We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Schondra Aytch. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Schondra below.
Alright, Schondra thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. What’s been the most meaningful project you’ve worked on?
My most meaningful project was my first-ever event, Ladies’ First. I had the amazing opportunity to partner with University At Buffalo to curate a show highlighting women in our local hip-hop community. From breakdancers to videographers, to DJs to rappers, it was a dynamic celebration that honored many of the women I looked up to throughout the years of journeying through Western New York as a music commentator. My blog is run mostly by women and I always want to highlight women in music, That event truly integrated my passion for female representation and my love for hip-hop. It’s honestly become a movement of sorts.
As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?
My name is Schondra Aytch and at the core, I am a creator. I write, I film, I curate and I commentate. I run a Hip-Hop blog out of Buffalo, NY called Sneakvibing Blog. It is a women-run multi-media platform highlighting rising artists in our community and abroad. On my platform, I cover local events, and festivals, write album reviews, and create engaging content with a focus to connect listeners to new music. My main goal with my platform is to create a community of critically thinking music lovers who put art first before anything. As technology continues to change and music becomes oversaturated, sometimes it’s hard to find “the good stuff,” and I want to have a safe space for passionate artists and listeners to connect.
Aside from my work, I’m a full-blown music nerd that is constantly trying to navigate through life haha.
What do you find most rewarding about being a creative?
I think the most rewarding part of being a creative is the permission we give ourselves to imagine and execute. To be an artist or in a creative field, you have to be resilient, industrious, and willing to think outside of the box. Constantly taking the initiative to create is so powerful and leaks into our everyday lives. We are not easily yielded to the boundaries of society and the status quo. The “gunction” of a creative is so influential and it is what changes the world. It might sound cliche but it is a beautiful thing!
We often hear about learning lessons – but just as important is unlearning lessons. Have you ever had to unlearn a lesson?
Something I have had to unlearn is making quick judgments. Another beautiful part of being in an artistic space or part of a creative scene is that you have no clue what a person might be capable of. I’ve learned that every single person on earth has a superpower – an innate God-given skill that could be very apparent or hidden. It’s human nature to cast quick judgments on people but I’ve learned to let time reveal the beauty of people and how extraordinary they can be. There’s no particular story that has made me unlearn this – but I will say as an introvert who has had to build up my communication skills and suffers from social anxiety, I’ve learned time and time again that judging others so quickly to protect myself is so limiting and makes me miss out on connecting with some dope individuals, I constantly have to put this into practice.
Contact Info:
- Website: Sneakvibing.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sneakvibingblog/
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/schondra-aytch-843179127/
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCYrUdNZbbSISj8ib_oaDzcQ
- Other: Feel free to connect with me on my personal Instagram account: IG: @schondraathewriter or reach me directly via email: [email protected]
Image Credits
Credits to Sara Heidinger, Hubert Gitego & Revelry House.