We recently connected with Ryli Ray and have shared our conversation below.

Ryli, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today When did you first know you wanted to pursue a creative/artistic path professionally?

My path with music started at a really young age, unexpectedly, because of my older brother. We had just moved to Phoenix from New Mexico, and as a way to help him make friends and get involved in the community, my parents enrolled him in a local childrens theater. As the younger sister, I had to attend all the performances and cheer him on. We are about 6 and a half years apart, so I was in complete awe every time I saw my big brother up onstage. I wanted to be just like him!!! I convinced my parents, at age 4, that I wanted to take voice lessons. Keep in mind most vocal coaches don’t accept students until at least age 7-8, but I was READY!

From there, I was hooked. I was enrolled full-time in singing lessons, dancing lessons, and any show I could be a part of, I was in!

I honestly always knew. I used to tell my parents I had “angels in my throat” because I loved it so much. I knew that singing was my purpose. As time went on, I fell in love with all the different aspects of singing. I secretly began writing music, unbeknownst to my friends and family, very young. My grandma had passed away at around age 8 and I wrote my very first song about the feelings of losing someone you loved. So really, I always knew. But as I grew older, my love of music and the feeling of dying to be onstage grew as I learned more.

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

Hi! Thanks for taking the time to read my story and be curious about who I am. My name is Ryli, and I am a female singer/songwriter, recording artist, and creative. I got into music to show that every single person deserves the right and freedom to pursue their dreams, and speak unapologetically and vulnerably about who they are and what their story is. As a performer, I think there are a lot of stereotypes of what this kind of personality entails. That in order to get onstage, make a project you’re proud of, or to speak up you have to have a big, boisterous, and loud personality. But that is just not the truth anymore!!!

My mission statement is that I can inspire and build community around all kinds of people around the world. I am a small artist, but surrounded by a lot of love and good people.

Are there any resources you wish you knew about earlier in your creative journey?

Oh my gosh- I LOVE this question. There is SO much out there that didn’t exist when I was learning, so I am going to speak on the things that exist now that I think young artists and creatives should utilize.

Home recording equipment, YouTube tutorials, and software

It still blows my mind that when you wanted to record music back in the day, you had to use a physical tape and that for every take you sang, (and not to mention harmonies), meant another tape!!! These days, we have really affordable equipment at our fingertips. Start young!!! If your kid is curious about music, or even if you are, invest in these tools early. You can buy really good quality but affordable mics, a laptop, and a recording software can be paid monthly for (like ProTools, Logic, Cubase etc) so that you can start recording early. It helps so much when you get into the studio. You can learn on youtube from start to finish how to make a song. It does not need to be good- just start!!!

Can you share a story from your journey that illustrates your resilience?

You will hear from any artist around the block, music can make you feel like you’re on cloud 9 but also break your soul. I remember a time specifically when I had moved to LA, was living off of peanut butter and jelly, and thought that I was just going to not make rent or eat. I had to move home because the pressure was so immense for me at the young age of 19 being in LA. I thought coming home meant my journey was over and I had failed. I fell into a deep depression and almost stopped making music entirely. I had been making music and trying to “make it” in the industry for almost over a decade and had no money to my name to show any of it. I then when I got home, decided to get back to WHY I loved music, which was that it helped connect me to others. I began mentoring and teaching young artists, songwriters, and singers- and began to make a difference in my community and world. I became the teacher and voice of hope and support that a younger me would have loved. And from there, began the slow climb of making music again for myself. Not to prove anything to anyone, but because I genuinely loved it in the depths of my soul.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.iamryli.com
• Instagram: www.instagram.com/iamryli
• Youtube: youtube.com/ryliray
• Other: Listen to my music here! Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/0NIWZHRPCMDcuMKlafSzEX?si=LkrJXmz8SMKVZY028XJWFQ Apple Music: https://music.apple.com/us/artist/ryli/1513059735

Image Credits
Photo credits: Kenzie Rich Photography, Alisa Murphy