We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Sanniyah Antoinette a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.
Sanniyah, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. When did you first know you wanted to pursue a creative/artistic path professionally?
The moment I knew I wanted to surround myself with music was the moment I discovered what music was. There was always this gravitational pull that felt indescribable, and I knew it was going to be in my life forever. Growing up I would grab pans/pots/ buckets, anything that would make noise if I were to bang on them just to make a song. In highschool I was a Vocal Major and enrolled myself in a rock band for after school. On the days that I wasn’t at the after school program, my amazing mother enrolled me into School of Rock Philadelphia where I spent many years developing my voice and learning various instruments such as: Guitar. Bass, and Piano. After graduating highschool, I went to The University of the Arts as a Music Business, Technology, and Entrepreneurship Major and graduated in 2021.
Music was and will always be my outlet to express myself. Seeing and listening to artists like: Prince, Aaliyah, Musiq Soulchild, Miguel, Beyoncé, Rihanna, and John Legend growing up inspired me to create my own music that means something. My only goal is to inspire people to go after their dreams, just like those artists did for me.
Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.
When I was in highschool I was always labeled as the “Tall weird girl with colorful hair who is obsessed with music and going to concerts”. Being the outcast was rough, especially being a person of color trying not to fit in the stereotypes people want to place you in. Instead of going out causing mischief with my friends, I would be home writing poems and song ideas. Even till this day, any moment I have, I put towards my craft and multiple outlets of my career.
Moving to Los Angeles from Philadelphia at the age of 21 on my own in 2021 after college was one of the best decisions I’ve made for myself. It was hard moving away my family, but having them support me each and every step of the way really helped to my success.
Before I made the move, I thought about all the other outlets of creative expression that goes hand and hand to my main career path: Modeling, Photography, and Makeup. I started working for Dior Cosmetics throughout the years of college, and when I moved to LA I got a job on Rodeo Drive and Chanel. Surrounding yourself around like-minded people and the lifestyle you picture for yourself is my key to success. Fake it till you make it, that’s what I’ve always said.
People would say that networking is the number one outlet to building your portfolio. Although they are not wrong, you shouldn’t 100% rely on the help of others when it comes to the entertainment industry, especially if you’re a female. For me personally, I manage/ book/ record everything myself. I’m my own one stop shop, and I don’t like relying on other people for the success of myself. I feel like that puts me out of the box of the normal, because I get to control my destiny: where I want to go, WHEN I want to do it.
When I wrote my song “ Because I Can” ( available everywhere on streaming services) , that was my way of telling people and my listeners just that. I was not expecting a lot of streams/ people 100% invested on that song. It was mainly a statement telling people who I am, what I want, what I’m doing, what I’m going to do, and why I’m doing it. I create my art to help people use it as an outlet to relate to and get some motivation to go after their own dreams. My fans and supporters mean the absolute world to me, and I’m genuinely excited to see what the future holds (Shoutout to my Facebook fans who’ve been with me since 2016).
What’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative in your experience?
To my personally, The most rewarding aspect about being an artist is seeing the supporters you have also benefiting from the hard work I’ve put in. It means the world to me to hear or read someone telling me how much I inspire them to go after what they believe in, even if it’s not in the entertainment industry.
The current times we live in there’s so many different ways to outreach and make things happen. We have innovative social media apps, event spaces, and websites like yours giving people like me a platform to express. Going after your dreams can simply start with getting up and creating that content you had in your mind all month, going to read that book to learn more knowledge, attending that casting call, buying your first camera, etc.
The main thing I want if my name ever gets bigger than what it is currently as you read this is to inspire as many people possible to never give up. Seeing that is worth way more than currency to me, It’s priceless.
We’d love to hear the story of how you built up your social media audience?
Building your social media presence is key in this day and age. Everyone is on their phones 24/7 looking for the latest trends/ styles/ and next big thing. Building your audience needs to be broken into these categories: Consistency, Niche, Quality, and Mental Health Awareness.
Posting consistently is the best tool that you can use. Once you develop the traction keeping it is always the hardest part. Make sure to set a reasonable pace that feels right to you even if it’s once a week. Don’t worry too much about posting every single day because quality is better than quantity. If you wouldn’t interact with the content you’re posting, no one else would either.
Knowing your niche is also very important. Are you a singer? Post covers, tutorials, music vlogs. If you want to influence: buy from the brands you want to work with, take high quality content showcasing that product, tag them. That’s how I got 90% of my brand collaborations starting off ( Hot Topic, Lounge Underwear, Lush, Sephora,
Ulta, Kiss, Demonia Shoes, Lamoda, etc.)
The quality of your photos play a huge part in how you present yourself. If your photos are clear and eye-catching it makes the viewer interested in your professionalism. They will take you serious, and always look for your content because they know what they are following you for. You don’t need this big extravagant camera, your phone camera will be just fine. Figure out your angles, and what works best for you! Practice makes perfect.
Protecting your mental health is very important. Social media can be toxic sometimes, and it’s key to step away when you start to feel burnt out/ comparing yourself to others. It’s normal to do so, just don’t let it take over your life and your decisions. Protect your energy, because at the end of the day, your energy is the most valuable.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://open.spotify.com/artist/2HAbrA3zlF29jwH3VyCEji?si=yG_Vja43TNm2Q2GGQgGl8w
- Instagram: https://instagram.com/sanniyahantoinette?igshid=OGQ5ZDc2ODk2ZA==
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SanniyahAntoinette?mibextid=LQQJ4d
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sanniyah-antoinette-446867214
- Youtube: https://youtube.com/@SanniyahAntoinetteOfficial?si=RaQ4njbJsCkNPwe8
Image Credits
@theJordannaheesi , @artur.hovhannisyan_official