We were lucky to catch up with Rita Nelson recently and have shared our conversation below.
Alright, Rita thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. We’d love to hear about the things you feel your parents did right and how those things have impacted your career and life.
My family holds a place in my heart that they carved out with years of love (sometimes tough), patience, and support. Their own crafts shaped the lessons passed down, from the foundation of resilience that my father’s background in engineering fostered to the values I hold. These were emboldened by the artistry of my mother. Value was a lesson I learned young, though at the time I thought we were only speaking about color. To this day I remain an impeccably colorful person in the way I dress, often mismatched pieces that somehow work together. I frequently get asked how I make it work, and I always think back to my mom’s lesson in values. She taught me that you can paint with any hue, just squint your eyes and notice what is ‘light’ and what is ‘dark’. Contrast was the key, the defining part of a painting that would make or break it. Finding a light to compliment the shadows, and vis versa. Knowing that, the colors were all up to me. Only recently did I notice how this lesson has remained consistent in my world. It kept me grounded through my lows, a reminder of the many options I had to find light in.
So when asked what they did right, all I can say is that they did their best and that was more than enough. I was taught how to put my words into action, and the value of consistency. I was told that every human deserves respect and rights no matter where they come from because you never know someone’s story. Their acceptance, open mindedness, and support shines through in the messaging and music I promote to others and I am forever grateful to have been raised by them.
Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.
I am a 22 year old songwriter in recovery from addiction studying to become a Music Therapist at Berklee College of Music. While I love the path I am currently on, it took years of uncertainty, and honestly pain, to get here. Music has always been a core part of my life. At four years old, I was caught humming a tune I created in the backseat, and when my mother asked what I was singing, I gave her the title of my first ever song, “the monster ate jesus and god,” (I’m not kidding). So perhaps you can see, why my mother was recommended reading material such as “how to raise your spirited child.” I’ve always been grounded in my decisions, for better or for worse. SO when I was eleven, and decided to truly start using music as an outlet for my emotions, my passion for songwriting grew exponentially. This was around the time of the Sandy Hook shooting, and the only way I found to process it, was by writing my first “Real” song, called “Reunion”. I remember the shock from my parents when they heard it, and while the writing felt easy to me, that’s when I knew I had a genuine talent for this.
As the years continued, my collection of original songs grew, and served as a consistent outlet for me to express emotions that felt otherwise indescribable. Then at fifteen, I started drinking and smoking, and my path was forever shifted. Almost instantly, I recognized a problem within myself. An inability to control and moderate my use. By the time I went to college, every day started with me telling myself “I would stay sober,” and almost every night ended in feelings of defeat. Finding self awareness was the hardest part, because I was able to maintain my functionality, which prolonged this vicious cycle. It wasn’t until my third semester in, that life truly became unmanageable. But, it’s only because of my personal experience with this, that I feel I am able to connect with those in the same position. It’s my goal to reach them with my music, in hopes of showing them a way out. I remember searching for songs to motivate me towards sobriety during my addiction, and while there were a few I connected with, the ones I couldn’t find I wrote myself.
In hopes of spreading my music to a wider audience, I had auditioned for American Idol. Not only was this supposed to help me reach a broader group of listeners, but it was a show that I loved, and one of my family’s favorite shows to watch growing up. So when the opportunity presented itself, I couldn’t resist. After making it through the first few rounds, I was flown to down Texas to audition in front of the judges. I saw this as my big chance to finally be heard (that plan was foiled when I didn’t make it through). In the years since though, I have learned it is possible to find a community on my own, one who cares deeply, and listens to what I have to say.
Soon after the audition, I experienced several assaults that served as a catalyst for my addiction, sending me spiraling into depths I didn’t even know existed. After years of convincing myself I could defeat this demon on my own, in January of 2022, I finally made the call to my parents, and asked for help. I remember being convinced that I would be back in school in no time (three months max). I did not. I did end up coming back, but three months turned into three years, a bit off schedule. Though at the time, this felt like purgatory, I now look back knowing this is what I needed to heal, rediscover myself, and get sober.
Though resistant to the idea at first, I found myself in rehab at age nineteen. At this point, not only was I in the depths of my addiction, but dealing with imposter syndrome as well, the idea that my music was, to put it frankly, trash. I had been surrounded by incredible musicians, all of whom showed a drive and dedication that at the time I didn’t have the capacity for. My first night in treatment, I sat down in the common room, and began playing an original song I had recently written on guitar. Soon I was surrounded by fellow recovering addicts, people who would become friends I care for deeply. They immediately connected to my songs, expressing how seen it made them feel, and how they hoped I could release it so they could listen (working on it). By the end of my time there, they organized a concert for me to play at. During the concert, one of the songs I played was something I wrote there, and I started to cry as they all started to sing along, knowing the words by heart. I will always remember this moment, because this is when I regained faith in my music, and realized it in fact wasn’t trash, I just had to find my audience. I would love to say things improved from there, but after seven months sober I relapsed. It then took many more detoxes, a hospitalization, another rehab, and a sober companion to finally get clean.
Against all medical recommendations, I moved in with a man I met in the detox center of my second rehab. I had already tried a halfway house, and honestly I had nowhere else to go. I am forever grateful to Rob, who opened his home to me for the next year, as I worked several jobs, maintained sobriety, and began my journey in finding my online community.
As terrifying as it was to begin posting my reality into the abyss of the internet, I soon found that many connected with what I had to share. I began growing my platform on TikTok, forming a community that not only resonated with my journey, but my music as well. Since finding my community, I’ve connected with many people experiencing similar situations. They would reach out to me, almost always wondering if they’ll ever make it out. I vividly remember feeling this way myself. Being able to show them how far I’ve come not only provides them a glimmer of hope, but helps me stay grounded in my own recovery.
This is how I found myself back at Berklee, with a new focus on Music Therapy. Music has always served as an outlet for me, and it feels right to learn how to provide that for others. I have many goals going forward, goals that I know will only come to fruition if I maintain solid in my own recovery. I want to continue expanding my TikTok community, and hopefully release music on streaming platforms soon. I hope to gain enough traction so I can one day begin touring high schools, leveling with kids on the dangers of addiction. I hope to begin working with incarcerated individuals, using music as a way to connect and rehabilitate in a community that far too many overlook. Above all else, I want my music to be heard, because I genuinely believe it has the power to help others.
How did you build your audience on social media?
Building an audience can be daunting, especially in the way I chose to do it. My primary platform is TikTok, and what truly kickstarted my platform was full transparency on the good, the bad, and the ugly. It took breaking down the shame that had built up over the years, regarding my addiction, assaults, and overall feelings of failure, to find the community that truly connects with and supports me. I found that to be a key, viewing your page as a community, rather than an audience. By building connections, and uplifting others, you can create a space where others feel seen as well. No matter what you’re going through, you are not alone in it, and opening up allows you to find each other. If there’s one thing I’ve learned, people appreciate and respect honesty, and if your intentions are good, that will shine through.
Is there mission driving your creative journey?
In many ways, the goal driving me has remained solid: connect to others through my music. Whether in active addiction, in recovery, or a different struggle of their own, my goal has been to reach them, to remind them they are not alone. Ever since building a platform, this goal has expanded to inspiring others to recover out loud. I hope my journey can serve as an example, that when you open up, there are people ready to receive you in your most authentic form. The more people share their own stories, the less alone we will all feel.
Contact Info:
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ritaanelsonnn/
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rita-nelson-09131a245/
- Twitter: Blue Sky: https://bsky.app/profile/ritanelsonmusic.bsky.social
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCAeRHJZPFPSUHDwV6hAXwhA
- Soundcloud: https://soundcloud.com/rpnmusic?ref=clipboard&p=i&c=1&si=4261DB084B1744F884F8EE5EF2E3C9DE&utm_source=clipboard&utm_medium=text&utm_campaign=social_sharing
- Other: Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/0pzWVomiBGkGPRGeBitb2W
TikTok Username: @rita.nelson
TikTok Link: https://www.tiktok.com/@rita.nelson?is_from_webapp=1&sender_device=pc
