Today we’d like to introduce you to Sydney Wilson.
Hi Sydney, we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin?
I discovered my voice at the age of 6. I had a speech impediment which caused me to stutter a lot. I was bullied because of my stuttering. My two speech therapists recommended to my mother that I start singing to help slow my tongue down to help formulate my sentences better. I started singing around the house, at school, and even in random places, and my speech improved over time. But I also realized that I wanted to do something with my voice. I always knew I had a gift. I was afraid to show it because of my confidence and thought my voice was not good enough. I was always singing in choirs and school choirs ever since middle school. In my last year of high school, I finally decided to go to school for music and see where my voice could take me. I first applied to Morgan State University, majoring in Vocal Performance, but I was not accepted. So I enrolled in the community college of Baltimore county for vocal performance and to obtain my A. A Degree. While I was in college, at 18, I was going through a very tough time emotionally and fell into a deep depression to the point of ending my own life. But I know God gave me a gift that I could not waste. So I began to write music again. At 19, I released my first single, “Too.” The song was based on heartbreak and knowing your worth when someone keeps taking you for granted and playing with your feelings. After releasing the song, I attracted a lot of traffic in Baltimore, and I gained the opportunity to be on a radio show called “Charm City Direct TV” with host Edigga to discuss my new single. I have also been gifted to be on the radio show “Vibing with Cynamin” on power 4.4 radio to discuss my song and my musical journey. I performed at two pop-up events and was a sponsor for a small black-owned company. During this time, I was blessed with the opportunity to be a part of GrammyU of the Washington DC district, which has allowed me to collaborate with other artists in the DMV area and build a connection with everyone. I have spoken with R&B singer Ledisi, R&B artist Jacquees, and plenty more. Over time, I became a grammyu student ambassador to spread the word about GrammyU and its benefits for artists, songwriters, producers, etc.
A few months after performing my single, I was gifted the opportunity to have my podcast with the help of Edigga. The podcast was titled “Rhythm & Muse,” and it had a total of 12 episodes. The podcast was based on independent and mainstream artists in Baltimore. I was happy to hear that my podcast has inspired people to keep doing what they love to do and be on a platform where they can speak their truth without being censored. The last episode was aired on July 12th of, 2021. I have plans on bringing my podcast back for season 2 very soon. At age 21, I released my first EP, “Understand Me.” The EP was based on my mental health and the stages I have been through. Along with love and heartbreak. This was a turning point in my life. I never expected more people to listen to my EP and relate to everything I was expressing. My EP has been streamed in the U.S, Canada, Saudi Arabia, Indonesia, Costa Rica, Spain, South Africa, New Zealand, Ireland, and Australia. I was in complete shock. It made me want to create more music and continue doing what I love. I only applied to two schools in January of this year to obtain my B.A Degree. It was Towson University and the University of the Arts in Philadelphia. I was accepted to both schools, but my heart and soul were with the University of the Arts. I was tempted to put all my eggs in one basket but didn’t. I thought of UARTS as a second chance for me for everything. To succeed, show my talent, prove who I am, and be my authentic self without being scared to embrace who I am as a person and as an artist because I am here for a reason. I have been accepted to the University of the Arts on an 11k scholarship yearly and enrolled as a junior. So I will be graduating with my B.A degree in vocal performance is minoring in the music business in 2024. Without the help of my mother and other close family members and friends, along with myself, I would not have gotten this far in my career and education. I have come a long way in many different areas in my life. I cannot wait to see what happens next for me.
Can you talk to us about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way? Would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
It was NOT a smooth road at all. But I will say the bad outweighed the good in the end. The biggest obstacle emotionally was me not graduating from CCBC with my A.A. I didn’t tell most people this, so this will be a first for them, haha! But this was a growing pain for me throughout the summer. I felt like I was not good enough, and I was a disappointment to everyone, wasting 4 years in a community college busting my ass for nothing, along with my fear of failing. But I have also realized that it is a growing pain that I can overcome, and I never would want to feel how I felt again in that time.
As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar, what can you tell them about what you do?
I am a 22-year-old singer and songwriter from Baltimore, Maryland. I have been in numerous school choirs, but I started singing at local events at 18. I put out my first single titled “Too” when I was 19, and it has opened doors for me, such as interviews and other live events. During this time, I was blessed with the opportunity to be a part of GrammyU of the Washington D.C district, which has allowed me to collaborate with other artists in the DMV area and build a connection with everyone. I have spoken with R&B singer Ledisi, R&B artist Jacquees, and plenty more. Over time, I became a grammyu student ambassador to spread the word about GrammyU and its benefits for artists, songwriters, producers, etc. I started my podcast rhythm & muse, which is coming back for season 2, because I enjoyed interviewing independent artists and allowing them to have a voice. I have also released an E.P titled “Understand Me,” and I have opened up about my mental health, heartbreak, and love at the time.
Are there any lessons you’ve learned that you can share? We’re always looking for lessons we can learn in any situation, including tragic ones like the Covid-19 crisis.
I have learned that there are many different ways to display your talent, whether through social media, streaming, or anything else. There are bunches of ways to show off your talent. I have also learned that it is okay to slow down and rest. We get so caught up with our day-to-day lives that we forget to slow down, take a breather, and just stay in the moment. During the pandemic, I had a chance to figure out who I was, what I wanted to do with my life, and what type of person I wanted to become in the next few years. It was a chance for me to take everything in and focus on staying in the present.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://linktr.ee/admin?q=%2Fadmin
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/iam.moniquewilson/
