Mick Unplugged - Bonus Episode 10 | Musical Journey From Tone Deaf to Top Charts with Kendra Erika - Mick Unplugged

Episode Date: May 28, 2024

In this inspirational episode, Mick Hunt delves into the remarkable journey of Kendra Erika from a tone-deaf child to a successful music artist. Kendra shares her experiences with vocal training, her passion for songwriting, and her approach to staying unique in a competitive industry. She discusses her challenges and the creative processes behind her top hits, offering listeners an intimate look at the life of a rising music star.Kendra Erika's Background: Overcame tone deafness to become a chart-topping singer-songwriter.Defining Moments: Kendra's experiences with classical training, her entry into professional music, and her rise on the Billboard dance chart.Discussion Topics:Kendra's unique journey from overcoming tone deafness to achieving musical success.The evolution of her musical style and influences over the years.Insights into her songwriting process and collaborations in the music industry.Key Quotes:"With tenacity and conviction, you can overcome any obstacle.""My parents taught me the way to be successful, not the way to be famous."Next Steps:Listen: Check out Kendra Erika's latest tracks and watch for her upcoming releases.Reflect: Consider how personal challenges can be transformed into artistic strength.Engage: Share how Kendra's story inspires you using #MickUnplugged. ★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★ See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Are you ready to change your habits, sculpt your destiny, and light up your path to greatness? Welcome to the epicenter of transformation. This is Mic Unplugged. We'll help you identify your because, so you can create a routine that's not just productive, but powerful. You'll embrace the art of evolution, adapt strategies to stay ahead of the game, and take a step toward the extraordinary. So let's unleash your potential. Now, here's Mick. Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to another exciting episode of Mick Unplugged, where we explore stories of inspiration, creativity, and passion. And today, I'm excited to chat with a talented singer and songwriter

who's making waves in the music industry with her soulful voice and powerful lyrics. Everyone, please welcome the powerful, the dynamic, the mesmerizing Kendra Erica. Kendra, how are you doing today, lady? Wow. Very, very lovely adjectives. It's all true. It's all you. Well, thank you. Very, very happy to be here. Thanks for having me. How are you doing today? I am wonderful. And I have been waiting for this podcast moment for a long time. Why don't you tell people about your journey, Kendra? Like how did Kendra Erica get here? So I was born, but I was born tone deaf.

And being that where I am today, it just shows that with tenacity and also with perseverance and with just like conviction all around, you can overcome something like that. But I was introduced to a professional opera singer when I was around eight years old, and he was able to really get in there and do the groundwork and lay a classical foundation for my voice, as well as curing that tone deafness. So from there, I was able to then fully participate in community theater and other theater productions, and so on and so forth, and doing talent competitions and doing other local shows and singing in restaurants. And then the writing bug hit me in my early teens. And I wanted to then start writing and recording my own music because up until that point, I had

just been doing covers. And I was fascinated with the original songwriting process. So I wanted to really try my hand at that. And I was working with producers in Miami. And then those producers then led to producers that I was working with in New York. And then from there, then that brought me to the team of creatives and collaborators out here in Los Angeles that I've been working with. And then from then on, I've had five top 10 hits on the Billboard dance chart. And I've opened up for the likes of Jason Derulo, Cody Simpson. And I've also had national tours that I've gone on. And I've collaborated with some of the most seasoned in this industry.

And I've really been year by year just elevating my game. So, and now I have, now I have a lot of, a lot of music under my belt and a lot of music that I have released so far. And it's been, it's been an evolving journey. There's so much that I want to unpack and unplug right there. You know, starting with you saying you're a tone deaf, right? And a lot of people, a lot of people that can't sing or amateurs will say, oh, I'm tone deaf, right? But then they keep going anyway, just to prove the point that they're tone deaf. You actually took that, I'm going to say disability and turn it into a strength, right? What was it like for you to master,

I'm gonna say the little things, and being tone deaf, explain to the audience what that really means as well. Well, at that age, I didn't know I was tone deaf because when you're that young, you don't have the wherewithal and you don't have the sensibility yet. So when I would sing, it would just be very atonal. Like there's actually footage of when I turned, I think three or five, I think it was three, but I was singing happy

birthday to myself. And it was, it was just like jaw dropping to see myself then. And then compare it to me now, you know, singing the likes of Andrea Bocelli and singing all these dance songs with very, very wide range. When I was singing Happy Birthday to myself, I was like, happy birthday to you. Like, I'm not joking. If I bring up the video, you'll see what I'm talking about. So that's the kind of tone deafness that I was working with and working through and working on trying to demolish. So what steps did you take to overcome that once you realized that, oh, yeah, I am tone deaf? That's the thing. I didn't realize I was because I would perform for my parents and their friends

at their dinner parties. And my parents would have to bring out other like extra bottles of wine in order to tolerate. It was like, oh, Kendra's performing, bring out the other bottle of cab. You know, here she goes again. But I had the confidence, just the skill set was not in place yet, but it became in place is what I'm saying. All right. So what inspired you to sing? And when did you know that it was a thing you could do and pursue professionally? What inspired me originally was like any parent.

My parents would sit me in front of the TV and they would pop the Disney VHSs in and I would watch these movies with musical numbers and the, you know, the princesses would sing and do all that. And there's just something about that, that just really like, that's what I want to do. Like it was just an instant draw and an instant like magnetism that I had for wanting to do something like that. So and then over time, my my preferences and my taste buds evolved. And I then started getting into, you know, the Britney's and the Madonna's and the Destiny's Child and Spice Girls. And then I grew out of that and I was more into, you know, Lana Del Rey, Ellie Goulding, which I still am. And then I started getting more into the old timers like Frank Sinatra and the Great American Songbook. Because at that time, starting in my teens,

I started singing at different restaurants in the Boca Raton area. And if you know anything about Boca Raton, it attracts a lot of those New York, New England, or not even just that just around the around the country retirees that have an appreciation and have an affinity for those types of songs. So I had to really build my repertoire with that in mind. And I started singing a lot of Frank Sinatra, Billie Holiday, Connie Francis. And also I was doing Andrea Bocelli because a lot of these restaurants were Italian. So I had to add that flavor and touch in there as well. So I established and I rooted myself in jazz as well, which then flash forward, I did a remake of Witchcraft by Frank Sinatra with Ralph Johnson and Myron McKinley. And that won the Hollywood Independent Music Award. And now I just

did a stripped down version of my song A Deeper Love, which charted on Billboard Dance. But I also stripped it back and did a jazz version of that as well. And that has not been released yet. That is forthcoming in this year. Ooh, do we know when? No. If I know, then you'll know. Okay. All right. You let me know and we're going to let the world know at the same time, right? Yeah. One of the things that I love about you, Kendra, is your perseverance, right? For people that don't know, the music industry isn't easy, right? There's a grind and there's a lot of hoops to go through and the best isn't usually at the

top, right? Like I learned this professionally, best known beats best, right? You can be the best at something and nobody really knows who you are because best known is what wins. Walk us through or talk us through your perseverance in the industry. What challenges have you had to overcome and then how did you overcome them? Because again, for those that don't know, the music industry is a grind. It's not all glitz and glamour. Correct. Yeah.

Well, starting off fresh out the gate, being tone deaf the the one obstacle that trained me and that really set the stage for what was to come for me one of the struggles that instantly comes to mind is as you know most of the mainstream artists that we see have had lots of of help yes for those that cannot see can just doing the give me money symbol over there. Yeah. They've had a lot of financial help. Either it be daddy had $8 billion or grandpa had $4 million to invest. My parents are very hardworking individuals. And I've said this before in other interviews and I've also posted about it as well. But my parents taught me the way to be successful, not the way to be famous. And there's something to say about that.

Because and also back to my point, a lot of the artists that you see, they've had financial help. It's not that they're, oh my God, mesmerizing. It's just that they've had that financial help. And so my parents, like I said, are very hardworking individuals. I have experienced a level of support from them, but then the other majority of that portion of that battle lied within me to push forward. And the wealth of work ethic and spiritual wealth has also really propelled me as well. And I think it's not just thing, but I really do believe that that is what's especially in this day and age, in this year, in this great awakening that we're in

is really going to advance me. So that's been one of the struggles because when I was growing up, I would see certain people that were at the top and I was like, but they only have like one octave range. But then come to find out as I got further along and deeper into the industry and I started hearing from more experienced people that this is what's actually going on then that actually then fueled me even more I was like I'm gonna paradigm shift this into my favor and then another another struggle that comes to mind as well is when you think differently than most of the industry, you then become the black swan or the black sheep. And what can happen is that if you have different viewpoints or different opinions than the industry, it's then up to you to really stylize that and navigate that.

Because if you're not thinking the most popular way then that can either hurt you or put you at an advantage and over the course of time and maturity and observation I've been able to use that as an advantage it used to be a disadvantage for me but now I've been able to really strategize it in a way that puts me at a copious level at a very like in a position of gain. So those are just one of the struggles that come to mind. And also not willing to fit within the mold, because we're not baking cookies. So I don't have to fit into the cookie cutter ways because we're not baking cookies, we're making history. And especially in this day and age,

there's a lot of mold fitting. Like as you've seen with Nicki Minaj, Cardi B, I Spice, Sweetie, it's like, they're all the same person. Uh-oh, I like it. I mean, you have Selena, Dua Lipa, Demi Lovato, Camila Cabello, like Olivia Rodrigo, Sabrina, they're all the same person. And when you have someone that stands out in this day and age, people are like, we don't know what to do with that. But at the same time, if you look back in the day, who are the people that stood the test of time? Madonna, David Bowie, Cher, Whitney. It's because people that you can't replicate, but in this day and age, there's a lot of cloning going on musically and stylistically. So I felt that I want to take the

approach of what has worked so magnanimously into the future and so gravitational into the future and what I'm doing. So that's why I said I'm now using the black sheep or the black swan approach to my advantage strategically, because those are the icons, the ones that push the envelope that went against the grain, and that quite honestly went against establishment. I love it. One of the things that also makes Kendra stand apart, and one of the things that I truly admire about you, is you are a freaking amazing songwriter. Talk to us about what your creative process is when you get ready to start the process of writing a song.

Because, you know, back in the day, I was a little songwriter too. So I know that there's a process, right? Like you just don't wake up and, oh, here's the song I'm going to write. What's Kendra's process to songwriting? It varies between the theories on the collaborator or the producer or songwriter that I'm working with, but how I like to conduct my sessions, if you will, is I always like to have a deep and meaningful and almost philosophical conversation with whomever I'm collaborating with.

Because from then, by doing that, that breaks down the four walls. And we're not coming from an obligatory place. We're not having to placate or obligate to anything. So that breaks down the four walls, and it then elevates us to come to a place of inhibition. And so from there, then we can start really pulling concepts and then penning them and gulping them into what then becomes the song. That's lyrically. And then melodically, it all depends on the track because the track is what inspires the melodies,

the harmonies, and all the musical accoutrement. I love it. That's amazing. And that's a great insight for people to understand that process. To me, that's very deep. And I love and admire you in the process that you have in songwriting,

because I do think, and these are the words of Mick and Mick only, one of the top five songwriters that we have out there is Miss Kendra Erica, just so that everyone knows. Well, thank you. I appreciate that. So a couple of things, I'm going to get you out of here, Kendra. So what's next? What's your three to five year vision of yourself in this industry, in this space? release party coming up for the video that I did for Self Love Symphony. That's a collaboration that I did with Dave Allday and Olivia Newton-John's daughter, Chloe Litanze. So we have the video releasing May 1st. And there's a whole release party that we're doing in West Hollywood. It's going to be fantastic. That's next week, May 1st. And then after that, I have more music I'm releasing, more videos to shoot.

I have a performance. I have two performances in Mexico City and in Guadalajara in June. And then from then on, I'm going where the wind takes me and I'm embracing and soaring on the wings of the opportunities that come my way in the horizon. So if you could make the wind go anywhere you wanted it to go, like if you had control of the wind, where would you take yourself in the next year or year? I would take myself to an elevated version of what I'm doing now. Love it.

All right. Rapid fire with Kendra. You ready? Sure. Top three favorite artists of all time. Drake Sinatra, Kylie Minogue, and the third. You can say yourself. You can say Kendra Erica.

Kendra's in my top three. I'm pointing to my favorite. K-E. There you go. K-E. Number three is K-E. Love it. Love it.

Oh, gosh. See, it's okay. You can be a fan of yourself. You should be. I am. Just that inner guilt trip of don't be conceited, don't be conceited. It's not conceit. You should be a fan of yourself.

If you are in your top three, you should be in your top three. Darling, I am a fan of myself. There we go. I channel my inner lies and maneli. Darling. Love it. If you had to sing one genre of music for the rest of your life, what would it be? Jazz. Love me some jazz. It's still, it's still, it's still rhythmic,

but then you can also incorporate that legitimate style of singing that very legato way of singing. So you kind of get the both worlds of classical and dance and the mediator is jazz. So you just had the most amazing day of your life. It's late in the evening. What's your happy song? What's the song you're belting out to end that amazing day? The day just ended. It was very victorious. I'm trying to put myself in that setting. The sunlight is just going down. You're on Santa Monica Beach. You're on the pier. Everything's perfect. What's the song that's coming to your soul that you just want to belt out? I have no idea because there are quite a few that come to mind i have sweet dreams by annie lennox there's a song out right now i forget who it's by it's called like when you're

alone tonight or something like that i i forget i forget but oh my god oh i i can't answer this question it's just it's too it's too it's too situational too too subjective. And I'm like. I tried to narrow it down. I tried to give you the scenario. I get it. I know. Yeah. It's like bringing me into a gelato shop. It's like, good luck.

Yeah, you'll be here for like three hours later. Kendra's still like sampling everything, you know. There you go. All right. I'm going to get you out of here on this one, Kendra. What's your advice to anyone that's trying to come into the music industry now? So for the young in their mind, up and comer, that's like, I want to get into the industry. What's two pieces of advice you'd give them today?

Something that my dad always instilled in me, and that's hard work beats talent when talent doesn't work hard. That's one of them. Also, speak up for yourself because everyone else is out for their own interests and you have to be the one to speak up for yourself. Also don't sell out, protect your soul. And how you do that is not being predictable. Don't be predictable.

That's how you protect yourself. That's amazing. Well, Kendra, I totally appreciate you taking a little bit of time with us here today. You know, I'm going to come out to serve since you have residency there. I'm making a West Kirk trip later on this summer. I'm going to stop by and I'm going to spend some time listening to Kendra live because I've listened to hours upon hours of you, but I haven't heard you live. So I'm excited to hear Kendra live and to

get the true Kendra Erica experience. I appreciate that you call it an experience, but thank you. It's been wonderful speaking with you today and I can't wait till you come out and we'll spend some time. There you go. There you go. Ladies and gentlemen, the great, the electrifying Kendra Erica. And remember, your because is your superpower. Unleash it. Thanks for listening to Mick Unplugged. We hope this episode helps you take the next step toward the extraordinary and launches a revolution in your life. Don't forget to rate and review the podcast and be sure to check us out on YouTube at Mick Unplugged. Remember, stay empowered, stay inspired, and stay unplugged.