Meet ARIEL | Singer, Songwriter, Producer, Dancer

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

Hi ARIEL, what led you to pursuing a creative path professionally?
Singing is my first love. I’ve known that I wanted to be a singer for as long as I can remember. It’s been so long that I can’t even give you an age. Apparently Pisces daydream a lot, and that is certainly the case for me. All I’ve ever done is dream about my life as a successful singer, dancing on the biggest stages for tens of thousands of people. One day as a little kid, I promised myself that I would never “not try.” I didn’t want to be an old lady sitting in a rocking chair watching young women follow their dreams of becoming a performer, sad that I never gave my biggest dream and goal a chance. As an almost 23-year old, I’m happy to tell little ARIEL that she did it. She followed her dream and she has so much further to go. Some people believe that you shouldn’t monetize your passion, which I think is totally fine if that’s what you want to do. Me? I want the life I dream of living. That consists of waking up every morning to a beautiful family, and then heading out the door to spread power with my music.

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
I’ve noticed that a lot of people have a large team of creatives that help them bring their projects to life. I am in the very early stages of my career, and I learned that it is important not to wait for the help of others to start creating. I was encouraged by my musician father to start producing my own music, so that’s what I did. I was so nervous because I don’t have any technical training, but he rotted me about Rick Rubin and his own lack of technical training. He said that people pay him to make music that he likes. It’s that simple. That’s what I do. It continues to require a lot of positive self-affirmations, but so far, I’ve been making pretty cool music that I know can turn into even cooler music as I grow in the record production realm. As a result, I am proud to say that I produced 4 out of the 5 songs on my debut EP, “Exhibition A” which is out February 21! Throughout the three and a half year process of making this EP, I learned to have faith in myself and faith in my passion and ear for music. Not everything is going to be good, and that’s okay. The blessing is that I will more than likely be able to tell when it is not good, and from there, I can make improvements.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
Best question ever! First, we have to start our Saturday morning off with coffee. If they were staying with me at my place, I would take them on a walk to Downtown Culver City to grab an iced almond milk latte. Then we’re walking back to my place and getting ready for lunch at Venice Beach where there’s good music, good vibes, good food, good culture, and an ocean view. We’ll go to Venice Whaler which has a delicious burger and great DJ. After digesting our food with a walk along the beach, we’ll take a nap (a necessity for me), get dinner, and go bar hopping in West Hollywood. There is nowhere like WeHo, so if you’re looking for one-of-a-kind club culture in LA, that’s the place to go. Gay bars and gay people everywhere! I’m always surrounded by community. Sunday is for brunch (probably at The Waterfront or Pann’s), and rejuvenation. If they want to rejuvenate with a movie, I would urge them to see the movie at the Grove so that they can experience this magical place before going home. During the week I would give them a quick run-down on the area and tell them to explore and find their own favorite places, which will make LA feel more special to them and more like home.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
Shoutout to my mom and dad! They gave me an outstanding childhood. My mom is my Beyoncé buddy and she always has been. We went from singing “Independent Women Pt. 1” in the car (she was Beyoncé, my sister Kelly was Kelly, and I was Michelle because that is my middle name) to buying plane tickets to Atlanta to go see the closing night of the Cowboy Carter Tour. She was in a meeting while I taught her how to get in the queue for tickets. She was able to get some, and I am so proud of her. Because of her, I love to be dramatic and perform. As an ex-dancer, she taught me how to do a step or two. Thanks to my dad, I have the ear and knack for music. From day one up until now, he has taught me the aspects of good music and good albums. He has always been very clear that these aspects do not require a big following or major record deal. Considering the fact that he is probably the best bass player I or you will ever hear, I trust his every word and always will. If dad likes it, it must be good.

Website: https://linktr.ee/mynameis.ariel

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mynameis.ariel/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/mynameis__ariel

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/mynameis.ari3l/

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@mynameis_ariel

Other: TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@mynameis.ariel

Image Credits
Photographers: Img by Dre, Brandon Esparza