Meet Karrington Sneed of Karri Music in Dallas

Today we’d like to introduce you to Karrington Sneed.

Thanks for sharing your story with us Karrington. So, let’s start at the beginning and we can move on from there.
I’m currently a 23 years old, born and raised in Dallas, TX, Senior attending Prairie View A&M University majoring in Psychology. I grew up in a musically inclined family. Growing up all I knew was church on Wednesday and every Sunday. My mom was and currently is a Minister of Music and my dad is a Pastor. In church, I served on the praise team and choir and my brother played drums. I knew I had a liking for singing in elementary school but was too shy to step out my box which is crazy because I was never a shy child. I was always full of life, smiles, and jokes (and I’m still a goofball). When I attended W.E. Griener Middle School, I really stepped out of my shell vocally being apart of choir I had no choice. That’s when I knew I wanted to turn my passion into a career one day. I was very active in choir in school and outside of school.

For six or so years I participated in The Black Academy of Arts and Letters (TBAAL) summer program doing musicals such as: Hallelujah Gospel the musical, Michael the musical, Whitney the musical, Aretha the Musical, Motown the musical and more. I thrived and studied under the most influential artist and directors which molded me into the artist I am today. My mom was also a very huge influence on my musical career as a gospel recording artist. She showed that I could one day pursue my dreams just like she did. Encouraging and loving me helped with confidence I never knew I had. Once I realized that music and singing surpassed just a hobby I decided to go to school for Music Education after graduating from Townview Magnet High School. A year in a half into pursuing my Bachelors in Music, I realized I didn’t need a degree to do what I loved to do which was sing.

I really struggled with comparing myself to things/people around me and doubting myself until I realized that God gave me a voice and sound distinctly for me and with that realization I stopped standing in my own way and paved a way for myself. I’ve been blessed enough to have great opportunities to sing for multiple occasions around the Austin, Houston, Dallas metroplex and even overseas in Europe with Prairie View Concert Choral. Once I started believing and investing into myself I started to see my art grow and manifest before my eyes. My mom always told my brother and I to always give our gift back to the Lord In anything we do and it’s definitely opened doors. The journey has only begun and I’m in it for the long run. I tell my friends the only reason why I’d stop singing is only if God takes it away from me. With consistent hard work and faith I know I can do all things.

Overall, has it been relatively smooth? If not, what were some of the struggles along the way?
It hasn’t always been peaches and cream because as an artist it’s super competitive and you meet so many people who are sensitive about their art. So you never know who’s actually genuine or not. As networkers, you have to have the gift of gab and resilience because some days are harder than some. It’s about who you know sometimes in this field and not always what you can do. Some of my struggles were more internal like “Ewe, this sounds bad!” or “OMG I’m flat! Did I really sound like that?!” and with those insecurities that can hinder anyone.

I’m going to always be my worse critic, but when I realized I can also be my biggest supporter I shifted my energy and focused more on the things I can expand on and less on what I need to work on. I still work on those things but I don’t spend all day, weeks and months on minor things anymore. I understand that with time I’ll grow and I rather not rush my process, but gracefully go through it. Ups and downs and all. Having a positive mindset can change the outcome of a lot of situations.

Please tell us about Karri Music.
The music I make is simply to make people feel good. I believe that the love for music is gone simply because I feel like some artist do it for the money besides the joy of music. Music can be for other people too, but if it’s not for you then what’s the point in making it. Music is suppose to be fun, reflective and relatable. I always write from personal experiences or even my friends experiences. When anyone plays my song the mission is to heal, speak and love. Music is a life saver to a lot of people so if I can save a soul one joint at a time then I’m fulfilling my purpose.

If you had to go back in time and start over, would you have done anything differently?
I don’t think I would’ve done anything differently. I believe every roadblock was meant for me because I probably didn’t need that particular experience or energy in my life at that time. Every tear was meant to make me stronger so when I hear a “No” or “Not right now” I can handle rejection in the future. Every heartbreak was building me for this to not take everything so personal. I’ve realized that if I did anything differently I wouldn’t be where I am right now. I would’ve have met the amazing people along my journey. Of course, it didn’t feel good going through certain changes, but it was for my good. I’m glad I had the experience early on so now that I’m older I can think logically about the moves I make because I’ve experienced the wrong moves before. It’s shaped me into being the strong independent woman I am today.

Contact Info:

• Email: karringtonsneed@yahoo.com
• Instagram: @Karrimusic_
• Facebook: Karrington Sneed
• Twitter: @karrican_sing
• Other: SoundCloud: Karrington Sneed and ITunes/Spotify: Karri-A1

Image Credit:
Nadia Duplechan

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