We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Angelina Pirolo a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.
Angelina, looking forward to learning from your journey. You’ve got an amazing story and before we dive into that, let’s start with an important building block. Where do you get your work ethic from?
To put it simply, I’m a busy person. There’s rarely a dull moment for me, and part of that comes from a constant need to be occupied. If I’m idle, then I’m miserable and thinking about all the things I could be doing! The other part is rooted in my Christian beliefs. I think to myself, “Well, because a Creator gave me this life, why should I waste it by being lazy?”
Appreciate the insights and wisdom. Before we dig deeper and ask you about the skills that matter and more, maybe you can tell our readers about yourself?
My name is Angelina Pirolo, and I am a singer-songwriter based in the Saint Louis area. When I am not in classes continuing my studies at university, I teach private music lessons. Growing up, I was always taken with the arts. My father was a musician and ran a movie theater, while my mom sang in church. The visual and performing arts are in my blood, so to speak, and it has always felt natural to embrace them. The mission of my career as a musician, and teacher, is to make musicianship feel as accessible as it truly is to all people. When it comes to music, people should feel free to jump in and join the fun! More specifically, my songwriting is focused on story telling and using my music to empathize with other people. I want to share a connection with my listeners, hoping that they find their own meaning and subtext in my lyrics. My biggest project so far is a self-produced album of my original music called “Songs I’m Good at Playing”, which released last year.
The most special and gratifying part of what I do as a musician is the act of sharing an emotional connection with other people through music. Whether I’m performing my own music in a venue, teaching students how to sing and play instruments, singing concert pieces in ensembles, or going to open mic nights, there is always an emotional exchange musician-to-audience, and musician-to-musician. This connection is possible through vulnerability: vulnerability from the audience to receive the music’s message, and vulnerability from the performer (or student) to allow themselves to be heard and known.
There is so much advice out there about all the different skills and qualities folks need to develop in order to succeed in today’s highly competitive environment and often it can feel overwhelming. So, if we had to break it down to just the three that matter most, which three skills or qualities would you focus on?
The ideas that have helped me most on my journey are embracing who I am, allowing myself to be seen, and being my own advocate. My power move was to recognize my own weaknesses, let them be what they are, and then give myself the room to be uncomfortable and improve. From a Christian perspective, I have to see my faults and realize that they do not define me the way that the Creator does.
It took me a long time to let people know my tastes through songwriting, and my advice to new songwriters is to make music you would willingly listen to. Love your songs, and let them be what they are. Also, as a new performer I had to learn to speak for myself. This means living in way that represents my values and being my own PR manager. Be self-sufficient. Learn to make your own flyers, reach out for any opportunity to play your music, learn a new instrument (better yet, learn to sing and play many instruments at once)… just be a learner! Anything you learn, make it your own and do it in a way that only you can. Everything you bring to the table is extremely valuable.
Who has been most helpful in helping you overcome challenges or build and develop the essential skills, qualities or knowledge you needed to be successful?
I’m so blessed to be surrounded by insightful musicians, friends, and family. The single most impactful piece of advice I’ve been given is “Don’t worry, just put your music out there. Even if someone does copy or steal it, everyone knows it’s your song because you’re the only one that does it like you do”.
A fellow musician said this to me when fear of plagiarism kept me from releasing songs that I longed for people to hear. At the time, I had a constant inner battle for self preservation. I was guarded and overprotective, which held me back from expressing myself! That piece of advice taught me not to fear what would happen if I put myself out there, and kickstarted a life long journey.
Contact Info:
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/actuallylordofsaltines/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/angelina.pirolo.7/?_rdr
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@angelinapirolo
Image Credits
Melissa Brown
Victoria Avis
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