As singer, songwriter and COO of Terror Records Inc., Tra Cee has always loved music. She started singing and participating in talent shows at the age of 6yrs old.
Tra Cee grew up and aged out of the foster care system at the age of 21 yrs old. Having 3 beautiful daughters and 1 grandson, she continues to make music a major part of her life. In addition to singing, writing and performing at various venues, Tra Cee also sings with her Praise team and is the choir director at her church.
" I don't know if there was a specific point when I actually made the decision to become an artist, honestly." Tra Cee declared. " I have always wanted to be a singer and any time I could perform I was always ready. Therefore, when the opportunity to record and put out music was presented to me, I took it."
Being influenced by music itself, Tra Cee loves sharing her gift with others. " I write lyrics that come from my heart and my experiences. It can be inspirational, but it is also music you can nod your head to. It's categorized as R&B, " Tra Cee says, " but really, I don't have a specific style."
Tra Cee's inspiration and drive stems from her best friend since High School, Cabrina Smith. Together, along with Tra Cee's sister Monique, the trio formed a singing group called The Players. As a teen Tra Cee was told " Just because you can sing, it doesn't mean people want to hear it.", resulting in Tra Cee not singing as much as she did before. Having love and compassion for singing and performing as her best friend, Cabrina encouraged Tra Cee to sing. Cabrina introduced Tra Cee to her cousin, D A Smart, where Tra Cee became a part of Terror Records Inc. In 2019 Cabrina passed away, leaving Tra Cee unsure if she could continue on with music without her best friend's push and support. But Tra Cee made a pact with Cabrina, to do this until she can't do it anymore.
Tra Cee's time in the music industry, (articulated by Tra Cee) has been challenging, heartbreaking, exciting, fun and it is unfinished. She feels as though the best part of her journey has just begun.
When asked "What does being famous mean to you?", Tra Cee affirmed, " Fame can be fleeting, that much I know. Would I mind being famous? maybe." She continued on saying, "What I want is longevity and the ability to do this thing that I love for as long as possible and as long as people enjoy listening to me.
Tra Cee has 3 songs and a video due to be released in the next few months and she's definitely excited about the new music. In light of her previous work, we are just as excited as you are, Tra Cee.
Tra Cee says that she is working toward doing more live performances and traveling soon. She wants to go back to London, where she had fun.
Sharing a bit of wisdom with us Tra Cee affirms, " A child's first role model is their parents. That is who I think the best role models for teens are strong and loving people that raise them and those who are active in their lives." The best experience she recalls is when she went to London. She did 3 photoshoots and 2 radio interviews while she was there and she met people that were like family. Tra Cee's last experience on stage, " Was amazing, as always. Just being able to connect with the audience and bring them joy through music is what makes performing worthwhile.
Looking ahead 5 years, she plans to still write, record, perform and hopefully expand into commercial jingles, soundtracks and maybe writing for others all while continuing to improve and hone her craft.
"Being able to change and adapt is most important in this field."
We asked Tra Cee " How have you managed to balance your personal life and your outside activities over the years?" she responded pointedly, " By making sure that I intentionally make time to do so. It hasn't been easy, but it is definitely necessary."
In closing, Tra Cee gave us some insight into her process as an artist...
" My process is really simple- I grab my notebook,get into my quiet space and I just listen to tracks until the lyrics come. I practice singing daily- the voice is the muscle- and I do what I need to do to keep it strong, because I plan on singing for a long time."
Tra Cee
Singer/Songwriter/#Songbird and COO of Terror Records, Inc.
Owner/SCRM Radio
Hostess- Films of Fear and Eerie Exclusives
Skype ID: tra_ceetr
Article written by: Charlette Carr-Weeks
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