Today we’d like to introduce you to Sister Shalom.
Hi Sister, can you start by introducing yourself? We’d love to learn more about how you got to where you are today.
I was born and raised in Atlanta, GA, into a family of singers and musicians. My upbringing was centered around the church; my family was heavily engaged in the church, starting when I was just two years old. Although I was raised in the church and considerably involved in the ministry, I veered off from the Word of God as a young adult and fell into the ways of the world. During my experimentation with the world, I experienced nothing but a high level of adversity and hardship and was strongly convicted by the lifestyle I was living. But despite the trials I faced, I always knew God still had a handle on my life, and it would only be a matter of time before I returned to the Word of God.
In 2018 I moved to Dallas, TX, and joined a local church. Even though I was attending church regularly, I was still straddling the fence as a servant of God. After attending the church for a few months, it wasn’t until I joined the choir that I felt the obligation to uphold my honor and integrity as a servant of God. Joining the choir saved me from a path of destruction, and that’s when I realized that I would be henceforth required to utilize my gift of singing to not only stay righteous in my own walk but to also help lead others to the Word of God. When the pandemic hit in 2020, with not being able to attend church services regularly due to social distancing, I began my music career as an independent artist because I needed a way to continue to minister the Word of God.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way? Looking back, would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
Though the road to becoming an independent artist has been rewarding, there have been quite a few bumps along the way. Most struggles are due to my inexperience with the music industry. I’m learning everything as I go along, so it has been difficult to progress rapidly. Being an independent artist is much like starting a business. I have to work around the clock, and I play all roles because it’s necessary for me to know what’s going on at all times. But without having the proper guide or mentor, I may not be doing things as efficiently as they should be done. Time has become one of my most valued assets. Although learning how to allocate my time and learning to prioritize effectively is still a struggle, I understand the importance of allocating time appropriately, so it’s something I work on daily. Maintaining a budget is another challenge. Any artists would want to take every opportunity they have to market themselves. However, you must be smart about budgeting because it’s easy to overspend. Overspending is the last thing an independent artist should do. You always have to consider the unexpected expenses; because they will arise. Out of everything named, the biggest struggle I face is not knowing who I can trust. People promise you things they never deliver on, people try to take advantage of your ignorance, and people will try to scam you out of your money. It’s very easy to fall victim to scams because they often look like legitimate opportunities. Everyone wants to come up, and most of the time they’re looking at me as ‘their big break.’ Everyone is willing to help me further my career until they realize I have my own mind and I’m not susceptible to lies and deceptive business practices. When they realize that they can’t benefit from me the way they thought they could, they disappear and are never to be seen or heard from again.
All in all, I knew being independent would be a lot to deal with at times. That’s why I make sure I do my homework because I’m the only one responsible for my success. And through all the experiences, I have learned to maneuver a lot more strategically to avoid falling victim to the things that would potentially compromise my success.
As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar, what can you tell them about what you do?
Being an independent artist is like running a business. So not only am I an artist, but I’m also a businesswoman and entrepreneur. I make music because I love God, and I love music. But I’m serious about making a career out of music, so I’ve put a lot of work into building my brand. There are a lot of moving parts to be an independent artist, so I launched my own record label earlier this year, Shalom Studios, so that I can keep my business affairs in one place. I wanted to ensure that not only does my music have the proper representation, but I want people to see that although I’m independent, I’m capable of handling business in a legitimate manner. I know these are the type of things that make a difference when building rapport in the industry. I want to ensure I maintain a certain level of professionalism and show others the type of potential I have when I’m putting myself out there for opportunities.
I’m proud of what I’ve been able to accomplish so far as a first-time business owner. I’m set apart from other artists because not only do I have hands-on experience writing songs, recording music, and making instrumentals, but I’m also learning the ends and outs of music management. And once I’ve fully mastered the process, I will use my experience to guide someone else to success. This is something that sets me apart from others because I’m willing to help other independent artists as charitable work. I want to show people that they can be successful without making bad deals.
Have you learned any interesting or important lessons due to the Covid-19 Crisis?
The Covid-19 Crisis taught me several different things. From a personal perspective, the crisis taught me faith, patience, compassion, and humility. It taught me how important it is to stay connected to people and how important it is to check on people’s well-being. I also learned a lot about mental health from a personal standpoint. I consider myself an introverted person, but quarantine taught me a very practical lesson on how necessary face-to-face interactions are. Face-to-face interaction is not only important for me, but I learned that you never know what type of impact you will have on someone’s life based on one interaction. No matter how small the interaction is, it could make a significant difference in someone’s life and could even save someone’s life. I also learned a lot from a business perspective. I began my career at the start of the pandemic, so I started out learning how to make music on my own. I learned the importance of having hands-on experience with music production because it helps me set expectations when working with other producers. I learned how important it is to stay aware of what’s going on because awareness is one of the most powerful tools you can use when planning strategic moves. I learned how to be resourceful and how to use economics to leverage my small business operations. I learned how important and relevant technology is and how useful it is for me as an upcoming artist.
I learned that it takes a lot of hard work and dedication to reach your goals in life, and the next level is always more challenging than the last. I learned that you must be willing to persevere through any situation if you aspire to elevate in life. But mostly, I learned that life is too short to not live to the fullest and experience new things. You should enjoy the people around you and show love to others as often as possible. Tomorrow is not promised to any of us, so we have to be grateful for the life we are living today.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://unitedmasters.com/sister-shalom
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sister__shalom/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Sister-Shalom-101226622483952
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/Sister_Shalom
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCYIL8FfHTvlIi1HrRGL9JIQ
- Other: https://open.spotify.com/artist/4fpAXJBd7Vo39EObv2I70Z?si=bUEAtmvaSE-QJQbCsUyJ0g&nd=1
Image Credits
Viswanath V.
Timothy W.
Victor L.
