Chasing the Dream: Angela Perry's Journey Through the Music Industry

SPEAKER_01 0:00

Welcome to the Living the Dream Podcast with Curveball. If you believe, you can achieve. Welcome to the Live in the Dream with Curveball Podcast, a show where I interview guests that teach, motivate, and inspire. Today's guest is a true example of grit and passion in action. Angela Perry is a singer, songwriter, recording artist, and a live performer. And Angela books her own shows and she is navigating the music industry as a female artist. And she truly represents what it means to chase a dream in the music industry, and her journey is real, raw, honest, and inspiring. So we're going to be talking to Angela about being a full-time musician and doing it on an independent level and everything that she's up to and gonna be up to. So Angela, thank you for joining me.

SPEAKER_00 1:10

Well, thank you, Curtis, for letting me be here. I really, really appreciate it.

SPEAKER_01 1:14

Why don't you start off by telling everybody a little bit about yourself?

SPEAKER_00 1:17

Well, I am a uh singer, songwriter, musician, and performer, and I perform all over the country. Um, I also do some teaching, so I do teaching as well. Um, and um in the last couple years I've uh toured about 17 states, formed in about 17 states and did over 200 venues. Um and this summer I'm planning on doing the same. Um, I mean, I've been doing it since then, but I mean I'm really I always pick up really hardcore in the summer and and um have a new album coming out on top of everything else.

SPEAKER_01 1:52

Well, talk about what inspired you to become a singer, songwriter, and when did you realize this was this uh dream was just more than a passion?

SPEAKER_00 2:00

Well, I have always uh wanted to be a singer ever since I was a small kid. I mean, I'm sure other people have heard that same story, and um, I used to write little things up, and my my grandma, my babysitter, would listen to me and we would perform, and I would do some performing and and use whatever I could to perform. And then my mom and dad put me into piano lessons about the age of seven, and um they struggled to get them paid because it was really hard um for them, but they thought it was really important because I love music so much, and so I was did that and um got really fairly f uh good at uh piano and did a lot of things in high school, but I'm also a teenage mom, so I ended up getting pregnant when I was 14, and um I my daughter went through me all with me through high school and and college and on, and and so um I just always had a real big passion for music. Uh, but I've had to uh sometimes put it on the back burner a little bit because I was also trying to raise a kid and trying to make a living. So that's a little bit about me.

SPEAKER_01 3:13

Talk about what your life looks like uh day to day behind the scenes as an independent artist.

SPEAKER_00 3:20

Um, well, I work, I also work, so to bring some extra money in because right now um I'm trying to uh do an album, but I work and then I also um spend hours. I get up early in the morning um to practice. Um and I don't I I hate the word practice because um for me it's always been kind of this negative thing. And so I say I'm training, so I get up to train every morning. Um that's what professional athletes do, and athletes do all the time, so we might as well call it the same. It's the same. And um then I go do some work and go to work, and then I also work on bookings uh during the day, I work on promoting during the day, I work on social media um during the day, and then in the evenings and weekends I go out and perform. And then I also teach piano lessons, so I teach piano lessons um after school for kids, and so yeah, I kind of do that. It's kind of my my day in, day out. Go to the and if I can set it up to go to the recording studio, do that as well. So it's it's pretty crazy, pretty crazy, but I I love it. I really, really do love it.

SPEAKER_01 4:30

Well, booking your shows, your own shows is no small task. So talk about what you've learned about the business side of the industry.

SPEAKER_00 4:38

Uh, well, this is the thing. You know, you can like music and you can even be great at singing or great at playing some an instrument, but there's it's the whole business of music, is all is really a business. And that's how you need to treat it, is as a business. You need to set a time hours aside for certain things that you're going to do. If you're going to do promoting um on either social media, whether it's working on your Spotify or whatever it is, your website, whatever, you have to uh spend time doing that. I spend a tremendous amount of time working on bookings. Um, and I have kind of a system that I do, and so that I can get bookings. And so I book everything. Um, some people would not think about that, and some people will go, well, no, you know, I only do certain things. I'm not one of those people. Um, I think that music needs to be out there for everybody, and um, it doesn't matter who it is and and what the situation is, and so I kind of that's kind of how I approach music, and that's kind of how I approach my bookings. So um I book libraries, I book uh assisted living facilities, um, I book the bars as well, and you know, the regular bars and gigs and then showcases. Um, I create some of my own showcases. I actually um have other individuals, other songwriters that are involved in that from different times, and and so I just do a wide variety to try to just continue to continue, continue to work on my bookings and to get to get my calendar full.

SPEAKER_01 6:17

We'll talk about some of the biggest challenges you face as a female musician trying to break through.

SPEAKER_00 6:24

Well, I uh there's a ton, but um I have been very, very fortunate that um I I say that because I have a very strong will and I have a lot of strength and determination, and if that's what it takes to be a woman in this business. Um, it's still um predominantly male in all areas, from the recording to um talking to somebody to book to uh, you know, with your traveling, and I travel and and I load my equipment and unload my equipment by myself. Um, I don't have anybody help me do that. And um so you know, you have to be strong because my equipment, my piano, she I play piano, and so my piano is weighs 80 pounds by herself. And then my speakers, you know, of course were 40 or 50 pounds because I have their pretty good sized speakers, and and so just that idea of that of traveling and loading your equipment in and out and um doing all of that is different um for a female than it is for a guy. Um it just seems like I don't know, uh, and people kind of look at you kind of strange sometimes, and you have to be very resilient and you have to be able to just keep pushing on because people will try to stop you. They really will.

SPEAKER_01 7:53

Speaking of resilience, can you share a moment when you felt like giving up and uh to talk about what kept you going?

SPEAKER_00 8:01

Uh I actually felt that way a little bit um earlier this year. Um, I've been hitting it pretty hard for the last couple years, and and I actually felt that way earlier, a little bit earlier this year. I had a car accident. Um, I was very fortunate. I didn't get hurt or anything like that. My vehicle made it through it and everything, but um it was I was at a festival. I was actually at a music festival when it happened. And so um after that, dealing with insurance, and the insurance didn't was not helpful at all, and I had full coverage, and they were not helpful at all, and just dealing with that and making sure I have a vehicle to be able to haul my equipment again and just the whole thing um really made me question a little bit about is this really worth it? And um I then went and sang, Curtis, at an assist it was it, it's not an assisted living, it's in a it's called acute um place. It was a in a post-acute um place where individuals go for um you know for rehab or after surgery, but also some of them are there full-time, and I had been there a couple different times performing before, and I have some people there I know, and I really, really just love them. And um, it's all ages, um, anywhere from 20 to 50, 60 people are there, and even some elderly, but it's mostly that age group, in between that age group, and and um I had sang this one song, and and they are following me in my music, and and they said, Hey, can you sing this song for us? And so I sang it, and they go, you know, you're the only one that's ever that we ever know that's ever even talked about what's going on or or even thinks about us. And I almost broke down and cried over that because there are people that are easily dismissed, and uh that probably set me straight more than anything.

SPEAKER_01 10:12

Well, talk about how you balance the creative side of music with the realities of needing to make a living.

SPEAKER_00 10:18

Well, I if I had my way, I'd just be writing all the time, Curtis. And performing and and thing, but the reality is that it costs so much money to produce an album, to um, even if you have sponsors, it's a lot to travel. Traveling is just crazy. Um, you know, just the idea of what you have to put in the business to get anything out of it, um, is just pretty crazy sometimes when you think about it. But um I don't know. I try to balance really with the idea that um I'm investing in myself and investing in my music. And if I believe in it enough, then it's a good investment. Um, we can invest in a lot of different things. We can invest in games, we can video games, we can invest in TVs and movies, we can invest in all types of different types of entertainment. And I just choose to invest in this, and so I tell myself that, especially when I feel a little bit stressed about things, that this is an investment. And it's an investment because I believe in the power of music.

SPEAKER_01 11:31

Well, speaking, speaking of music, what is one of the most rewarding rewarding moments you've had in your music career so far?

SPEAKER_00 11:39

Um I think one of the most rewarding, uh it's not necessarily uh an award. I mean, I've I've received a couple different awards, and those are fantastic by by no means. They're awesome. But I think probably the biggest reward I have is um having people come up to me um after they have heard me or before they've even heard me, but they've heard of me or or whatever, and they come in and they say, Hey, I just want to tell you that this song, etc., etc. etc., really speaks to me, and I really, really thank you and appreciate it. And we just we just love love that what you're doing. And so for me, that's the most rewarding thing because again, I feel like music is for everybody. Um, and I just think it's the one thing, you know, they're always talking about being the universal language, but it really is the universal language. It's the one thing that draws connection between all of us from the from the littlest to the oldest. And I just there's no there's no preconceived notions when it comes to music. And it's just Curtis, it's just all good. Music is just good. And and and so um I think that's what I have to think about. That's one of the most rewarding things is is to realize that music is good and people love music, and so that's very rewarding for me when people say those things to me.

SPEAKER_01 13:17

How has working out the jobs shaped your perspective on your music and your journey?

SPEAKER_00 13:23

Um I write a lot of my music I write about people that I've either met or situations that I've been in from work outside of uh music, you know, from work. Um just day-to-day things, you know, when you see people struggling or when you see joy or happiness or just um life, I think, um, makes makes a great story. There, you know, you know, this is so funny, but everybody is so unique and everybody has their own story, and and I think truly you could probably write millions of stories about certain events or certain things, uh, just about a couple of different people. You wouldn't even have to go to a broad spectrum of it because everybody's experiences are so different, but it takes a special person to be able to capture that as a songwriter, and sometimes it's really hard to do that. So um, but um it's just fascinating to me because somebody said to me one time, I I ran out of uh subjects to write about, and I go, Are you serious? There just walk outside the door and and sit on your front porch and watch the guy walk his dog. That's a story in of itself, or create a story about him walking his dog. So um, yeah, I feel like it's almost endless.

SPEAKER_01 14:45

What advice would you give other independent artists who are trying to build something from the ground up?

SPEAKER_00 14:52

Um, I would say that you'd have to have, I have what's called um um they're called uh convab boards, but I really they're actually boards that I have in my living room. I have four of them. And they have my uh immediate goals, they have um like a six-month goal, my six-month goals, and then my 12-month, and then I also have like five years in advanced goals on there. But I also break those down and very much break those down, like my six-month goals and and things like that, and things that I accomplish. And I also have a little celebration board up above it. So every time I I hit um something, then I um and or I've made that goal, then I write it down as a celebration because sometimes we have a tendency to forget that we do make those things. But for an independent artist starting off, I think you really have to have a clear, kind of a clear focus on where you want to go, and you gotta build your brand, and it's not gonna be easy, and it's gonna be some really rough stuff, but I also think that it's gonna be some really great stuff, and you just have to just stick to it um and follow through, no matter whatever, and you really determine if that's what you want to do, because you're probably gonna have to give up some stuff to be able to do it.

SPEAKER_01 16:10

What does success look like for you, not just professionally, but personally as an audience?

SPEAKER_00 16:16

Um, I think success is uh not just I mean, I would say yes, it would be to have people know you and then have and to know your music and to and to have a audience or a people that are engaged in your music following you. But I also think success is is how you feel on your about yourself and whether you feel like you're successful as far as um what you're doing. But I also feel like success for me is an ongoing process. I don't know, Curtis, if I'll ever be what I think totally successful. I don't think so because I feel like I'm continually growing and trying trying to work on my voice all the time. I'm trying to work on new music, I'm trying to, you know, up my game on where I'm playing, I'm trying to, you know, up my game on who I see. Um, it's just, you know, like is when I'm engaging in with people and stuff. So it's just I feel like that's being successful too, because I'm still trying to gain and trying to grow.

SPEAKER_01 17:24

Well, tell us about any upcoming projects that you're working on that listeners need to be aware of. Tell us about that new album you got coming out.

SPEAKER_00 17:32

Well, thanks. I am my new album is called Butterfly Blue. Um, it'll probably, we were just talking about it, the whole thing. I've been dropping music, I've been doing the water, what they call the waterfall effect, and and dropping new music. I have a new song that we just got mastered, and it's called Boots, and it's gonna be out in June, and we're doing a video for it. And um actually I have a meeting with my videographer tomorrow night. And um we I will be traveling all over. Um I have um I'm I'm a Midwest girl originally. I'm and live in Colorado now, but I'm a Midwest girl, and and so I'm going back and performing in the Midwest and performing out west a little bit, and then I'm going headed to Texas in July to perform and and um just gonna do a lot of promoting of those songs that I've already dropped, but then I have five more that'll be on as part of the album, and uh just do a lot of promoting of that. And then I've already been writing, can you believe that? But I've already been writing a lot more music, and so I've got several more pieces that I've already written, and so I'll be working on a new album after I get this album completed and get it out there. I'll start to work on a new one. So um it's just non-going, it's just never stops, you know. You just gotta cry to creep improving and improving, so yeah.

SPEAKER_01 18:54

Well, they'll have to contact Apple so people can keep up with everything that you're up to.

SPEAKER_00 18:58

Yeah, that would be awesome. That would be so fantastic.

SPEAKER_01 19:03

You got a website?

SPEAKER_00 19:04

Yes, I do. It's Angela Perrymusic.com. Um, and you just have to put it's a just it's just simple, just angela perrymusic.com. You can find me on all my socials, my website, my YouTube, all the videos, everything. It's all under Angela Perrymusic.

SPEAKER_01 19:22

We'll close us out with some final thoughts, maybe if that was something I forgot to mention that uh you would like to talk about or any final thoughts you have for the listeners.

SPEAKER_00 19:30

Um, I just feel like thank you for first of all, thank you so much for having me on because this is so awesome. Um, I just love doing podcasts because it just kind of helps clarify everything for me too, kind of helps me reaffirm my goals. But um, I just want to tell everybody that you know music is for everyone, and and whether you can play or whether you can't play, don't sit, don't let yourself be caught up with what everybody else says or whatever else is doing, and just do your thing. And if you want to sing and you're off key and you don't know how to play, that's okay. Doesn't matter because um music brings joy and brings happiness to your soul, and that's what's really important.

SPEAKER_01 20:20

All right, ladies and gentlemen, Angela Perry Music.com. Y'all please check her out, check out that new album when it comes out, check out the stuff she's already released, and if she comes to a city near you, hopefully you can go check out her show, follow rate review, share this episode to as many people as possible. And to keep up with all things living a dream, please visit www.curveball337.com and share the website and the show to everybody you know. Thank you for listening and supporting the show. And Angela, thank you for all that you're doing, and I wish you the best of luck and thank you for joining me.

SPEAKER_00 20:58

Thank you, Curtis, and have a great weekend.

SPEAKER_01 21:01

For more information on the Living the Dream with Curveball Podcast, visit www.curveball337.com. Until next time, keep living the dream.