Daily Inspiration: Meet Erika

Today we’d like to introduce you to Erika.

Hi Erika, can you start by introducing yourself? We’d love to learn more about how you got to where you are today?
I was born into a creative, energetic, talented family. So many of us dance, or sing, or write, or rap, or produce, or play, so it was inevitable that a piece of it rubbed off on me. I’ve always known that I was going to be a singer or a mogul, but I also wanted to be an ice skater or a chef too, so my parents had to just wait and see. I sang my books with my cousins instead of reading them, I would spend hours in my room listening to music and drawing, and one of my favorite places to be was riding home at night with my parents, taking in all the soulful sounds coming from WDAS’s Quiet Storm. I always found myself at my grandfather’s piano anytime I was at my grandmother’s house! I couldn’t leave without touching it! Eventually my parents got an upright and it began. I flew through my lesson books and thought nothing of it, i just enjoyed it! Then, because I wanted to do everything my sister did, I picked up the trumpet, and that’s when I realized I was a musician. Over the years, though, I never wanted to be in the front! Go figure, lol! But one Sunday, after I got finished singing and worshipping, I looked around and realized that the room had changed, that hearts had opened, and that I had helped to change the atmosphere. At that moment, I knew reaching people through music was my purpose in life. Since then, music has been my life, from competitions and prestigious summer camps, to Berklee College of Music and Georgia State School of Music, to being on platinum records and performing in front of thousands of people. It’s been a great, difficult, beautiful journey, and with where I am today, it may just be the beginning.

Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
If by smooth you mean a smooth rollercoaster ride with all the twists and loops you could find, then yes! Haha but really, it has been kind of rough at times. I actually just returned to music fully about 2 years ago. In 2019, I had finally decided to become a full-time musician, but it wasn’t long before things went a direction I didn’t expect. Of course the pandemic was a factor, but everything was falling apart, and my spirit had become so overwhelmed with stress, depression, anxiety and the frustrations of the industry I just couldn’t do it anymore. I had internalized so much rejection, being overlooked, self-sabotage, so many things. It started making me ill, I lost a lot of belief in myself, and I practically gave up. The only thing that kept me going was just listening. Immersing myself in it. Letting the music heal me. I watched and studied my friends, the greats, people I’d never heard of. I contributed to other people’s musical journeys just to stay connected. As devastated and heartbroken as I was, I knew deep down that I could never let music go. So for the past 3 years, I’ve been taking my life back. I’ve been traveling a lot, going to concerts as much as I can, meeting so many great artists and people, reconnecting with friends and myself. I was able to take all of that and finally put it into an album and release it into the world, and I can finally feel the music flowing through me again.

Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
I am an everythinger! Hahaha! I would say have a vocalist specialty, with being a musician and songwriter as well. I play 4 instruments, I love audio engineering, and I produce and write my own music, with the help of some amazing friends! Style and fashion is also a huge part of my expression. One thing I”m gonna do is step out and dress! I can express how I feel without saying a word and I think that is so dope. With that being said, I feel I’m definitely known for my style (you can see my blue hair from a mile away), but I’m also most known for my unique voice and my low register. I love seeing people’s reactions when I sing tenor, it’s the best! There’s something so warm and beautiful and powerful about having a sultry voice. I love that my voice is soothing to so many people, it wouldn’t have it any other way. I think I’m most proud of being determined to stay true myself and who I was created to be as an artist and as a person. Sometimes it’s been a little difficult because my voice is sort of unique, but more and more I embrace how much of a gift that is, and I appreciate the people who enjoy it and love creating for them.

Do you have any memories from childhood that you can share with us?
My favorite childhood memory is singing with my family. First of all, there is NOTHING like a family blend. It’s other worldly! Especially when me, my sister and my mom sing together. In my home church, even most of the choir and musicians were my family. I can’t pick just one time, but it’s a feeling that I long for very often. I miss being cooped up in the room with my cousins who are more like my brothers. They call us The Triplets because we were all born in the same year and were stuck together like glue. We would sing Dru Hill at the top of our lungs, remix songs in the hymnal at grandmom’s house, have dance battles and rewrite songs, all day and all night. We used to get yelled at for singing at the dinner table all the time!! Whenever I’m doing music, I’m doing it for them. I miss them so much!

Contact Info:

• Website: https://linktr.ee/erikajanae
• Instagram: https://instagram.com/erikajanaeg
• Facebook: https://facebook.com/ErikaJaNaeG
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@ErikaJaNae