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

Victoria, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today Can you talk to us about how you learned to do what you do?

I am an artist, musician, and yoga instructor. Early in my life, I learned how to practice from training as a classical and jazz musician. Each of these skill sets demanded daily practice. I think the arts are a genre that people consider to be a “gift” or “talent,” but they still require development like any other intelligence. Like going to the gym, tremendous amounts of work occurs behind the scenes in order to present a product that appears effortless.

I’ve always been involved in multiple pursuits, so I needed to learn how to discipline my time optimally, especially since I prefer working independently. Everyone has different schedules when it comes to their best productivity, but the bottom line is: perseverance is key. It doesn’t have to be an endless grind—rest is also essential to integrate the work. Faltering is part of the process, but it is crucial not to give up. Begin again. People have accomplished great things by simply not stopping.

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.

I naturally gravitated towards the arts at a young age. As an only child, I entertained myself by drawing Disney characters, then sat down at our family piano to play by ear, so my mom got me piano lessons. I’ve always had a fairly insatiable appetite for a broad artistic palette, and over time I added instruments and artistic mediums to my arsenal. Even though I’d probably be more successful and less busy if I focused on one thing, doing everything became my thing, and honestly, I love it.

Within visual arts, I am an oil painter and graphic designer. I love working with entrepreneurs to bring their vision to life. I mainly create printed materials and brand swag. I believe in beauty, excellence, and clear communication, and try to incorporate hand drawn elements into my designs as often as possible. As a painter, I paint plein air (outside from real life) here in South Florida. I also do still lives and am getting into larger abstract paintings, which I love. My artwork is available for purchase and commission at victorialangfordart.com.

I am also a yoga instructor, which has been a creative outlet in addition to a physical practice. I love creating classes to guide people through a practice that helps physical longevity via alignment and strength, in addition to the mental benefits gleaned from deep breath. What sets me apart is the unique theme and intent created specifically for each class, as well as the attention paid to specific cues and modification options. The goal is for any level student to feel seen and receive a great class. I practiced Forrest yoga in NYC for 15 years, which incorporates a deep abdominal sequence and longer held strength poses for a deeply transformative experience. Now I am teaching in South Florida! Follow @victorialangford.yoga to see where I’m teaching, and for tips and musings.

In music, you can listen to my original work wherever you stream music. What sets me apart musically is my knowledge of multiple instruments, versatility across genres, and ability to be a supportive player in any group. I started playing piano, clarinet, and trombone at a young age with the goal of playing with a symphony orchestra. I went on to play trombone in the University of Michigan marching band, then when I moved to New York I played with the Brooklyn Wind Symphony, various jazz big band and combos on piano, and the Hungry March Band street band. I moved into indie rock and studio recordings, and learned the synthesizer, guitar, and vocals. From there I wrote, composed, produced, and performed on my personal debut album in 2020 and subsequent EP in 2022. I currently play keys with my church worship band in Boca Raton, which is awesome, because the product is totally not about me—it’s about God!

I think when I was younger and also living in a place as concentrated as New York, I struggled to find my own voice and vision, and everything felt like a competition. I felt that I should concentrate in one area, and with the rise of social media it was always highly tempting to create things quickly that looked popular. These days, I trust God to highlight which area He has for each season. I feel much more confident in having a wide skill set, and try to create work from a place of honest expression that can also inspire and bless others.

Can you share a story from your journey that illustrates your resilience?

I released my debut album April 4, 2020, when I lived in Brooklyn, New York. The album was about pulling through an extremely difficult personal situation, and I hoped the release would be a huge triumph and the inception of a new life direction. I was set to perform with a full band at a popular venue in the city, then obviously Covid made all that impossible.

With the release show postponed indefinitely, I resolved to stream a solo show live from my apartment in three days. Now, I am not a gifted audio engineer, but I will do it when necessary. I shifted my keys arrangements from full band parts to solo accompaniments. I found software in order to stream live to YouTube. I had remote tech support to help set up two audio interfaces and mics for a little apartment show. I was able to pull off the show on time, live, and with functioning audio, without interacting with another person in real life. One advantage to the livestream was that my friends from all over the country could enjoy the show, and they showered me with love in the chat. And while the after parties were held on Zoom—at least there were after parties!

Since the world was shut down for so long, especially New York City, I was so glad I did this show. You can view it on YouTube, but I honestly think the blooper reel I made of the process might be more entertaining.

And, speaking of persevering—I was eventually able to hold my “album release” show with the addition of the EP songs at the same venue, Rockwood Music Hall, to a sold out room in December 2022!

Have you ever had to pivot?

Honestly, my whole adult life has been full of pivots. Pretty much everything I set out to do did not work out as planned, so pivoting was continually necessary.

I graduated college with a degree in art history straight into the financial crisis. I ended up working at an intensely stressful restaurant, then miraculously received an opportunity in graphic design. I did not have any technical experience, but pivoted immediately to learn on the job whilst taking graphic design courses. Learning the technical aspects of designing on the computer was a challenge, and I was proud to successfully become a solid graphic designer in a few years.

Most recently, moving to Florida full time in 2023 was a huge pivot. After Covid and the sudden passing of my father, I went back to New York to continue music and design. However, my mother’s health took a dive in early 2023 and I decided to relocate to Boca Raton, Florida indefinitely. While I had spent ample time here in previous years, I had not shifted all my professional activities to a Florida home base. The two places are also, obviously, very different. During this time my mom was not doing well, I did not know what was going to happen, and additionally my house was under a ton of construction due to a large mold issue. This was a dark period of great stress and frustration. I was also not connected to a broader community beyond a handful of friends, did not have a musical outlet, and didn’t have the bandwidth to do much beyond care for her and make my house livable.

However, thank God over time the situation improved and stabilized, and I discovered art classes at the Boca Raton Museum Art School. I had oil painted when I was younger, and this reactivated that love and opened up a whole new world of fine art in South Florida. I started displaying my artwork in shows, built a new website, and committed to growing my Instagram page. Additionally, I received an opportunity to complete a 300 hour yoga teacher training course. These two new avenues, which had previously been hobbies, emerged as two new professional endeavors. I think pivoting demands that we let go of expectation, and be open to a different path.

Contact Info:

• Website: victorialangfordart.com, http://victorialangford.com/victoria-langford-music
• Instagram: @victorialangford.music, @victorialangford.art, @victorialangford.yoga
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/victorialangfordmusic
• Youtube: https://youtube.com/@victorialangford3617?si=gD-Xair9cPJpvn5K
• Other: Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/68B887QQi5f7CwSsl2632x?si=WDLI2Jw4QeGijiD65hTQkg

Image Credits

Franccesca Cardenales, Erin Donner