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Meet Juno

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Today we’d like to introduce you to Juno.

Juno, can you briefly walk us through your story – how you started and how you got to where you are today.
I started singing when I was five years old, my mom told me I would just walk around the house and sing random words. I remember being in Debbie’s daycare and I would sing to the daycare teachers and I knew I had the sauce when after daycare one of the ladies went up to my mom and was like “your daughter is very talented.” As a child, hearing those words made me feel so empowered. I knew it was my calling. Growing up in Inglewood, California as a child, I was very influenced by the R&B and Hip Hop scene. Some of the artists I admired from a young age was Alicia Keys, Jill Scott, Erykah Badu, Keisha Cole, Stevie wonder. Mila J, and Jhene Aiko.

Throughout elementary school and high school, I was in choir and theatre. That gave me time to craft my skills. It wasn’t really until my senior year in high school that I started to take music more seriously. I took piano as an elective class, so I could start learning how to play and become a more versatile artist. Learning that was a big struggle and today, I still struggle reading music and I tend to play by ear. In addition to this, I started writing my music. I would find beats on YouTube and coming up with melodies and catchy lyrics. I remember singing one of my written songs at a talent show at Dysart High School. I got really good feedback and so I continued to write music and that soon became my haven.

Has it been a smooth road?
It has been a rocky road for me. Growing up, I was always bullied for being a bigger girl so I had this lack of confidence about myself that a lot of people didn’t know about. When I was doing talent shows and theatre shows from the age of 13-16, being on stage, my peers and family would see a confident young girl but when the lights went out and I was off the stage, it was a lot of depression and self-loathing behind closed doors. It hindered me from going to auditions and taking the risk. I felt like since I was bigger, I’d never really have my shot to shine. After high school, I started college and I still did theatre and wrote music but I felt like the music was being put on hold in the back burner. I stopped singing for a while and gave up on my dream. After one year of being at NAU, I decided to go back home to Phoenix for a little while.

Around this time in 2016, my great-grandma Viola started to become ill and at the rich age of 92, she passed away. That was hard on me she was my best friend and one of the biggest reasons why I believed in my singing abilities. She always encouraged me to keep fighting no matter what obstacle is too big and God will lead the way. One of her last requests was for me to sing at her funeral. I hadn’t been doing music at the time and I didn’t know if I could do it because of the pain. I overcame my fear and I sang one last time for my grandma. That day, I had an awakening and realized that my grandma raised a strong young black and gifted woman and she didn’t leave this world so I could give up my dream. The struggle is what shaped me. I wouldn’t be where I am today without them.

In 2018, I got the chance to audition for American Idol and I did not make it to the tv portion of the show but it was a great experience. It gave me the motivation to keep going. So shortly after, I started to get into the studio and put my music out on my Instagram. I was contacted by Dream Hustle Records. I signed a contract with them a couple of months later. It was mind-blowing, I couldn’t believe, I was finally making strides in my career.

However, a lot of things fell apart along the way. I ended up getting out of my contract early. I decided to go back to being an independent artist. It was rough because I thought it was over and I failed, but here I am today, continuing my music as an independent artist and I’m very proud of myself.

We’d love to hear more about your work.
I am a singer-songwriter and I am currently learning music production. Going hand in hand with music production, I also specialize in music marketing for various artists. I write music for myself and another artist around Phoenix, Arizona. I recently wrote a song called “Stay in your line” for an R & B artist named Shon Love and I currently handle the marketing and promotion for an artist named Sketch da deck. I am currently working on building my clients when it comes to marketing. I love helping others grow their content and create a platform or social media that thrives. When I see an artist go from 200 to 2,000 followers with good marketing and promotion makes me feel awesome. It makes me feel like I’m making a difference. I would say I’m most proud of my vocal and writing skills. I have a lot of fun adding vocal transitions in my music and creating a sound that doesn’t necessarily have a genre. I think what set me apart from other artists is my ability to be versatile when it comes to lyricism because I write a lot of music that is life focused. When I’m writing music, sometimes it feels like I’m writing in a diary. I write about my relationships, being different, the struggle of heartache and hardship, self-love, the beauty of life and the pains of growing. I like to give my listeners imagery, I would say my music is relatable and is timeless. I take pride in being able to share it with so many. Especially young women.

Is our city a good place to do what you do?
I think Phoenix is a great place to start if you’re an upcoming artist. There are so many wonderful events that allow people to showcase their talent. There are also so many people in Arizona who are always looking to connect. I’ve been grateful to connect with multiple people who have introduced me too other artists striving for the same dream. It’s awesome because I’ve learned so much from the individuals I’ve met and have a more open mind when it comes to taking the risk and trying new things. It has definitely allowed me to grow in my music career. I wish there were more events and opportunities for singers like myself. I think the Hip Hop scene is very dominated and it could be a little discouraging. But other than that, I think phoenix is great and if you are consistent and have the ambition, you can strive here and leave your mark. Dream big and don’t give up.

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