We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Precious Perez. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Precious below.
Alright, Precious thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. When did you first know you wanted to pursue a creative/artistic path professionally?
I first knew I wanted to pursue an artistic path professionally when I was five years old. I was gifted a J.Lo CD and an Eminem CD on my fifth birthday, and they were a car soundtrack for a while. This led to me singing along and recording myself singing to the radio with the little pink Barbie karaoke machine with cassette tapes I was given at age six. Even back then when I was painfully shy and would only sing for an empty room, I knew music was my calling.
Precious, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?
My name is Precious Perez, and I am an award-winning singer/songwriter, music educator, children’s author, and disability advocate. I hold a double bachelors degree in music education and performance from Berklee College of Music. My goal is to be the first blind Latina at the forefront of the latin music industry. I am a member of the Recording Academy, and I serve as Vice President for RAMPD(Recording Artists and Music Professionals with Disabilities), a new coalition ed by disabled artists with the mission of elevating disability culture, promoting inclusion, and advocating for accessibility within the music industry. As an individual artist, songwriter, educator, and advocate, I am not only elevating myself, but I am uplifting all of my communities: Latin, women, people with disabilities, low-income, first generation, and those with anxiety and depression. What I do is bigger than just me, and it’s so important to not only shed light on change that needs to be made, but also to keep positivity and love at the forefront of that change.
What do you find most rewarding about being a creative?
For me, the most rewarding aspect of being an artist is the sincere note from a fan telling me they know all the words to my songs, the smile in the voice of a Puerto Rican woman coming up to me to tell me I make her proud of where she comes from. It’s the spark in the hearts of other disabled artists when they realize they can get to where I’m blessed to be. It’s the tangible affirmations that my goal of uplifting, empowering, and representing is coming to fruition day by day, because that’s what it’s all about.
What can society do to ensure an environment that’s helpful to artists and creatives?
In my view, arts is not given the same respect and support as other facets of entertainment. Artists and creatives deserve the same protections, rights, respect, and equal pay. Looking through the lens of a disabled artist, I am not viewed as an equal within the music industry, and disability is the one minority that is left out of diversity conversations. I’m excited to continue working towards a society in which disabled artists are given the same regard and equal pay given that we are professionals in our own right, and for the arts to be granted the same support and respect as other facets of entertainment.
Contact Info:
- Website: http://www.preciousperezmusica.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/precious_puertorican20/?hl=en&__coig_restricted=1
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/preciousperezhummingbird/
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/precious-perez-a0548915b
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/pulyperez1?ref_src=twsrc%5Egoogle%7Ctwcamp%5Eserp%7Ctwgr%5Eauthor
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC-gU9Z844iI464Fc2ItIhvQ