Today we’d like to introduce you to Gillian Krystal.
Hi Gillian, so excited to have you with us today. What can you tell us about your story?
Oh man where to start. Well, I’ve been singing since I was a youngin, always loved all the Disney tunes, and grew up loving Nat King Cole and The Beatles. I would memorize the words to every song so I could sing along with my Dad in the car. I was pretty shy as a kid, and it wasn’t until I switched schools in 5th grade that I auditioned for a musical and got the lead (Beauty and the Beast). My Mom came to the dress rehearsal to take some photos for my class and had no idea I had a stage presence in any form. I was hooked on singing on a stage since that time in my life. As time went on I fell into a lot of creative lanes; photography, media, and marketing. It wasn’t until I picked up a guitar after graduating from Queens College that songwriting started to click for me and I would play at a bunch of open mic venues in New York slowly building up my confidence to show my songs to strangers. I visited Nashville and fell in love with the community and atmosphere. I knew when I visited it would be a dream to end up here, and at that time I was running a program for adults with disabilities. I loved running that program so it was hard to walk away from, but I decided to start living out my dream and I’ve released an EP and some singles since!
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
Funny ya mention it I moved to Nashville about 10 days before the tornado hit (car got wrecked), and COVID started shortly after that so not exactly smooth sailing LOL. On the bright side, it did connect me to a wonderful virtual community called Songwrite Club and gave me lots and lots of “me time” to focus on the craft and art of songwriting. I still have so so much to learn and I learn from artists in this city every day. Aside from that, it’s taken me most of my life to build up enough confidence to put myself and my music out in the world. There have been certain people that really helped me to build that confidence and I’m forever grateful to them for that.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
My EP started out with more of an adult contemporary vibe, a few uplifting songs, some more with a ballad feel and slower pace. I think my background in musical theatre was a big influence for that, but as I’ve gained more experience and changed a lot of my music has a jazzy soulful feel to it. I really love to paint a picture and tell a story with my music, but my main goal is to inspire others. One day I would love to start an ice cream shop that employs adults with disabilities, it would be a dream if music could fund that.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://gilliankrystal.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/gilliankrystal/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/gilliankrystal
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/gillian_krystal
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCVBCsLsnDL3erCQwXW_ODwA
- SoundCloud: https://open.spotify.com/artist/0Gn21RXR6YEb6glnvXc20e?si=_2JHdGsWSVKjRVW2kHMj6Q
Image Credits
Main pic: neonleafmedia
