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

YaLLa, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. Let’s jump back to the first dollar you earned as a creative? What can you share with us about how it happened?

When I was 13, I was asked to perform at an event honoring the anniversary of a radio show. I remember I was singing in church one Sunday and this man walked up to me and my Nani after my performance. He told me that he loved my performance and thought my voice was beautiful. I was 13, so of course I was so excited. He asked if I could sing at his event and that he would love to showcase my voice. After my performance, he slid me $50 and told my Nani that I was destined for greatness. That was a moment that felt so surreal to me. I figured if I could get paid to sing one song, then imagine singing multiple songs in front of thousands of people. I knew at that point that I wanted to fully pursue my love for singing and performing.

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 started singing when I was 3 years old. My mother made sure she put me in choir the moment she heard me. I started writing music when I was 11 years old and began to share my songs with my family. I am self taught with majority of the skills I’ve learned. I taught myself how to edit videos and graphic design. I would download different software on my Toshiba or apps on my phone while I was home alone or at school. Making music and videos was one of my favorite things. I love creating records with a good concept. Everything that I sing about means something to me. I’m so proud of the people around me every day giving me positive energy and ideas. I’m thankful for not giving up on myself. I want people to know that I’m an independent artist that just creates beautiful music with her friends. Music has saved my life in so many ways.

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

It’s definitely the supporters and fans. They go out of their way to come to a show or repost my music. It’s so beautiful to see how you could change someone’s life through music. I am able to have such a wonderful relationship with my supporters and that’s such a gift. A lot of people don’t see the hard work that artists put into their craft, or we are pressured to share everything we are going through. So as an artist, it also feels great to be understood. When people say they can relate to my music or that my song has kept them going through the day, I feel like I’ve done my job.

Learning and unlearning are both critical parts of growth – can you share a story of a time when you had to unlearn a lesson?

I had to learn how not to compare my life to others when creating my art. I would find myself some times looking at other people and trying to figure out what is it about them? Why are they getting to where I want to go, but much faster? I realized that they are on their individual paths just like I am. I had to focus on the stories that I wanted to tell and not think about anyone else’s journey. Learning to be happy with where I am in the world and where I am in my career. I’m so thankful for every obstacle that has lead me to this moment.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://linktr.ee/yallathemelodica
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/YallaMelodica
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCR54_XMARhUm8BNwwRH_yew

Image Credits
Brandi Jarrett YaLLa The Melodica James Barmore