Today, we’d like to introduce you to Valerie Toledo.
Thank you so much for sharing your story and insight with our readers. To kick things off, can you tell us a bit about how you got started?
I have been writing and making music since I was a little kid. From the moment I knew how to express myself verbally, creating was a calling. I’ve said it before — I don’t consider my music and my writing my careers; I consider them part of my calling and the tools I use to bring glory to our creator (God) who gave me those talents.
Initially, I participated in church plays and choir but didn’t have much more than a few music lessons to go off of. I wrote songs here and there, but I didn’t have the confidence to make them into anything more.
It wasn’t until some of my fellow musicians encouraged me that my music was good enough to publish that I began to figure out a serious process. At the end of 2023, I finally released my self-published studio album, WITHIN THE CONFINES OF YOU.
For my album, I wrote most of the songs by sitting at the piano, singing the melodies, and playing notes together until something sounded right. At the time, I only knew the simple formulas for playing major and minor chords, but for me, it was enough. From there, I worked with talented friends to take my voice memos and turn them into real productions.
As for my writing, a similar process applied. I informally learned the rules of grammar from reading as many books as I could (no offense to my middle school teachers) and then put my pen to paper. Soon, I’ll have a writing portfolio displayed on http://writing.valerietm.com.
Since childhood, I’ve approached my craft with unfiltered, childlike curiosity. What I consider “amateur,” other artists have called alien and interesting. I embrace the label of an “amateur” because it allows me to break free from conventions and experiment fearlessly with sound and narrative.
My lack of formal training felt like a weakness for many years. It has turned out to be a secret weapon.
Alright, let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall, and if not, what challenges have you had to overcome?
I would say one of my biggest obstacles to embracing my call as a creative has been this feeling that I don’t fit in and that others don’t understand me.
I was sure that being misunderstood proved that I was not good at what I was doing and that I was not a “real” musician or writer. This feeling of inadequacy made it so that I hid behind a safe career in public relations for many years, putting away music and writing as “just hobbies,” things I’d never get to realize as anything more.
Thankfully, I had true friends who encouraged me to be myself, called me out when I was wrong, and made an effort to understand me. This helped me build the confidence to get serious about sharing my art with the world.
We’d love to learn more about your work. What do you do, what do you specialize in, what are you known for, etc. What are you most proud of? What sets you apart from others?
I am both a musician and a writer.
I am primarily a songwriter, vocalist, and composer in the music world, but making my album gave me a rich introduction to the world of music production, visuals, and storytelling. I am proud of my self-published studio album, WITHIN THE CONFINES OF YOU (WTCOY). Though I officially began work on it in 2021, the project was ten years in the making, blending personal experiences, faith, and the intricacies of the human psyche into a sonic and visual landscape.
In the writing sphere, I am primarily a creative fiction writer, though I also enjoy writing poetry and have almost ten years of experience in business writing. I am working on putting together a writing portfolio that I hope will be available in 2024.
Something you should know about me is that it’s hard for me to just make a straightforward piece of music and drop it. I pour myself into my music, obsessing over every detail.
When I made WTCOY, little details like song transitions and the continuity across narratives kept me up at night. They weren’t just songs on an album to me. They were scenes in my movie and chapters in my novel. I became so obsessed with the story that I wrote it in prose to ensure I had it right.
I would re-record songs that didn’t capture the intended emotion, sometimes twice or thrice. I’d spend hours reviewing mixes with my producer. I must have listened to the album over a hundred times, and when I released it to the world, I still had notes for myself.
I’m still working on the art of knowing when to let go of my creations, but I wouldn’t change how invested I get in my art. I think attention to detail is essential to make something you are proud of.
What do you like and dislike about the city?
My favorite part of Miami is how easy it is to find a piece of home here, no matter where you are from. I’m the daughter of Cuban immigrants, and it wasn’t until I went away for college that I realized how blessed I was to have my culture so present every day. I had taken it for granted that everyone I met would just know Spanish or greet me with besitos! It is comforting to be back.
I wish our city (and our nation, to be honest) did a better job of creating “third places.” A third place refers to social surroundings outside of home (the first place) and outside of work (the second place). A third place can be a library, a coffee shop, a bar, or a church, to name a few examples. While Miami has some establishments like these, I find few places people can regularly visit to build community and rapport with other “regulars.”
Contact Info:
- Website: https://music.valerietm.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thevaleriemusic/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/theVALERIEmusic
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/valerie-joy-toledo/
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/thevaleriemusic
- Youtube: https://youtube.com/@itsvaleriemusic?si=MIMhGp7vCx-5I72W
- Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/4b41STzgrELduDJYggSb5U?si=G9OvNqhnQC6TOBYlJMGc7w
Image Credits
Sebastian Hernandez, Sabrina Warnick, and Enrique Rosell
