We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Tricia Battani a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Tricia, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today. We’d love to hear the backstory behind a risk you’ve taken – whether big or small, walk us through what it was like and how it ultimately turned out.

At 17, I was laser-focused on graduating high school a year early in order to move to LA to sing. I’d stepped away from my intense dance team schedule to make it happen.

One afternoon, I was driving home from school and an ad came on 96.7 KIIS FM announcing open auditions—happening right then—for the station’s new hip hop dance crew. I hadn’t performed in months, but something inside told me to go. I rushed home, changed, and made it just in time to catch the end of the audition. I was nervous but threw myself in.

I later found out you had to be 18 to be on the team— I wasn’t, but when I was chosen, they made an exception. I became the youngest in the dance crew, dancing at KIIS FM events, professional football games, nightclubs, and even opening for Amanda Perez. This is an example of how “rules” sometimes don’t apply when something is meant to be.

The training was intense and demanded full-out energy at all times. It was the first time I’d seen how far instinct and a split-second leap of faith could take me. The hard work and long hours truly prepared me for what was to come next: Los Angeles.

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’m a singer, songwriter, and vocal producer. My partner, PK, and I create songs for superstars in Asia – we work in Kpop, Jpop and Cpop [Korea, Japan and China.]

I love and prefer working directly with the artists, because I know what it’s like to record under pressure and how important the energy in the room is. I take pride in helping the artists get comfortable enough to truly give their best performance. PK and I are super intentional about keeping the creative space fun, safe, and grounded in mutual respect.

We both grew up in drumline, so rhythm is second nature to us. And with my background in dance, I naturally approach songs from a dancer’s perspective—so our music ends up being a unique blend of both our musical instincts.

What do you think is the goal or mission that drives your creative journey?

I was affected so deeply by music as a child, that I made a promise to God that I’d give back to it the rest of my life, as a thank you. That’s why I moved to Los Angeles.

Let’s talk about resilience next – do you have a story you can share with us?

The moment I moved to LA, I hit every single music audition possible. I found myself trying to fit into whatever they were looking for; hoping to finally quit my side jobs and work in music full-time. Auditions were rare—and when they happened, there were often hundreds of girls. I booked about half of the gigs I auditioned for – several being televised – but ultimately, I didn’t enjoy performing live. I was told how to stand, move, dance, sing, look, blend and to be sure not to stand out – it simply wasn’t my “thing.” I quickly realized the studio was my niche. It was the place I did my best work and was never questioned or overanalyzed.

Even if the memories make you cringe, I think it’s important to try everything until you find your lane.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.TriciaBattani.com
• Instagram: https://www.Instagram.com/triciabattani
• Facebook: https://www.Facebook.com/TriciaBattaniMusic
• Twitter: https://www.Twitter.com/TriciaBattani
• Youtube: https://YouTube.com/triciabattani