We were lucky to catch up with Skyler Rossa recently and have shared our conversation below.
Skyler, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. Can you talk to us about how you learned to do what you do?
I’ve been writing and releasing my own music since 2019 so this is my fifth year as an artist in the public eye, but I still feel as though I am learning with every release. My upcoming single “HIGH” will be a testament to that; HIGH explores new variety in song structure and is stacked with harmonies. I categorize myself as an R&B artist, but I love to experiment with my voice on tracks of different genres like Pop and HipHop.
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?
I go by the name of Skyler Rossa, I’m an independent R&B artist from Philadelphia based out of Los Angeles. I’m a self-taught singer who fell in love with music as soon as I learned to speak. I got my start back in Philly singing at open mics and singing performances in the ‘Gayborhood,’ where I learned how to perform and vocally make songs my own. I went from singing cover songs of artists like Ariana Grande and Lauryn Hill to writing my first EP in 2019. If you love artists like Tinashe, Don Toliver, Summer Walker, and SZA then my music is for you.
Looking back, are there any resources you wish you knew about earlier in your creative journey?
I definitely wish I had learned about sync earlier! That’s my goal right now: to own my music in full moving forward and pitch every release to sync libraries for licensing opportunities. This is a legit way for music creators to earn money from songs. Until recently, I only leased beats so that was a huge learning lesson for me seeing other mainstream artists use the same instrumentals later or seeing my peers land placements on TV shows and movies, no matter their audience size.
How did you build your audience on social media?
I actually have an academic background in Communications, so I’ve been marketing on social media for brands and companies as my “day job” for many years now. I’ve used this to my advantage as an independent artist with very little funds as an organic and FREE way to connect with others in the industry. My first piece of advice for artists on socials trying to build is to stay consistent. These platforms run on algorithms so establish a posting cadence and visual brand and stick to is as best you can. My second piece of advice is don’t be afraid to come off corny or attention-seeking. Self promotion is definitely cringe, and at times I’ve fought it, but the value of not being afraid to shine a light on yourself is that is how you will grow your audience. You have to be a fan of you first!
Contact Info:
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/skylerrossa/?hl=en
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SkylerRossa/
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/Skyler_Rossa
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCdnf_-jvOKmUyQuy5QGGEiA
- Other: https://www.tiktok.com/@skylerrossa
Image Credits
AnthonyXRated, 36Neex