Meet Brenessa Roach

We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Brenessa Roach. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Brenessa below.

Brenessa, so excited to have you with us today. So much we can chat about, but one of the questions we are most interested in is how you have managed to keep your creativity alive.

I stay inspired by immersing myself in creative environments, whether it’s connecting with other artists, attending concerts, or social events where creativity thrives. I also make it a point to explore various forms of media—books, TV shows, YouTube vlogs—that ignite new ideas and keep my motivation to create alive.

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?

My name is Brenessa Roach, a 24-year-old music industry professional from Toronto and the founder of Behind The Beat. Music has always been a central part of my life, evolving from a hobby to a career after I graduated from a Media Production program with a focus on Audio. This year marks my fourth year in the industry, and while I know there’s still so much to learn, I’m incredibly proud of how far I’ve come in just a few years.

Behind The Beat is my passion and my full-time job. In less than two years, it has grown into a thriving community of over 2,000 people. Earlier this year, we expanded our services to include artist consultations, where we offer marketing advice and create electronic press kits for artists. We also provide press coverage for new releases, conduct exclusive interviews, and do concert photography and coverage.

One of our recent milestones was hosting our first Artist Showcase event on August 13th in Toronto, featuring performances by local artists ming, S1NE, and Ashavari. The event was a success, with over 100 people in attendance.

Currently, I’m the sole person running Behind The Beat, but I love it because it allows me to continuously explore and bring new ideas to life.

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?

I believe that determination has been the most significant quality in my journey. Breaking into the music industry is challenging, especially as a woman in such a male-dominated field. Beyond gender, the industry has taught me to be incredibly patient. It’s highly competitive, and opportunities like jobs, press, and other breaks don’t come easily. But with persistence, you can make progress. After my internship at Sony in 2022, I was determined to stay active in the industry, so I created Behind The Beat to generate my own opportunities—and it’s paying off as we continue to grow.

In addition to determination, strong networking skills have been crucial. I wouldn’t have been able to grow Behind The Beat or reach where I am today without the connections I’ve made along the way. Some of the artists and industry professionals I met early on still play a significant role in my life today. Finally, being open-minded has been essential to my journey. I’ve had to embrace different genres, engage with various people, and stay flexible enough to take on opportunities like interviewing artists on stage, photographing at barricades, or hosting events in front of 100 people. This open-mindedness has helped me build confidence, expand my knowledge, and learn more about different aspects of the industry.

Thanks so much for sharing all these insights with us today. Before we go, is there a book that’s played in important role in your development?

One of my all-time favorite books, and movies, is Matilda by Roald Dahl. Even at the age of three or four, I was inspired by Matilda’s determination and her excitement for diving into different books, experiencing life through the stories, regardless of genre. My love for reading started with wanting to be like Matilda, and that passion for reading eventually sparked my love for writing. This love for writing has allowed me to contribute to blogs for Behind The Beat.

One of my favorite quotes from Matilda is, “Somewhere inside all of us is the power to change the world.” This quote resonates deeply with me because it’s a reminder that everyone has the potential to make a difference. In my music career, I feel empowered to highlight emerging artists, particularly within the BIPOC community, become a role model for younger people, and help build a stronger independent music community.

Contact Info:

Image Credits

Samross Thorg (Picture of me)
Vivian Si Zeng (Group photo of Behind The Beat showcase)

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