Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Alice Sandahl. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.
Alice, so great to be with you and I think a lot of folks are going to benefit from hearing your story and lessons and wisdom. Imposter Syndrome is something that we know how words to describe, but it’s something that has held people back forever and so we’re really interested to hear about your story and how you overcame imposter syndrome.
Overcoming imposter syndrome has been an ongoing task for me. When I started to see it as something that was anti self-love, it helped me shift that feeling internally. By not acknowledging my expertise and accomplishments, I wasn’t celebrating myself and my talents and this didn’t feel like caring for myself well. Really stopping to see the goals I’ve set out for myself and accomplished helps me to shift this feeling and coach myself through feelings of imposter syndrome when they come up.
Let’s take a small detour – maybe you can share a bit about yourself before we dive back into some of the other questions we had for you?
I am a songwriter, arranger, singer and multi-instrumentalist based out of Los Angeles. I’ve spent the last three years working on my MFA in music and will graduate from CalArts in May this year. This has been a huge goal of mine and I’m looking forward to shifting my energy into releasing my next solo record (I finished recording in January). I also am on a mission to help other artists accomplish their songwriting dreams and artistic goals- I offer group songwriting classes and 1-1 coaching where I support artists through their process, work through their blocks, and achieve their goals. I love this work because I get to witness other artists have huge breakthroughs and share the knowledge I’ve accumulated throughout my career thus far.
If you had to pick three qualities that are most important to develop, which three would you say matter most?
Tenacity- Even when I got so discouraged, I kept going. Largely because quitting music didn’t feel like an option, but it never really was about having a “career”. I just had to keep playing, even if I felt like I was getting shitty deals, missed opportunities, or disappointments.
Relationship skills- Some might call it Networking. But I also mean putting care and communication into the connections you make along the way. Make sure you work with people you like and respect, otherwise it won’t work. You’re building a community as you grow your music career and you never know how you all might help each other.
DIY- Don’t wait for opportunities to come to you, make them happen. Put together a show, put out your music, make the video with your phone, etc. These days everything is right at our fingertips, you don’t need big budgets to make cool things happen. Don’t wait around, do it yourself.
I think in addition to those skills, the advice I would give is do it for your own joy and don’t put a timeline on it. If you aren’t happy going after your music dream, that will come through in your work. Hustle culture sends this message that we should never stop and that we should be breaking our necks trying to make our dreams come true, but I don’t think that’s healthy. Music is about creation and connection and PLAY. Do it if it’s what you love to do and don’t put a timeline on it- you just never know what might come your way!
Before we go, maybe you can tell us a bit about your parents and what you feel was the most impactful thing they did for you?
Though I came from a very blue-collar, modest Midwest household without examples of artists or entrepreneurs going after their dreams, my parents were always encouraging. They never sent me the message that music wasn’t something I should try to do or go after. I think it’s scary for some parents if their kid wants to be a musician because our culture puts out this discouraging “starving artist” message. But my parents didn’t project any kind of fear onto me regarding my health or well-being in pursuit of that path. They always told me I could be anything I wanted to be and were cheerleaders for me all along the way. I feel so lucky to have had that kind of genuine support.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.alicesandahl.com
- Instagram: @aliceintheriver
- Other: https://alicesandahl.bandcamp.com/music
Image Credits
Chelsea Brown Moises Galvan
