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Photo by Leslie Baumann
Listen to Hillary Anne's music here!
For you personally, what have you experienced as a POC in the music scene (either good or bad). What’s your perspective on POC in the scene?
I haven’t been involved in the live music scene as much just yet but I’m definitely seeing it from a positive perspective. Seeing it getting more and more inclusive is amazing so it’s setting up a foothold for those of us who are just starting out.
What inspired you to work in the music industry and what do you hope to achieve?
What inspired me to work in the music industry is my passion for writing. I consider myself a writer first of all and then the music comes and accompanies whatever message or story I am trying to tell through the songs. I remember being a child, I would listen to my parents’ cds/cassettes thinking, one day, I want them to own mines. Music has always been an outlet for me and strangely enough, every time I release something, I feel a big rush. What I’m hoping to achieve is to eventually migrate musically into the rock music scene. All my musical heroes are in that scene and one day I’m hoping to make a name for myself in there as well.
Growing up, did you feel like there was a good amount of representation for you in the media and/or music scene? If you had someone who you looked up to or still look up to, whether they’re a musician or not, who is this person?
With the music I’m doing, I haven’t seen a great deal of people like me being represented and if I’m being honest with you, I still don’t feel represented till this day. But seeing black and other poc artists getting more involved with pop/rock music and paving the way for the rest of us is something truly awesome and gives me hope that we won’t be viewed as a monolith anymore. The person I think I look up to the most would be Tina Turner! She’s an absolute legend!
What are some ways non-POC allies can support POC?
I would say, be open-minded. Don’t judge a book by its cover and think that a certain type of musical genre belongs to a certain group of people. I wouldn’t tell anyone ‘go and look for poc’s art’, no. But when you come across it and if you like it, please, support it. It encourages us to do more.
Do you have any advice for aspiring artists?
I would say don't even think twice before deciding to jump into the craziness that is this industry. However, it doesn't mean don't be smart about it, map out a plan, be honest with yourself about what you want to achieve, ask yourself who you want to be and how you'll get there and once everything is figured out, do it, it's worth it! :)
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