Today we’d like to introduce you to Riley Shea
Alright, so 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 found my voice for the first time in high school. A good friend of mine had encouraged me to try out for the theatre program at my school. I had truly never sang or gave it a fair shot, but when I tried out and was accepted, I was shocked to discover that I had this voice I had no idea about. For the next few years, I gained training through amazing mentors in theatre and choir, but everything changed when I was asked to be the vocalist for my school’s jazz band at age 18. There, I gained training in jazz improvisation and honestly for the first time ever, felt I was exactly where I was supposed to be. I didn’t grow up on jazz or soul music, but I felt this instant connection to the sound and feeling. I became obsessed haha.
Ever since then, I honed in on studying all the greats of jazz, soul, funk, R&B, and hip-hop. My life changed when I heard this music! For all the time leading up to this, I was simply a very good student. I didn’t really feel passionate about much, so I dedicated all of my time to my studies, always with a grand plan in mind to go to college and study something practical. Instead, I fell so in love with the music that I completely changed course.
For the next few years following graduation, I gained as much experience in live performance as I could, and continued to study soul and R&B intensely. I played over 50 shows from 2021-2023, honing in on live performance with an incredible band in Tallhassee, Florida that allowed us the freedom to create and bring to life all the soul and R&B music we had been listening to for years now. There, I wrote my first songs ever and was able to connect with so many people over the love of this music. At the same time, I also spent a lot of time building a music community in Orlando, in and out of studios who would give me an opportunity to record and explore ideas for free (shoutout Studio 18 haha). I was also recording constantly with my friends CVRRENT and AyyoWill, where I was able to again, freely explore my sound for the first time.
Since 2023, I am permanently based in Orlando and have been releasing music on streaming for a year. I still feel so deeply connected to live performance and do it often, but I am focusing on honing in on my produced sound and creating my own music.
I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
Certainly not! The hardest part has been shedding this older version of myself who is deeply attached to perfectionism, linearity, and predictability. Everything that a career in music is not haha. I’ve had to learn how to feel more, fail more, take risks, and accept that there is no one straight path in this career. It’s also been difficult to learn to be vulnerable to perception and to express myself more honestly and imperfectly through my art.
More than anything, it’s been a lot of unlearning bad habits and negative thought loops and instead giving myself a lot of grace as I navigate through all the spontaneity and constant adaptability that comes with this path.
Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
Above all else, I am a singer. I have a passion for exploring my voice technically, creatively, and a deep connection to performing live. There is nothing that brings me more joy than singing on a stage, with a connected, soulful band. I believe that the musicians scoring the songs are just as important as the singer themself. I love to arrange music, bring demos to life with a band, and create collaboratively with live musicians.
Aside from that, when I create alone, I have a strong sense of harmony, arrangement, and melodic ideas. The writing and lyrics comes last for me, but the musical foundation of each song is what I enjoy making the most. I know how to think outside of the box musically and enjoy finding where dissonance/grit can give color to a song.
What I’m most proud of in my music is my attention to detail and my ear for harmony and production.
What do you like and dislike about the city?
What I love most about Orlando is how much variety there is here. There are so many different communities in the city, whether they’re bonded by food, coffee, music, film, photography, or fashion, there is truly a place for everyone. I love how down-to-earth the people in this city are, how passionate and joyful they are about what moves them.
I love how many spaces there are for creatives of all kinds to hone their craft (special shoutout to Austin’s Coffee, Jazz Tastings, and Stardust).
Most of all, I love how many gifted R&B, soul, and hip-hop acts live and work here. It’s inspiring to see Orlando become more of a hub for these genres.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://rileysheakennedy.wixsite.com/my-site
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/rileysheakennedy
- Youtube: https://youtube.com/@rileysheamusic?si=vheL-0T8QlvWbFz1
- Other: https://open.spotify.com/artist/2Im87mPArGEYaaJJG0TP2h?si=9Yp0pWK2QGOCl6qdy68RAA
Image Credits
Natasha Velez (Dreamer’s Playground)
Tony RAMZY Hicks
