Today we’d like to introduce you to Kimi Tortuga
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?
Thank you for including me in your issue today! A little about me: well, I have always been a musician since I was 5 years old, and as much as my father wanted me to be more “practical,” it never really left me. Starting with piano from my mother’s teaching, I subsequently took up dance, chorus, theater, the clarinet, and other wind instruments throughout elementary, middle, and high school. While I had been engaged in dance and theater, I always believed myself to be more skilled and personally aligned with the discipline of music as my main performance art.
Specifically, the concert, jazz, and marching band ensembles I was a part of were hands down the best things that ever happened to me! They quite literally set the stage for me becoming the singer-songwriter I am today. Furthermore, I’m very grateful for all of this previous training because it thoroughly informed my interpretation of music, and has allowed me to teach music at nearly every level.
Interestingly enough, I had always kept up with piano lessons, but I was self-taught on guitar. Fast forward to the summer of 2023, I acquired my professional jazz guitar certification from Berklee College of Music. It was important for me to do that because even though I have performed over one thousand shows in my career in several countries – from hotels to festivals to weddings – education has always been important to me. It seemed correct to sharpen my understanding of guitar, as experience isn’t everything. A willingness to listen and learn is paramount!
As for the writing and production of it all, music is so versatile and multi-dimensional. Consequentialy, there is quite a lot to digest in the creation process. Throw in life experiences such as growing up in a dysfunctional family, immersing myself in music theory and training, traveling the world to find myself, heartbreak, and the opportunity to pursue this career path, it becomes that much more complex. Yet, when I step back to get a comprehensive understanding of it all, it really does make sense as to why I’ve found myself on this journey.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
To be honest, the road has been smooth the minority of the time! Many of the challenges stemmed from a lack of resources to access professional services, such as sound engineering or marketing experts. Let us not harken back to COVID-19 or our recent bout with two major hurricanes!
One of my most recent challenges was having to sue my ex-photographer for a number of things, but primarily for trying (and failing) to take advantage of me and tanking the music video project for my freshman album. Thankfully, I prevailed, but not without being tested mentally, emotionally, and financially.
The other major challenge much earlier in my career was allowing my personal life to interfere with my professional life. Family problems, envious peers, silly boys, and my own poor choices were always getting in the way. Over time, however, I have gained the wisdom I desperately needed to deploy better judgment in my decision-making for a more peaceful walk on this path.
That said, the journey has also been full of wonderous occasions, including traveling to over 10 different countries to perform music and being embraced by them, and producing my first album, Be Still. I have also been able to develop my own sense of fashion and create a form of spirituality I don’t believe I would have achieved had it not been for the blessings and challenges along the way. Where there has ever been misfortune, the blessings have outnumbered them all.
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
I am a singer-songwriter, performer, and music instructor. My specialty is writing my own songs, singing while accompanying myself on guitar and/or piano, and producing my own music. I also am known for singing cover songs at hotels and restaurants to set the ambiance. Additionally, I am known (at least among my peers) for having a corporate structure to my music business.
I am probably best known for being an unapologetically independent artist, meaning that I will not sell myself to the highest bidder for money. I don’t think I could live with myself if I sacrificed my personal meaning for money in the way that many artists have done and still do. Even though mental health struggles are common among all artists, I believe the level of fame that people reach when they permit this kind of exchange really becomes detrimental to their sanity, and that’s not something I want for myself.
I continuously choose to be as authentic as possible while keeping coexistence and harmonious collaboration at the forefront of my mentality.
Do you have any advice for those looking to network or find a mentor?
The best advice I could give anyone is to never promise yourself to someone in any industry without first knowing what it is that you want. Even if something seems attractive to you, do your research. The internet is a great tool to privately discover other people’s experiences and to learn from them. You can also ask others in confidence if that’s better for you.
Mentorship is difficult because I have found that very few people want you to succeed simply for your well-being. If you choose to have a mentor, draft an agreement with them and be sure to maintain control over your assets (including things like your confidence, hello!), especially accounts recievables. They really shouldn’t be touching any of your assets if they are truly mentoring. However, I say be great and make your mistakes on your own (but please be accountable for them). This way, it’s easy to shake off anyone to whom you have no strings attached if they turn out not to be a good match for you.
With networking, I would advise anyone to approach it from a position of power and not out of necessity. Do not go into it hoping to get something out of someone else because that’s exactly what everyone else around you has intended to do to you. Not only is that attracting bad karma, but you are also setting yourself up to accept less than what you deserve. When you want to collaborate with your peers, make sure it’s a net-positive union and that any project you all embark upon is constituted in writing.
Most of all, work on developing the mindset and credentials you always hoped to have in a mentor. You can achieve anything if you put the work in!
Pricing:
- $300-$400 for a 3-4 hour live, acoustic performance
- $500 for a live, acoustic performance at a private event, (e. g., birthday or office party)
- $800 for a live, acoustic performance at a wedding
- $1,500 for a live, acoustic performance at a wedding with two (2) band members
- $2,000 for a live, acoustic performance at a wedding with three (3) band members
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.kimitortuga.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kimitortuga
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/kimitortugamusic
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/kimitortuga
