The name Tora Woloshin may not ring a bell for the majority of mainstream music listeners, but she is definitely the kind of pop star that more people should be listening to nowadays. For those that do know her, probably discovered her during the debut season of X Factor USA, quickly becoming a favorite for Simon Cowell, and if there’s one person in the world that can truly spot talent, it’s the ever-so-blunt, veteran talent judge.

Prior to her X Factor premiere, she had gone through a series of auditions for Lucky Break, a singing contest spanning months on end that required her to quickly learn her songs. After making it to the final round, she had been called for the X Factor audition, driving back and forth between the two competitions. While that was chaotic to say the least, it was the moment of one of her greatest successes, winning Lucky Break and capturing the hearts of the X Factor judges and audience alike with her rendition of Jackson 5’s “I Want You Back.”

The globally recognized talent contest that recently lent its theme to the gaming industry with the upcoming launch of The X Factor Games as well as the hugely popular X Factor Board Game, helped Woloshin open up a world of opportunities, despite not making it that far along in the competition. From there, her fan base grew, ultimately signing with Fli Life Music, through whom she released her single with.

Her single “Guns & Roses” resonated with her fans and the music industry at large, but after witnessing the corrupt side of the business, she ended her contract with the indie label to write and produce her own music in hopes of collaborating with fellow musicians who share the same vision as her. Though Woloshin may not be recognized by the mainstream, she has already opened for acts like NeYo, toured with hip hop sensation B.o.B., and worked alongside Jay-Z.

Her style is a mix of pop, R&B and rock, which is will be highlighted in her current project, “XXVII.” With electronic dance music dominating the pop music scene, the LA born singer-songwriter tells American Pride Magazine, “I feel like trendy and contemporary is no longer current. Music is going to start going backwards, to the days of reality and live instrumentation. The soul will return.”

It’s refreshing to find an artist that refuses to hop on the EDM bandwagon, and with the release of her new album, Woloshin plans to ignite a pop revolution to bring life back into the genre.

Check out “Guns and Roses” by Tora Woloshin

Having lived and worked with multiple artists, I now realize how difficult it is for them to find the right balance between their social life and their art. If you wake up in the morning and all you can think about is writing and playing music, know that you’re not alone.

If, when someone ask you ‘What do you do for fun’ the first thing that comes to your mind is being in the studio creating music, know that it is a beautiful thing and you shouldn’t feel bad, the way you are is a blessing.

Artists are incredible human beings who see the world through a different lens, they are vehicles of culture, they allow us to connect with other people on a deeper level. They strive to find the right words and sounds to express themselves and they end up creating stories that everyone can relate to. Therefore it makes total sense that they are not interacting the same way as ‘non creative’ people because they perceive things differently.

We live in a society where artists are misunderstood, we encourage creativity but we don’t take the time to understand how artists feel and process the world around them. I’ve been asked several times: How can I keep my creative space in a world that revolves around so much social expectations? Here are a few tips that will hopefully help you embrace the artist in you!

– Surround yourself with people who get it/ get you. 

It’s essential that people understand how you work, that you need your creative space, your desire to create/play music is deeply-rooted, it is a part of you and your circle should understand and respect the amount of time you dedicate to your art.

– Let go of social pressure / expectations

We won’t change the world over night. It is important that you accept that some people will always pressure you to change. You’re doing something that is not concrete for logical and non-creative people. They will always try to make you doubt yourself. Be confident and know that you are on the right path because you’re embracing the gift you’ve been given.

– Don’t be so hard on yourself

I see so many artists beat themselves up because they feel like they are not ‘normal’ or not ‘good enough’, that their art is not worthy. I believe we can use negative emotions to fuel creativity. However, as an artist, its important to take the time to identify your emotions and see the kind of impact it has on your creative process. Check out ‘emotional intelligence’ if you’d like to get further information on this topic!

by Charlotte Gomes 08-04-2016