Ya Boy$ Ant: Inspirational Hustle

Anyone who has ever been to New York and ridden the subway knows that you are likely to get some kind of show while riding along the tracks. If it is not the antics of the people around you, it may simply be a singer or a dancer looking to share there art with the people in the train cart.  While some may find this act frustrating and uncomfortable to be around, there is value in listening to what they have to say.

A couple of weeks ago, while riding the downtown 4 train into Manhattan from the Bronx, I encountered one of these performers, and while I usually turn a blind eye and go on about my day, something about one in particular caught my attention; his name is Antione Johnson, or as he calls himself artistically, Ya Boy$ Ant.

Ant is a 21-year-old rapper who was born and raised in the Bronx, NY and that day on the train he shared a spoken word he wrote that was inspired by his neighborhood in the Bronx.  His energy was one of a kind, and instead of asking for money like many of these performers do, he simply said he would take anything at all, “a thumbs up, some feedback, a smile….”

Ant shares, that while at first he was nervous about sharing his work on the trains, he was inspired by another performer that he saw doing it, “I liked the response he got from the people on the cart. That alone gave me the spark to try the next day,” he says.  Ant stays humble though, and says that writing is something he has been doing and has enjoyed since he was about 8 years old, and it was only when he got older, in his late teens that he decided that it was something he wanted to do professionally.

With his mother being his biggest personal inspiration, and his musical muse coming from the streets of the Bronx and other artists like Eminem, 50 Cent and Kanye West, Ant is sure to make an impression. He is smooth in his delivery and knows exactly how to captivate an audience.  “I just really want to give back to my people and make good music,” he says. 

Connect with Ya Boy$ Ant:

YouTube: YaBoysAnt

Twitter: @YaBoysAnt

Instagram: @YaBoysAnt

Email: YaBoysAnt@gmail.com

Live Hart: Honesty

The art of songwriting can be an interesting one, which is tugging at the imagination and real life experiences of the writer.  While some artists like to create scenarios in their mind and write from those would be experiences, others like to dig deep inside themselves and use personal experience, both past and present, to fuel their writing.  Singer/songwriter Live Hart likes to write on the basis of personal experience, and with her debut album “Honesty” released this past December, she has proven to be just that; honest about her experiences and feelings, bringing them all to attention in this simple, soulful and heartwarming production. 

Live thrives on bringing a piece of herself to the audience through her work.  She shares that when she was looking for a title for her project, “The word “honest” came to mind and went from there. With the production, I simply wanted a live, colorful feel to the album.”

The album, which includes 10 heartwarming tracks that are a sure treat to the ear, is what Live has coined as Alternative Soul, which is a fusion of sounds put together in a special way. When asked which song on the production was her favorite, Live was a bit stumped, admitting that they are all very special to her. However she did say that “Please Don’t Say It’s Over”, and “I’m Gone” were her favorites because their sound matches exactly what she imagined while writing. 

As an independent artist, Live is no stranger to what it means to have to make things happen for herself.  She admits that her biggest challenge thus far is finding enough time in the day to do everything that needs to be done.  “Not only are you creating the music, you're also managing a large part of your career by yourself. It almost becomes a balancing act trying to do everything and then do it well,” says Live.  However she is doing just that: making music and doing it well!  Live’s ultimate goal is to win a Grammy, but in the meantime she will continue to create awesome music and stay true to herself along the way!

To see if Live will be in your area, visit her site here: http://www.livehartonline.com/category/shows/

Connect with Live Hart:

Website:  http://www.livehartonline.com

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Live-Hart/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/livehart 

Instagram: https://instagram.com/livehart/

YouTube:  https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCilDzO9HgsA8GXC9hxxg_iA 

Enso Taves: Music and Personal Satisfaction

They say that one should never stop chasing their dreams. That through hard work and persistence, you can overcome all obstacles and become anything you wish to become. After many years of soul searching and looking trying to find ways to make himself happy, singer, and musician, Enso Taves has decided that music is the key to his own happiness and inner peace.

Enso Taves came to know music through the strings of a guitar in his early teen years; he describes his first encounter with the instrument as not only life changing and moving, but also very sudden. Before even realizing, he traded sports and video games for the strings of a guitar and the sweet sounds that came from this musically synergistic relationship. “I was 13 years old when my father allowed me to take my first guitar lesson with a local teacher and after my fourth lesson I had already learned all of the basic positions,” shares Enso Taves, who is able to play multiple instruments including the uke, electric bass, melodica, piano, keyboard synthesizers, flute, and others.

Well versed in everything that is music, Taves admits that he cannot say that he has any one genre as his favorite but confesses to being influenced by people of all genres. Some of these influences include, Debussy’s Orchestral works, Hector Lavoe, Ella Fitzgerald, and Tony Bennett among others—a wide range of musical talent, making for the diverse and well rounded artist that is Enso Taves.

Currently, Taves is working on a series of live performance videos called Enso Taves 1.0 with the purpose being to share his music with a larger audience, and put his skills to the test. “I am currently working on rediscovering my musical self after several years of music education in several colleges in different states and in the Dominican Republic,” says Taves. His goal here is to blend knowledge with experience in order to show the public his true self; as being an authentic artist is one of his most important goals. So now, after having worked countless jobs that have left him feeling unfulfilled and empty, Enso Taves is stepping out into the scene with all that he has to offer!

Check out Enso Taves on Bandcamp: https://ensotaves.bandcamp.com

Coreen is back!

You may remember Coreen from A Vocal Accord's very first post back in 2013. Since then, Coreen has continued with her studies and will be graduating from Pace University this May.  Coreen has been working hard on improving her talent as an artist and can't wait to come back and share more with you all. Check out this video of Coreen singing "Colgando en Tus Manos" with her uncle just last week.

🎶 colgando en tus manos 🎶❤️ pic.twitter.com/7C7Vgx37MU

— Melonie E. (@__melonie__) February 27, 2015