Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Rosé Velour. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Hi Rosé, thanks for joining us today. Learning the craft is often a unique journey from every creative – we’d love to hear about your journey and if knowing what you know now, you would have done anything differently to speed up the learning process.

Growing up, I had the privilege of taking violin, guitar, and cello lessons. Being a part of a musically inclined family allowed me to start writing my own compositions at 12, where I began to play around with GarageBand, and then eventually FL Studio and Ableton Live. These programs were pretty intimidating at first, but I quickly realized that there are so many free resources on websites like YouTube and Reddit that essentially helped me learn everything I know about music production, although having a classically trained background definitely sped up the learning process. I personally think that having a good grasp on music theory can assist with understanding different approaches to songwriting and kind of let you take inspiration from artists, ultimately shaping your own style.

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.

So I’d consider myself a multi-instrumentalist and record producer based in Indiana. Rosé Velour is my artist name, but most people know me as Monica. I’ve been producing and writing my own songs for about 11 years now. I know how to play guitar, cello, bass, piano, and I’m also learning how to sing and play the drums. Over time, I’ve dabbled in different genres, including electronic, R&B, indie pop, shoegaze, etc., but I would say it’s pretty hard to put my style into a box at this point.

I’ve also provided production and mixing/mastering services for other artists over the years, but lately, my energy has been primarily directed towards my own work. While I do greatly enjoy collaborating with other artists, something I have discovered about myself is that working independently gives me the most flexibility and is my biggest outlet for self-expression.

Outside of music, I have a passion for public health. I received my bachelor’s degree in it last year, and currently, I’m contributing to a research study involving the dissemination of opioid-related overdose education. Making a difference at a population level fuels me in a sense; like with music, I can see the beauty in promoting equitable communities.

We often hear about learning lessons – but just as important is unlearning lessons. Have you ever had to unlearn a lesson?

Something that I have had to unlearn somewhat recently is the behavior of constantly underestimating myself. A lot of what drove me to do this was because of past failures, societal pressures, and the habit of comparing myself to others. All of these factors play into one another — I can recall a couple of instances where I turned down pretty significant collaboration opportunities due to thinking that I’m “not good enough.” What led me to stop underestimating myself was to take a step back and acknowledge that I am to begin with. Being gentler to myself and recognizing which thoughts are helpful or detrimental additionally facilitated a more productive headspace to create music.

Developing a growth mindset was probably the most beneficial action I took to unlearn this. To me, it’s kind of like a negative feedback loop in the sense that having a growth mindset is stabilizing. For instance, when I encounter a setback (e.g., not getting many views as I had hoped), I ask myself, “what can I learn from this?”, and subsequently modify my promotion strategy, learning from the different approaches I’ve taken. Giving myself grace as an independent artist with all of its responsibilities along with capitalizing on my achievements and setbacks alike allow me to accomplish more and gain a greater passion for what I do.

We’d love to hear a story of resilience from your journey.

When I was 20, I was diagnosed with depressive-type schizoaffective disorder. Along with that, I had many personal losses during that time. Hitting what I considered rock bottom was a very tough period in my life, and I genuinely thought I was unable to escape this “perfect storm.” It was at that point I realized I would always have music to cling onto. While I was not fully focused on the promotional aspect at the time, having the ability to fully express myself through it was extremely cathartic.

Since then, I graduated college with honors while still continuing to work on music. Introspectively speaking, there is so much more to come — the story has yet to be completed. But I have to say, I am forever grateful for those who continue to support me throughout this whirlwind of a musical journey, and I’m excited for what’s next.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://linktr.ee/itsrosevelour
• Instagram: https://instagram.com/itsrosevelour
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@itsrosevelour
• Soundcloud: https://soundcloud.com/itsrosevelour

Image Credits

Candid Captured (Nate Lex)