Today we’d like to introduce you to Aisha Smiley.
Hi Aisha, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstory.
I believe my talent for singing is genetics. My great-grandmother (mom’s side) sang gospel all over, my grandmother (mom’s side) also sang gospel and had dreams of singing, my grandad (dad’s side) had a band where he played guitar, drums and sang, I watched my dad sing and play the piano in his gospel band growing up. I also got my start in singing in the church. I remember getting solos and being extremely nervous, but at the end, everyone still said how amazing I did. I did that from elementary school up until the middle of high school. The choir is where I found my voice. I continued singing all throughout high school, whether at home to myself or at school throughout the halls with good acoustics… I even sang the national anthem for my graduating class in 2017. After high school. I slowly started getting into songwriting. Listening to beats on YouTube and just trying my hand at writing a song. Singing different melodies and seeing how loud I could get. I stopped writing for a while after moving from Tampa to Dallas in 2018.
In 2019 my dad started learning how to engineer, he got the equipment and had me and my brother as test subjects. Practicing with my family helped me want to break out of my shell and sing more. I started writing again and became confident in my songs and my voice. Coming to Dallas is where I found myself. I started recording at other studios in 2020 to network and find individuals to build with. I sang at open mics every week for months, trying to hone my skills on stage and get more comfortable. I won competitions. Met some great individuals.
At an event, I ended up meeting my videographer (ig @keithbrandonj), who helped me make my first music video (The Birds Oct 2022) and continued our collaboration for my next music video, STFU MAR 2023. Since those releases, I’ve been getting accustomed to a routine of singing on Monday nights at OTR with my DJ, Suede the DJ, and focusing on writing and increasing my catalog.
I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
I’d say the road has had lots of pit stops. Based on the decisions I’ve made and the people I kept around, I’ve had to really take accountability on why I am where I am. I’ve had lots of wins that brought me a step closer to where I thought I wanted to be. And I’ve had some valuable lessons that taught me to try and be more decisive and less humble. One thing that’s been a struggle in my journey is aiming before shooting. I’ve had to learn that it’s not enough to just pursue, going through life doing things without a plan. I have to first know what I want to be able to take necessary steps in that goal. I’ve been moving without a plan, just doing random things with the hope of it doing something big for me. It’s been a battle of self, figuring out the route I want to take in the music industry. Being an artist or not, only songwriting, how far I want to take it, whose advice to take, who gets to ride along, the type of image I want the people to see, the type of music. I say forget the labels and how someone did what and just enjoy the magic that comes from the music I make. the words I sit with and pour my intentions into for the words to resonate with the listener. So, aiming before shooting is still an ongoing thing for.
Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
Right now, I work as a preschool humanities teacher. Teaching music, literature, and art to 2–5-year-olds. Working as a preschool teacher for the past 5 years has kept me out of trouble and kept me grounded. It’s taught me simple lessons in life no one should forget. And it’s taught me to keep life fun.
We all have a different way of looking at and defining success. How do you define success?
My success is about feeling right with my daily decisions and implies a continuous journey rather than a fixed destination. It’s about embracing my process and understanding that each decision contributes to my growth and progress. Whether career or personal.
Pricing:
- Features starting at 200$
Contact Info:
- Website: monisings.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/monisingss/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100082627067214&mibextid=2JQ9oc
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC4AwgH7YltzK1GxWGSfTLpg
Image Credits
Keith D.
Brandon Texas Ranked
Live From Harry Hines
