We had the good fortune of connecting with Addison Paige and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Addison, can you share a quote or affirmation with us?
“Do the best you can until you know better. Then, when you know better, do better” – Maya Angelou

I love this quote because I really care about learning, I love the process of learning new tasks, I love having a deeper knowledge about the topics I already know. I also get excited when the people around me have a passion for understanding themselves and the world better.

In this part of my life, I feel like I’m supposed to be a sponge – and living in the city of LA there are a million resources available to soak up. I also love this quote because it’s by Maya Angelou, a black woman from the south that I’m very inspired by.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
I am so proud of the art I get to share with the world. My main artistic focus this year has been playing bass. A few years ago, I picked up the electric bass and the journey to becoming a professional musician has been extremely rewarding. Year one I spent a lot of time playing alone in my room; I would have a hard time putting my bass down and play for almost 5 hours at a time. Year two I started gigging with close friends, special thanks to Shaëlle Etienne and Tsola Akuya for bringing me on my first stages and sets as a musician. Years two and three I started taking any and every gig I was asked to play. I’ve played gospel, indie pop, pop rock, jazz, neosoul, and r&b music in the past three years and now I am a part of a few bands.

The biggest challenge has been overcoming imposter syndrome which many artists struggle with. When talking to musicians they’ll always say, “no two people play their instruments the same”. So I’m learning that no one plays the bass like me, just like no one plays the drums like Anderson .Paak and that’s our superpower. The hardest lesson I’ve learned (something we all know) is you get back what you give to your craft. The more thorough and engaged I am when practicing, the more growth I see in my playing and the more opportunities I get.

Speaking of opportunities, I just got back from my first National Tour with In The Mourning, a POC fronted pop-rock band. Traveling to different states to play, touch so many different bass amps, and work with so many different sound engineers gave me invaluable experience. I want the world to know that my story as a bassist is JUST beginning and I’m thrilled to see what’s next.

I think what sets me apart from others is that I’m willing to ebb and flow in what I’m doing creatively. I moved to LA to pursue a dance career and I still perform and teach when the opportunities present themselves. Also, I’ve been very blessed to book commercial work using my skateboarding, dancing and bass playing and jobs like that are giant blessings to gig workers. I like being able to use my rhythm from dancing to help my bass playing and my balance from dancing to be graceful on my skateboard. Learning that all my art forms are connected and intertwined has been a huge blessing.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
Black Rabbit Rose in Hollywood is a great venue where music is alive in the city. Many talented musicians have residencies on different nights of the week, so the vibe is constantly changing in a really cool way.

Tiny Room Studios in Inglewood is an awesome music studio that puts on various jam session and has a beautiful recording studio. Any working musicians should check it out!

Kingswell Los Feliz is my local skateshop, so I would take my skateboarding friends here for any gear or shoes or a new deck.

Ramen of York in Highland Park and Now on 9 Thai Bistro in Valley Village are my favorite places to eat right now – I just got hungry thinking about it.

Malibu or Fairfax district are always fun places for a visitor to go that aren’t TOO touristy, now that I’ve been in the city for more than five years, I think I’d be a pretty good tour guide.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
I’d love to dedicate my Shoutout to my music friends and my roommates.

The music community has been so welcoming and supportive of me. Specifically, Dee Simone, Deshaun Allen, Joanna Gerolaga, Arthur Marroquin, Amanda Tran and others have consistency referred me to gigs, supported me emotionally and taught me so many different lessons. I feel extremely grateful for my music friends.

My roommates are my LA family, and I am at home in this crazy city because of Courtney Kane, Anaiah Simons & Taylor Edgin. I’m very thankful for their love- LA would not be the same if I didn’t live with them for the past few years.

Website: https://linktr.ee/theaddisonpaige

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/theaddisonpaige/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/theaddisonpaige/

Image Credits
Yising Kao, Pictures 1-3, 5 Facé, Picture 4

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