We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful MOZAIA. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with MOZAIA below.

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

I wish I could pinpoint a time, a moment where it clicked in me that I wanted to pursue music. But I honestly don’t recall a time where I didn’t know I wanted to sing and perform for a living. Both of my parents have pursued music as singers, songwriters and musicians throughout my upbringing; I grew up in that world. I watched various concert DVD’s of pop icons, learned the choreography in front of the TV and everything. So pretty early on, whenever someone would ask little Monique, “what do you want to be when you grow up?” I would immediately say “singer”.

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

I am MOZAIA, I am a singer and songwriter, and I record and perform R&B and Pop music. I am based in Redmond, WA, East of Seattle. I have been singing and writing songs since I was in elementary school, whilst learning to play piano and guitar by ear. I performed alongside my parents at various gigs and venues as a teenager, which led to me performing on my own by the age of 16. After I graduated high school, I created the artist name “Moia Bri”, and recorded my own songs and features at home and at local studios. I then rebranded myself as MOZAIA at the start of 2023. I now work very closely with producer Mark Mullins, who is based in Los Angeles, CA, as we develop the unique sound of MOZAIA together. I really started to put myself out there in Seattle, opening for fellow artists and promoting my first EP, “HONEYJAY”. My first single off the album, “Better Off”, had gained the most organic streams than any of my music has ever reached without an ad campaign, so that along with the whole project have been my biggest accomplishment thus far. The love and support I’ve received have fueled me, and I am so eager to release more music. I mainly write from a place of reflection, telling stories and spilling out thoughts of mine that revolve around love, loss and growth. This year of 2024, I definitely want to expand my stories and reveal more sides of MOZAIA. When people listen to my music, I want them to feel good, and feel connected.

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?

One thing I think non-creatives have a hard time understanding about creatives in general is our drive. Pursuing music, or any art form as a career is not “practical”, nor stable. It may not pay the bills until you reach a certain point in your career, so it requires a lot of sacrifice, and honestly a delusional mindset. Going against the grain will always feel like that. But I believe art is so important for the world, because of what it does for us psychologically, spiritually. Non-creatives have advised me to quit – especially after I became a single mom at 21 years old – and focus on my education, pursuing a more official role in society. But creatives have such an important role in our society too. Creatives are visionary, they are inventors of the intangible, and they have the power to unite. They deserve everyone’s support.

Have you ever had to pivot?

Between the years of 2021 and 2023, I was working my first corporate full-time administrative job, benefits and all. I was supporting myself and my son, making much more money than I ever had, and using that extra money to fund my music projects – one of which was my first official music video. But in the Fall of 2023, I was laid off of my corporate job unexpectedly, and needed to figure out how I would maintain that same momentum. I took that window as an opportunity to launch myself into pursuing sync licensing work (music and songwriting for advertisements, film, commercial projects, etc.). I was hoping the skills I had mastered in the past few years would make for a near-perfect transition. But due to many personal changes at home and within my family, I now have to go back to the drawing board and consider other income options that may be more sustainable for the meantime. The curveballs get real, but it’s very important to always remain centered, and most of all believe in yourself.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://vibe.to/mozaia
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mozaiamusic
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MozaiaMusic/
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC-w7x6lqm2wNicxCSLAulZA

Image Credits
Andrea Tiffany, Sandy Flores, Russ Byrne