We recently connected with Ghst or ghsty and have shared our conversation below.
Ghst or ghsty, we’re thrilled to have you on our platform and we think there is so much folks can learn from you and your story. Something that matters deeply to us is living a life and leading a career filled with purpose and so let’s start by chatting about how you found your purpose.
This is an interesting story. I really think my purpose found me. My family would watch a lot of American Idol, so I started singing at a really young age, around 4 or 5. And I started teaching myself a bit of guitar and piano around 9 or so. And when my parents split, my dad would take me to karaoke at the American Legion, a place for military vets. See, back then you had to flip through the giant karaoke books, and most of the time- they didn’t have many songs I knew… I was 9 years old. But I still remember the first karaoke song I ever did was, “Concrete Angel” by Martina Mcbride. And after that- a lot of Adele and Bruno Mars… even Eminem (which people weren’t too happy about haha.) I think my favorite childhood memory though, was all the times my sister would record videos of me singing and upload them to youtube. My sister always had really good taste, so she put me onto a lot of R&b/Soul and rap, I definitely had some music influence in those genres from my mom too. When I got to middle school my mother remarried and I ended up in a church’s worship team/gospel choir. I never really took choir or band related classes in school, I was all self taught. And plus, singing in a gospel choir connected me to the music differently. It leveled me up, not only as a singer, but spiritually. I didn’t just sing anymore… It came from my spirit; my soul.
I was singing in the choir, helping lead youth group, and posting a lot of my videos online. My stepdad had some experience with logic, recording, and production, so I was briefly introduced to that, but mostly played instruments and sang.
Now this is where it gets crazy-
Audio engineering unexpectedly revisited my life late 2020, I had just turned 18. My mom is from Spain, and we had visited my Abuela before Covid shut everything down. I loved it so much and missed my family there, that I had made my mind up that I wanted to move there instead of finishing college and joining the military here in the states (like I had originally planned). I graduated at 16 turning 17, with a lot of college credits, so I was going to join the military at a higher rank. I had a whole plan in order, and I was working really hard for it. But being in Spain really changed me and gave me life. I booked my one way ticket for later that year, and as the time approached, due to covid, they cancelled my flight.
I was stuck and everyone was in lockdown. I spent that summer quarantining with a friend and just enjoying the freedom I had since I couldn’t really do anything. One night, as things were opening up again, my friend and I were talking about how we wanted to see Oregon some day. My sister and I knew a woman out there, and I had a ticket voucher from my cancelled flight to Spain. So out of spontaneity, my friend and I booked a trip to Eugene, OR.
The same night we flew into Eugene, was the first day of Oregon’s most destructive wildfire season to date. I’m just a girl from the midwest, so I had never seen anything like it. The lady I was with is very health-conscious and wanted to leave for Vegas, where her daughter stayed. My friend decided to fly home, and I took the west coast trip with her to Vegas.
Her daughter was a singer like me, and she actually had a little studio set up in her closet. She had logic pro, an interface, headphones, and a microphone. It was my first time writing and recording a song for someone. I remember talking to my sister on the phone after and telling her, “Naomi, I could really do this. I’m good at this.” I sat in that girl’s bedroom by myself for at least 30 minutes just messing with an EQ. I had no idea what it was or what it was doing but it looked fun and I was determined to find out.
I later realized this was the same system my stepdad had used as a kid. About a week or two after I got home from my Vegas/Oregon trip, my sister started a new job and ran into a random childhood neighbor. He said he owned a studionin downtown Indianapolis and I bothered her everyday to see if I could work there. I told her that I’d even do it for free. After bugging her to put a word in for me, they put me on board as the person who works the front desk.
It was go time from there. I would work at 7 AM, get off at 3 PM, go straight to the studio and leave there anytime between 11 and 5 AM. I lived and breathed that studio. I was constantly trying to sit in on sessions and learn something new. I started learning about recording and mixing. The studio had a little backroom that they never really used, and they started turning it into an alternate studio. There was a giant desk that you could barely get around, a scarlet 2i2, a computer monitor, speakers, and my favorite: An sm7b.
I downloaded a pro tools trial, and quickly found that I was a logic fan instead (hahaha). I recorded some of my first songs by myself in that room and it was a really special and life changing experience. Life wasn’t the easiest around that time. I had a lot going on at home and recording myself and writing in that room turned everything around for me in such a developmental time.
It really freed me in a lot of ways, and in turn, I started seeing how it was affecting and inspiring others. Not just my talent, but my testimony outside of my talent. People online and locally started really following my journey as a whole, not just as a singer songwriter, but as an engineer and a creative. A lot of those people are still around to this day. I’ve always been really open and honest with my audience about myself and my journey, and I’ve alway made music from the soul. I love sharing the reality of my story as it unfolds because I’ve seen the way it impacts people to know they’re not alone.
I ended up working with two different studios in Indianapolis before moving to LA. In September of 2021 I was scrolling on instagram when I’d seen hitboy posted and open verse challenge for rappers. I decided to be innovative and put a hook over it before anyone else did. They found my hook and loved it, so they posted it and the comments went insane for me. They ended up changing the challenge to one rap winner and one R&B winner, and hitboy’s manager reached out to me interested in moving me out to LA. They were looking for people to sign to their label. United Masters ended up sending me a contract as well and people started reaching out. It was a really crazy time. I was 19 living alone in a really rough area and it was just so cool to see people really giving me my props and some of my dreams coming to fruition. I had a lot of hesitations about the idea of signing to someone, and ultimately decided to keep going on the path I was on.
I ended up staying in Indianapolis and going to a 6 month audio engineering program there. I did my time at a beautiful studio in Indy and
just kept growing. I was able to meet some amazing and talented people before the opportunity to go to LA circled back to me and I took the
leap. I wanted to say a warm goodbye to Indianapolis and all the people and experiences I had, both good and bad. So to close my chapter there,
I created and presented a business plan to the owners of the studio I was at for a big going away show. I ended up succesfully planning, managing, and headlining
the show and said goodbye to all my loyal supporters that I love so much, and took the leap to move across the country to LA.
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?
I also wrote a response to the question about resilience that I really loved and would like to answer too. I know I gave you guys a lot, but I’m sure it’s good to have some things to work with!
My brand is about waking up from purgatory. I was drifting. I wasn’t happy. nor sad anymore, just numb. Which is arguably worse. They say life can either be heaven or hell, but no one talks about the people stuck in the in-between. We manage to go unseen and disregarded, just floating by in the most pained and apathetic way. That’s where I was. Nobody was going to save me from that, so God chased me down until I learned how to save myself through the gifts and the tools he gave me.
It first started about waking myself up from my circumstances and learning how to breakthrough. That’s what my first song ever was about (Holdin’ Me Back). I was just a young and lost 18 year- old girl breaking down on a mic because I didn’t have anyone in my life. It was extremely healing. It’s not easy being a young girl navigating the world on your own, it’s really depressing to be so full of life and love, but so alone and forgotten about. I was really coming to understand what it was that I was experiencing, and had experienced in my past, and how to pivot in a new direction in my life. How to forgive those around me, including myself. There were a lot of things that were out of my control that really had a hold on me… Everything was so cloudy, and I just couldn’t understand why the world would break such a pure spirit. It made me angry and depressed. It felt really unfair. But when I began to create, I realized, in a way, I was my own captor.
I was allowing myself to be defined by my circumstances and all the voices around me. I was holding onto things that weren’t really my weight to bare, and as a result I never got to be the true version of myself or be happy about life. I was defined by the impact of those around me and bearing responsibility for the actions of others. All I ever wanted was to help people and to be heard for the love and wisdom I was trying to share.. But here I was constantly shouting into the void trying to create change in not only my life, but the life of others, only to be constantly disappointed and hurt even deeper.
When I started making music, everything shifted. I no longer needed to be heard or seen to create change, because I saw that change happening in myself. And as a result, everyone else who knew me saw it too. There was this immense and beautiful power in my self transformation that radiated through to people and inspired them deeply. I started getting messages from people all across different platforms about how my journey, and the documentation of it, shed light in to their lives. I was just really honest about my struggle. My wins and my losses, all along the way.
I started to develop supporters who saw beyond me. Not just my voice, or my face, but my spirit. I realized that I spent all this time trying to help the outside world, but it was really the change on the inside of myself that created all the difference. So I just kept pouring my experience into my music. I kept learning as much as I could in order to honor the gift I was given. I understood that my mission was not just to be a great singer and writer, but to be a great person. To be a great leader, and a positive influence. So I committed myself, not to the end goal, but to the journey. To the testimony that God spoke over my life. Because I understood, yes I could get straight to the destination with my talent, but there’s something so powerful and meaningful in a success that is well earned. Plus, it takes trial and error to learn how to be a better and more refined version of yourself. Something I am still learning to this day. I want to be a blessing to the world, not a curse. And in order to be that, it takes a sense of humility. Something that God gives you through time and experience. So I’ve fully submitted myself to the process and all aspects of it.
I began to release songs that I mixed and recorded myself. And although I have a lot of songs that haven’t been released to the public yet, every single song in my catalog marks real life versions and era’s of myself. Like I captured the energy in a little time capsule.
I impact. That is what I do… That is my calling. God gave me this gift to vocalize, and I’m here to tell my story as it unfolds. Music happens to be one of the many avenues of my purpose. It’s been a beautiful journey to see the way my words and my story has impacted people on an extremely deep level. My music and my journey is about empowerment and honesty. About embracing your dark and your light in order to be whole. I’m here to be an example of what commitment, hard work, and faith can do for your life. I was blessed with a beautiful voice, but I’ve still taken my time to gather knowledge and life experience to accompany my gifts.
I create my own music, sometimes producing it myself, but mostly recording, writing, and mixing it myself. I also write for many other artists across various genres. From rap and r&b, to pop, alternative, and even country. I enjoy bringing my musical gifts to help cultivate an experience or feeling, not only for myself, but for others. Music is like empathy to me, and I enjoy feeling. So if I can help someone else feel represented and complete in their experience, then I’d love nothing more than that. I also frequently live stream and interact with my fans online through tik tok live, and soon twitch as well. Which is super fun because I get to interact with my fans and hangout with them. I’m also currently working on writing two books and interning at Nightbird Studios here in Hollywood. Not to mention frequently training Mixed Martial Arts (Muay Thai and Jiu Jitsu). I’m a busy woman, but I can’t complain. I’ve found my purpose in many of these different avenues, and the pieces have just been falling together ever since I got here to LA.
And for my fans, I know it’s been very long awaited and anticipated.. For the people who have been here since I was making demos in that tiny room posting snapchat snippets, or the people who saw me when I was just a little girl recording faceless covers in my room, or even the people who have just recently discovered me and heard my name and my gifts, I’m excited to finally give you a piece of me in the form of a project. I can’t say too much, but just know it’s coming soon. I am so grateful to be supported in such a way that I could actively fly under the radar while I grow, and yet still be so deeply supported over the years. It’s finally time for me to come out to the forefront, and I’m excited to show and share who ghstgrlwakeup really is and why she’s here. Thank you for everything. <3
If you had to pick three qualities that are most important to develop, which three would you say matter most?
I think ultimately, God was the most impactful thing on my journey. He brought me here even when I was facing in the wrong direction. I mean, He really chased me down when it comes to the music thing. He’s been my guide, my joy, and my peace through it all. Faith is a beautiful thing. I really don’t know why he had so much mercy on my soul, and completely turned my life around. All I know is that I have to pay it back. I shouldn’t have turned out this way, but somehow through it all I came out the other side. He made me a fighter. A fighter for myself, and the people. I think that’s another quality I have that sets me apart. I have a deep sense of justice, and I’m willing to fight hard for what’s right and what’s fair.. For the good of the people. When I see a society that is so deeply pained and lost, I am urged to help be a light and a force of good. I am willing to be a leader and take on the journey and the responsibility that comes with that. I believe in the greatness of others, the same way I believe in my own greatness, and I want people to feel that. I have learned the art of empowerment. The way believing in yourself radiates energy and life into others. And the way encouraging someone else, wakes something up in them that can feed the spirit of someone else. It’s like this beautiful butterfly effect. I am here to help push people in their purpose. Another thing that’s really added to my journey is my time with the gospel choir. It intertwined music with the spirit, with the soul, and it really changed me. It’s a different level of music and creation. It enters into another realm beyond what we can tangibly see. It’s something so out of body, yet you also feel it all throughout your body. It’s like it physically heals you in many ways… And that is where mountains begin to move. The gospel choir not only improved my voice, but it deepened my connection with the spirit, with life, and with frequency and sound. This is what allows me to create music that delivers an energy that can help heal and empower a broken soul. This is what allows me to connect, empathize, and unionize with all my brothers and sisters here. Where I am able to speak things that strike people in a way that resonates or gets them thinking, and hopefully results in newer and healthier thought patterns and behaviors. Being in a gospel choir taught me how to move out the way and let God take over. And each time I do that, God moves in me and those around me. And that’s important to me. I think learning God’s call in and for my life has really been the game changer. I will always be learning what he has in store, but it teaches me to flow with the current not against it. And that makes life much easier.
If I were to give advice to people early on in their journey, I would tell them to ask themself their “why”. Your passion and your purpose must have a “why” behind it or you will fail or be misguided. Move with intent, otherwise, you are just moving. It doesn’t mean you’re actually going anywhere. It’s like running in place. I would also say to be open. Learn as much as you can so you can grasp as much opportunity as you can. Be multidimensional. You may start your journey with one idea in mind, but that may just be the bridge to your actual purpose and fulfillment. So just be open. Let it flow, don’t fight the currents of life, swim with it. You will be much happier that way. Never think you know anything, because life is full of surprises. A wise (wo)man knows that (s)he knows nothing at all. Be a student. Be a failure. You have to be a failure before you can be a winner. Don’t be afraid to start from ground zero or to actually try hard when you’re facing something new, regardless of how people will judge you. Keep in mind, most people who judge you for trying, would never even be courageous enough to try in the first place! So with that in mind, always do your absolute best! There is far less pain when you kill your expectations, and bask in the abundance of all the open possibilities. The biggest thing that you need to understand is how to suck at something! That’s the secret to becoming great. Remove your ego and work in alignment with your actual and true purpose, not your idea of these worldy wants. Go be cringe! People are always going to try to suppress your potential and capabilities, you just can’t care. Focus on you and your greatness. The potential that you know you have. Block out the world, block out your ego, and be pure in heart. God will take care of the rest.
Okay, so before we go we always love to ask if you are looking for folks to partner or collaborate with?
I would love to collaborate with more people. From features, to songwriting, to recording and mixing. I enjoy working with others. I really appreciate someone who has a concise vision or message they want to deliver. It doesn’t even necessarily have to be crazy deep, but say SOMETHING. Not just anything, but SOMETHING. Maybe you just want people to feel good and dance, maybe you want people to think, I can help with either of those. Especially when it comes to writing and melodies. Atmosphere is everything to me. If I collaborate with someone I want to be able to believe in them, support them, and lift them up. I enjoy working with individuals who I can connect with and have an uplifting and encouraging demeanor about themselves. Someone who respects and appreciates EVERYONE in the process, and treats people with kindness and dignity. Let’s create something that adds to the world in an undeniable way and feels good, even if it has a sadder theme. Regardless of the genre, I can really write or work with absolutely anything. I can enjoy, appreciate, and put myself in the shoes of many different feelings, experiences, and sounds. That’s what makes me so versatile. Let’s make music that impacts. Music that feels. If you’re interested in working with me you can reach out via email at [email protected] or on instagram @ghstgrlwakeup
Contact Info:
- Website: ghstgrlwakeup.com
- Instagram: ghstgrlwakeup
- Linkedin: ghstgrlwakeup
- Youtube: ghstgrlwakeup
- SoundCloud: ghstgrlwakeup
- Other: tik tok ghstgrlwakeup
Image Credits
@Indyshootin on instagram for the Photos of me performing 🙂
