We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Serrin Joy a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.
Hi Serrin, thank you so much for joining us today. There are so many topics we could discuss, but perhaps one of the most relevant is empathy because it’s at the core of great leadership and so we’d love to hear about how you developed your empathy?
I think my empathy developed the more time I’ve spent by myself. I’m what some would call a “popular loner,” just because I tend to hang with myself or my close circle of friends although, I still can hold conversations with others and laugh with people in general spaces. I’ve naturally though, always been a very observant person and really guarded with my energy. Since grade school, I’ve always been the type of person who could connect with pretty much everyone. I’ve always been able to get the “shyest,” or “most timid” people to open up when nobody else could. I also pray a lot and I would say I have a strong sense of discernment when it comes to being in the know of one’s character. I can feel what others around me feel, I’m well aware of body languages, I listen closely to what other’s say, etc. I think this has been really helpful when it comes to performing in shows, for the reason that it helps me adapt to new spaces and knowing what type of energy to bring wherever I am.
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 Serrin, and I’m an artist originally from Akron, Ohio. I grew up as the oldest of five in a very musical household. My parents (Joy and Walter Scrutchings), instilled an appreciation for music in my siblings and I (Walter, Lynette, Lydia, and Sophia), since we were babies. We all started in the church choirs (Our parents were the ministers of music), and ever since I can remember, music has always played a huge role in my life.
I started off singing/ playing the piano at different churches, which grew into me singing in school choirs and musicals. Overtime, I broke into my own performances/ gigs! I put out my first song on YouTube at the age of sixteen, it was called “The Real You”. After seeing the positive reactions of those in my city from that song, I decided to continue to create demos and just work on my songwriting in general. That summer, I began really pushing myself, I featured in my first gig on a web series, I was one of “Ramona’s Kids” with Cleveland 19 News, and I also had my first TV auditions that summer in Atlanta. Everything was so new and I was really nervous.. but I was having so much fun at the same time!
In 2019, I moved to New York City, to study Musical Theatre at The American Musical & Dramatic Academy. I was attending school during the day and would perform in Open Mics around the city at night. Through networking around the city, I got the opportunity to perform alongside Melba Moore with The Women Of Color On Broadway, which was so amazing!
In 2020, I released my first ever song on all streaming platforms called, “Pull Up”! I was very nervous to put the song out, being that it was a more risqué piece of music, and coming from a Gospel/ Jazz/ Classical/ Musical Theatre background, I didn’t know how everyone would take to the new R&B sound… After only the first four months of releasing my music, I had over 6,000 listeners a month on Spotify! I had set no expectation for the song, other than the fact that I loved it myself, so I had my fingers crossed that someone else would too. That was with no promotion, no label and a song I wrote all by myself. That year I also was inducted into my city’s history vault, as the first person ever from Akron, Ohio to make it on American Idol. I was 18 years old.
As of late, I have relocated to Los Angeles and I’ve just been working my way around different recording studios, (Compound & M-Track Studios), and I’ve also gotten into the film industry as well. I’ve worked in the studio alongside Ne-Yo, Zae France, Layton Greene and Kiya Juliet, writing, recording demos, laying backgrounds, and creating. As for film, most recently I’ve worked alongside Kelly Rowland, Marsai Martin, Oprah, Halle Bailey, H.E.R., Fantasia, Taraji P. Henson, Tamela Mann, and Omari Hardwick to name a few. I’m 21 years old now, and I’m currently on my own prelude tour promoting my upcoming project which is dropping at the end of this year! Tickets are on sale now, at zez.am/SerrinJoyMusic!
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?
The crazy thing about being an upcoming young woman in this industry, is that you learn (almost) everything on the job. Within the past couple of years, I’ve been presented with a lot of opportunities that I’ve been able to learn from. There have been a lot of lessons that I’m grateful to have learned.
The first lesson I would say, is knowing the importance of paperwork. This is probably the least fun part of the music business, but it’s essential to do your research on what to expect from different labels. As a young adult, and also a woman, men in this industry have tried to get over on me more than once, which is unfortunate. Although, the only way you can know what to expect is through experience and protection with management. Knowing what 360 deals are, having your NDA forms, video consent forms, contracts for venues, etc. It’s important to know about all of that, so that you don’t just sign anything and you can keep yourself protected.
The second lesson I would say, is that it’s essential to keep good company around you. Keep people around you that have your best interest and as Kanye put it, “If you hang around people who act like you aren’t who you are, then you’ll forget who you are.” I really believe that. You are in a lot of ways a reflection of the company you keep, so keep people around you that have your same work ethic. Keep yourself surrounded with people that believe in themselves. Keep yourself surrounded by people who offer MORE to you than just being funny or comedic relief.. Keep yourself around people that are better than you at what you do. Keep yourself surrounded by focused individuals.. the winners.
The last thing I will say I’ve learned most recently, is to keep the faith in the midst of storms. You really have to believe in yourself no matter the circumstances you’re given. There will be people who will be intimidated by your work ethic and you might hear the phrase, “I don’t see the hype about ________,” or “What’s your plan B?” Know that you control how fast or slow success comes to you, which is why consistency is key. Keep rehearsing and sharpening your craft. My mom always tells me, “be ye always ready.” You never stop working on your gift. You never become so skilled that you can no longer grow. Keep performing, rest when needed, but get back up every time and know that your “bounce back,” is always bigger than your fall.
We’ve all got limited resources, time, energy, focus etc – so if you had to choose between going all in on your strengths or working on areas where you aren’t as strong, what would you choose?
Your gifts will always open doors for you! 🙂
Contact Info:
- Website: https://zez.am/serrinjoymusic
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/serrinjoymusic/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/serrinjoymusic?paipv=0&eav=AfaPZwFi_ktnwxeOmoH1GtC0JE8lX9cdPXkJKTz8h_yBKy-LVqDVjtTbh7Wn1HBOGTw&_rdr
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/serrinjoymusic
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCS1P-FFv4tPM-xO_HnSyJrg
- SoundCloud: https://soundcloud.com/serrin-joy
Image Credits
NiceDidIt Unplugd LA
