Latest / The Bridges and Beacons Podcast / Embracing Nerdiness & Music with Devon Love

Transcript

Embracing Nerdiness & Music with Devon Love · The Bridges and Beacons Podcast

• 0:39
  SPEAKER_02: Hello, hello, hello, and welcome to the Mystic Nerd Squad podcast.
• 0:44
  SPEAKER_02: I am your host, Kelly Meyerson, and I am a Mystic Nerd, and every once in a while, or it seems more frequently, uh now in my life, I'm coming across people who totally relate to the term nerd.
• 1:00
  SPEAKER_02: And before I came on, it was so funny.
• 1:04
  SPEAKER_02: My guest, Devin Love and I were talking about the fact that when we were growing up, the term nerd was not a term of endearment.
• 1:14
  SPEAKER_02: And now it kind of is.
• 1:16
  SPEAKER_02: And I love that for us, Devin.
• 1:18
  SPEAKER_02: Welcome and thanks for being here.
• 1:20
  SPEAKER_02: Thank you so much for having me on.
• 1:22
  SPEAKER_02: How are you?
• 1:23
  SPEAKER_02: I'm fantastic.
• 1:25
  SPEAKER_02: Uh, the world is interesting right now.
• 1:29
  SPEAKER_02: Um, and I personally feel like it's even more important right now for people who are about doing the right thing, serving humanity, and making sure that everybody is represented, people are seen and heard, voices are heard.
• 1:51
  SPEAKER_02: What better conversation for us to have than what it is like to be a woman in music?
• 1:59
  SPEAKER_02: So I want to hear all about that, but can you tell me how did you first get into music?
• 2:10
  SPEAKER_01: Um, that's a great question.
• 2:12
  SPEAKER_01: Um, I've always I feel like this has been going on my whole life, but but not yes and no at the same time.
• 2:22
  SPEAKER_01: Um so I would say, you know, growing up, I always was doing something, if if you will.
• 2:34
  SPEAKER_01: You know, I was always in the choir at school.
• 2:36
  SPEAKER_01: Um the high school I went to had a very strong drama program that was taught by, you know, professional actor.
• 2:44
  SPEAKER_01: Um, so you know, that was like a very serious thing that, you know, you were in this play.
• 2:49
  SPEAKER_01: It wasn't just like um just like, oh, this is a throwaway experience.
• 2:55
  SPEAKER_01: It was highly serious.
• 2:57
  SPEAKER_01: Um, and you were treated like a professional actor um for joining.
• 3:03
  SPEAKER_01: We're in hot freaking high school, we're not getting paid to like do this play, but it did that doesn't matter, you know.
• 3:09
  SPEAKER_01: You were you were treated like an adult that committed to doing a role, so you know, kind of all throughout my life, I've had these experiences um, you know, with professional musicians.
• 3:26
  SPEAKER_01: Um one of the other, I guess, side side pieces to my story that I think people don't realize is that um when I was in high school, I made friends with this girl, and we ended up having sleepovers hanging out, all the like yada yada.
• 3:44
  SPEAKER_01: But here's the catch her sister was like a professional musician.
• 3:49
  SPEAKER_01: So on, and I don't, it's like very interesting.
• 3:52
  SPEAKER_01: So on the weekends, my parents were like, Oh, you should go to her thing.
• 3:57
  SPEAKER_01: So on the weekends, we were me and this girl pretty much like herodies.
• 4:01
  SPEAKER_01: We'd bring the band stuff in to the venue, we would help her set up.
• 4:06
  SPEAKER_01: Um, it was very much so, like kind of the undertone or what we were being told was please be respectful.
• 4:13
  SPEAKER_01: So-and-so is at work.
• 4:15
  SPEAKER_01: This is her job.
• 4:16
  SPEAKER_01: Um, do not be embarrassing, take it seriously.
• 4:20
  SPEAKER_01: So I guess so.
• 4:22
  SPEAKER_01: I what I'm trying to say is really, I've always had these experiences of being around people that were professionals in an artistic field and being able to see firsthand, you know, like so.
• 4:40
  SPEAKER_01: I was in the car with the band all day, you know, if they had a four-hour giggle for the weekend and we were finished our homework, we went.
• 4:48
  SPEAKER_01: That was that, you know.
• 4:50
  SPEAKER_01: Um, so and just, you know, being a part of, you know, the group, um, and getting to see what life on the road was like for her.
• 4:59
  SPEAKER_01: Um, and really at that point, I was not involved in the music or whatever, but I'm I'm soaking in sort of the trials and tribulations of what this woman is going through trying to be a professional musician.
• 5:17
  SPEAKER_01: So when I met her sister, she had a job kind of like a Ricky Dink job, not gonna say where the restaurant is closed now, so it doesn't matter.
• 5:26
  SPEAKER_01: But you know, she was waitressing for tips, whatever.
• 5:30
  SPEAKER_01: You know, it didn't pay well.
• 5:32
  SPEAKER_01: She was kind of getting annoyed.
• 5:33
  SPEAKER_01: She's like, you know, this isn't what I want to do.
• 5:38
  SPEAKER_01: Um, and so she went on to sing with Patty La Belle.
• 5:42
  SPEAKER_01: Um, and if you want to look up the group, they are they're disbanded in the original formation, um, but they are called the Dukes of Destiny.
• 5:50
  SPEAKER_01: Um, for some people, they'll know exactly who I'm talking about, they'll be like, you know, that's more of a local to my homegrown, or even if you will, um, even more niche down than Philly.
• 6:02
  SPEAKER_01: But yeah, just having those experiences with um professionals.
• 6:08
  SPEAKER_02: Hmm.
• 6:09
  SPEAKER_02: I love that.
• 6:10
  SPEAKER_02: And I mean, what you're saying though is so unique for you to have that experience, you know, to be right.
• 6:19
  SPEAKER_01: This was growing up on a weekend, just like my parents were like, go, fine.
• 6:25
  SPEAKER_01: And that's interesting too.
• 6:28
  SPEAKER_02: That they they said to you, oh yeah, yeah, go do this.
• 6:32
  SPEAKER_02: That must have yeah.
• 6:33
  SPEAKER_02: So tell me about that.
• 6:35
  SPEAKER_02: How did your parents get to the point, or were they always like that with you?
• 6:39
  SPEAKER_02: Were they always like, you know, follow these leads in life and and take it and see where it takes you?
• 6:47
  SPEAKER_01: Um, I do think there's a little bit of that, and it's also kind of the whimsy of, you know, you're young, you know, go go do all the things, you know.
• 6:58
  SPEAKER_01: Um, so there's a little bit of that in there too.
• 7:02
  SPEAKER_01: But I think uh I I think they did sort of see, okay, my my kid is probably gonna be an artist of you know some some sort there.
• 7:14
  SPEAKER_02: They thought so.
• 7:15
  SPEAKER_02: They were like, yeah, this kid is on her way.
• 7:18
  SPEAKER_02: Well, and like you were saying, you in high school you're you're in drama and choir, always having a creative outlet.
• 7:26
  SPEAKER_02: So my question is, and I definitely want to come back to the music, but you went to college in New York City, correct?
• 7:37
  SPEAKER_01: No, sometimes people think that I went to school and it it doesn't exist in the original formation.
• 7:47
  SPEAKER_01: Now the school I went to, I'm kind of pissed off.
• 7:50
  SPEAKER_01: So the school is now called Thomas Jefferson University.
• 7:54
  SPEAKER_01: So I I wish I could.
• 7:57
  SPEAKER_01: The problem is that by calling it that, that erodes um the history of Raven Hill, Grace Kelly of Monaco, there's a um the nuns that started that school.
• 8:11
  SPEAKER_01: There's so much history that sort of gets um, you know, taken over because it's now Thomas Jefferson.
• 8:19
  SPEAKER_01: You know, that's a whole different person, legacy, x, etc., if you will.
• 8:24
  SPEAKER_02: Wow.
• 8:25
  SPEAKER_02: So I want to know more about this immediately.
• 8:27
  SPEAKER_02: So so what was it called when you went there?
• 8:32
  SPEAKER_01: So the school has undergone many different names.
• 8:36
  SPEAKER_01: So when I when I went there, just just so if people want to look it up, the school is called Philadelphia University.
• 8:43
  SPEAKER_01: Okay.
• 8:43
  SPEAKER_01: That is the college I attended, but Philadelphia University used to be called, so going backwards in the past, going back to maybe the 80s, 90s, Philadelphia University used to be called the College of Textiles.
• 8:59
  SPEAKER_01: So that was a tradition from the 1800s onward that you would learn the trait of textile somehow in the foundation of whatever major you were, that you were involved.
• 9:12
  SPEAKER_01: So each year, our school had a huge blowout fashion show.
• 9:17
  SPEAKER_01: Um, as many majors as possible contributed to the show, event planning, fashion merchandising, fashion design, um, business people, you know, all the majors, you know, my school is very big about letting all the majors come together to work on projects because that's how it's going to be in your real life, meaning you're not just working with other fashion designers or other artists.
• 9:44
  SPEAKER_01: You're you have to learn to work with finances, business, um, architecture, you know, every type of person, you know, and they and they were good about bringing in international students.
• 9:55
  SPEAKER_01: So there's a bunch of people I met through the international program, you know, at the school.
• 9:59
  SPEAKER_01: So you really got that melting, you know, the melting pot, you know, that makes this country so great.
• 10:06
  SPEAKER_01: You got to meet everybody.
• 10:08
  SPEAKER_01: There was nothing that you could not do, you know.
• 10:12
  SPEAKER_02: Oh, I love that.
• 10:14
  SPEAKER_02: So that's so interesting.
• 10:16
  SPEAKER_02: So I guess it's it's more of like a financial thing.
• 10:19
  SPEAKER_02: So the college kept shifting, and so now it it's housed underneath Thomas Jefferson.
• 10:26
  SPEAKER_01: Thomas Jefferson, which kind of messes up the history.
• 10:30
  SPEAKER_01: I mean, it it doesn't take away from it, but I think like at first glance, you're not gonna know all that if it's called Thomas T J U or whatever.
• 10:41
  SPEAKER_01: Wow.
• 10:41
  SPEAKER_01: Um, yeah, so it was just a very um awesome.
• 10:47
  SPEAKER_01: So when I looked at the school, you know, somebody was like, hey man, you know, if you're thinking about this school, you really need to go there and see it.
• 10:56
  SPEAKER_01: Makes total sense.
• 10:57
  SPEAKER_01: Scheduled it.
• 10:59
  SPEAKER_01: So when I came into the school, there were people singing.
• 11:04
  SPEAKER_01: Um, and they were singing this song.
• 11:07
  SPEAKER_01: Um I don't know, but they were people were like chanting, I believe, basically.
• 11:13
  SPEAKER_01: When I walked into the school, I I kid you not, and it I know it sounds very like fairy tale-ish and like how could it be?
• 11:20
  SPEAKER_01: But I I kid you not.
• 11:21
  SPEAKER_01: They weren't people were in this gym aligned up, you know, singing I I believe, basically.
• 11:28
  SPEAKER_01: And it was just such a powerful thing to just sort of walk in on.
• 11:34
  SPEAKER_01: Um, and at that point, I had got accepted to Drexel.
• 11:38
  SPEAKER_01: Um, I had got accepted in the past to Drew University.
• 11:41
  SPEAKER_01: I didn't go, I, you know, but you you go and say I had I had my little options, you know.
• 11:47
  SPEAKER_01: I wasn't just, you know, somebody that could only test in community college.
• 11:52
  SPEAKER_01: Um, more university, more college for girls had accepted me for their arts program.
• 11:58
  SPEAKER_01: So I was accepted into, you know, you know, a couple, a couple of different, you know, choices.
• 12:06
  SPEAKER_01: Um, I was interested into, I had a conversation with the gentleman from FIDM, and he told me, he said, to be honest with you, he said, you're too smart to like even be here.
• 12:18
  SPEAKER_01: He said, I feel like I'd be wasting your time.
• 12:21
  SPEAKER_01: He said, you might get a kick out of being here because we're so close to Hollywood, um, that you could kind of go out into the LA scene and like network and meet people.
• 12:32
  SPEAKER_01: But he said, when it comes to like the homework, the work, what you'd be asked to do, he's like, to be honest, you already surpassed some of that.
• 12:40
  SPEAKER_01: Okay.
• 12:41
  SPEAKER_01: So he just so he kept it real with me.
• 12:43
  SPEAKER_01: You know what I mean?
• 12:44
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah, he kept it really real with me about that.
• 12:49
  SPEAKER_01: Um, because that's the thing.
• 12:50
  SPEAKER_01: And at at the time, FIDM was only, you know, like a two-year, you know, program.
• 12:59
  SPEAKER_01: So it's kind of like you're gonna move out to the West Coast, okay.
• 13:02
  SPEAKER_01: After two years, what are you gonna?
• 13:03
  SPEAKER_01: You're just gonna move, uh uh.
• 13:07
  SPEAKER_01: You know, so that was a little funny.
• 13:10
  SPEAKER_01: Um, and it didn't necessarily, you know, Drexel has really strong like internship programs, or like they're gonna kind of funnel you into a job more or less through their programs and what they do.
• 13:24
  SPEAKER_01: That didn't really seem like a thing um over there as much.
• 13:30
  SPEAKER_01: Um, but I I've never, but I will say one thing about me, I've never minded getting my hands dirty.
• 13:37
  SPEAKER_01: And I and I think in life that served me well, because there's a lot of people that'll be like, oh my god, that looks like so much work.
• 13:45
  SPEAKER_01: Um, you know, people online joke about uh you might have seen the it on TikTok, but it's kind of like, do you have the how hard could it be, Gene?
• 13:53
  SPEAKER_01: That's me all day.
• 13:55
  SPEAKER_01: I'm sitting there like, so so that's another thing.
• 13:58
  SPEAKER_01: When I signed up for fashion school, I did not know how to sell.
• 14:03
  SPEAKER_01: Whoa.
• 14:04
  SPEAKER_01: So that means I learned everything on the fly, but I still passed everything.
• 14:10
  SPEAKER_01: I never failed a class, I still passed everything.
• 14:14
  unknown: Wow.
• 14:15
  SPEAKER_01: So I I so the first semester for me was a little bit touch and go because again, I didn't know what the hell I was doing yet.
• 14:22
  SPEAKER_01: Second semester, I got more into it.
• 14:27
  SPEAKER_01: I figured out more about how patterns worked, um, so on and so forth.
• 14:34
  SPEAKER_01: And then I became more of like an independent sewer.
• 14:39
  SPEAKER_01: Um, by the time I was like in senior year, then I was just like, okay, cut the shit.
• 14:43
  SPEAKER_01: All right, I know how you want it.
• 14:45
  SPEAKER_01: All right, I'm gonna have this dress.
• 14:46
  SPEAKER_01: You you get what I mean.
• 14:47
  SPEAKER_01: You was just more proficient in it because it's like, I know what teachers want, um, I know how that dress is gonna kind of hang, you know, I know what fabric to get.
• 14:57
  SPEAKER_01: So senior year was definitely a lot more enjoyable, and so was probably the latter parts of say junior year, but sophomore year was a little bit tough for me, uh getting getting acclimated, if you will.
• 15:15
  SPEAKER_01: Oh my god.
• 15:16
  SPEAKER_01: But I I hung on.
• 15:18
  SPEAKER_01: I I had that, I I just knew that it was, if that makes sense.
• 15:25
  SPEAKER_01: I had, and I mean, I I mean, I was really, but I mean, I when I say my prayer life at that time was incredible, I mean it.
• 15:38
  SPEAKER_01: So every Friday the school would have chapel, and I would all, I would be there.
• 15:43
  SPEAKER_01: I'd be like, Lord, get me through this test, get me through this thing, you know, how how the hell am I gonna pay for all this stuff?
• 15:48
  SPEAKER_01: Get get me the supplies, Lord, help me, help me do the thing, you know.
• 15:52
  SPEAKER_01: So when I say my prayer life was, you know, and so also there is a prayer community of a lot of the college students that um were around.
• 16:05
  SPEAKER_01: So we would always have Bible study together.
• 16:08
  SPEAKER_01: Um, we would always have different events that we would go to together.
• 16:12
  SPEAKER_01: So I think my faith really brought me um through that to a whole nother level.
• 16:20
  SPEAKER_01: Because truly, that does not make sense for somebody to say, okay, I've never really did this before.
• 16:27
  SPEAKER_01: I'm gonna put everything on the line for it.
• 16:30
  SPEAKER_01: Here we go.
• 16:31
  SPEAKER_01: So, you know, you have to, you have to have some kind of faith because the in in the regular world that doesn't make sense.
• 16:39
  SPEAKER_01: But I when I would say I would pray, there was one night where I I knew I had a lot of work to do, and I was just kind of a little bit under the gun, a little bit of project wrong way, if you will.
• 16:50
  SPEAKER_01: I did something to myself where I was like, I kept singing the same hymn over and over because I was trying to stay awake.
• 16:57
  SPEAKER_01: And I put myself into kind of like not a trance, sort of, but I don't know how to explain.
• 17:03
  SPEAKER_01: But it was like a high-level meditative state that I put myself in.
• 17:08
  SPEAKER_01: I put the blinders on, and then when the morning came, I was finished my project, I got dressed, woke up to school on time, and handed this thing in, and it was gorgeous.
• 17:17
  SPEAKER_02: Wow.
• 17:18
  SPEAKER_02: Oh my gosh, that's so much.
• 17:20
  SPEAKER_02: And I'm like, I'm like, what do we unpack first?
• 17:23
  SPEAKER_02: First of all, I the the word that was coming to me when you were talking about all that was faith.
• 17:28
  SPEAKER_02: You you had this faith that it was gonna work out, and I mean, that is so darn brave and courageous to say, um, I'm going and I'm gonna figure it out and I'm gonna prove it.
• 17:41
  SPEAKER_01: And I mean, truly, truly, nobody could stop me.
• 17:45
  SPEAKER_01: Nobody could stop me.
• 17:46
  SPEAKER_01: Even if I didn't have the money, I was gonna work it, I was gonna find it, I was gonna do like like it was just it was on me.
• 17:56
  SPEAKER_01: Um, it was, it was, it was in me.
• 17:58
  SPEAKER_01: You know what I mean?
• 17:58
  SPEAKER_01: It was it was in me to do it.
• 18:00
  SPEAKER_01: And I and I connected with that and I felt it.
• 18:04
  SPEAKER_01: Um, because like I said, I had a rough time kind of that first semester, and one of the teachers pulled me aside and she's like, Do you like she's like you're gonna have to fight for it a little bit?
• 18:14
  SPEAKER_01: She's like, Do you really want to be here?
• 18:16
  SPEAKER_01: And I was like, I want, and I was like, I want it so bad.
• 18:21
  SPEAKER_01: I want it so bad, I want it like as much as I'm breathing, I want it that bad.
• 18:26
  SPEAKER_01: She's like, all right.
• 18:27
  SPEAKER_01: So she helped me out because she was like, you know, and I remember coming into sort of the end of sort of that turmoil that was going on.
• 18:37
  SPEAKER_01: This girl, she was in the studio a lot.
• 18:39
  SPEAKER_01: She was like, no, she was like, she looked at me and she was like, you're gonna make it.
• 18:44
  SPEAKER_01: She was like, you're she was like, you're gonna make it.
• 18:47
  SPEAKER_01: She was like, you're in here a lot.
• 18:49
  SPEAKER_01: That's that's one, because a lot of people they get into it and it's like you need any type of artist.
• 18:56
  SPEAKER_01: It's like, when are you putting your hours into the studio?
• 19:00
  SPEAKER_01: When are you putting your hours into practicing this thing and making it really into something?
• 19:06
  SPEAKER_01: You know, so I so she saw me and she was like, I can tell you're motivated, you're serious, you're putting your hours in, you're doing everything that I was so in the natural, I was doing everything I was supposed to do.
• 19:21
  SPEAKER_01: I was being a good student, I was um having, you know, every all my assignments were planned out, you know, if you will.
• 19:28
  SPEAKER_01: But on the supernatural, I was also praying.
• 19:30
  SPEAKER_01: Meaning every Friday, I would get in that room and I and I would be praying.
• 19:35
  SPEAKER_01: And sometimes if I had to get on the floor and wail and scream or do whatever, because I felt the presence come over me.
• 19:44
  SPEAKER_01: So we would be in chapel for a couple hours just letting this spirit fall, if you will.
• 19:50
  SPEAKER_01: Like I said, if you you know, if you believe anything, like I said, the Christian, you know, Christians say, you know, it was holy fire or it was the Holy Spirit.
• 19:59
  SPEAKER_01: So we would be in chapel all night long, just being like, okay, you know, if you wanna, like we're inviting you in, if you'd like to, you know, descend upon us, um, fine, fine.
• 20:13
  SPEAKER_01: Like we're we're here for it.
• 20:15
  SPEAKER_01: We we would love, we love you, and we don't mind your presence, we don't mind your visitation, you know.
• 20:21
  SPEAKER_01: But there, but there were certain songs, but during that experience, there were certain songs that got me through it, right?
• 20:29
  SPEAKER_01: Like if you have a lot of work to do, you know you're gonna be up all night.
• 20:32
  SPEAKER_01: So, really, I was chanting the hymns the whole time.
• 20:36
  SPEAKER_02: I love that.
• 20:37
  SPEAKER_01: That's right, and it and it makes sense because you're sitting there, um, after a certain point, you're alone, you're trying to put something together.
• 20:50
  SPEAKER_01: Um, and yeah, but yet to for me, you know, God, God did his thing all my life.
• 20:58
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah.
• 20:59
  SPEAKER_01: Straight up, because that was crazy.
• 21:01
  SPEAKER_01: I don't, but again, but it it does help.
• 21:03
  SPEAKER_01: I was young back then, I was super motivated.
• 21:07
  SPEAKER_01: All the teachers knew that.
• 21:08
  SPEAKER_01: That's why they kept me there.
• 21:09
  SPEAKER_01: That's why they're like, she's motivated.
• 21:12
  SPEAKER_01: They're like, you they're like, Yeah, it was like you just you just could not, you couldn't beat me.
• 21:19
  SPEAKER_01: You just you just couldn't.
• 21:21
  SPEAKER_01: It just you couldn't turn it off.
• 21:23
  SPEAKER_01: I was very passionate, you know, about it.
• 21:26
  SPEAKER_01: And yeah, I like I said, I'm a fashion design graduate, and there's very few people that can say that they are.
• 21:36
  SPEAKER_02: It sounds like you just have this very tenacious spirit.
• 21:41
  SPEAKER_02: Is that something you had as a child?
• 21:45
  SPEAKER_02: That is a good question.
• 21:47
  SPEAKER_01: Um, you know, my childhood, I had a very pretty good normal upbringing.
• 21:56
  SPEAKER_01: I don't feel like that all came out at once, sort of.
• 22:01
  SPEAKER_01: I feel like my childhood, looking back to connect the pieces, was sort of the training ground, right?
• 22:08
  SPEAKER_01: Where I'm meeting um the professionals that are in their field, right?
• 22:13
  SPEAKER_01: I'm meeting people that I see working on these things, and somehow miraculously I'm being invited to to be involved or to come to a show.
• 22:25
  SPEAKER_01: You you you get what I mean that somehow there's just these things that are just like uh it's just very unexplainable to me.
• 22:36
  SPEAKER_01: And then it's sense that only you know only God can orchestrate only universe can can put you just into you know into that succession where that you have access to you know people like that yeah I love that so let's talk more about the music industry because obviously you were you were inspired um you were into singing so when did you start to enter into the music industry not just being a singer in choirs but really being right into the other side the other side kind of yeah so when I was in school and I was a junior um what I started to do was I would sort of go to like these so I was a transfer student just to put that kind of out there some people will really know what I'm saying when I see that but in a sense that I wasn't connected with what was going on on campus other than taking my my my classes if you will so that meant that I had to develop some sort of social life outside of because right when you're in college it's like you're in a bubble it's like you live in this fishbowl bubble where there's drama and people are breaking up and getting together there's parties right you kind of live in a fishbowl in high school in your college years.
• 24:14
  SPEAKER_01: So because I was a transfer that meant that I came in as a level either three student meaning like I'm not gonna say people are jealous of you but they know like like my school was not a party school meaning if you got acceptance into a level three and you were like a design person people know that was not an easy thing for you to get like I had to test into um so so many it's it's a process.
• 24:49
  SPEAKER_01: So by proxy people are like okay like I don't even have to look at her work she's probably just pretty good she's or she's at least very intelligent or like some something people know you have something for you to be sitting in that chair in that class.
• 25:04
  SPEAKER_01: You just you just have to um but my point is is that I was disconnected from the general happenings the fish bowl I didn't really go to games.
• 25:15
  SPEAKER_01: Now I wasn't a recluse I wasn't an unfriendly person but I can tell you there were very few college parties that I went to so what I ended up doing was I ended up finding sort of like this underground like metal situation and kind of these underground music situations.
• 25:36
  SPEAKER_01: I'll put it like that.
• 25:37
  SPEAKER_01: So I was a junior that I was going off campus, um going kind of into Philly into the more gritty you know things.
• 25:46
  SPEAKER_01: So back then people that are from my area will kind of know it more.
• 25:52
  SPEAKER_01: So that was sort of where I was discovering that people were down at what's called voltage lounge.
• 26:00
  SPEAKER_01: So voltage lounge for those of for anybody that's not from Philly that was kind of like the spot where if you were like an alternative band or if you were like you know remnants of people that were kind of in the emo lifestyle or what have you or um like the hardcore punk stuff that's sort of where that activity was sort of algemizing or you get what I'm saying that's where the concentration I said oh wow you know I I don't know but I mean so I you know do my hair I put on a leather jacket and I you know go down there.
• 26:39
  SPEAKER_00: I love that I love that so much.
• 26:41
  SPEAKER_01: And and you know start talking to people and have a ball and then after a while you know you keep going down there and then people are I'm not gonna say it's like cheers because it's nothing like that.
• 26:51
  SPEAKER_01: It it's absolutely not but you get that energy of kind of like all right oh yeah it's so-and-so hey you know what you start to develop um I didn't I didn't know what I was doing until seeing it now but it's like I was basically developing um a relationship with my local scene and sort of didn't know that that's what that is if you will so when you go to a lot of concerts the truth is just you build up you know a network there that's just so um so in some ways and there's like I'm still I'm not unfriendly with anyone from college but we certainly don't speak a lot um but so there were like these underground vloggers and you know people and photographers so those were sort of some of the people I gravitated towards at that time and then you know just just my life I I I've always like I've always had a friend that was in a band just you know just put just putting that out there I I've always like just known you know musicians.
• 28:07
  SPEAKER_02: I don't know if it's just my energy I don't know if it's just the places that I gravitated towards being hanging around at but like I've always known somebody that did music or was in a band or like you said it could be it could be a little bit of both meaning because you know it's kind of like oh I want to see more pink balloons okay well if you believe in it and you want to see them somehow you will end up seeing that thing you know I mean you you kind of you know what I mean it's it's kind of like you you start to bring that about I mean that's so cool because you almost organically found yourself in the scene and and you it wasn't like you said I'm gonna I'm gonna go find it you just you found it but not with with like let me go get this you just no exactly it was very so one of the things that so like I said I've lived my entire life I've always been around either a musician or creative but one of the things I was always taught um and that could be the cool thing one of the things I was always taught is that you don't don't try to be famous right because that person is probably the most annoying person in the room and meaning that you know when you do interact with celebrities or people that are in a position they're like you know like I said everybody is trying to take um you know a lot of the time and you have to when you fix that right and you say hey what can I give what can I contribute you know your life grows you're better for it you know what can I um you know maybe try to help this person with you know because I think I think a lot of people have just become just rather selfish for for no reason yeah I think that's such a great point Devin and I I love what you just said there and that coming from a place of contribution how do I serve how do I contribute and you know I don't necessarily think that most people when they think about service and contribution they don't automatically go to the arts unless they're they are in the arts in some way shape or form or they are connected to someone who's in the arts that that is a huge contribution and that you know it does require a lot of giving and you can't always expect the receipt so I love that you said that you can't set out and say I'm gonna be famous.
• 31:07
  SPEAKER_01: I mean people who set out to be famous are are people like you know uh Ted Bundy and and I mean I'll say this you know John Mayer you know he did know that he was going to be famous um so he got accepted to Berkeley um and he actually quit music school because he started writing his first album he was pretty much like I don't he had this feeling I don't need to be here I already kind of know what I'm doing.
• 31:38
  SPEAKER_01: And he pulled himself out of school and sure enough as the story is everything worked out for him but he knew that he was going to be famous.
• 31:48
  SPEAKER_01: Now I didn't necessarily have any of that as much as people have interjected themselves into my life and spoke prophecy over me that somehow that's gonna manifest and in some ways it already has and I'm just you know living on the other side of that um so yeah yeah that's really interesting and I I've had a I've had a crazy little magical life I must I must say I'm like I'm sitting there like does this is this happening for everybody else or am I just like hooked up to something different you know I'm like oh god yeah yeah I'm I'm wondering too you seem to have a a sense of wonder about the world you have that capacity I can see but I can also see that you know like when you were talking about going to college you you weren't thinking about like the party scene and stuff like you were legitimately going there for the trade that you wanted to learn and willing to do whatever you could and then the things that you're experiencing like you said like organically finding the scene and and finding maybe even some belonging in that scene um with the music and the different people and connecting and creating a network without even the intention that it seems like your approach to life is to be open and expecting miracles and wonder but not in an expectation sense of this better happen but like I think something amazing is gonna happen today.
• 34:54
  SPEAKER_02: Right and I've seen I've seen the miracle show up you know it's like it it's just it's crazy it's it's a crazy life that that I'm living you know yeah but I think the way that you have really approached it and found joy and not seemingly attached to like it's only gonna be exciting if it's this right because I think people do that a lot and you're cutting yourself off at your knees.
• 35:33
  SPEAKER_01: Because look at um I don't know how much you know about the singer um the woman that sings running up that hill so because so that song was it's it's gotta be like 20 or 30 years old or whatever.
• 35:47
  SPEAKER_01: That song actually had a resurgence because Netflix Stranger Things and the pandemic so that actually that song actually charted all over again.
• 35:57
  SPEAKER_01: That look that woman didn't expect nothing from that I'm sure she was like she she Stephen said I'm just as shocked as y'all thank you so so you we none of us have any idea of the steps that we're taking um where that could be leading us towards and even now even right now I'm still like I don't know what's gonna happen next but oh my gosh I'm just I'm all in like you know I love that and it I we didn't start with this but I'll interject it now but Devin and I met at an open mic in Brooklyn back in the fall I can't even remember maybe October like 2024 is a little bit all blended together for me at this it kind of is it's just like so it is um I got up on a stage for the first time in my life uh to share that was your first one that was your first time on stage I didn't I thought you had just been I didn't know I did not know I will say I have been on the stage I've done like theater like I was a theater kid like you and and theater in college and stuff.
• 37:13
  SPEAKER_02: Those were my people that's where I belonged singing and acting and all that um while I was going for my degree in occupational therapy but um I had never shared my poetry standing up on a stage in front of an audience aside from like doing like I said I did a lot of mic open mic kind of stuff virtually during COVID.
• 37:37
  SPEAKER_02: That's when I really started sharing my poetry again.
• 37:39
  SPEAKER_02: But interestingly enough I shared my poetry a lot in college I had friends that were really into poetry and like I have a whole book somewhere in my world.
• 37:49
  SPEAKER_02: So y'all were doing like a jam like a like just like out on the lawn like we'd all bring our nice like it was just like an impromptu thing.
• 37:58
  SPEAKER_02: It wasn't anything formal and like life happened after college and I forgot that that was a tool that I use like my poetry is very much like about rating myself through what's happening and and having it be a healing journey.
• 38:15
  SPEAKER_02: That's awesome.
• 38:16
  SPEAKER_02: And when it came back to me I was like I totally forgot that this was a tool I could use and it's probably one of my favorite ones.
• 38:23
  SPEAKER_02: So um that was my first time getting up on a stage like that and certainly like a completely a room aside from my friend Kiana who came with me a room full of people I'd never met before but it was such a cool experience.
• 38:39
  SPEAKER_02: And I introduced myself and you know said hey of this podcast.
• 38:44
  SPEAKER_02: And I remember you reached out to me like took down the information found me reached out to me and you were like hey I want to talk to you tell me more about your podcast and I was like this is so cool to me that somebody like A remembered what I was talking about B like took the extra step to find me and connect with me and you were like yeah I want to talk to you all about this let's talk about you know podcasting I there's not many people who will do that Devin so I know from my own experience with you that most people would not take the time in all those steps of of right right connecting with someone would have been like this is a lot of this is a lot of work right it's not I mean it's not super hard to find people no but I I know what you mean but I I do feel like people are just of we're we're in a moment in time and I think I think the bubble will burst on people um but we're in a moment of time where people are just very selfish and they just they just like you said they don't want to take the extra step but it's like again you know I was telling somebody I said baby you got to give to get like sometimes you have to give to get what you need you know what I mean you know yeah I I completely agree I think being a giving person and not in a like people pleasing kind of unhealthy self unboundied way but being willing to to give to extend to reach out to try to make real true connections you said this earlier in the podcast you said you're always meeting really cool people and that doesn't surprise me about you because I think you have the energy that attracts those kind of people to you that people are are open to you and you know by the the time that you were able to perform unfortunately it's kind of how it happens in the events when when when there's somebody who's headlining and they bring all their people to the right to like take all their people and go.
• 40:58
  SPEAKER_01: So there wasn't a whole lot of us there but I really enjoyed your set I enjoyed your music and um thank you yeah I know it wasn't a lot of people left I know he yay yay he had me go kind of but that's that's all right that's all right you know some but I have to say you know people even though there was not a lot of people physically present I will say people were very impressed um that I had basically made my way to New York and was doing something you know whether it was a big thing or not people still gave me a lot of like okay like she's serious you know well we could I can tell from from all that you've you've said all the things that you have really charged your way through with with faith and some fire and a willingness to do the work I mean I think this this formula is kind of what works and it's yeah what makes life sustainable.
• 42:05
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah because really you know all this stuff it's too hard you know sometimes I think you have to be brave enough to let down that wall and say God I can't do it all on my own this is and this was life was never made for you to do it all on your own.
• 42:25
  SPEAKER_01: And it took me a minute like I'm like I'm tough you know I relearned how to walk in this lifetime like there's a certain thing that like if you sort of overcome adverse circumstances there's a what people don't tell you is is that people like this generation like talk about oh I'm trauma I'm traumatized I'm this I'm that what did what people don't tell you is if you really come through the fire there's a gift waiting for you on the other side of it and a lot of that is that you're going to be self-actualized by the time it's done.
• 43:03
  SPEAKER_01: That's what people don't tell you.
• 43:05
  SPEAKER_01: So if you can sort of I'm not saying forget how difficult it was and so on but if you can be that that you can control your mind and that you're not dwelling on all how horrible all these things were and that you can get to the part where it's like yeah but I I got tough because of it.
• 43:28
  SPEAKER_02: You know and that's a reality you know like I said when my physical body was broken down I was you know what I always told myself I said there's nothing wrong with my mind I always always told myself that I said yes this thing or I I'm this way or whatever I said there's nothing wrong with my mind and that's and that's so that's so and you can't you can't forget you can't forget that while you're in the quote battle you know because I think a lot of people you know lose themselves as the pressure is turning up you know yeah absolutely well you're talking about resilience you're talking about maybe a little bit of gratitude in the moment like yes this is not working right now but let's let's keep track of what is and not not lose that moment of appreciation like you said my mind is working right you know run through that list and I I tend to agree with you about you know if you've been through a real hard time that like it it is very likely that you're gonna come on the other side if you can stick with it have faith and keep moving forward there's gonna be some self-actualization happening yeah yes and for me I'm someone that like I feel like I've probably self-actualized three or four different times at this point because that's the thing right once you tap it the one time then it's sort of like I know how to get back there.
• 45:06
  SPEAKER_01: So it's almost like it's almost infinite right it's like because I did it once okay I took myself there a second time now it's kind of like you just it's like you can almost stay there if you want to now I don't just for practical reasons it's like I don't need to um put myself in a high level trance and just like be you know wooed out so much that that would just take me you know in a in a different way but you you know what I mean.
• 45:34
  SPEAKER_02: No I totally I I think what I'm understanding too is that when you get into these states of high discomfort like you're way out of your comfort zone like you get that choice of this can take me down or I can use this to be something new, different better stronger faster whatever You want to use to describe it, but that you it's like a baptism of fire, like you go through the fire and you come through it on the other side, and you're like, uh I'm gonna be better, I'm gonna grow through this after I go through it, and that's a choice, that's 100% a choice.
• 46:19
  SPEAKER_02: Um, I can say because I've for sure been through at least two or three times of like the major, yeah.
• 46:27
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah, and you start to be like, I've done that before.
• 46:31
  SPEAKER_02: I know, I know how to work this this piece.
• 46:34
  SPEAKER_02: Work this thing.
• 46:36
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah.
• 46:36
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah.
• 46:37
  SPEAKER_02: I think that's helpful because if if there's somebody listening who can relate to that, being in a real trial in their life, and it's feeling like there's there's not a lot to be grateful for, like their body giving up, or even their mind not working the way they want it, or whatever it is, but being able to say, but I got this, and I'm gonna take this, and this is gonna fuel me forward.
• 47:04
  SPEAKER_02: Um, so I'm so thankful for you for sharing uh part of your journey and your story.
• 47:11
  SPEAKER_02: And I would love for you to share where people can see you if you're performing, what you've got coming on uh or coming up, and also where can they connect with you?
• 47:24
  SPEAKER_01: Absolutely.
• 47:26
  SPEAKER_01: Um I'm on Instagram daily, so Devin Love Music um is where I reside or where you could probably find me hanging out if you want to chit-chit and all that um good stuff.
• 47:43
  SPEAKER_01: Um I'm starting to like now that TikTok isn't banned, I'm probably gonna have to get back with my you know, getting I'll probably have to get back with that now.
• 47:56
  SPEAKER_01: But I definitely stopped for a minute because I'm like, if we're getting banned, there's no point in me, you know, posting anything on this.
• 48:06
  SPEAKER_01: You know what I mean?
• 48:07
  SPEAKER_01: So that was up in the air.
• 48:09
  SPEAKER_01: Okay.
• 48:09
  SPEAKER_01: Then it got shut off to get shut on.
• 48:13
  SPEAKER_01: Um and I will just have to update you.
• 48:16
  SPEAKER_01: I I am due for another show.
• 48:19
  SPEAKER_01: I just don't have the deets for you at this moment.
• 48:23
  SPEAKER_01: I was supposed to be in two shows.
• 48:25
  SPEAKER_01: Um so things, things are a brewing, things are uh happening.
• 48:30
  SPEAKER_01: Um, I have an EP that will be out this year.
• 48:33
  unknown: Okay.
• 48:34
  SPEAKER_01: Um, it's not available yet.
• 48:36
  SPEAKER_01: A couple people, I've leaked it to a few friends or family.
• 48:42
  SPEAKER_01: Um, so yeah, it's it's all in the works.
• 48:45
  SPEAKER_01: So I I may have to be an emailer to you.
• 48:49
  SPEAKER_02: Totally.
• 48:49
  SPEAKER_02: Uh I'm gonna say um for anybody that's listening, um, we'll make sure that we put your Instagram handle because I know they can they can catch you on Instagram, go to your bio and find all of the latest.
• 49:02
  SPEAKER_02: But certainly I hope that you're going to at the very least follow Devin so you can check out more of her journey and the things that she's up to.
• 49:10
  SPEAKER_02: Um, and hop over to TikTok when she gets busy on there again.
• 49:13
  SPEAKER_02: I know this this world is a little crazy.
• 49:16
  SPEAKER_02: It's two bananas.
• 49:17
  SPEAKER_02: It's happening.
• 49:19
  SPEAKER_01: It's like too much social media, and like sometimes I can be like a very energetic or I can even be like on the hyperactive end of stuff.
• 49:29
  SPEAKER_01: So, like, this should like normally I'm like, woohoo! You know, legs, you know, go crazy.
• 49:34
  SPEAKER_01: And I'm just like, no, this is like too much social media.
• 49:38
  SPEAKER_01: Um, so for me, I'm finding like, let me just pick like two socials that I want to plant content for, and then maybe rotate them later.
• 49:50
  SPEAKER_01: I feel because I can't, I can't be on everything.
• 49:54
  SPEAKER_01: I really can't.
• 49:55
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah.
• 49:56
  SPEAKER_02: I totally feel it.
• 49:57
  SPEAKER_02: I feel you.
• 49:58
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah.
• 49:59
  SPEAKER_02: Um, Devin and I are also connected on LinkedIn.
• 50:04
  SPEAKER_02: Um, so if you're looking to connect with Devin from a more business perspective, that's a good place to go because I'm there.
• 50:12
  SPEAKER_02: I'm there.
• 50:13
  SPEAKER_02: I'm on.
• 50:14
  SPEAKER_02: There are so many cool people on LinkedIn.
• 50:17
  SPEAKER_02: I had no idea.
• 50:17
  SPEAKER_02: I've been on LinkedIn, but I really got active on LinkedIn in the past year.
• 50:23
  SPEAKER_02: Right.
• 50:24
  SPEAKER_02: Meeting the coolest people.
• 50:26
  SPEAKER_02: And like, and what's cool is like I I can interact with Devin on her page, and then I get to see all these cool people that Devin is connected.
• 50:36
  SPEAKER_02: I mean, I know it's like social media, but it's like the beginning of Facebook.
• 50:41
  SPEAKER_02: Like when we started on Facebook, and it was just really cool to connect with people before it got to be whatever it is.
• 50:48
  SPEAKER_01: Right.
• 50:49
  SPEAKER_01: Well, you know what?
• 50:50
  SPEAKER_01: The nice part about LinkedIn is that it's it's not political, right?
• 50:53
  SPEAKER_01: Because it's about we're trying the whole premise is we're trying to find a job.
• 50:58
  SPEAKER_01: It's about work, right?
• 51:00
  SPEAKER_01: Right.
• 51:00
  SPEAKER_01: So people are keeping it, you know, so it's cool, right?
• 51:03
  SPEAKER_01: To just see, to not have to hear political opinions, not have to hear about religious things on there.
• 51:10
  SPEAKER_01: It's just more so of a work-focused um thing with maybe a couple stories and photos.
• 51:16
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah, yeah.
• 51:17
  SPEAKER_02: Totally.
• 51:17
  SPEAKER_02: And I I like it because um, as an entrepreneur, like there's a lot of entrepreneurs on there, like for all different kinds of companies at various stages and phases.
• 51:30
  SPEAKER_02: But there is a lot of giving on LinkedIn, like people sharing really helpful content if you're um an entrepreneur, even if you're somebody who works for a company or runs a company, there's so much capacity for learning.
• 51:47
  SPEAKER_02: So it's almost like you can scroll through and it's like doing mini continuing education um moments.
• 51:55
  SPEAKER_01: It is, it's very, very educational, I must say.
• 51:59
  SPEAKER_01: It is.
• 52:00
  SPEAKER_01: And I I appreciate that.
• 52:01
  SPEAKER_01: And it's so much it's that I never feel like on LinkedIn that I did a Doom scroll, which is good.
• 52:08
  SPEAKER_02: No, because you can only do so much.
• 52:11
  SPEAKER_02: You're kind of yeah, I mean, I could do maybe five minutes, you know, and and seeing the people that I I know in real life and connect with um to see what they're up to.
• 52:22
  SPEAKER_02: But I don't I don't find that it creates this, like I could just go on and on and on and on.
• 52:28
  SPEAKER_01: Like you it's not, it's like it's over in a good, I would say maybe like on there.
• 52:33
  SPEAKER_01: I'm I'm never like my TikTok is set up so that after 30 minutes, it'll go to a landing page and it'll say, You've spent 30 minutes.
• 52:43
  SPEAKER_01: Like, do you want to stop?
• 52:44
  SPEAKER_00: Wow.
• 52:45
  SPEAKER_01: So I have it on there so that if to sort of prevent now, sometimes I might go back on there anyway.
• 52:52
  SPEAKER_01: I just keep it keep it open.
• 52:53
  SPEAKER_01: I know.
• 52:54
  SPEAKER_01: But but again, my timer is set, 30 minutes, whatever.
• 52:59
  SPEAKER_01: Because you're really not, you know, none of us need to be on these things all day.
• 53:04
  SPEAKER_01: We don't.
• 53:05
  SPEAKER_02: I love that you do that.
• 53:06
  SPEAKER_02: That is a that is a very uh smart idea.
• 53:09
  SPEAKER_02: I might have to copy.
• 53:11
  SPEAKER_02: Um anyway, I am I'm so grateful to talk to you, Devin.
• 53:16
  SPEAKER_02: I love communicating with you on LinkedIn when we same to you.
• 53:21
  SPEAKER_02: It's kind of like it's kind of like we're going like and hanging out in a networking event with the cool people.
• 53:26
  SPEAKER_02: We're like curious about working and moving forward in life.
• 53:30
  SPEAKER_02: So it's fun when we bump into each other and we're like how much time.
• 53:34
  SPEAKER_01: So yeah, but definitely, you know, I'll I mean it it's a bit cold out right now, but I do want to come back to Brooklyn, you know, let's have a chat and chew, you know, if you yeah, it's I mean, I don't even live in Brooklyn, funny enough.
• 53:52
  SPEAKER_02: My I I traveled for that show.
• 53:55
  SPEAKER_02: I live in Oh, right.
• 53:56
  SPEAKER_01: You told me you were in the car.
• 53:58
  SPEAKER_02: Right to my friends on Staten Island and she drove us into Brooklyn.
• 54:03
  SPEAKER_02: So um I I was sort of over the river and through the woods like you were for the show, funny enough.
• 54:09
  SPEAKER_01: So I don't mind, I wouldn't mind Long Island, if you will.
• 54:13
  SPEAKER_02: That sounds nice at a good restaurant in the summer.
• 54:16
  SPEAKER_02: We're gonna pick something out, or I might even come down to Philly because I do love Philly.
• 54:20
  SPEAKER_01: Okay, yeah, girl, yeah, girl, hit me up.
• 54:23
  SPEAKER_01: If you know, if you know, I'll definitely I could definitely give you the 411.
• 54:28
  SPEAKER_01: There's so many new restaurants, it's like, whoa, what to do?
• 54:34
  SPEAKER_01: You know, yeah.
• 54:35
  SPEAKER_02: If you're if you're listening, and I mean I have listeners all over the place, but if you've never been to Philly, first of all, you gotta go.
• 54:43
  SPEAKER_02: Second of all, Philly's food scene is ridiculous.
• 54:47
  SPEAKER_01: Like it's ridiculous, like so good.
• 54:49
  SPEAKER_01: I there's there's so many new things that are happening that I'm just like, I can't keep up, you know.
• 54:57
  SPEAKER_02: Totally.
• 54:58
  SPEAKER_02: Well, listener, I'm gonna let you go here, and Devin and I are gonna make our springtime plans to meet for food.
• 55:05
  SPEAKER_02: Um, and I'm I'm drooling.
• 55:10
  SPEAKER_00: We're ready.
• 55:10
  SPEAKER_01: Listen, I'm ready for a poetry slam.
• 55:13
  SPEAKER_01: Um, somebody's I'm imagining drink somewhere.
• 55:18
  SPEAKER_01: Um, you know, maybe somebody will get your girl playing guitar again.
• 55:23
  SPEAKER_01: I love it.
• 55:23
  SPEAKER_01: I don't know.
• 55:24
  SPEAKER_01: Lawn.
• 55:25
  SPEAKER_01: I'm thinking a little bit of Shakespeare vibes, ladies, ladies wearing white.
• 55:31
  SPEAKER_02: I love this.
• 55:32
  SPEAKER_02: I love this.
• 55:34
  SPEAKER_02: Oh, we're planning this all, and Devin and I will let you know because you're all invited as well.
• 55:38
  SPEAKER_00: We'll think of you.
• 55:42
  SPEAKER_01: Wherever.
• 55:43
  SPEAKER_00: Um, I I can get with the program.
• 55:46
  SPEAKER_00: You just let me know, you know.
• 55:49
  SPEAKER_02: Perfect.
• 55:50
  SPEAKER_02: Perfect.
• 55:51
  SPEAKER_02: All right, everyone.
• 55:52
  SPEAKER_02: Thank you for being here.
• 55:54
  SPEAKER_02: Thank you for listening, and especially thank you to Devin for being here and being an excellent guest.
• 55:59
  SPEAKER_02: And we'll see you next time.
• 56:00
  SPEAKER_02: Bye for now.
• 56:01
  SPEAKER_02: Thank you so much for having me on.
• 56:04
  SPEAKER_02: You got it.