Meet Katherine Pérez | Singer, songwriter.

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

Hi Katherine, what led you to pursuing a creative path professionally?
Ah, I ask myself this question everyday. Everyone’s story is different and choosing one’s path, one’s career is one of the most life altering decisions we have to make as human beings within our society, I believe, it becomes our reason for being here, alive. If you’re lucky, you get to choose what your heart desires. On many occasions I find myself having to be reminded to be grateful, that at all, I was able to make this choice freely. It is so easy for my mind to regret what paths I didn’t walk, and it is so hard to know if there’s a chance at all of having the ability to create a life in resemblance to what we envision for ourselves. I digress… I was very young when my heart sparkled at seeing performers up on a stage, I think “The Voice” or “American idol” were my first introduction to what a singer, a performer could do. I used to get lost in my tiny phone screen for hours at a time… music is probably the career that terrifies me the most, and maybe that’s exactly why I have pursued it. All the way from a tiny room, with a tiny screen, in a tiny country called “Uruguay”, to Hollywood, Los Angeles, California. As I say this now, I know every hardship, every doubt, every rainy day, was, and is, one I will welcome, because my hopes always outweigh my fears, even when I don’t even want them to.

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.
My journey to this point has been a long one, and I have a tendency to hide behind my play of words. I will try my best to avoid that now. I am young and I am also just beginning to enter an industry far bigger than what I can even fathom. But my world isn’t too complex, I think that is the only way I can create, is by living in a world where the next song I’m writing is the only thing I have on my mind, or at least try to. Life is moving and dreams are starting to shape into tangible matter. One thing I learned is that the biggest obstacle I had to overcome was my own limiting beliefs. Everyday is a step forward towards my main current goal which is recording and publishing my first body of work, so please look forward to it hehe. There’s a lot of competition in this city and you need to know exactly what you want to even get a shot at connecting with the people that will help you and walk this journey with you, professionally and personally. If there’s one piece of advice that I believe applies everywhere but certainly here, is that you will not make it alone, and you will need help that many times you’ve not earned, and so you need to work really hard for yourself, and for all those that believe in you and invest in you, lend you a hand, because they see something in you that most times not even you can see. Don’t envy people, don’t resent them either, you’ll need to believe in the good of others. Not everyone is in this for the same reasons as you, but many are, and those people will save your life, and in return you will save theirs. When that happens, hopefully, art that changes lives is also created, and that, to me at least, makes it all worth it.

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?
Oh my best friend just visited, so this question is literally perfect! California is beautiful, so please get/rent a car, because you will get nowhere without one, and you will miss out on such heavenly views and experiences unfortunately. Food, mmm, In-n-out everyone will recommend, it is a LA staple in fast food, so I can’t leave it out, but please try all kinds of food, that’s the great thing about living here, you have a access to so many options from cultures all over the world, K-town is a great place to start.
Places to visit, you will be busy after I’m done, I promise. National parks are my favourite and they’re in amazing condition: Yosemite, Yoshua Tree, Sequoia or Channel Islands. Libraries and museums: Huntington library and gardens, the Getty museum, or LACMA. And because I know many people enjoy it there’s Universal Studios among other theme parks. Also you’re in LA so go see some live music.

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?
One could say Oprah Winfrey has influenced everyone, but because we live in a very influenced driven moment in history, the fact that her words still cross my mind and thoughts in my lowest and in my highest days, I think it’s an honorable mention. The main aspects I think anyone would benefit from are, simple but crucial, believing in yourself, in your power, and gratitude, for all that we are, for all that we have and for all that we can be. Especially as a young woman, the world is dangerous, and definitely not set up for us to rise and shine, but there’s one thing you have and no one can take away, your hope. Be hopeful that you can be anything, but also be proud of wherever your efforts lead you, and this is a forever work in process for me personally.

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