Today we’d like to introduce you to Carolena Albert.
Carolena, please share your story with us. How did you get to where you are today?
I got started with my career when I first encountered my passion for music— in the 5th grade! Just shy of Middle School, I discovered my love for the fields of entertainment and athletics. After my music teacher took a chance on me in the chorus class and assigned me a solo, something ignited within me and gave me hope for what I could potentially pursue in life. I immediately began work shopping by taking consistent vocal lessons, joining performance academies, and studying musical theater. Throughout school, I was always practicing my craft and opening myself up to new learning experiences. The idea of being a professional singer became more realistic and appealing— Therefore, I made sure to expand into acting, musicianship, production, etc. in order to reach every area of the arts that I could. The possibilities were endless and I was determined to reach my full potential and eventually be able impact people through it.
Throughout High School is when I found my love for songwriting, as I was exposed to the piano, guitar, drums, and ukulele. I couldn’t help but notice how naturally these instruments came to me and that if I applied myself, I could become proficient enough to accompany myself when writing and performing. I was always writing poetry and lyrics, which I would then turn into melodies, progressions, and arrangements. I was balancing being in school full- time, being the point guard on the basketball team, consistently doing vocal/instrument training, and playing lead roles in musicals- all while having to decide what direction I would go in for college. Do I take the “safe” route and major in something like Psychology or Health Sciences? (which are core elements for me as well), OR do I stick with my gut and study Music? You guessed it.
I ended up getting an academic/music scholarship to Nova Southeastern University where I would double-major in Music and Exercise Science— my two loves! I was finally starting to make sense of the spaces that needed to be filled as for what I knew of music thus far. I enjoyed the fact that I was also able to study about the mental and physical health of the human condition and how important it is as a working artist to know how to nourish every aspect of the body. In the meantime, I took on the role of becoming my own booking agent, started a band, released my first original small album, became music director of the campus A Capella group, and started to build somewhat of a presence for myself.
After two years of collaborating, experimenting, and growing at NSU, I knew a move had to be made in order to take things to the next level. I took a risk I never imagined for myself and applied to a few music schools out of state that had programs I felt I could excel in. I ended up being accepted into a few schools, but the one that stood out to me was Loyola University, New Orleans. They had an emerging program called “Popular & Commercial Music”, and based on their curriculum, it sounded like the perfect match. I was fortunate enough to have received a songwriting scholarship there and decided to make this move without hesitation or having ever visited the place! I left everything behind and knew that I was going to make the most out of my last two years of undergrad.
Being that I transferred in to Loyola, I had to take 22-hour credits a semester (the max amount), in order to graduate on time. I took a combination of music business classes as well as ones that helped polish my artistry. I was glad I went into it with all the experience I had prior to move. On top of a full class load, I scored an internship with The Recording Academy through their Grammy U program, got the position of Worship Leader at a campus ministry, and got to expand my view of music through the elaborate culture and styles in New Orleans. I am ever grateful for my time there and all of the connections and motivation that it brought me.
I am currently back in South Florida pursuing my artistry full-time— which entails composing music for myself and for other artists, working out of different studios in South Florida, teaching voice and instrument lessons, performing, recording/ releasing music, leading worship, publishing/ producing music, collaborating and my favorite, being able to inspire and uplift people through my love for the arts.
We’re always bombarded by how great it is to pursue your passion, etc – but we’ve spoken with enough people to know that it’s not always easy. Overall, would you say things have been easy for you?
There have been many wonderful strides made while pursuing and building this business. I’ve had to do a lot of reflection in order to separate “business” me and “artist” me. Although there are always unexpected turns and turbulent moments that feel like I’m backtracking or going in circles, I have faith that this journey is much more about attaining inner peace and changing lives than it is about recognition. This industry is not an easy one to be involved in as it is, and much of the conflicts seem to stem from the pressure that creatives put on themselves. There’s a constant voice telling us we always need to be “doing more” or to “be better.” In hindsight, my career has been progressing through the quality of my work, the knowledge I’ve gained, growth through experience, and confidence in value alignment.
Many of the struggles that I have encountered while moving forward revolve around waiting on other people through the process of finishing certain projects. Having to depend on others for not only quality content, but receiving it in a timely manner is difficult unless you have a tight team that you can trust. Being that I demand a lot of myself and set extremely high standards in order to cut through the noise, I do my best to form authentic relationships and have genuine engagement. Another element that has been pressing and has a baffling relevance has been the importance of big numbers on social platforms and the correlation they have with people’s “success.” I value statistics and demographics— but the minute it becomes about “clout” via social media, is when the vision can get blurry and misconstrued. Keeping yourself in check and surrounding yourself with people who want what’s best for you and your business is KEY.
We’d love to hear more about your business.
“Carolena Music LLC” is something I decided to create while finishing school in order to claim rights and ownership to all of the work I end up being associated with. Whether it’s a sync license, released record, vocal coaching, artist development mentoring, etc.— “Carolena Music” is an investment in my work and the branch in which all of my content falls under. From composing original music, to live entertainment, to collaborating with other creatives– the mission is to influence and uplift people through the arts and raise awareness of the importance of starting at a local level. I’ve always wanted to be able to put emphasis on using music with a message and mission to impact, not to distract. Taking raw emotion and turning it into something that people can relate to as well as encouraging others to do the same on any level has been my particular vision. I intend on cultivating a fusion of genres and cultures that all stem from pure intentions that can reach the masses.
I’m mainly known for being a songwriter, performer, recording artist, and someone that is “never not working.” I am proud of the fact that this business has all truly been built from the ground up. I would always go after my dreams with no fears or limitations and make sure that I wasn’t forgetting anyone along the way. There have been many sacrifices made in order to achieve my goals and reach for new ones. I believe that my business is different from other companies in the sense that I technically am my own business. Having to separate “business me” and “artist me” has been quite interesting. There are so many avenues to explore in the music industry, that I wouldn’t just limit it to one specific thing. My goal has been to take all of my capabilities and resources and implement them to help not only me and my business grow, but also to take everyone that is involved in it with me. I work with a small circle of individuals that have an understanding that we are all working towards the goal of doing what we love and being successful and sustainable in that. We are all aware that this is a gradual process that requires patience and won’t always have immediate results. My team of creatives includes photographers, videographers, producers, songwriters, artists, graphic designers, musicians, marketing/management, and much more.
What were you like growing up?
Growing up, I was fairly shy but always went after what I wanted. The concept of truth was always the most important thing to me and I felt misunderstood the majority of the time because of my strong values, maturity, and drive at such a young age. Many of my interests revolved around the mechanics of sports and music. I remember watching the VH1 Top 20 countdown every Sunday morning before church, writing down all of the songs, and watching how the order fluctuated throughout the weeks. Music always fascinated me— especially when I was introduced to “Sir Duke” by Stevie Wonder in 5th grade. Basketball was also something that molded me from a young age all the way throughout later High School. I loved running and never got tired of it. Both music and basketball were great outlets that brought me joy and allowed me to exhibit sides of me that weren’t just my quiet & “deep” poetry writing at 2 AM. I always remember wanting to feel accepted, but would still rather stay home and write than go to a party. I didn’t even have a “clique” at school— I would just get along with everyone from a comfortable distance. I was heavily involved in my youth group at school as a small group leader as well as being on the worship team. I aspired to give people hope and remind them that they are loved. I was always studying people well and really trying to get a grasp on the human mind and how we react to and crave things. I’d like to think I grew up pretty fast, which I appreciate in some ways— but lastly, I strived to be the best older sister to my younger siblings, daughter to my parents, and reliable friend.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.carolenamusic.com
- Phone: 954-205-5463
- Email: carolenamusic@gmail.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/carolenamusic
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/carolenamusic
- Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/carolenamusic
Image Credit:
Ameer Thabta
Gerard Albert
ACV Productions
John Thomas Bryson
RedOps
Liel Lavie
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