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

Hi Phocus , thanks for joining us today. How did you learn to do what you do? Knowing what you know now, what could you have done to speed up your learning process? What skills do you think were most essential? What obstacles stood in the way of learning more?

The main skill to learn as a creative is to be self-reliable. I learned to record, produce, mix & master all by absorbing as much information as possible. Most of what I know comes from watching interviews, tutorials, & just listening to music that I like to make. What helped me the most in learning the skills necessary to do what I do was challenging myself to get over a learning curve by working hands-on and tackling tasks head on; jumping off the “deep end” and learning to swim in a sense.

Knowing what I know now, something I could have done to speed up my learning process was to get over the fear of trying new things. Accepting that you will not be the best at something the first time you do it only sets you up to improve moving forward. While it’s important to root for yourself, learning to be honest with yourself will open the doors to become more knowledgeable; using myself as an example, my catalogue can show how Iv’e polished my skills over the course of my career, & in hindsight I can say I had to make “bad” music in order to know what good music sounds like.

Learning a new skill can be very complicated, especially with no previous experience. Some of the main obstacles I encountered were time & money. Before my career was nothing more than a hobby, all the tools I had at my disposal was my phone, some headphones, and a walk-in closet in a shared bedroom. This was all I needed to get started. I may have not had the money or space for actual recording equipment, but I had the drive to pursue what I wanted to do, so obstacles seemed more like speed bumps than mountains. Eventually I had the opportunity to get better equipment, and with time eventually build a professional grade recording studio. Going through these stages in the early days of my career only allowed me to learn as much as I could at the level I was at, which helped me get to the next chapter of my journey. I always say that you are right where you are supposed to be, and that while some experiences may be harder than others, they will only prepare you for the next step.

Phocus , 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?

I am Phocus, an independent, Latin Urban recording artist, songwriter, producer, mixing & mastering engineer. I first started releasing music through SoundCloud around 2019. You can find me and my music on all music streaming and social media platforms. I provide a sound that’s fresh, mixing elements of Reggaeton, Dancehall, R&B and Rap. My biggest song so far is Missy, released in Summer of 2022, and have collaborations with popular local talent like Frankie X and Jawn Santana. As of now, I have a some projects in the works for Summer 2023, and big collaborations with artists such as Yorkinson, who currently has 20k monthly listeners, and more than a million streams in Spotify alone.

My goal is to bring something different to the genre, leading the new wave of artists singing in both Spanish & English, which would add a fresh sound to the industry, and combine both cultures of Western Pop and Latin Urban music.

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

The biggest reward of being an artist is watching your product implement itself in other people’s lives. Whether it is someone using a line from a song as an Instagram caption, or a group of people singing your song line for line at a show. This is the most rewarding aspect of my work, and are memories that inspire me to chase that feeling over and over again.

Are there any books, videos, essays or other resources that have significantly impacted your management and entrepreneurial thinking and philosophy?

If there’s a book I can say that has helped me to rethink my view on music, and get out of my own way is “It’s All In Your Head” by Russ. Coming from an independent artist, it gave me an accurate and credible point of view from a person who successfully made a sustainable income from music, and has inspired millions around the world. Learning about his journey and all the parallels to my own only gave me a deeper understanding that while I might feel that I should be farther ahead in my career, I am right where I am supposed to be, and that all it takes is one song to change your life. This has helped me in being patient, and always strive to outdo myself since the true competition is not with others in the industry as much as it is with yourself.

Contact Info:

• Website: linktr.ee/phocus.music
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/phocus.ig/
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCudQtm1BRl98vsVaAQEbyTg

Image Credits
Alexis Marina Ayodidit Oscar Lleras