Debut Album Fund!
Donation protected
Hey music lovers! My name is Diva. It's my real name, not a nickname! I am a Lebanese-American singer and songwriter. Specifically, I'm into blues, blues rock, (all kinds of) rock, and a little bit of soul.
I was born in the US, but have lived most of my life in Lebanon (not Georgia, the Middle East). Music has been an integral part of me since I could speak; I was fortunate enough to have been born into a very musically diverse family. I play the piano, and have been writing since I was 14. I moved to Montreal late in 2012 to pursue my studies in medical science (that's right, I made it all the way through eight years of university, right up to a third of a PhD!) and while I was there, I had some sort of epiphany. I'd gotten to a point in my life where I realized the importance of pursuing your true passion and being happy with your choices. I decided it was time to fully dedicate myself to music, which I had done as a side thing my whole life. I stuck around there for a while educating myself, writing, recording; but within a year, packed my bags and like millions before me, moved to LA to pursue my ambitions.
So here I am a year and some later. For the first time in my life, I am ready to share my writings and music with the world. It's been and still is an amazing journey! Composing, jamming, brainstorming, surviving writer's block, networking, finding the right musicians to work with, booking studios, managing social media (which I unfortunately don't always have the patience for), self-promoting (as of yet, I have no representation/agent/manager) that's a lot of work. More than some people realize. I am more than happy to push through it all, especially with the support of my amazing family and good friends. The ONLY thing stopping me from getting my album out is finances. I have been unemployed for quite a while now despite my efforts, and between all of the above and making ends meet, I need all the help I can get. That's where you come in!
I've actually already started recording my debut album, but haven't made it far due to financial limitations. I also have a clear plan as to how to get where I want to be (signed to a certain label I won't name, and songwriting for myself and other people). There's a long way to go though, and baby steps include funding. In order to get my material out, I gotta have it recorded first! That includes studio time, paying my musician friends for their contribution, time and patience, paying engineers for mixing and mastering, copyrighting, and eventually printing out copies to shop around and promote. Ideally, I would like to get this done in the next 3-5 months, so that by the end of 2016, I will have accomplished one of my life goals, which is to put out an album of quality music and share my thoughts and feelings with whoever's willing to listen. The next goal would be to make this my career. Not so much for the fame, but because I feel I have something to say.
I've risked and sacrificed a lot to get to this point, and I still believe it's all worth it. Nothing makes me happier than to know I've moved someone with a performance; that I am able to connect to a crowd and convey emotions, and transport them into a different world if only for a little while. I know that for me, music has been the greatest healer my whole life, and my most faithful companion. I'd love the chance to try and pass that on, even if it is to a precious few. I'd also love the chance to grow artistically, because I'm an insatiable learner and truly believe that progress is a perpetual process; one should never stop learning and challenging themselves, because that's when you stop growing.
Any contribution would mean so much to me, no matter how little. If you believe in pursuing your dreams, then this album will be for you. If you believe in the power of music, then this album will be for you. If anything I have written here has reverberated within you, then this album will be for you. So thank you. I promise to deliver the best I can based on my humble life experiences. I can only hope that you will find something in there that speaks to you, that makes you think hey, I gotta play this to my friend, or oh wow, I can totally relate to this, or better yet, this is good music, I should buy her album.
Lots of love and gratitude!
~Diva
PS. Here you can find some home acoustic recordings of random covers :)
And here's a guest performance at a fundraising gig I was happy to take part in; I'm covering a song by one of my favorite artists, the late great Amy Winehouse :)
I was born in the US, but have lived most of my life in Lebanon (not Georgia, the Middle East). Music has been an integral part of me since I could speak; I was fortunate enough to have been born into a very musically diverse family. I play the piano, and have been writing since I was 14. I moved to Montreal late in 2012 to pursue my studies in medical science (that's right, I made it all the way through eight years of university, right up to a third of a PhD!) and while I was there, I had some sort of epiphany. I'd gotten to a point in my life where I realized the importance of pursuing your true passion and being happy with your choices. I decided it was time to fully dedicate myself to music, which I had done as a side thing my whole life. I stuck around there for a while educating myself, writing, recording; but within a year, packed my bags and like millions before me, moved to LA to pursue my ambitions.
So here I am a year and some later. For the first time in my life, I am ready to share my writings and music with the world. It's been and still is an amazing journey! Composing, jamming, brainstorming, surviving writer's block, networking, finding the right musicians to work with, booking studios, managing social media (which I unfortunately don't always have the patience for), self-promoting (as of yet, I have no representation/agent/manager) that's a lot of work. More than some people realize. I am more than happy to push through it all, especially with the support of my amazing family and good friends. The ONLY thing stopping me from getting my album out is finances. I have been unemployed for quite a while now despite my efforts, and between all of the above and making ends meet, I need all the help I can get. That's where you come in!
I've actually already started recording my debut album, but haven't made it far due to financial limitations. I also have a clear plan as to how to get where I want to be (signed to a certain label I won't name, and songwriting for myself and other people). There's a long way to go though, and baby steps include funding. In order to get my material out, I gotta have it recorded first! That includes studio time, paying my musician friends for their contribution, time and patience, paying engineers for mixing and mastering, copyrighting, and eventually printing out copies to shop around and promote. Ideally, I would like to get this done in the next 3-5 months, so that by the end of 2016, I will have accomplished one of my life goals, which is to put out an album of quality music and share my thoughts and feelings with whoever's willing to listen. The next goal would be to make this my career. Not so much for the fame, but because I feel I have something to say.
I've risked and sacrificed a lot to get to this point, and I still believe it's all worth it. Nothing makes me happier than to know I've moved someone with a performance; that I am able to connect to a crowd and convey emotions, and transport them into a different world if only for a little while. I know that for me, music has been the greatest healer my whole life, and my most faithful companion. I'd love the chance to try and pass that on, even if it is to a precious few. I'd also love the chance to grow artistically, because I'm an insatiable learner and truly believe that progress is a perpetual process; one should never stop learning and challenging themselves, because that's when you stop growing.
Any contribution would mean so much to me, no matter how little. If you believe in pursuing your dreams, then this album will be for you. If you believe in the power of music, then this album will be for you. If anything I have written here has reverberated within you, then this album will be for you. So thank you. I promise to deliver the best I can based on my humble life experiences. I can only hope that you will find something in there that speaks to you, that makes you think hey, I gotta play this to my friend, or oh wow, I can totally relate to this, or better yet, this is good music, I should buy her album.
Lots of love and gratitude!
~Diva
PS. Here you can find some home acoustic recordings of random covers :)
And here's a guest performance at a fundraising gig I was happy to take part in; I'm covering a song by one of my favorite artists, the late great Amy Winehouse :)
Organizer
Diva Khoury
Organizer
Glendale, CA