Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Sof. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Sof, appreciate you joining us today. We’d love to hear about the things you feel your parents did right and how those things have impacted your career and life.

My parents have always been extremely supportive of me. I know a lot of creatives with families who don’t support them or understand what it is they’re doing and nothing breaks my heart more. I don’t know if I would be where I am today without their unconditional love and belief in me. When I was young they would drive me to hundreds of auditions and talent competitions and as I got older they helped me navigate booking my own shows. They’ve never tried to overstep in my creative process, and they’ve given me the tools to persevere and believe in myself. I love them more than anything.

Sof, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?

I’m a pop recording artist and songwriter and have been pursuing a music career since I was old enough to know what a career even was. I started singing when I was about 2 and my parents started me in music lessons when I was 3. I wrote my first song when I was 7 and I’ve been writing and performing my own songs ever since. A cover I did of Britney Spears’ song “Criminal” went viral online a few years ago, and I’ve gradually been building my fanbase since then. I released 2 EPs last year and a new single (and music video) in June of this year called “BUH-BYE!”
I’m fortunate enough to make a living from music, but at the end of the day I love what I do and if I never saw monetary success from it I would still be doing it. I think passion has to come first. As much as I would love to chart on Billboard or win a Grammy, true fulfillment comes from loving what you do, not validation from others. Writing songs and performing them is cathartic for me and that, in my opinion, is the real gift.
I see a lot of people give up on their dreams because they think they aren’t feasible, but life is too short not to try. The chances are one in a million, maybe even less, but if you love something enough and put in the work I truly think you can achieve anything.

What’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative in your experience?

Being able to tell my stories through music and then seeing those stories resonate with other people is what’s most rewarding. Music, to me, is a form of self-expression and it’s how I’m able to process certain emotions and experiences. When I write a song, it’s for me. But when I finally release it, it’s for everyone else.

We often hear about learning lessons – but just as important is unlearning lessons. Have you ever had to unlearn a lesson?

Society wants all of us to have 9-5 jobs, settle down, and start families. Anything outside of that, like being an artist and putting your career first, isn’t something that’s really encouraged. When I was in college and shortly after I graduated, I felt very conflicted about my own goals in life because there were so many people around me following the plan that society had set for them. On top of that, I wasn’t seeing the success that I felt I “deserved” with my music. It made me want to quit for good. But, after a lot of self-work, I had a moment of clarity. I realized two things— first, that I wasn’t working nearly as hard as I should’ve been and I was expecting to see big results with little effort. The universe wasn’t against me— I was the only person standing in my own way. I see a lot of people give up and blame the algorithms when they don’t see immediate success. But growth takes time and so much patience. And second, I realized that could do whatever I wanted. There are no rules. I started treating the obstacles in my way as lessons, and it has made the rough parts of the journey so much more palpable.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.sofmusic.com
• Instagram: www.instagram.com/musicbysof
• Facebook: www.facebook.com/musicbysof
• Twitter: www.twitter.com/musicbysof
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@musicbysof

Image Credits
logo design by Alex Lobo