We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Liliana Tani a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.
Hi Liliana, thanks for joining us today. Can you tell us about a time that your work has been misunderstood? Why do you think it happened and did any interesting insights emerge from the experience?
As a creator I’ve been privileged to meet so many other talented and amazing artists in the music industry. I’ve learned that artists are often misunderstood and sometimes misjudged by those around them in social circles. Artists are contributors, we create and then share what we are passionate about. Sometimes this is seen as showing off. A lot of artists struggle with loneliness, and our willingness to share is misunderstood. The most amazing feeling is to write a song, or sing something that makes someone feel something. It’s the best way I know how to communicate. As creators, we put ourselves out there, and do this in hopes to make a genuine connection. We are usually our biggest critics, and know every time we mess up on stage, or let nerves get the best of us. We also know that every time we leave a stage and put our heart into what we share, that it is often nitpicked and our largest insecurities and tiniest flaws are sometimes exploited or all that people see. It takes so much courage, energy and a unique humility and willingness to give our everything, to be a performer. I am always so thankful for those who cheer each other on in life, and support each other, even if there are differences or imperfections. This is life, isn’t it? We are here, we show up everyday and give our best efforts in order to survive, connect, create and find joy. I believe the world is large enough for every star to shine and when we all use kindness and love as our tools to communicate it is truly the best way to share what we love with the world. If everyone recognized the hard work and preparation that goes into stepping on a stage, they would be less likely to judge and much more likely to encourage and support and be open to connection.
Liliana, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?
When I was around three years old my sister had a voice recital. At the end of the recital the voice teacher asked if any of her students had other songs they wanted to sing. My mom said I hopped off of her lap and walked up on stage and asked the teacher if I could sing, too. She lowered the mic stand and turned on the song that I requested which was “When Christmas Comes to Town” from the movie Polar Express. I’ve been on a stage ever since. I’ve aways been really quiet and my mom told me that was the first time she saw my open up to people I didn’t know. I never had a lot of friends, so growing up I spent most of my day in my bedroom singing, writing music and learning to play different instruments. I really loved listening to all styles of music and found myself absorbing everything I could.
When I was probably 7 years old I saw a video of the One Voice Children’s Choir singing “Let It Go”. I asked my mom if I could be a part of that choir. I wanted desperately to make friends that I could relate with. I auditioned three times before I got in, at the time the choir was very small, and there needed to be an opening for a singer of my age and voice range. Every time I got rejected it just made me want to work that much harder. I practiced all year hoping that by my next audition I’d be the person chosen to get into that choir. It wasn’t long after getting in that I was also invited to sing with a group called Kids America. At 9 years old I had the life of my dreams, a childhood surrounded by music and people who were as passionate about it as I was. The opportunity to record and perform with so many musical legends and icons taught me so much about myself as an artist and also really shaped the way I looked at life. I learned really early on that if you want something you have to be willing to work for it.
In 2020 I auditioned for a new group called the Acapop!Kids. This group was an all a cappella kids group put together by the minds behind Pentatonix. It was such a privilege to be accepted to work with another very talented group in the music industry. By the time I was 12 I had been on stages across the globe and I loved it! When I step on stage, it is like a part of me opens up, and the walls come down and I can just share what I love. Music is what I love! It’s what I feel everyone understands no matter what part of the world you come from. It’s a shared, common, universal language that has so much power to heal and to connect.
In 2022 I joined Glotivation, a girl group representing the Far Out Toys Glo Up Doll line and I also auditioned for an A cappella Academy in California. Singing with other people has always been so much fun for me. I have a huge amount of gratitude for the mentors who have guided me on my musical journey. I learn so much from all of these amazing talented people.
I have had so many wonderful and memorable experiences but I am most proud of the work I’ve been able to do privately with my producer Becky Willard. I love writing so much, and feel so proud of the work we do when I write and record new music. My music is a part of my heart and I share it with a lot of hope that it reaches someone who needs to hear it. On my journey I’ve learned that there are so many people just needing connection, a listening ear, someone to understand them, hear them and have empathy with them. My music is authentic, it’s a way that I open up, and hope that it helps someone find healing, comfort, or a friend. It’s my gift and connection to all of the beautiful humans in the world.
What’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative in your experience?
The most rewarding aspect of being an artist is that moment when you make a connection with someone. It’s the look in their eyes while they are feeling the music, the tears or the cheers and smiles they give, nods of approval or understanding. Body language is everything, all of it tells a story of what that person may have felt or be going through and how music gives them a moment to feel it and process it and move through it in a way they don’t feel so alone. It’s also very rewarding as a songwriter to complete a song. From the first thoughts and lyrics on paper, to the instrumentation on strings, the backing music, to recording, to production, it’s a huge process with so many intricacies and when it’s all complete and you hear the produced music for the very first time, it’s kind of miraculous and magical.
Is there mission driving your creative journey?
My creative journey has had a lot of highs and lows. Sometimes the lows are pretty terrible and can feel really defeating. I think most artists do have an underlying mission that keeps them determined and focused on their work despite the rejection or times when work is slow. We live in this world where everything is online, I think we are all overwhelmed with so much input overload and no way to express or process it. We’re seeing everyone’s highlights in life broadcasted on all of these social media platforms and it’s easy to feel insignificant or like our lives aren’t as valuable or exciting. I think writing music that is relatable will help people feel something, process emotions and remember that they are loved. There’s an amazing feeling that comes from writing something and then having someone message me about how they related and how much they appreciated my music because it gave them some strength or helped them feel like they weren’t alone.
I write music that is genuine and authentic because I think we live in a sometimes ingenuine world. It’s okay to feel the way we do, we have to remember that we aren’t alone in those thoughts or feelings. I love to celebrate the high’s and low’s through music because even through the low’s we should remember that we all have them, it’s really just a launching board so that we appreciate the high’s. None of us are in this alone, I hope my music can remind people of that.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.lilianatani.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lovelylululana/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/LilianaTaniMusic
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@LilianaTani
- Other: https://linktr.ee/LilianaTani
Image Credits
The personal photo is by Just A Fan Photography, image with the cello was taken by Jake Swoyer Media