We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Raquel Aurilia a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.
Raquel, 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?
I’ve always had a passion for music and knew in my heart that I wanted to pursue this as a career someday, but never knew how to get started. There isn’t a company you go to and apply with or audition with. It is a process, and I wasn’t sure who to go to to help me get started. I had a friend whose brother-in-law was a successful producer named Tony Papa in Los Angeles, CA and she said she would introduce me to him. We actually spoke on the phone, first. He sent me a demo called “Tears” and then we set up something in his studio when I went to L.A. Long story short, I sang it for him, it went well and we decided to record an entire album from there! He was such a great help to me when I started out and really helped me outside of the studio too, even when I started performing live.
Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers
I have been singing now for over 18 years but didn’t start writing my own music until my second album. I never knew that I could write though until I actually sat down and really “tried” to write a song. I was asked to co-wrote with a producer I met named Gardner Cole one day at this studio (while I was looking for a local band). I went home that day and started to write down some ideas and we ended up co-writing my second album together. That is how I got into writing and ever since then I love to wrote! I find it very therapeutic. I am proud of myself for trying really “giving it a try” and stepping outside my comfort zone and really putting the effort into writing songs instead of just assuming I couldn’t write because I never had given it a try. There is so much to write about and a lot of my songs are from personal experiences.
I have done everything in my career so far on my own without a manager which has been very challenging but fortunately I have had a lot of great opportunities and successes including opening for B.B. King, Pat Benatar, Eddie Money, Kenny Loggins, Lisa Loeb and even doing 25 shows with John Waite! So, I am very proud of that. I currently have one other person on board helping me with social media/marketing and I definitely put in a lot of time and effort with my music, writing, social media, networking etc to continue to create more and more opportunities. I also have a company that is “shopping my music” to other artists in Nashville. It’s definitely a work in progress!
Any insights you can share with us about how you built up your social media presence?
Social Media is such a great platfrom to have available for artists like myself who are wanting to share their music. It can be overwhelming, however, with so many people offering sevices to help you expand your audience, get more exposure etc, and this is the tricky part. There is no “quick fix” when it comes to building your social media. It is a marathon, not a sprint so you have to be patient and put in the time and effort engaging with listeners and fans to build these relationships and grow your audiience authenically. You have to do your research with whoever you work with and make sure they are reputable and legitimate because there are a lot of people who will take advantage of you. There are good companpies out there though that can help with promotions and that is something I would advise looking into if you need that extra exposure. It can really help. I would also advise singers and business owners with something to share, getting involved in posting on TikTok, and Reels. This can be a great way for more exposure and you never know if your video will go viral and help increase your following! I myself am still learning how to do some of the fun tricks and special effects on there and learn more about these platforms, so I am kind of “late to the party” but I’m finally on board! LOL
For you, what’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative?
I think the most rewarding aspect of being an artist is being able to touch people lives. As a writer, I have the freedom to write and sing about whatever it is I want to which is awesome. Although I may feel vulnerable at times when I write and sing about certain things, (especially songs I share from personal experience), it’s a great feeling to release this and share it. I never know who my songs will touch, so if me sharing something personal that someone can relate to helps them through a break up or a tough time or brightens their day, for example, than it is all worth it.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.raquelaurilia.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/raquelaurilia
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/raquelaurilia
- Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/raquelaurilia
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/c/RaquelAurilia
- Other: https://open.spotify.com/artist/0Zromf5rQEKfp5ocySlmvY
Image Credits
PHOTO CREDIT : DIRE IMAGE – CHELSEA THOMPSON