Today we’d like to introduce you to Timmy Arisa.
Hi Timmy, can you start by introducing yourself? We’d love to learn more about how you got to where you are today?
For as long as I can remember, I’ve always loved music. I think back to sixth grade. I’d been picked for our school’s Select Choir, and our first performance was singing “The Chipmunk Song” at Colin Creek Mall. Honestly, I was mostly excited to skip school for a day. But when all four parts locked in for the first time, something shifted in me. I didn’t have the language for it then, but I was hooked.
That feeling started even earlier, in church, and it’s never stopped. I’ve spent most of my life singing across different church organizations and events, but lately I’ve been moving into secular spaces like festivals and pop-ups, honing my ability to connect with people outside the walls of a sanctuary.
In this season of my life, everything is about connection. I’ve realized recently that I’m just a natural connector. In most of my friend groups, the common denominator is me. Church is where I connect people to God. The festivals and pop-ups I get to host are where I connect people to each other. And music is where I connect people to themselves. My songs are introspective, a glimpse into my mind as I wrestle with faith, relationships, and just life in general. My hope is that by being honest about the highs and lows, someone hits play and thinks, “okay, it’s not just me.”
I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
There’s no story without a struggle. I’ve been fortunate enough to never have dealt with extreme poverty or anything like that. Most of my struggles have been self inflicted if I’m honest. Just growing up, learning, failing.
My biggest setback was probably my divorce at the age of 24. I got married young with no real sense of what I was getting myself into. I thought love was enough. The divorce was messy and sent me into about a year of just wandering, trying to pick up the pieces. I did everything they tell you NOT to do after a change like that. I quit my job, moved to LA, and blew my savings partying, trying to wrap my mind around what had just happened. My confidence was gone and my self protection was at an all time high, which made me emotionally unavailable. I found myself back home in Dallas, broke and even more directionless than before.
But right in the middle of that, I met my collaborator King Levels and we began working on what would become my debut EP “RESCUE.” That process helped me actually process what had happened and started me on the path to real healing.
I’m now in the healthiest relationship I’ve ever been in, connected to some of my favorite people in the world, creating the best art I’ve made thus far. Last year a few of us rented a house in LA to make an album. How crazy is that. I left there broke and came back a couple years later in a much stronger position. That feels like redemption to me.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
I’m a recording artist and producer who also leads worship on the weekends. Most people know me from worship leading, as that’s been the most visible platform I’ve been on thus far, but my real passion is in writing, producing and performing music.
It’s hard to say what I’m most proud of because I’m constantly creating and improving. I think I’m just proud of myself for going out and forming the relationships that have allowed me to produce incredible music and create moments for others. I wouldn’t be anywhere without the people I have around me.
And I think that’s what sets me apart too. There’s no ego in my process. My best work comes from collaboration. I NEED the people around me. I was speaking to a gentleman recently and he said he doesn’t measure his wealth by his bank account, but by the relationships he’s made. That resonated with me. I might steal that from him.
What matters most to you?
What matters most to me is reaching my God given potential. I don’t want to waste what God has given me, and I feel like He’s given me a lot. I want to be a good steward of what He’s entrusted me with in every area of my life. Music, relationships, the teams I get to lead, my future family one day, my finances, all of it.
I also think the sign of good stewardship is growth. Stories are the fruit of a life well lived. I want to be a part of people’s stories. I want people, places, organizations, ANYTHING to be better because I was there. Not in an egotistic way but in an I-give-a-damn way. I care, so I want to make things better. And that starts with making myself better first.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://linktr.ee/timmyarisa
- Instagram: https://instagram.com/timmyarisa
