We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Sidney Riley. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Sidney below.

Sidney, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today We’d love to hear about when you first realized that you wanted to pursue a creative path professionally.

A few years back, me and a few friends had the opportunity to perform at the Kennedy Center Honors back home in Washington DC honoring Quincy Jones alongside the Eastern High School Choir, Ray Charles, and Stevie Wonder. The introduction to Ray Charles and Stevie Wonder opened my eyes to what an artist can look like in music. They were so unique, talented, and confident in who they were, and it was genuinely a mind blowing experience. It was immediately inspiring, and motivated me to find my true self and use music, performing and songwriting as the path to do that and I haven’t looked back since.

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.

My name is Sidney Riley and I was am originally from Washington, D.C., My love for music began at age 9 when I first learned to play the piano, and my passion for music deepened as a cast member on the British children’s TV show *Children’s Choice* a year or two later. In high school, I formed an a cappella group, started writing original music, and performed at The Kennedy Center Honors, where Quincy Jones was the honoree. Shortly after, I faced a life-threatening battle with Meningoencephalitis, leaving me paralyzed from the neck down. Not to worry though because by the grace of really good people, my family and friends, and God, I made a remarkable recovery. Music definitely played a crucial role in my long recovery, motivating me through difficult times and giving me a sense of purpose when I felt hopeless and alone. After high school, I recovered enough that I moved to New York City to continue to pursue my passion, and I now live in Los Angeles where I continue to write and co-write songs for myself, other artists across various genres, and for television, film, and advertising.

Can you share your view on NFTs? (Note: this is for education/entertainment purposes only, readers should not construe this as advice)

I think they’re a lot like diapers: They should be changed regularly and for the same reason.

Do you think there is something that non-creatives might struggle to understand about your journey as a creative? Maybe you can shed some light?

I never understood why people prioritize one form of artistry over another because one isn’t better than the other, and it is a bit upsetting that our society holds some forms of artistry as being more important or better than others. I am a firm believer that there is opportunity in every person to be an artist in their own way. I believe it exists in everything, everyone, everywhere, especially in something society may not immediately identify as art. If you are an accountant, construction worker, a project manager, or something like similar for example, and you love being that thing, and you have your own way of approaching how you do it and why, then you are an artist whose vehicle happens to be accounting, construction or project management. I love collaborating with people who do not do music per say so I can dive into how they approach their particular expertise and why to see where the nuances are that I may be able to mimic in my own approach to songwriting. This may be in a form of a conversation over coffee, or learning more about a particular process they like and why or something like that. In the end, I would want people to see the artist in themselves and believe it is as amazing and unique and special as any other, because it is!

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.iamsidneyriley.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/iamsidneyriley/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/iamsidneyriley
• Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/iamsidneyriley
• Youtube: https://youtube.com/@sidneyriley4076?si=_B-EjgTlgk5WTAyg