We recently connected with Keira Kang and have shared our conversation below.
Keira , first a big thank you for taking the time to share your thoughts and insights with us today. I’m sure many of our readers will benefit from your wisdom, and one of the areas where we think your insight might be most helpful is related to imposter syndrome. Imposter syndrome is holding so many people back from reaching their true and highest potential and so we’d love to hear about your journey and how you overcame imposter syndrome.
That’s quite a first question to start out with, haha! Going right for it, I see. I’m actually still dealing with this regularly because in my experience, imposter syndrome happens when you continuously live life at the edge of your comfort zone. That’s the only way you grow. People are so focused on the NOUN. “I am an artist, a pianist, a singer, a songwriter, a producer, a dancer, a this, a that.” We forget that immersing yourself in the VERB gets you the NOUN… And while you are working on the verb, which obviously has learning curves: creating, playing, singing, writing, producing, dancing, etc, you may feel like an imposter at times because our society values the title and the identity above everything. Artistry takes you back to yourself, but you are constantly changing and evolving – at least I hope you are. So if you are challenging yourself consistently, perhaps a bit of imposter syndrome is a healthy, normal thing that you encounter at each level, as you level up.
Thanks, so before we move on maybe you can share a bit more about yourself?
KEIRA KANG is a dream pop and alternative R&B singer songwriter, producer and pianist based in Los Angeles, California. In 2022, she released her first two sultry, self produced singles JADE and YOURS. JADE reached international audiences quickly, gaining her media attention in Canada and Brazil for her smooth production and vocals, while YOURS caught the eyes of independent publication Fame Live Magazine in Atlanta, Georgia, where she was awarded Artist of the Month. In February 2024, she followed this up with an upbeat remix of YOURS called YOURS Pt. 2 for Valentine’s Day.
While she has so much more unreleased music in the vault, she is working on finding the right situations and teams to help release a decade’s worth of songs that she’s been carrying around on her hard drives. She does all this while having taught the youth of Los Angeles for the past eleven years, running her own company Modern Pianista (formerly known as Miss Keira Productions) for private voice, piano and production lessons.
KEIRA has done it all from international singing competitions to gigging in Vegas and starting her own education and publishing companies, while producing her own album under her producer name KREAMY ANALOG.
“I can’t wait for the world to hear what I’ve been carrying around on these hard drives. I have a lot to offer, from my songs to artist development and music education. I’ve also been working on digital curriculum so that quality music education could be more accessible to people wanting to learn all over the world.”
Stay tuned for her album ETHEREAL and her MODERN PIANISTA piano curriculum, currently in the works! You can find her songs on all digital streaming platforms and free resources for prospective clients and students on YouTube and Instagram.
Looking back, what do you think were the three qualities, skills, or areas of knowledge that were most impactful in your journey? What advice do you have for folks who are early in their journey in terms of how they can best develop or improve on these?
As a recording artist, educator and entrepreneur, I’ve learned a lot along my journey over the past 10+ years. As a recording artist, I’d have to say the most important thing that’s been impactful along my journey is my resilience and my persistence to stay true to myself no matter what. In this business, everyone has an opinion on your sound, your look, your business moves and more, but ultimately, you know what is most authentic for you. Even if you don’t (yet), a big part of the artist journey is figuring out who you are and sometimes that requires being who you are NOT in order to figure that out. Follow your intuition and if you haven’t tapped into that yet, go inward to learn more about yourself. The answer an artist is looking for is usually within the self and not externally in the world.
As an educator, I find that the most important ingredient in this field is empathy and people skills. Information is free, but how you deliver that information and how you connect with others will determine whether that information is retained and then transformed into more (a passion, a love, a talent, a skill). Loving humanity and having empathy for others is not optional as a music educator. Connecting with others deeply is also not optional in order to be a successful music educator, for music in itself connects us.
As an entrepreneur, I would say the most important advice I can impart is to NEVER STOP LEARNING. You have embarked upon one of the hardest life paths by choosing to work for yourself, which is a LIFESTYLE, not a one time decision. Surrounding yourself with people you admire and have what you want will serve as a reminder that what you are striving for exists! Do not surround yourself with those who will rekindle fears and limiting beliefs. Surround yourself with those who have achieved what you want so you start breathing in possibility as reality. Constantly working with and for entrepreneurs that are further along than you are will also help you navigate your path safely and successfully.
What would you advise – going all in on your strengths or investing on areas where you aren’t as strong to be more well-rounded?
When I was starting out as an independent recording artist in 2009, I was only interested in singing and dancing. Fast forward to 2024 and I am now writing, rapping, producing, playing jazz piano and interested in learning bass, drums and mixing my own vocals.
This does not mean I want to become the greatest bass player, drummer or engineer. But I do feel that as an independent artist in today’s times, wearing only one hat and working on just your strengths is a bit of an outdated concept. You absolutely need to tap into other sides of the business, even if it’s just so that you can communicate to the expert using the right terminology. I’ve been in recording sessions where the engineer would try and explain what he hears in his head vocally, but he had no awareness of vocal registers or vocabulary to express his point so it was difficult to figure out what he heard in his head.
Even if you have the team to back you up in all the areas you are not proficient in, I do feel that investing in all things related to your goal, even if its not your strength, your wheelhouse or specialty is still very important. I do not regret learning how to produce my own beats, write my own songs or draft my own publishing contracts. Will I still also have a team of experts that I work with? Absolutely.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.keirakang.com
- Instagram: www.instagram.com/keirakang
- Facebook: www.facebook.com/keirakangmusic
- Youtube: www.youtube.com/@keirakang
- Other: www.youtube.com/@modernpianista Free resources for those looking to learn how to play the piano! All of the methods I’ve been teaching my private piano students for the past ten years will be uploaded to this channel.
Image Credits
McKenzie Sage, Joshua One Nine Productions, Courtney Tomey.
