Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Momo Chapin. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Momo, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. Can you talk to us about a project that’s meant a lot to you?

What kinda music am I supposed to make during the year that I moved, joined BerkleeNYC’s grad program, then suddenly lost my dad. I sifted through a lot of shock, was flooded with nostalgia, and then fought on every song to find the remaining rays of joy. This album is the soundtrack to a year-from-hell where I grappled with proving to myself that losing a loved one doesn’t drain life of purpose. This album is ENCHANTÉ.

ENCHANTÉ is what you hear when you put your ear to a shell. It’s the ocean’s familiar call from a bygone era, one connected through timeless, sun-faded bursts of memories. And those beach memories were my saving grace, as I passed my days learning, collaborating, and working in Brooklyn.

The album will be released in June of this year, just as we all enter a summer that’s sure to bring some lifelong memories with the people we love.

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

I’m Momo Chapin. I’m a 26-year-old producer, instrumentalist, singer, and artist based in Brooklyn. I’m a lucky graduate of BerkleeNYC’s Songwriting and Production Master’s program, but for years, music was just the background noise of my childhood. My mom would soundtrack breakfasts, dish-washing sessions, and dance parties with some of her favorite artists, and my dad made it his mission to scatter instruments throughout the house patiently waiting for our curiosity to take hold. Soon enough, it did, and I took to playing guitar, piano, bass, and even smashing on some drums at times.

I went to UCLA for undergrad, and though I sang with a choir group and jumped at the chance to play at one-off talent shows, music was not the focus of my time. I studied Communications and French, which left me with a degree, but not much passion. C’est la vie. By happenstance, I took years of dance taught by the cofounders of the legendary LA Versa-Style dance company, and I became enamored with dance, and how music could fuel performances. Throughout college and afterward, I began teaching myself production, much in the style my Dad had encouraged me to learn instruments. By 2024, I had released my first album, “Hullabaloo” – an amateur attempt at composing and learning production – and been admitted into BerkleeNYC’s grad program.

Fresh off of getting my butt kicked by grad school, I’m proud to say: I emerged with some chops. I got front-row seats to watching distinctly gifted mentors and classmates work their magic, and now I’m left in an artistic hotbed of passionate creators. What to do…

The game is simple. Work with as many talented folks as I can. Jam with the people I like jamming with. Marry music to dance and film. And play in as many NYC venues as I can list. And not just play, but put on a proper show. My band, the Hot Gossip, makes that part easy. Connoisseurs of psych beach funk, the Hot Gossip comes in blazing with soulful grooves, singers, saxes and a violin. BerkleeNYC instilled in me a much bigger appreciation for working with others, and I’m on my own mission to collaborate on and offstage with people who inspire me.

Can you tell us about a time you’ve had to pivot?

After college, I aimlessly found myself working for a company that was far from fulfilling. I’d count the hours until I could return home and dive into the alluring and infinite world of music production. At last, I decided to quit the comfort of the salaried life, and dedicate my time to working in a music studio as an unpaid intern. I figured I’d rather be around the music scene, albeit at the bottom, than in a different scene entirely.

Soon enough, I discovered the music studio internship wasn’t opening as many doors as I anticipated. I was mostly cleaning bathrooms and doing coffee-runs, and was almost never meeting people or learning. So, I took another pivot, and applied to BerkleeNYC. With a decent application and a massive amount of luck, I finally was accepted onto a path surrounded by music-lovers who all were as eager as I was, yet many of whom were far more knowledgeable.

I’d never imagined music would take me to an academic environment, but thank my lucky stars that it did, because everyday was heavenly. Sleepless nights of rushed studio time with top-tier creatives day in and day out composed the better part of a year for me. I finally was settled into a collaborative, challenging, and encouraging musical paradise.

Do you think there is something that non-creatives might struggle to understand about your journey as a creative? Maybe you can shed some light?

There is no end goal. All it ever needs to be is fun. And there’s simply nothing more fun than testing out a song I’ve written with a band of talented friends. If my music drops in a forest and nobody hears it, who cares. If someone does listen and it makes them feel any type of way, lucky me. But I’m happy enough experimenting with what sounds good to me.

Okay there is one goal. That goal is to be the best possible musician I can be by the time I’m 80 years old. It’s all a long game for me to impress my grandkids on the porch while I show off. If anything, it’s all for you, future me.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/momo_chapin/
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/owen-braithwaite/
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@MomoChapinMusic