We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Onzie B. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Onzie below.
Onzie, we’re so excited for our community to get to know you and learn from your journey and the wisdom you’ve acquired over time. Let’s kick things off with a discussion on self-confidence and self-esteem. How did you develop yours?
That’s a good question actually lol. It wasn’t always easy starting out. I think when someone meets a musician for the first time, many questions come to mind. For me, it was no different. I had to learn how to maintain my confidence in order to keep writing and producing. Sure, I wanted to always see myself win, but the true test of my confidence and self-esteem would show in how well I was willing to accept the losses that came with being involved in the music industry and that was anything but easy! The rejections for my music starting to affect me after a while, and I would find myself questioning if I was good enough at all. But over time, I realized that it wasn’t even about that. If I could win one time, then I can win again! As long as I continued to be a working musician, then I was already winning.
Thanks for sharing that. So, before we get any further into our conversation, can you tell our readers a bit about yourself and what you’re working on?
I started playing piano at 9yrs old, and one time I got in trouble for playing the Ruff Ryders Anthem in church one Sunday lol! Honestly, I didn’t mind because Swizz Beatz has always been one of my favorite Music Producers. I then started taking piano lessons as well as getting more involved with music production. I found it fascinating how songs came together from scratch, and I wanted to tap more into that to see what I could make of it. I received a scholarship and majored in Music Education with an Emphasis in Media at Norfolk State University in Norfolk VA. It was here that I would meet like-minded individuals and would build rapports and relationships that influenced my ambition to want to become a staple in this industry. After graduating in 2010, I would receive an opportunity to travel to New York City and work with the late/great Heavy D on his final studio album titled “Love Opus.” I still hold true to the advice Heavy gave me, including him telling me to “write what you feel” and always go with your first instinct. Those recording sessions were special indeed, and they also gave me insight on how collaborations came about via the “machine.” Since then, I’ve written and produced songs for CBS, Warner Bros, HGTV, and NBC News to name a few. Currently, I’m working on songs for more upcoming tv and film projects, as well as launching my new website where fans have an opportunity to gain a more personable experience with me thorough discussion, content, and weekly independent releases.
If you had to pick three qualities that are most important to develop, which three would you say matter most?
Well since I grew up being a shy kid, communication has definitely been one of the most important things in building relationships. Even now, I still find myself being silent a lot. Maybe it’s something that never left me? lol. Thankful to friends that got me out of my shell! I also believe that consistency is key to any kind of success in this life. Just because one door closes, doesn’t mean that another door won’t open, and once I realized that the world didn’t end after all, I kept at it and was able to walk through many others. Loyalty is the biggest one for me, because if I can’t trust someone, I’d probably wouldn’t work with them either lol.
What do you do when you feel overwhelmed? Any advice or strategies?
Ah yes, these kinds of days do appear quite often for me. Usually when I get overwhelmed, especially with the workload of creating, I simply step away from it. Not for too long though lol. I got for a walk around New York City, grab something to eat, call and talk to family members, or find a good movie/show to stream! I find that when I occupy my mind with other things, It helps me to clear my mind for when I return to working on a song. The spacing from everything really does help me stay in a constant creative vibe.
Contact Info:
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/onzieb/
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