We were lucky to catch up with Rose Devika recently and have shared our conversation below.

Hi Rose, thanks for joining us today. What was the most important lesson/experience you had in a job that has helped you in your creative career?

I got my first job around age 15 and have been working ever since. For many years, none of the jobs I worked had even the slightest correlation to any of my passions, interests, or career goals. In retrospect, though, those jobs were, in many regards, the ones that taught me the most valuable lessons. They taught me the power of perseverance, regardless of environment. They taught me that quality of character, intention, and dedication should not be exclusively applied to the things I love most, but should rather be applied to anything I do in this life. I wholeheartedly believe that these types of qualities should not be limited to specific interests or industries; they are universally applicable and greatly impact not only professional success, but also a deeper sense of fulfillment and gratitude. I want to show genuine passion, empathy, and integrity in the way I carry myself, regardless of the situation or environment. The most exhausting and thankless jobs I have worked still played a crucial role in shaping my work ethic, my approach to relationships, and ultimately, my approach to life as a whole. Not only have these former jobs and challenges enhanced my personal and professional growth, but they have also hugely contributed to how wildly grateful I am for the opportunities that have now come my way. I am fortunate enough to say that I now have a career doing what I love most in the world, and I contribute a fair bit of this success to all of the former jobs I had that played a large role in teaching me who I am and who I want to be.

Rose, 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?

I began my journey as an artist in 2015, when I was first introduced to spoken word poetry. I immediately fell in love with writing and began performing at weekly open mic nights at Da Poetry Lounge in Los Angeles. In the spring of 2017 I entered the Say Word LA Slam Poetry competition, won first place, and was placed on a poetry team. We spent the summer of 2017 touring Southern California. We competed at BNV, an international poetry competition, where I had the opportunity to perform in front of an audience of 3,000. I was also nominated to be the Youth Poet Laureate of Los Angeles around the same time (and a few months later, nominated to be the Youth Poet Laureate of New York City).

In August of 2017 I moved to New York with nothing but a 3/4 Yamaha guitar my best friend had gifted me. I began teaching myself to play guitar and started writing songs. Songwriting became my lifeline. About a month after moving, I met Maddy, a musician and songwriter, on a sidewalk in New York. We started collaborating and formed our band, ‘January Grit’. Together, we spent two years traveling and performing across New York, Toronto, and California. Working with engineer/producer Antoine Arvizu (best known for his work on Sublime’s ’40 oz to freedom’), we recorded and released our debut full-length album, ‘Here in Fahrenheit’ in January of 2019.

In late 2019 ‘January Grit’ came to an end and I began pursuing a solo career as a musician. In 2020 I was signed to the UK-based label “The Animal Farm.” Now living in Dallas, Texas, I began teaching myself various other instruments and quickly found myself more and more interested in learning the recording, production, and mixing aspect of music. I worked on several projects with engineer/producer Ty Macklin (Erykah Badu) and together we formed a publishing company, RTM Records. Ty pointed me in the direction of the Recording Arts College, MediaTech Institute, where I completed my Associate Degree in Applied Science of Recording Arts. In my third semester I was hired by the school to be a Studio Technician. I also started teaching one-on-one music lessons here at the school.

A few months ago I decided to leave the label I was signed to, to continue to pursue my music career as an independent artist. In May of 2023 I released my song, “Just Become,” which I recorded, mixed, and mastered (in collaboration with some absolutely incredible people that I greatly admire) to all streaming platforms. In July of 2023 I released my next single, “Slow Burn,” which I produced, recorded, and mixed from the ground up (also done in the studios here at MediaTech).

I am now writing, recording, producing, mixing, and mastering my songs with immense passion, creating more music than ever, and continually learning along the way. I am currently working on finalizing an EP, which I plan to release in the near future. I have also started engineering for clients, which I adore. The services I offer include production, engineering/recording, mixing, and mastering.

In July of 2023 I was offered an Instructor position at MediaTech Institute. I am now teaching AV Tech, Live Sound I, Live Sound II, and Music Theory & Production. I absolutely adore teaching, and always have. It is incredible to have the opportunity to have a career as an Instructor, teaching what I am most passionate about, while still being able to pursue my own artist career with access to this incredible facility. In addition, I am still able to continue to build my client list, to continue to engineer for other artists.

I am incredibly passionate about and in love with what I do.

What do you find most rewarding about being a creative?

While being an artist is fulfilling in many different capacities, I believe that the most rewarding aspect of being an artist and creative ultimately comes down to one thing: connection. Connection with fellow creatives, connection with listeners, and connection with myself as an individual.

I honestly believe that nothing connects people quite like music does. There is an incredible amount of reward and inspiration that I derive from the connections I have formed and continue to form with fellow artists and creatives in the industry. I have been lucky enough to work with several incredibly talented and passionate people (including some of my greatest mentors) and those connections are absolutely irreplaceable to me. While I am someone that tends to prefer working alone, when I truly click with another creative, there is an immediate shift in energy that inspires, motivates, and challenges me (in the best possible way). While collaborating with any other person can be a quite intimate and sometimes intimidating thing, the reward is immeasurable.

As an artist, there is nothing quite like knowing that there are listeners that deeply connect to your music. To evoke true emotion in someone by essentially sharing a piece of your heart is hard to put into words. To experience my music leaving an impact on even just one single individual is one of the most rewarding and humbling experiences I have ever known. It also only intensifies my desire to create music that may resonate with listeners across the board.

Lastly, but perhaps most importantly, I believe that music has both challenged and allowed me to honestly connect with who I am as an individual in the deepest sense. Music, to me, is about so much more than creating a catchy tune. It is a profound form of self-expression that requires vulnerability, frustration, growth, and so much more. Writing and creating music has taught me the power of intentional introspection and self-reflection, while giving me an outlet to express the things I want and need to. While this process is not always easy, the result of creating something that has taught me who I was, who I am, and who I want to be, is rewarding beyond words.

Is there something you think non-creatives will struggle to understand about your journey as a creative? Maybe you can provide some insight – you never know who might benefit from the enlightenment.

I absolutely believe that there are certain things that non-creatives struggle to understand about those that pursue a career as a creative. While I can only speak from my own perspective, I believe that one of the most common things many non-creatives don’t quite grasp is that creating (music or anything of that nature) is not merely a want but rather a need. It is not something I can ignore or suppress (at least not without very negative consequences to my well-being). It isn’t simply a passing hobby or interest; it is a lifelong passion and an integral and essential part of who I am.

Another aspect that I believe is often misunderstood is that pursuing a career as a creative or anything within creative industries is easy or less serious than other career paths. To truly pursue this kind of career and to evolve as an artist requires an immense amount of dedication, time, grit, effort, resilience, and discipline. It isn’t as simple as writing a few lyrics down and checking out for the day. It is a constant and relentless (but unimaginably beautiful) process.

While I do believe that many non-creatives struggle to understand (and often support) the inner workings of creatives, I think the reverse is also true. I truly cannot grasp the concept of feeling fulfilled in a traditional 9-5 (non-creative) job. I cannot stand staying stagnant. However, when non-creatives are surrounded by creatives and immersed in that environment, I do believe that an understanding develops, which can be quite a powerful thing in itself.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.rosedevikamusic.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/rosedevikamusic/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/rosedevikamusic
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rose-devika-60921a139/
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/rosedevikamusic
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@RoseDevika
• Other: Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/5VmXNuMWrj4Qd2whg0aE7p?si=BZuzBkZNT3KwxvftuqHlHQ