Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Nathaniel Aleks. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.
Nathaniel , 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.
Imposter syndrome is something I only ever felt after leaving India in 2018 to go off to college. I was blessed to attend Berklee College of Music to do my Bachelor’s in Songwriting. I was suddenly thrusted into an environment of immensely talented, driven, and sometimes prodigious individuals that really showed me that I had to up my game.
At first, it felt disheartening, but it was then that I chose to remind myself of where I was actually at. I was at the college of my dreams, learning all about music, and that was it. It was simple, but sometimes the answers to seemingly complicated questions have the most obvious answer. I realized that I was in the same place as these other individuals that I found so intimidating at first, and believed in my rightful place among them. It’s an ongoing battle for a creative individual, but the years have helped me to combat them and bring me back to myself.
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’m a Singer-Songwriter, and Producer at my core, but Top-lining in the electronic music scene was one of my first steps into releasing music and collaborating with other musicians back in 2016. Over the years i’ve had wonderful opportunities in being a co-writer, arranger and backing vocalist. Some of the latest projects that I’ve been a part of are “Her Show” by Katryna-Florence as a co-writer, and a short called “Burnt Roux” by Keisha Johnella Davis as an arranger.
Right now, I’m in the process of recording my debut single, which I plan to release sometime in July, which will be the start of a project called UNRAVEL.
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?
I’d say my knowledge of music theory, Vocal skill and being open to new possibilities are the three most important facets of what has made me who I am today. That last part is particularly impactful in the art scene because what is art if not innovation? and innovation requires an open mind, which several visits to art museums, and listening to records from the past couple decades and centuries has prepared me for perfectly.
In terms of advice, I’d say you need to put the effort and time in to improve whatever it is you want to improve on. Consistency and resilience are key, but only possible through having enough patience for yourself to grow. Give yourself a break sometimes. Give yourself some praise sometimes and always remember to hold yourself accountable.
What was the most impactful thing your parents did for you?
The most impactful thing that my parents did for me was believe in me. Especially since I wanted to be a musician, coming from a country that doesn’t consider that path all that serious, it was even more powerful that they chose to support my dream. From the first piano lesson at the age of 6, to the 25 year old man I am now gearing up to release my debut single in July, they have always been there, and words always fall short to describe my gratitude, but maybe one day I’ll have all the right words.
Contact Info:
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nathanielaleks/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/nathaniel.aleks/
- Soundcloud: https://soundcloud.com/nathaniel-aleks
Image Credits
Mike Moore
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