Meet Trace Casanova

Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Trace Casanova. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Trace, 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?

Growing up an only child I was raised spoiled so naturally I know I’ll get what I want (haha).

But seriously, I grew up around charismatic folks. My parents are bikers. Mom made a living as a biker-bar bartender for years. I get a lot of my personality from my mother. She’d always support me with any project I took on and let me learn from the mistakes and the success.

I went to a different middle school than a lot of my friends so I saw it as a chance to reinvent myself. Signed up for the news team, became the weatherman. I was a SUPERSTAR. I had my own theme song, did a dance, sang the weather report. Kids thought I was a hoot and appreciated my fearless demeanor. This continued through high school.

My confidence has gotten me awards, leadership roles, and many wonderful opportunities that have crafted who I am.

Thanks, so before we move on maybe you can share a bit more about yourself?

Being an entertainer, I try to provide the best possible engaging performance to an audience. Whether that be a full stage production or lounge music in a hotel.

I’m an actor, musician and songwriter. I’ve been hired for various shows at the Children’s Theater Charlotte as an actor. I’ve wrote music for plays. along with my own songs. I’m young and early in my career so I don’t have many songs recorded. There is one you can listen to on Spotify “Voluptuous Lady” by Trace Casanova. More songs to come this year.

When I’m not acting or working on my own material, I do live music. Whether its a hotel lounge, house party or restaurant, I provide the venue with Sinatra-style jazz swing covers. Classics like “Fly Me To The Moon” to new revamped covers like “What’s My Age Again?”, “Gin And Juice” and “Hot For Teacher” all in a jazzy swing.

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?

Discipline – Work your craft. Every. Single. Day. Even if it’s writing one line or singing one song. My professors used to tell us if life is getting to you; parents, death, etc. Dive into your work. Leave it all on the stage. Performing can be very therapeutic. Especially if you love to do it. I’d say about half the time I work. The other half is play. Having fun IS the gig.

Attitude – No one wants to work with a sour puss. No one wants to feel bad for you. Be the person that makes everyone feel good when you’re around. They will definitely want to work with you again. Some days will be harder to do that. Communicate your feelings. Folks will understand. You all have one goal. Use the tools you have to succeed together.

Self Care – Be kind to yourself. Check in with yourself. I work hard and play hard. Some things I do to relax; workout. Let your body get out pent up energy. Hang out with friends. Feed your soul by surrounding yourself with folks that make you feel good. I have a tendency to overload myself with projects. I get offered an opportunity, I get excited, start thinking of ideas and say yes when I really should be thinking of how it will clog my schedule and leave no room for relaxation. I’ve had to create the habit of thinking I come first. I am in control of me. I know what I need to keep myself in good spirits. You should do the same. No one will blame you. If they do, they suck.

What’s been one of your main areas of growth this year?

Crowd control.

I’ve been doing live music consistently for about a year now. Feeling the audience energy is essential to an engaging performance. Every hour I play I get a little better. Still lots more to go, but I appreciate the growth I’ve gained.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: @tracecasanova00
• Facebook: Trace Casanova

Image Credits

Mike Postell
Alex Aguilar
Garin Hyde