An Inspired Chat with Rosie Bonds of McDonough

We recently had the chance to connect with Rosie Bonds and have shared our conversation below.

Hi Rosie , thank you for taking the time to reflect back on your journey with us. I think our readers are in for a real treat. There is so much we can all learn from each other and so thank you again for opening up with us. Let’s get into it: What makes you lose track of time—and find yourself again?
Swimming! Once I am engulfed in the water, nothing in the world matters, My heart is getting a workout in the water, it’s quiet under water, my thoughts are clear underwater and my entire body is getting a workout all at once. That’s where I get lost from the world and find myself like Nemo; at the same time.
Also, writing music; but since most of the interview will mention music, I just wanted to mention my most important way to keep the body moving and lose myself……

Can you briefly introduce yourself and share what makes you or your brand unique?
I am Rosie Bonds, could also be called “PNB Rosie” because that is where I was born and raised. I even have music with the crew “PnB Chizz” and the late “PnB Rock”.
I’m a singer/song writer from Philly where the streets are filled with so much talent it seems to be contagious. They say the Philly talent is from the Schuylkill River, and it’s called -Schuykill Punch. I am a visionary who was recently diagnosed with A.D.H.D. and I was so grateful to be informed of why my brain works the way it does because I always knew my attention was easily broken, especially if it’s something I didn’t love talking about.
So I’m a singer, songwriter, inventor with two pending patents, an author, a jewelry designer, a counselor via wisdom, a teacher (songwriting) at camps, prisons, and schools, I also run a jingle company that is ran under my Rosie Bonds Brand using Stellar Lyrics Notebook to create them!.
I am currently working on a “To Do” list for myself and people like me who easily get thrown off of their game. It’s an itemized list of things that need to be completed during your day, week, and or month.

Thanks for sharing that. Would love to go back in time and hear about how your past might have impacted who you are today. Who saw you clearly before you could see yourself?
Mr. Hollie,
He is a mentor for me in the field of writing/ artistry. I tell this story all the time. Mr. Hollie would see me all around Philadelphia singing on all types of stages and once I was done singing these cover songs all around the city he would stop me after every show and ask “Roz, why you keep singing these other people’s songs. You have great conversations and speak very well and are humorous. Write your own songs and tell your own stories!”
After seeing me about 15 more times and shaking his head as I would begin to sing “Brownskin” By India Arie, his words finally pierced. I was in Africa doing a 3 month singing gig. I was away from family and was not surrounded by all my friends with different task to do everyday and was able to focus…I finally sat down and down and wrote my first song called “Watch out for the Big Girls” I was so proud and could not wait to tell him. Fast forward to today I published my own book teaching other people how to write and tips to write called “Stellar Lyrics Notebook”, I’ve written songs for numerous celebrities, I’ve written and performed theme songs on the CW and OWN and a song I’ve co-written even landed on “Grey’s Anatomy” and that’s my FAVORITE show. I’ve co-written 3 songs that have been on Love and Hip Hop and I am still just GETTING STARTED!

If you could say one kind thing to your younger self, what would it be?
You are killing it kid! You heard your grandma loud and clear when she kept reminding you how beautiful and brown you were while coming up as a child. You heard the crowd ROAR when you were in dance class and they didn’t expect you would do the same 2 cartwheels and back flips as the smaller dancers! You are the epitome of being raised with love and confidence being instilled in you. You held your ground when the world wasn’t so kind and you are gracious with the views you have about your beautiful, soft and fluffy like cotton candy bawdy! I love the foundation you set up for me…. thank you baby girl, we are actually helping alot of other people see the beauty in themselves; NOW THAT’S FOUNDATION THAT KEEPS ON GIVING. i LOVE YOU.

Sure, so let’s go deeper into your values and how you think. What are the biggest lies your industry tells itself?
The biggest lie my industry tells itself is that “Musicians need to make money outside of the music we make that literally helps the world go round”
I know that I need a day job until my music can take care of my bills, needs, etc. But that is the biggest mistake the culture makes with US musicians.
We are downloading magic and making something from nothing while we are in those padded rooms with frequencies in our ears…. why must we do this after a long day a work, exhausted, physically tired, mentally tired, traveling home etc, just to finally pull out our pens, “Stellar Lyrics Notebooks”, stylus, and finally get a chance at the itty bitty end of the day to make the song for someone’s wedding, someone’s graduation, someone’s surgeon’s playlist while they perform brain surgery, someone’s prom send off, someone’s viral post, someone’s love language, someone’s love song, someone’s breakup song,
We are literally providing the world with feelings via audio and still only get paid 0.00000000000000000000000001 🙂 this number is exaggerated but close to what we get paid in streams..1 Million streams on Spotify pays us between $3,000 and $5,000.
we deserve better treatment.

Thank you so much for all of your openness so far. Maybe we can close with a future oriented question. If you laid down your name, role, and possessions—what would remain?
If I laid down everything, I’ve still got Soul and all the riches my soul happens to possess!
“I got Soul and I’m super Bad”-James Brown.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.rosiebonds.com
• Instagram: rosiebonds
• Facebook: Rosie bonds
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@RosieBonds.
• Other: https://unitedmasters.com/a/rosiebonds

Image Credits
I own all of the pictures.