Meet Nayanna Holley | Singer and Vocal Contractor

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

Hi Nayanna, how has your background shaped the person you are today?
I’m a proud LA native raised in Inglewood, California. Music has been with me since day one. My dad was a background singer on Michael Jackson’s ‘BAD’ tour when I was born and ever since then, music has been a part of my life. From tagging along with Dad while he toured the world, to eventually studying music at Arts High (formerly know as the Los Angeles County High School for the Arts). I fervently chased this dream. Seeing through my father that a career in music could be more than I pipe dream gave me the confidence to continue chasing a life in the arts. I continued my study of music at Western Michigan University and eventually found my way back home to LA where my career planted it’s roots.

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 been a professional singer for almost 20 years now. It’s actually wild to admit! I believe one of the things that sets me apart is the versatility I learned in my music training. I’ve studied music from classical to jazz, and I understand the vast differences between studio singing and live performance. I also just genuinely love to sing! Every new opportunity is interesting and fun! I feel so lucky!

There’s no short answer to how I got here. My exposure at an early age taught me things I could have never learned in school. My training, particularly in small Vocal Jazz ensembles taught me how to blend, sight-read and find my place in a community, not just alone in a practice room. Networking in LA after college gave me a thick skin and definitely taught me how to fail, and the people that have given me chance after chance along the way have taught me how important your reputation is in such a small industry. At the end of the day, my morals and integrity are what matter most.

One of the challenges I’ve faced through the years has been advocating for myself as a self-employed person. I’m constantly encouraging colleagues to talk to one another and ask questions about fair wages and working conditions. The arts can be the wild west when it comes to equity and my hope is that artists learn early on how to negotiate and have the confidence to walk away when reasonable standards are not in reach. Take the business aspect just as seriously as the creative, and be smart with your finances!

Along with singing, I get the chance to hire singers (Vocal Contracting) for other projects. It’s been one of the most rewarding aspects of my career to create opportunity to others and lead a group to the finish line. I had the opportunity to do this most recently on the 97th OSCARS, alongside Conan O’Brien for his hilarious cold open and to support Lisa from Black Pink, Raye and Queen Latifah.

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?
Haha this is hard one! There are so many wonderful things to explore in LA, how could I choose?! I would also very much like to gate keep my spots. I’d probably have them over and cook a beautiful meal because my house is my favorite place to be! haha Honestly, LA is sooooo big and there’s so much to do depending on your interests. Best advice is not to go to anywhere penned as “LA’s best kept secret” because it was probably recommended by a paid influencer. Go out, discover. Everyone’s favorite things are personal and intimate and mine might not be yours. The one thing I’ll humor you with was a recent discovery that I can’t believe I’d never done before. On Valentine’s Day I went on a double date to the Academy Museum of Motion Pictures to see the David Lynch classic “Wild at Heart” in 35mm for $5 and it was one of the best, most LA nights I’ve had in a while. They show amazing films all the time for next to nothing and I’m about to be there all the time! My heart belongs to Hollywood.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
My wonderful parents played equally important roles in shaping my work ethic, my ability to dream and the tools to be practical and learn other skills if I ever decided a life in the arts was no longer my path. I was a pretty sky kid so they enrolled me in tons of classes, community programs and competitions to build my performance skills and confidence. All against my will…wink wink.

In addition to them, I was lucky enough to have several teachers that have impacted me immensely. Pat Bass (LACHSA), Mike Campbell (The Musician’s Institute) and Dr. Stephen Zegree. (Western Michigan University).

Website: https://nayannaholley.com

Instagram: @nayanna