Hope is a pleasantly warm and optimistic feeling of what’s to come. To desire with anticipation is to hope, according to Webster’s Dictionary. And although it may be a difficult feeling to come by during hard times, it’s a feeling that’s also resulted in great moments in many lives.
Atlantic Records recording artist, Hope, embodies every meaning her name carries in both music and personality. Having spent two semesters in college under a scholarship for voice performance, the young singer decided early on that her off-the-cuff, free spirit was better suited for her music than the structure that came along with music theory courses. With her family’s blessing, along with a strong hand of support and involvement from her brother, Hope headed to Los Angeles to pursue her dream of spreading love and positivity through her music.
Check out NeonLimelight.com's Spotlight Q&A as they talk with Hope about her journey into music, her love-inspired message she hopes resonates with listeners, what it was like working with pop artist, Jason Mraz, and how her fans helped rejuvenate hope in her music during her own rough times.
Your music is so positive and obviously very love-inspired. I find that to be so refreshing considering we live in times where the world promotes so much negativity via the internet and social networks. What inspires you, your songs and the messages you put out?
I was raised in a very positive family. My parents always encouraged me to get out there and really just enjoy music. I had a guitar and keyboard in the house all the time. Growing up, I wasn’t really allowed to be fully connected to pop culture. I had sort of a limit, like, television and radio…it was very limited as far as how much I could watch. I guess I had a lot of time to sort of work on music and just kind of dream.
That kind of breeds creativity when you’re not distracted by outside forces, huh?
Yeah. But I definitely would turn the radio on anyway. And then I watched TV and listened to CDs and things that I loved because there’s something in the music and in pop culture that I love. But I think I was born innately feeling like I have…it’s hard for me to write a song and not put a little hope at the end of it. Like turn it around and say “you’re going to be okay” and “don’t worry.” I don’t know why, it’s easy to write a sad song, but it always somehow, for me, turns around in the end. And I don’t know, my name is Hope, but it totally has nothing to do with my name. I don’t know. I just see so much doubt, so much pain and people struggling for happiness. I think before we ended up in this kind of feeling like a recession or whatever’s going on, people were trying to be happy and I just want to make everyone happy. I have that desire inside.
I read that you taught yourself how to play the guitar and piano, do you play any other instruments?
I have played the autoharp and a little bit of the bass guitar. And I’m learning to play the cajon. It’s like a little drum.
Read the full interview at NeonLimelight.com!