Meet Aryana León | Music Artist and Creative

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

Hi Aryana, we’d love to start by asking you about lessons learned. Is there a lesson you can share with us?
Don’t be afraid to put yourself out there and grind. I’ve made some serious strides in my music career over the last few years, and a huge part of my success is due to not being afraid to talk to anyone and everyone—not just to promote my music but to open doors to new opportunities.

One of my dreams was to play at Capitol Hill Block Party (CHBP), a music festival in Seattle, WA. I knew I was a much smaller artist compared to the names on previous lineups, especially when you look at social media and streaming numbers. But I believed that if I could get in front of a crowd, I’d excel. So, I spent hours hunting down the talent buyer’s email—it took work.
Once I found it, I sent a message explaining my desire to play in the festival, my professional accolades, yadda yadda. I was nervous, but I figured, the worst case scenario was not getting a response. And the best case scenario is what actually happened. This past summer, I got to play at CHBP!

You’ll often catch me chatting with strangers, sharing my music, inviting them to shows, or just taking time to make a genuine connection. You never know who you’ll meet or how you might end up helping each other down the road.
I’ve learned countless lessons since I began pursuing music—though the question asked for just one, I’d be remiss not to mention a few others: quality work takes time, experience is earned over the long haul, and you’ll stumble more times than you’ll stick the landing. But when you do stick it, it’s absolutely worth it.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
I’m a music artist, performer, and creative. Truthfully, my music is my diary. Since childhood, I’ve written to cope. It wasn’t until adulthood that I learned I’m manic-depressive. I thought emotions were supposed to feel that intense all the time. Regulating my emotions has never been easy for me, but music became my outlet. I’d sit at my mini keyboard, and later my upright piano, playing and writing until I felt steady again. Now I see the way my mind works as a superpower.

I’ve always dreamed of stardom—must be the Leo in me. I’d spend hours in front of the mirror rehearsing my “lightsaber introduction”: “Hi, I’m Aryana and you’re watching Disney Channel.” I filled my notebooks practicing my autograph. I made all these arbitrary goals, like being on Disney by 13. But 13 came and went. Then it was, I’ll be on American Idol by 16. But 16 came and went too.

In college, I sang in an a cappella group and didn’t have much time to focus on my solo career, though I did start to learn the ins and outs of the industry. It wasn’t until I was 21 and teaching middle school math that I realized it’s not just going to happen—I have to make it happen. With my students as my first fans, I set out to pursue music. I released my first single in 2019 (it wasn’t very good, but they did play it on the morning announcements). I’ve grown a lot since then.

In November 2023, I headlined my first-ever show at a small venue in Seattle, and less than a year later, I got to play a music festival—something that was a huge milestone for me.

The first piece of advice I’d offer to someone trying to do what I’m doing is build your brand. Building my brand identity was something I really struggled with at first, but once I nailed it, everything else started to fall into place. I spent countless hours brainstorming—what colors truly represent me? What could my logo look like? Who am I? What do I stand for?

Now that the brand is figured out, I can focus on what really matters to me: making music and performing.
You’d think that part would be easy, but the biggest challenge has been finding time to do everything I want to do. I pursue music full-time, but I also have another full-time job as an education policy and strategy consultant. Before that, I taught middle school math in Providence, RI (if you ever catch me live, you’ll know I was a teacher!) Thankfully, I work remotely now, which gives me some flexibility.

People often ask why I haven’t gone all-in on music, and the answer is simple: living is expensive, healthcare costs are high, and I’m also genuinely passionate about education. So, for now, I’ll continue to do both, even though it’s a complicated juggling act. It requires intense time management and meticulous calendaring—but it’s doable. My dream is to one day be able to influence education reform and social justice through my music platform. Let’s see if I can do it.

I’d also add my identity is pretty complex. I grew up as the child of Venezuelan and Persian immigrants, and I identify as queer. While I’m white-passing, I was raised in a multicultural household, and all these layers of my identity have shaped how I navigate the world…and write music. Growing up, I often felt different from my peers, but it wasn’t until adulthood that I realized: I am who I am, and the best shot I have in this world is being unapologetically myself.

You’ll see that in me on stage. While many artists have personas, I don’t. What you see is what you get. Always.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
I’ve only lived in Seattle for three years, but I’ve fallen madly in love with the city! I love when friends come to visit me, so I can show it off. Let’s see…

Since many of my friends are flying in from the East Coast (I grew up in the D.C. area), I’m assuming they’ll be a bit jet-lagged. So, Day 1 will be easy. We’ll start in Capitol Hill, where I live. It’s the queer neighborhood of the city and has always given me “Sesame Street” vibes—a cozy mix of homes, businesses, and restaurants all woven together. We’ll grab drinks at Gemini Room, then head to Momiji for a sushi happy hour. Afterward, we’ll take a walk through Cal Anderson Park and end the night with a concert at Neumos.

You’ll need your sneakers for Day 2. We’ve got to do the touristy stuff. First, we’d hop on the Link Light Rail to Westlake Center. It’s a more commercial area, so we can do a little shopping. Then, we’d take the Monorail to Seattle Center, where of course, we’d visit the Space Needle and Chihuly museum. Maybe an unpopular opinion, but I don’t think going up the needle is worth it…the best views in this city have the Space Needle in them!

Day 3, we’ll have a little time to recover. We’ll start with brunch at Glo’s. I recommend the eggs benedict, but you really can’t go wrong. After brunch, we’ll take a drive to Snoqualmie falls. It’s a waterfall you can drive directly up to. No need for your hiking boots (yet!) We’ll drive back and hop on the Water Taxi to Alki beach. Then it’s off to Bangrak Market for Thai food and great vibes.

Day 4 we’ll escape the city and head to Mt. Rainier National Park. I love a good hike, but I also love an easy hike with stunning views. I’d recommend Naches Peak Loop Trailhead. We’ll be pretty tired after the hike, so we can get some Indian take-out from Spice Bliss.

Day 5 we can explore some of Seattle’s neighborhoods, like Queen Anne (we’ll visit Kerry Park), the International District (we’ll eat some dim sum!), Fremont (we’ll walk around all the *weird* art) and we’ll end in West Seattle (we can catch a movie at Admiral Theater – built in 1942!).

Day 6 we can hit up another beach to relax (make sure your trip is in the summer lol). We’ll pack a big picnic and spend the day at Golden Gardens. The view of the Olympic Mountains is gorgeous.

Day 7 I assume we’ll be exhausted, so we can spend the day eating all the Seattle-priced ($$$) food we haven’t yet tried like Meet Korean BBQ and The Ballard Cut.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
First and foremost, I have to give a huge shout-out to my mom—for driving me to every choir practice a cappella and musical rehearsals, but more importantly, for her radical honesty whenever I shared my music with her.

A huge thank you to my K12 music teachers: Ms. Simon, Mr. Liddle, Mr. Rossi, and Mr. Davidson. I learned all my fundies from them! A special thank you to my voice teacher, Marianne Cheng, and one of my music mentors, Pablo Vega. Their guidance has been instrumental in my growth.

I also want to shout out the entire Seattle music scene. I spend several days a week at jam sessions with incredibly talented musicians and creatives. They continually inspire me and fuel my journey.

There are so many people I haven’t mentioned: the countless friends who’ve listened to my demos, reviewed my drafts, and showed up at my shows. And of course, a huge shout-out to my fans and supporters—THE PRYDE!

Website: https://aryanaleon.com

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

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC9OdYV2yZcVbb7iyX0PfZZg

Other: Bandcamp: https://aryanaleon.bandcamp.com/

Image Credits
1. Domenica Michelle
2. Sonny Svay
3. Sophie Shomaker
4. Sonny Svay
5. Sophie Shomaker
6. Sheri Foreman
7: Sonny Svay
8. Mel Ponder