. I was really shy back then so I pushed myself to street perform on the streets of Waikiki so I could get accustomed to singing in front complete strangers all while making a bit of cash tips. My musician friends saw my eagerness and one day when one of them needed a last minute sub on a gig, I got the call. I did not think I was ready to take on a solo gig, but there was a dire need so I said yes and did the best I could. From that point on my entire life changed; I got great feedback, got even more calls, and regular residencies. Before I knew it I was a regular weekly performer at multiple venues all over the tourist hotspot, Waikiki. I would average 4-6 gigs per week up until I moved to Los Angeles in 2017 and have since then averaged about 18-24 gigs per month. It has been such a great feeling of accomplishment to support myself financially in three of America’s prestigious cities; Hawai’i, Los Angeles, and San Diego. My journey to being a full-time gigging musician all happened so quickly but I really believe that if you put yourself out there and are a good and genuine person, then the right opportunities will make it’s way to you at the right time, even when you don’t think you’re ready for it.

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.

My name is Joanna and I am a full-time creative from Honolulu, Hawai’i. I am a singer, guitarist, live-looper, videographer, photographer, studio-owner, writer, sound-tech, and philanthropist.

My primary craft is solo live-looping performances at hotels and restaurants all over Southern California and Hawai’i. I layer melodies, harmonies, beatbox, and different ambient sounds with my electric guitar into my Boss RC300 looper pedal to create a full sound that I arrange on the spot at every gig. I specialize in modifying popular cover songs to create an entirely new arrangement specifically curated to my audience and the vibe I want to create. One of my sets would sound like if John Mayer, Justin Timberlake, and Sade had a musical lovechild. And although I am a solo artist, I also play guitar for other artists that need an accompaniment.

In 2020, after I had completed over 1000 gigs/live shows as a solo artist, I wanted to add a new creative outlet under my belt. I turned to videography and was fortunate enough to find opportunities right off the bat. On top of being a wedding videographer, I have also filmed artists such as; The Foo Fighters, The Free Nationals, Alex Isley, Lauren Sanderson, and more. To further grow my craft in videography, I decided to partner up with a business partner to open up our own studio that serves as a creative photo/video/event space in Downtown LA. TigerCat Studios is now available for hourly rent or full in-house production by our team of creatives. Our goal is to provide a creative and inclusive environment for all artists to pursue their passions. We believe that everyone deserves a space to express themselves freely.

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

The most rewarding part of being an artist is when strangers approach me during a gig and tell me about how a certain song I sang brought back a fond memory or lifted their spirits. If I can positively impact someones day through my music, then I know I did my job. I always tell people that music isn’t my passion, people are. And what keeps my drive for music is the human connection I get to experience through my gigs.

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

A few things that society can do to support artists and creatives is to shop small and local, stream, share, and support live music, as well as provide safe spaces and platforms for artists to express themselves freely.

Contact Info:

• Website: tigercatstudios.com
• Instagram: @jomamz68
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@JOMAMZ
• Other: https://www.acousticspottalent.com/musicians/joanna-gerolaga

Image Credits
Vanessa Augustin, Andre Nuestro, Devin Huynh