Roveena - 00:00 Music is like breathing for me. I can remember it as far back as taking my frst breath. I can't remember a day where I've never really experienced music, whether it's singing it, listening to it. As a child growing up, my parents were listening to all types of records. I grew up in different parts of the world, mainly Nigeria and Sri Lanka. And my parents always had these crazy records playing in the background and I would always sing along and my dad actually would record me singing. I think I was one and a half, actually, maybe even younger songs to sorry, lyrics to songs that they were listening to on repeat and on a cassette. And I don't know if people know what a cassette is anymore, but there's cassettes of me playing or sorry, singing these songs. Roveena - 00:51 And so for me, it's always been kind of interwoven into my DNA, my fabric. And as a child, I would subject my parents to Friday night concerts of me performing these songs, dancing, singing. I'd make my mom put a ton of makeup on me, dress me up, and I'd make them sit down and I'd make them watch me perform for who knows how long. But my parents loved that about me. And we'd go to parties when I was a kid and I'd put on shows and performances. So for me, music has just always been a part of me. It's always been a breath of air for me. And so growing up, my dad started to really take notice. Roveena - 01:32 When I was about, I think, eleven, I was singing at a family member's wedding, my aunt's wedding, and he was sitting in the audience and he said, wow, I actually, I think you have something there. And he said that was the moment where he knew that I actually had a voice. And so we would spend countless nights learning new music on the radio. And at the time, I grew up listening to the greats, Celine Dion, Mariah Carey, Whitney Houston. And it was intense practice sessions where I was learning through repetition and concentrated focus on honing those notes and honing my voice. I had this really big kid, like, crazy voice, but I could really hit those notes and I had a really strong vibrato, but it was just trying to control all of it. Roveena - 02:21 And it was just the refnement and the moments of when you emote and when you pull back. And my dad innately knew all that. He wasn't a professional singer by trade, but he could sing and he understood how to make that connection with folks. And so with his help, I was really able to sort of understand how that worked. And so my parents threw me into music lessons. I never took any vocal lessons. I really took just piano just to learn the fundamentals of music. And, you know, I would go to competitions and come back with tons of trophies, and I would compete in open vocal competitions with, you know, adults. And I was this, you know, 13 year old girl sitting there playing, you know, Celine Dion songs on the piano and belting out these tunes. Roveena - 03:02 And everyone would look at me like, who is this? And what are you doing? But, you know, being a south asian girl and showing up to these competitions and singing all this mainstream music was defnitely unheard of back in the day. And, you know, I look back and I'm really proud of how I progressed as a kid in making music this dominant part of my life. So as I progressed, you know, into teenage years, adulthood, I always kept music on the side. It was sort of part of my life. And my parents were always supportive, you know, putting me in music classes and attending shows and performing at different concerts and really getting out there to showcase my talent. But, you know, as adulthood progressed, I did the thing that everybody did, which was I went to school, I got a great education. Roveena - 03:50 I jumped right into corporate life. And I started to notice that I was kind of closing the door on music a little bit. It was becoming less and less more prominent in my life, which for me at the time was causing some issues because I felt like I couldn't breathe again and I was starting to suffocate. And I didn't know what it was because, you know, I was doing these amazing things. I was having great jobs. You know, when you're coming out of school, you're making money, and you're feeling amazing like you own this world. But there was something inside of me that I felt that was dying and I wasn't giving life to it. And that was defnitely music. Roveena - 04:27 And I think for me at that time, that's when I realized that this is something that I need to do and I have something that I need to share. It's this innateness of singing and of bringing to life this musical being within me. And the more that I closed the door on it felt like this monster that was trying to, like I was trying to shove into this closet and was trying to get out, and I was suffocating this entire time. And I didn't know. And so for me, that was a pinnacle point where I had to make a decision whether it was to progress continuously in this corporate life that I had or to really just delve right in. Into this music world. Roveena - 05:07 And so I think that was sort of the fork in the world that I had come up to, and I just decided to just go for it because I couldn't live another day wondering and regretting not making that decision. And the moment that I did that, I felt like I could breathe again. I felt whole. I felt like there was something inside of me again. That was the way that I had felt when I was younger, which was, you know, this love and passion for music, for making music, for being in music. And I took that leap of faith. Speaker 2 - 05:52 My love has come along my lonely days are over and a life is like a song. Roveena - 06:12 The defning moment for me making the decision to pursue music full time was my serendipitous moment of getting on national television and singing live. And that moment for me will remain deep in my heart for the rest of my life. It was a fuke where one of my YouTube videos landed in the hands of a producer on a national morning show. And they had given me a call, I think, on a random Thursday and said, we've heard your voice. Love for you to come and sing on Tuesday morning live on our show. Now, at this point, remember, the door was kind of closed on music. I hadn't really done too much. It was kind of in the background a little bit, and I froze, and I thought, oh, my God, this is a life changing opportunity for me. Roveena - 06:59 So I dove in, I went right into the live studio, and I just. I sang my heart out. And that pivotal moment is when things just blew up for me. Apparently, the tv station said they had over 50 emails, people contacting them, asking who I was, where I came from, what? Who is this? Who is Ravina? Who is this girl? And I didn't have Twitter, Instagram, nothing. I didn't have a website, and they had no way of getting a hold of me. Everybody wanted to buy, you know, buy music, stream music. A lot of the time, there wasn't really streaming, it wasn't really popular, but they just lost their minds. And for me, that was a pinnacle point. Like, this is why music is like air for me, because there's just something in me that just feels like I'm breathing and I'm alive. Roveena - 07:46 And when I'm in that, when I was in that moment in the studio, and there was so many lights in the room and cameras and people staring at you, and I was just able to sing and connect with an audience that were watching through this lens, there's something there. And I couldn't ignore it anymore. So for me, that was really a pinnacle point where I had to make a decision that I couldn't look back and wonder, what if I had not made that decision? So that point in my life is when I realized, okay, music is defnitely something that needs to be a part of my life. And more predominantly, for me, music is a. Is a release. And with the songs that I write and the songs that I perform and I sing, there's always a reason behind it. Roveena - 08:27 And it's either something that I've connected with personally that I want to share with my fans, you with you, or it's something that I feel like I need to just, you know, experience through music. So this is more than a. This is not a hobby for me. This is more my life. And when I was writing, co writing the record fearless, it was almost like anthem for me that I need to listen to often, actually, just to get myself amped up and to remember that I can take on the world and you can do anything you want to do. I think a lot of the time, we live with a lot of fears of what people are going to think, fears of you not doing the right thing. Roveena - 09:07 And the only fear that you have is the only fear that lives within you is the fears that you create yourself. So for me, when I listen to fearless, it reminds me that the only fear that exists is what's in your head, because anything is really possible. You just really have to focus in and zone in on what you want and to achieve. And I knew for me, music was more than just a little side hobby. It was. It's meant to be my life. And taking that leap of faith was the biggest thing that I've ever had to do in my life. And, you know, everybody looked at me like I had three heads and was out of my mind. Roveena - 09:46 You know, I was walking away from a very comfortable life with this great corporate, successful career, and I was jumping into an industry that I knew absolutely nothing about other than I can sing and I love music, and, you know, so do millions of other people. But to really make this a part of my life and to put out music that connects with people and having done that and seeing the reactions from people listening to the record and listening to anything that I put out, that's what really solidifes the fact that this is what I'm meant to be doing. And the purpose, I think, is I have a message that I need to give people, and it's just to chase your dreams and to be fearless no matter whatever you want to do. Roveena - 10:33 And I think I'm a good beacon or reminder of that it can be done. It takes a lot of shifting to really change your life, especially if you're going to be doing total fip on what you want to do. I literally just was going down one road, and then I just made a 90 degree and decided to go left. A road that I think very few people do take. But it was something that I needed to do. And now I feel more confdent in my soul than I did, let's say, fve years ago. I feel more at ease. I feel like I can breathe. And when I have fans reach out to me and say that, you know, they've listened to one of my tracks and they just feel so much more empowered. That's it right there. Those little words. Roveena - 11:18 I feel empowered because I listen to your voice, I listen to your song is more valuable than, you know, wondering, had I. Had I not done this, because that really brings it down to me saying that I am meant to be doing this because that one person felt empowered after listening to one of my songs. So for me, this is defnitely my purpose, my calling. So after appearing on the national Morning show, I jumped right in, making my frst studio album. And that was perfect world, which received a pretty good acclaim, actually. And it was shortly after that album was released where I was struggling whether or not to walk away from corporate life. And when I made that change and I just jumped into music straight on and left everything behind, I wrote Fearless, which is my newest album. Roveena - 12:09 I have two albums under my belt, and I'm currently working on some new material right now for an unnamed project. But I have a body of work that I'm incredibly proud of, and I don't think I would have had I not taken that chance. Looking back to the younger Rovina, oh, there are so many things I'd like to tell her, but I think the biggest thing is to trust. Trust the process. You are meant to be going through everything that you've already gone through. I am very grateful for, you know, having the opportunity to go to an amazing school thanks to my parents, to getting a university degree, to working in the corporate sector that I did, because all of those things led me to where I am today. Roveena - 12:54 My corporate life gave me the business acumen that I need today to navigate within the music industry. And I think without that, I don't think I'd be navigating it very well. And it's all those pieces that really shaped me as a person. So I would look back and say, trust the process. You're supposed to do everything you're supposed to do, and you'll be okay. As an artist, there are going to be highs and lows every day, sometimes hour to hour. It really depends on the moment. But what really keeps me grounded are my fans. The ones that I've had from day one and the ones that are my go tos that are there every day, letting me know that they're championing for me. Roveena - 13:38 And, of course, the new ones that I hear from randomly, you know, I'll get a message saying, hey, I just discovered your music, and I don't even know what to say because I've fallen in love with everything, and you've helped me through a really rough time. And those are moments that help me stay grounded and remind me that this is the journey that I'm supposed to be on, and this is my purpose and this is my calling. So when I'm having a very tough time or a low day, I look back and I think of all the people that have reached out to me, saying that they've been touched by my music, and that really just gets me going and gets me moving forward. The writing process for me is very interesting. It really depends on the day. Roveena - 14:23 I think the biggest thing is what's going on in my life in that point in time and sort of what's happening. When I was writing my last record, I was going through a lot. I had made the jump into music full time. I'd walked away from my corporate life, and my dad at the time had fallen very ill with lymphoma cancer. So fearless was the frst song that I wrote anthem for myself, but also for him, because he was battling this very invasive disease. And I think when you're writing, it really helps when you pick on personal points in your life that may feel so personal that you don't want to share them, but at the end of the day, those are the points that really connect with your audience. Roveena - 15:07 So, for me, it's really writing down moments that are happening in my life, how I'm feeling and when I get into the studio, you know, being honest and open, if I'm sharing the room with other writers and talking about sort of what's going on, because those are sort of the true emotions that you're gonna connect with when you're writing music. Speaker 2 - 15:27 Never been afraid to fy till your wings got torn out the sky looks so far away from the ground below? And it feels like there is nowhere left to go remember that you can be fearless. You can be fearless. When the whole world falls and everything breaks and you're standing alone, you can be fearless. You're not alone. Roveena - 16:21 Yeah, good. Okay. Speaker 2 - 16:23 That's perfect. Roveena - 16:24 Thanks, guys. Thanks. Yes. That was fun. I'm Ravina, and I'm a recording artist from Toronto, Ontario, Canada. And I am the talent next door.