We were lucky to catch up with Preaundrea Franklin recently and have shared our conversation below.

Preaundrea, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today Did you always know you wanted to pursue a creative or artistic career? When did you first know?

Since I was a kid, I always wanted to express myself through various creative platforms whether it was music, theatre, art, pottery, etc. I had a fascination with the versatility of art forms and creating things helped me feel good about myself and gave me a purpose. I didn’t do well in things like math and history, but art was something I was really good at. I was good with putting together words and stories and art was a goal I wanted to achieve and something I felt good about pursuing.

I also really enjoyed acting as a kid. When I was younger, I was in productions of The Wiz where I played a munchkin and a play about Helen Keller where I played the daughter of the maid. I loved the theatre and wanted to move to New York City and be on Broadway! While this hasn’t happened, I have hope that one day I’ll be in a Broadway production because it is still a goal I want to reach one day.

I feel the most confident about myself when I create and make something come to life. Being able to present something that I put so much skill and time in brings me pleasure and I’ve always wanted to share my gifts and talents for the world. When my creative juices start to flow, that is when I am at my best!

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

Singing has always been a passion of mine. As a singer/songwriter, I’ve been releasing music projects since 2017. I released my first full length album in 2020 and a few singles as well. I did open mics for a few years and while I enjoyed being on stage and covering some of my favorite classic songs, I started to feel like I just wanted to do my own music and I decided to stop doing open mics for a while until I am able to sing my own songs. While I enjoy singing, I would really love to get my foot in the door writing lyrics for other artists. Getting a publishing deal as a songwriter would be awesome!

Photography is a creative form I always wanted to get into but put it on the backburner as I was focused on music for years. In 2022, I decided to buy my first professional camera and start street photography. I shoot everyday life, street life, murals, landscapes, etc. around Baltimore and New York City. I also enjoy capturing people in their natural environment whether they are waiting on the bus, cooking, talking to a friend, etc. There is a certain type of beauty in capturing people in a candid element. I currently shoot with a Canon EOS 4000D.

Is there mission driving your creative journey?

My goal is to continue to express myself through art. With music, I enjoy telling stories. Not every song I’ve written is about me. Sometimes I take from other people’s stories and write a song about someone else’s experience. I want people to connect and resonate with the songs I write.

With photography, I want people to see the world differently through the photos I take. I want to be able to capture people and places in a way no one else does.

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

To be honest, a career as a singer/songwriter hasn’t exactly worked out the way I wanted it to. So, I’ve had to re-evaluate how I go about life doing other things in art that I love. I know that I may not make money with my music and photography, so I recently went back to school to study entertainment management hoping to get a job in the entertainment industry after graduation. So, if I don’t continue with singing and songwriting, I would like to be able to scout out other artists and help them with their careers in the music business. Maybe even opening my own studio or becoming a record executive. I also started a candle business in April 2023 called Souly Scented, as another way to express myself through creativity and become a business owner.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thisisprea
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/preamusic
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/preaundrea-franklin-52701bbb
• Other: https://www.instagram.com/preashotit https://soulyscented.com https://www.instagram.com/soulyscented

Image Credits
First image of me in the white suite – Jerry Brown, Mass Creation Multimedia “Crown EP” album cover – Josh Hurwitz, Maya Productions “Personal Storyteller” album cover – Shado Niel GFX “Muse” single cover – Preaundrea Franklin AKA Prea Frnklyn All images of outside – Preaundrea Franklin AKA Prea Frnklyn