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

Hi Teliah, thanks for joining us today. Did you always know you wanted to pursue a creative or artistic career? When did you first know?

It was always a prominent thought, a loud, knocking desire I had at a young age. I wasn’t entirely sure how the puzzle would piece together at the time; however, in 2013, I made an intentional decision that occurred while completing my Bachelor of Business (Human Resources) degree and applied to also complete a Music Industry degree. I think the turning point was realising it was an option, it was accessible, and I could complete what I already started while tackling a new industry. I knew I wanted to be in the background and support musicians in a creative way, and the Music Industry degree started that journey.

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.

In Your City Music (IYCM) came alive in late 2019 after completing my degrees and gaining experience in the Melbourne music industry as an intern at HopeStreet Recordings and a music reviewer for Little Boom Music. The seed started sprouting when I lived abroad in Nashville, Tennessee. I was surrounded by musicians, whether it was at Belmont, work, or walking down to the Central bus interchange, the city was bursting with musical talent, which amplified my passion for being of service to others. I wanted to create a platform to showcase the musical sparks in Nashville, my hometown of Melbourne, and around the globe.

I felt the best way to support artists was to give them a space where their music is heard by creating hype-like music reviews. My aim was to capture the high energy I exude and create digestible writing pieces that would spark the interest of readers and lead them to uncover their new favourite artist or song. Once the music reviews were on the way, gig reviews, producer profiles, curated playlists, and merchandise soon followed.

The core of my joy resides in the creative process of connecting with a song and then delivering it through my own subjective lens. The cherry on top is receiving artist feedback on the review. There is something about doing justice to a song through the energy of explanation that is truly fulfilling, and acknowledging the creative souls behind the work. It’s a priceless feeling; it can feel like Moment 4 Life is on an infinite replay; it’s a never-ending source of inspiration.

We’d love to hear a story of resilience from your journey.

The whole journey of IYCM is due to resilience: not stopping, quitting, doubling back, questioning, or doubting for too long of a time. I’m human, so it’s natural to have doubts, but avoid drowning in doubt to the point where you talk yourself out of your mission. You stick to the script, the script being the overall vision. You tune out the negative talk, set your sights on inspiration, and focus on that internal, unwavering light of delusion that has the voice of conviction chanting, ‘You can do it’. TUNE INTO THAT.  An artist I reviewed who goes by J$PH said it best: tune into the Nip frequency; that’s where the majority of my inspiration lies. From Nipsey’s humble beginnings and struggle to worldwide success through his music, businesses, and motivational conversations, he truly changed the game, and I’ll forever be inspired by his legacy.

I’ll never forget when it was year 2 of the IYCM journey and I was publishing a review at the scheduled time drop. I moved a prompt around, which led to deleting every single review I’d written since launching IYCM. This added up to the erasure of 20-something reviews. At the time, I was organising a backup of each review I’d written, and I hadn’t finalised the process, what so ever. It was close to drop time, I had my day job in the morning, and I remember sitting at the dining table, staring at my laptop screen in complete shock. I got up, walked to my bedroom, and sat on my bed as a wave of panic took over. I allowed myself an 8-minute meltdown and then walked straight back to my laptop and worked on finding a solution to retrieve all the work I mistakenly deleted. It was an extremely tedious task, but I solved it, and that was the moment my resilience jumped up from the emotional tsunami stirring within. It was definitely a character-building moment.

Is there mission driving your creative journey?

I’ve said it to myself from day one: to flip the way the music industry operates. Flip it on its back. One thing that isn’t hidden is how dark the industry can be. It can be inauthentic, narcissistic, clout-chasing, and just straight-up egotistical. The music industry is no different from every other industry out there; if anything, it can be even worse. Music is a reflection of the soul; therefore, the essence of the industry needs to be soul-charged, soul-based, and heart-based at its foundation. The In Your City Music Mission is creating unity and community within the music industry, and this is done through everyday interactions; you can’t fake genuineness or authenticity, and this platform creates a lane for creatives to show up fully as themselves—no masks, just pure soul-baring connection while we all build toward a better future for each and every creative.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.inyourcitymusic.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/inyourcitymusic/