September 14, 2025 • 17 mins
What happens when a psychology major discovers the power of her creative voice? In our latest episode of Indie Artist Music Hustle, we meet Tyra Johnson—known professionally as "Tyra No Banks"—a Southern University senior who embodies the multifaceted nature of modern creativity.
From penning her first poem at age six following her grandmother's passing to winning the President's Award for writing in elementary school, Tyra's journey as a wordsmith began early. Now, her debut collection "Poetry for Colored Folks" represents a fresh, contemporary voice in Black literature. "I wanted to create a body of work that reflects where we are as a community right now," Tyra explains, highlighting how her collection addresses everything from pandemic life to the evolution of Black family gatherings.
But Tyra's creativity doesn't stop at the written page. Having grown up singing in Baptist churches and school choirs, she recently stepped into the recording studio for the first time—a natural progression from poetry to music. "Poetry is a gateway to music; it's the same thing, just without a beat," she observes, demonstrating how her foundation in writing strengthens her musical expression. Meanwhile, her psychology background provides crucial insights for marketing her creative work and navigating industry dynamics.
Throughout our conversation, Tyra's entrepreneurial spirit shines through. Currently participating in a book initiative that could place her work in major retailers nationwide, she approaches potential obstacles with remarkable resilience: "I always have a plan B, C, D, E, and F." As she prepares to compete for publishing opportunities in California, her parting wisdom resonates deeply: "Success is a journey, not a destination." Follow Tyra's creative evolution across platforms @tyranobanks and witness firsthand how education and artistry can beautifully intertwine.
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:06):
Hello everyone, welcome to this week's Indie
Artist Music Hustle with BlondeIntelligence.
I'm your host, miss Roni.
Please excuse my voice.
I have a little bit oflaryngitis today, but remember
to hit the like, share andsubscribe button.
Okay, our special guest fortoday is Miss Tyra Noe Banks.
She is a new artist.
What we're going to do is lether take over and tell us a
(00:29):
little bit about herself.
Speaker 2 (00:31):
Hi everyone.
I'm Tyra Johnson.
I'm from Baton Rouge, louisiana, born and raised.
I also attend SouthernUniversity here in the city.
I'm a psychology major and I'ma senior.
In the middle of my senior year,I decided that I wanted to go
ahead and write my first bookand it's titled Poetry for
Colored Folks.
So it's a short collection ofpoems for my people.
(00:54):
Basically, every poem waswritten with intention.
You're going to learn something, you're going to heal something
, you're going to laugh.
I just want to bring you backto a favorite memory.
Like I just wanted to create abody of work that represents the
times as of now.
You know, like a lot of thebooks that we have are from
older authors and like I'm 26.
You know I'm living in currentreality.
(01:15):
So we got a little bit aboutthe coronavirus going on, just
talking about some of how, likethe Beck family is not what it
used to be, we don't havecookouts and stuff anymore and I
just really want to create abody of work that like reflects
where we are at as a you know, acommunity right now and then
also while I'm in college.
(01:36):
I also have a YouTube channel,so I have a little content
creation going on.
I like to get on TikTok andmake videos and stuff and just
try to get my face out there.
And then also, like I just wentinto the studio for the first
time and recorded a song, so I'mexcited about that as well.
And I'm just excited to be soyoung and like trying to do so
(01:57):
much and like they you alwayssay like young people not doing
anything, and like I'm reallythrowing my mustard seeds out
there and I'm really excited andproud of the work that I've put
together.
Speaker 1 (02:08):
Okay, so tell me, is being an author something that
you have always wanted to do?
Did it coincide with your major, or was it life experience that
made you want to write a book?
Speaker 2 (02:23):
I've always wanted to be an author.
I actually started writingpoetry when I was six years old.
The first poem I wrote was apoem dedicated to my grandmother
after she passed.
And it kept going from thereand I didn't really think of it
as a talent, it was justsomething that I did.
But I won the President's Awardwhen I was in elementary school
(02:46):
for my writing and I had ateacher tell me she was like
you're going to write books oneday and you know, you hear
people tell you that you go onabout your life.
And then this year, my senioryear, I got an opportunity to
turn it into a reality.
So it's something that's alwaysbeen with me.
I just didn't think Irecognized my potential right
away, and then completing thebook made me realize like oh you
(03:08):
nice, like you, you got atalent and keep going with it,
so okay so you mentioned thatyou went into the studio and
recorded your first uh track.
Speaker 1 (03:21):
So the reason I'm gonna ask you that I have, I'm
going to ask you that I haveinterviewed and talked to other
artists that actually startedout writing for Do you think
poetry is a gateway to music?
Speaker 2 (03:35):
Absolutely, it's the same thing, it's just without a
beat.
A lot of times when I do spokenword, people always tell me
like it sounds like you spittingover a beat, and I'm like, well
, it's the same thing, you know.
And I definitely think it was agateway.
I think when I finally realizedthat it was the same thing, I
was already older.
But that's what made it good,because it was like I'm already
(03:58):
used to doing it.
Now I just need to put it overa beat and step into the studio,
and it made it so much smoother.
I feel like you have to teach.
When people don't start with awriting background or a poetry
background, you have to teachthem how to do certain things.
When you already know how to doit, it's easier for you.
It was like like, like that.
Speaker 1 (04:17):
So so do that make you have any type of like um, I
would say impatience for workingwith other people who might not
grasp it as fast, or how areyou when you work for other
people?
um, so I'm assuming you meanlike other artists or other
(04:40):
people that write poetry well,I'm talking about when working
on music, because when workingon music, you're gonna have to
work with a lot of differentpeople if you can't do all the
steps and the componentsyourself.
So, being that much of it thatyou can do yourself, how are you
working with other people?
Speaker 2 (04:59):
I'm great with working with other people.
That's something that I do, youknow, on the everyday.
I think where I get maybe alittle bit frustrated is because
I have a writing background andnot a music background.
Mostly it's like people willassume that I don't know certain
things and then, when I do,it's more so would assume that I
don't know certain things andthen when I do, it's more so,
like you know, like that kind ofdumb blonde moment, they're
(05:19):
like, oh, you know, she knowshow to do this already and I'm
like, yeah, I've been doing it,so that's the only thing.
But I can work well with people.
I just don't like for myintelligence to be downplayed at
all okay.
Speaker 1 (05:32):
So I came across you on social media of hosts.
I want you to tell everybodyabout what you got going on and
where you're trying to get yourbook oh, I would love to.
Speaker 2 (05:45):
So I'm a part of cli.
It's this book initiative wherethey find young authors and
they give them a chance to writetheir own book.
So they take you through awhole process.
It's a whole year.
Every time you write a page,there's someone there to check.
You know what you're doing andthen, when you get to the end,
you have this full book and thenyou have this opportunity to go
(06:05):
to California and compete forpublishing.
So that's the stage that I'm innow.
The book is completed but I'mlooking to be published.
So at this conference it's gonnabe hundreds of young black
authors and you're gonna go onstage and you recite two of your
poems or whatever your work is,and you basically give them
like a synopsis of what yourbook is gonna be about.
(06:25):
And then after that you'll winthe publishing deal and this
deal could potentially put mybook into bookstores, retail
stores all over the UnitedStates.
And I'm so excited about itbecause you know, I'm just a
little you know, a little blackgirl from Louisiana and to think
that one of my books is goingto be in Target somewhere around
the world like that just makesme so excited and I wanted to
(06:48):
share that with social mediabecause you know I'm looking to
get donations from people sothat I can make it to California
and to compete, like I said.
You know I'm looking to getdonations from people so that I
can make it to California and tocompete, like I said.
You know, I know when I stepinto the room I'm going to come
home with it.
I just need to get there andthat's why I went to social
media with it.
Speaker 1 (07:06):
OK, so do you think that social media has been good
for you, or more work for you?
Speaker 2 (07:20):
you or more work for you.
Uh, it's been great for mebecause I was so shy at first
and then putting my face in thecamera.
Doing youtube at first openedme up to the idea of even
sharing my poetry or even goingto the studio, um, and then when
I stepped away from youtube anddid tiktok, I would sing on
tiktok, I would do all types ofstuff, and it was the confidence
that I got from, like myfollowers and my supporters
Every time I went viral fordoing something.
Just to see in the commentslike it reinforced me that I'm
(07:44):
talented, so it definitelyhelped me.
Speaker 1 (07:48):
Okay, tell me about your music side.
Speaker 2 (07:53):
My music side, so I've always been a singer.
I up in the church.
Like I said, I'm from the south, so Baptist church, that's
always been a part of me.
Singing with my grandmother,singing with my mom singing with
my friends, um, you know, whenI was coming up, music was a big
thing in schools as well, so wehad choir.
I'm getting choir in church andat school all the time.
(08:14):
And then, you know, now I'mjust like I'm at a point where
I'm like I need more people tohear this voice, I need more
people to hear this pen, becauseI don't just sing, I rap too,
and then the poetry as well, soit it's all like I basically say
a full circle thing, likeeverything I've been doing since
I was a child has only gottenbetter and it's bringing me to
this point okay, what's?
(08:40):
your major in school psychologynothing to do with the writing
part, but you, like you said, doyou work with people.
Speaker 1 (08:47):
you always have to understand people and anything
that you do Well, I thinkpsychology is very important for
marketing because you have toknow oh, I'm going to try to
target this market right herethis is what I know about them.
So if they were in thisscenario, what would happen?
Speaker 2 (09:09):
Right right.
Speaker 1 (09:10):
If I done, we'd draw more people in, I mean.
So I mean, I used to be apsychology major, Really, but I
changed to yeah, I changed tosociology and then I got a
master's in counseling.
So all up here, I'm all for it.
Speaker 2 (09:30):
I love it.
I love it yeah.
Speaker 1 (09:40):
I think it's been very.
That's the reason why I love it.
I love it.
Yeah, I think it's been very goahead.
I'm sorry that's the reason whyI laugh, but writing is
actually very important inpsychology.
So don't think that it's allhand in hand.
Only a person who couldn't putit together and have a whole
concept such as when you write asong or you get ready to shoot
a video you have to have aconcept it's not out there doing
(10:00):
anything.
So I think the writing, thepsychology, that everything goes
hand in hand I mean evenhumanities is almost a part of
psychology and philosophy andall those different things that
all go together.
So when you're creative, youuse all those aspects.
(10:21):
So I laugh about it.
But yeah, that's the big part.
You have to know how to think.
Speaker 2 (10:27):
Thank you, yeah, and then doing research about the
music business.
You already know it's a lot ofmind games.
You have to be on your, yourp's and q's, so being able to
sit in front of somebody andjust analyze them and know when
they bs me or what, and then themarketing part.
Like you said, all of it hasbeen helping me.
But when I say it usually atthe beginning people are like no
(10:50):
, but it's helpful, you know oh,I see it.
Speaker 1 (10:55):
So thank you.
Yeah, I'm gonna tell yousomething.
You look like and I'm gonna askhave anybody ever told you this
you remind me of?
I can't remember her name is,but she's Tammy Roman's daughter
that's also an artist.
Speaker 2 (11:13):
I know who you talk to.
Jazz, is it?
Jazz?
Is her name?
Something like that?
Something like that Reminds mea lot of her.
Well, thank you, I'm going totake that as a compliment.
Speaker 1 (11:25):
Okay, so tell me about.
I know you told me that you wasin the choir and that you was
in the choir at school and thatyou just finally got studio.
Was this your first time in thestudio, and tell me about your
experience for the first time so, yes, it was my first time
being in a recording studio.
Speaker 2 (11:46):
I was extremely nervous.
I'm a perfectionist well, Isaid recovering perfectionist
because I'm trying to trying tolet that go but, um, not knowing
what to expect had me terrified.
And like when they startedtalking about do your stab and
this and that, and I'm like whatare you talking about?
And then, once I got it, it wassmooth sailing, like.
Speaker 1 (12:03):
So I enjoyed it a lot and I'm ready to get back in
there, okay so do you think thatyour career is going to move
towards doing more music, or areyou just going to keep writing
poetry, or are you going to tryto get into like ghost writing
for other people?
What are your plans?
Speaker 2 (12:21):
my plans is to both.
Um, writing is a part of me,like I don't just do poetry,
like I write stories as well.
So, um, I'm definitely going tokeep writing the books because
that fuels the music.
My life experiences, the waythat I'm able to, um, explain
things and give details aboutthings, all of that helps me do
the music.
So, if I think, if I stop beingan author, that that would
(12:44):
completely derail the musicthing altogether, because I'm
constantly reading and learningnew things and those experiences
help me write those lyrics.
So I definitely want to keepdoing both so is your book
available anywhere now?
not yet, but we're hoping thatbecause the conference is this
(13:04):
month, um, so it is beingpublished like printed.
I won't say published printedright now, but published as in
being in places and on platforms.
Speaker 1 (13:14):
Not yet we'll talk after this.
I have a friend that owns apublishing company and she's
also an editor, and she has beena new york's bestseller for
many times over and she's fromright here thank you so much.
Yes, let's have thatconversation you know, I always
(13:35):
have a plan b, c, d, e and fyeah, yeah, I know my mom was in
my ear about that.
Speaker 2 (13:41):
Now, like, what do you want to do if they don't
pick it up?
Speaker 1 (13:44):
and I'm just like, I'm a trust guy like there's
other opportunities because youcan self publish.
You're not just stuck to that.
I mean you can open your ownpublishing company.
I mean there can be things thatcan be done.
I mean so that right there, ifit's your dream, it can be done.
All you have to do is doresearch, talk to people.
(14:07):
I spoke to a man I interviewedon my show one time and I said
what advice would you give topeople who's trying to get into
the industry?
He said always work with people, or be around people who is
making money doing what you'retrying to do.
He said you don't want to bearound people who is not making
money and basically front,because it's not going to put
(14:30):
money in your pocket.
You need to get around peoplewho know what they're doing.
So I'm interviewing, I listenand a lot of things I try to do
is pass resources along.
So if that's what you need, hey, I know a publisher, I know an
editor.
She's well, well, wherever.
Speaker 2 (14:47):
Now, all right well, I'll receive it.
I thank you so much.
I received the advice.
I'm always asking people likewe can you give me any words
that can help me out?
So I'm always willing to listen.
If you got something for me,I'm gonna hear it.
You know, I'm saying Iappreciate it.
Speaker 1 (15:06):
Tell me how long did it take for you to write the
book with you being a student?
Speaker 2 (15:16):
So it took me about six months to write the material
because I'm a night owl,sometimes I'm asleep and the
words just I have to get up andwrite it.
I have to.
If I wrote pretty fast, um, theprocess took a long time
because, like I said, everythingI wrote, I had to get it
approved, there was somebodythat looked over it.
(15:38):
Um, I had to go to a panel.
So it took a full year to geteverything together, but about
six months for all of the poemswell, I thank you for coming.
Speaker 1 (15:49):
I really enjoyed you.
You, you are very interesting,so if you have any last words,
you get your last words.
Tell everybody the name of yourbook.
Your social media handles wherethey can find you and where you
hope to be.
Speaker 2 (16:02):
My last word is success is a journey, not a
destination.
The woman told me I was gonnawrite a poetry book when I was
in the fourth grade.
I'm 26, give yourself time, andmy social media handles is Tyra
, no banks on everything.
So it's ty4a, tyra.
(16:23):
That's four a's, no bank, andthen I can send you something.
I don't know if you put thingson the screen or whatever, but
you can find me on tiktok,youtube, instagram.
Speaker 1 (16:33):
It's all the same, okay now, how did you get the
name tyra?
Speaker 2 (16:37):
no banks when I meet people and they're like what's
your name?
And I'm like tyra, and they'relike, oh, like tyra banks the
motto.
I'm like no, no, no Banks, I'mTyra.
You're not the same honey.
I got you, I got you and I juststuck with it.
Speaker 1 (16:55):
Especially on TikTok.
She loves TikTok, I can tellFacebook, instagram and her
YouTube channel.
You can find us on all podcastsand platforms Spotify for video
podcasts, youtube, googlePodcast podcast, pandora.
I know I'm missing some, sorryeverybody.
(17:16):
Partnership with Apple, so ifyou have your links, send your
links in.
You find us on Facebook and theblog every Friday.
We'll see you next week.
Bye.
Hello everyone, welcome to this week's Indie
Artist Music Hustle with BlondeIntelligence.
I'm your host, miss Roni.
Please excuse my voice.
I have a little bit oflaryngitis today, but remember
to hit the like, share andsubscribe button.
Okay, our special guest fortoday is Miss Tyra Noe Banks.
She is a new artist.
What we're going to do is lether take over and tell us a
(00:29):
little bit about herself.
Speaker 2 (00:31):
Hi everyone.
I'm Tyra Johnson.
I'm from Baton Rouge, louisiana, born and raised.
I also attend SouthernUniversity here in the city.
I'm a psychology major and I'ma senior.
In the middle of my senior year,I decided that I wanted to go
ahead and write my first bookand it's titled Poetry for
Colored Folks.
So it's a short collection ofpoems for my people.
(00:54):
Basically, every poem waswritten with intention.
You're going to learn something, you're going to heal something
, you're going to laugh.
I just want to bring you backto a favorite memory.
Like I just wanted to create abody of work that represents the
times as of now.
You know, like a lot of thebooks that we have are from
older authors and like I'm 26.
You know I'm living in currentreality.
(01:15):
So we got a little bit aboutthe coronavirus going on, just
talking about some of how, likethe Beck family is not what it
used to be, we don't havecookouts and stuff anymore and I
just really want to create abody of work that like reflects
where we are at as a you know, acommunity right now and then
also while I'm in college.
(01:36):
I also have a YouTube channel,so I have a little content
creation going on.
I like to get on TikTok andmake videos and stuff and just
try to get my face out there.
And then also, like I just wentinto the studio for the first
time and recorded a song, so I'mexcited about that as well.
And I'm just excited to be soyoung and like trying to do so
(01:57):
much and like they you alwayssay like young people not doing
anything, and like I'm reallythrowing my mustard seeds out
there and I'm really excited andproud of the work that I've put
together.
Speaker 1 (02:08):
Okay, so tell me, is being an author something that
you have always wanted to do?
Did it coincide with your major, or was it life experience that
made you want to write a book?
Speaker 2 (02:23):
I've always wanted to be an author.
I actually started writingpoetry when I was six years old.
The first poem I wrote was apoem dedicated to my grandmother
after she passed.
And it kept going from thereand I didn't really think of it
as a talent, it was justsomething that I did.
But I won the President's Awardwhen I was in elementary school
(02:46):
for my writing and I had ateacher tell me she was like
you're going to write books oneday and you know, you hear
people tell you that you go onabout your life.
And then this year, my senioryear, I got an opportunity to
turn it into a reality.
So it's something that's alwaysbeen with me.
I just didn't think Irecognized my potential right
away, and then completing thebook made me realize like oh you
(03:08):
nice, like you, you got atalent and keep going with it,
so okay so you mentioned thatyou went into the studio and
recorded your first uh track.
Speaker 1 (03:21):
So the reason I'm gonna ask you that I have, I'm
going to ask you that I haveinterviewed and talked to other
artists that actually startedout writing for Do you think
poetry is a gateway to music?
Speaker 2 (03:35):
Absolutely, it's the same thing, it's just without a
beat.
A lot of times when I do spokenword, people always tell me
like it sounds like you spittingover a beat, and I'm like, well
, it's the same thing, you know.
And I definitely think it was agateway.
I think when I finally realizedthat it was the same thing, I
was already older.
But that's what made it good,because it was like I'm already
(03:58):
used to doing it.
Now I just need to put it overa beat and step into the studio,
and it made it so much smoother.
I feel like you have to teach.
When people don't start with awriting background or a poetry
background, you have to teachthem how to do certain things.
When you already know how to doit, it's easier for you.
It was like like, like that.
Speaker 1 (04:17):
So so do that make you have any type of like um, I
would say impatience for workingwith other people who might not
grasp it as fast, or how areyou when you work for other
people?
um, so I'm assuming you meanlike other artists or other
(04:40):
people that write poetry well,I'm talking about when working
on music, because when workingon music, you're gonna have to
work with a lot of differentpeople if you can't do all the
steps and the componentsyourself.
So, being that much of it thatyou can do yourself, how are you
working with other people?
Speaker 2 (04:59):
I'm great with working with other people.
That's something that I do, youknow, on the everyday.
I think where I get maybe alittle bit frustrated is because
I have a writing background andnot a music background.
Mostly it's like people willassume that I don't know certain
things and then, when I do,it's more so would assume that I
don't know certain things andthen when I do, it's more so,
like you know, like that kind ofdumb blonde moment, they're
(05:19):
like, oh, you know, she knowshow to do this already and I'm
like, yeah, I've been doing it,so that's the only thing.
But I can work well with people.
I just don't like for myintelligence to be downplayed at
all okay.
Speaker 1 (05:32):
So I came across you on social media of hosts.
I want you to tell everybodyabout what you got going on and
where you're trying to get yourbook oh, I would love to.
Speaker 2 (05:45):
So I'm a part of cli.
It's this book initiative wherethey find young authors and
they give them a chance to writetheir own book.
So they take you through awhole process.
It's a whole year.
Every time you write a page,there's someone there to check.
You know what you're doing andthen, when you get to the end,
you have this full book and thenyou have this opportunity to go
(06:05):
to California and compete forpublishing.
So that's the stage that I'm innow.
The book is completed but I'mlooking to be published.
So at this conference it's gonnabe hundreds of young black
authors and you're gonna go onstage and you recite two of your
poems or whatever your work is,and you basically give them
like a synopsis of what yourbook is gonna be about.
(06:25):
And then after that you'll winthe publishing deal and this
deal could potentially put mybook into bookstores, retail
stores all over the UnitedStates.
And I'm so excited about itbecause you know, I'm just a
little you know, a little blackgirl from Louisiana and to think
that one of my books is goingto be in Target somewhere around
the world like that just makesme so excited and I wanted to
(06:48):
share that with social mediabecause you know I'm looking to
get donations from people sothat I can make it to California
and to compete, like I said.
You know I'm looking to getdonations from people so that I
can make it to California and tocompete, like I said.
You know, I know when I stepinto the room I'm going to come
home with it.
I just need to get there andthat's why I went to social
media with it.
Speaker 1 (07:06):
OK, so do you think that social media has been good
for you, or more work for you?
Speaker 2 (07:20):
you or more work for you.
Uh, it's been great for mebecause I was so shy at first
and then putting my face in thecamera.
Doing youtube at first openedme up to the idea of even
sharing my poetry or even goingto the studio, um, and then when
I stepped away from youtube anddid tiktok, I would sing on
tiktok, I would do all types ofstuff, and it was the confidence
that I got from, like myfollowers and my supporters
Every time I went viral fordoing something.
Just to see in the commentslike it reinforced me that I'm
(07:44):
talented, so it definitelyhelped me.
Speaker 1 (07:48):
Okay, tell me about your music side.
Speaker 2 (07:53):
My music side, so I've always been a singer.
I up in the church.
Like I said, I'm from the south, so Baptist church, that's
always been a part of me.
Singing with my grandmother,singing with my mom singing with
my friends, um, you know, whenI was coming up, music was a big
thing in schools as well, so wehad choir.
I'm getting choir in church andat school all the time.
(08:14):
And then, you know, now I'mjust like I'm at a point where
I'm like I need more people tohear this voice, I need more
people to hear this pen, becauseI don't just sing, I rap too,
and then the poetry as well, soit it's all like I basically say
a full circle thing, likeeverything I've been doing since
I was a child has only gottenbetter and it's bringing me to
this point okay, what's?
(08:40):
your major in school psychologynothing to do with the writing
part, but you, like you said, doyou work with people.
Speaker 1 (08:47):
you always have to understand people and anything
that you do Well, I thinkpsychology is very important for
marketing because you have toknow oh, I'm going to try to
target this market right herethis is what I know about them.
So if they were in thisscenario, what would happen?
Speaker 2 (09:09):
Right right.
Speaker 1 (09:10):
If I done, we'd draw more people in, I mean.
So I mean, I used to be apsychology major, Really, but I
changed to yeah, I changed tosociology and then I got a
master's in counseling.
So all up here, I'm all for it.
Speaker 2 (09:30):
I love it.
I love it yeah.
Speaker 1 (09:40):
I think it's been very.
That's the reason why I love it.
I love it.
Yeah, I think it's been very goahead.
I'm sorry that's the reason whyI laugh, but writing is
actually very important inpsychology.
So don't think that it's allhand in hand.
Only a person who couldn't putit together and have a whole
concept such as when you write asong or you get ready to shoot
a video you have to have aconcept it's not out there doing
(10:00):
anything.
So I think the writing, thepsychology, that everything goes
hand in hand I mean evenhumanities is almost a part of
psychology and philosophy andall those different things that
all go together.
So when you're creative, youuse all those aspects.
(10:21):
So I laugh about it.
But yeah, that's the big part.
You have to know how to think.
Speaker 2 (10:27):
Thank you, yeah, and then doing research about the
music business.
You already know it's a lot ofmind games.
You have to be on your, yourp's and q's, so being able to
sit in front of somebody andjust analyze them and know when
they bs me or what, and then themarketing part.
Like you said, all of it hasbeen helping me.
But when I say it usually atthe beginning people are like no
(10:50):
, but it's helpful, you know oh,I see it.
Speaker 1 (10:55):
So thank you.
Yeah, I'm gonna tell yousomething.
You look like and I'm gonna askhave anybody ever told you this
you remind me of?
I can't remember her name is,but she's Tammy Roman's daughter
that's also an artist.
Speaker 2 (11:13):
I know who you talk to.
Jazz, is it?
Jazz?
Is her name?
Something like that?
Something like that Reminds mea lot of her.
Well, thank you, I'm going totake that as a compliment.
Speaker 1 (11:25):
Okay, so tell me about.
I know you told me that you wasin the choir and that you was
in the choir at school and thatyou just finally got studio.
Was this your first time in thestudio, and tell me about your
experience for the first time so, yes, it was my first time
being in a recording studio.
Speaker 2 (11:46):
I was extremely nervous.
I'm a perfectionist well, Isaid recovering perfectionist
because I'm trying to trying tolet that go but, um, not knowing
what to expect had me terrified.
And like when they startedtalking about do your stab and
this and that, and I'm like whatare you talking about?
And then, once I got it, it wassmooth sailing, like.
Speaker 1 (12:03):
So I enjoyed it a lot and I'm ready to get back in
there, okay so do you think thatyour career is going to move
towards doing more music, or areyou just going to keep writing
poetry, or are you going to tryto get into like ghost writing
for other people?
What are your plans?
Speaker 2 (12:21):
my plans is to both.
Um, writing is a part of me,like I don't just do poetry,
like I write stories as well.
So, um, I'm definitely going tokeep writing the books because
that fuels the music.
My life experiences, the waythat I'm able to, um, explain
things and give details aboutthings, all of that helps me do
the music.
So, if I think, if I stop beingan author, that that would
(12:44):
completely derail the musicthing altogether, because I'm
constantly reading and learningnew things and those experiences
help me write those lyrics.
So I definitely want to keepdoing both so is your book
available anywhere now?
not yet, but we're hoping thatbecause the conference is this
(13:04):
month, um, so it is beingpublished like printed.
I won't say published printedright now, but published as in
being in places and on platforms.
Speaker 1 (13:14):
Not yet we'll talk after this.
I have a friend that owns apublishing company and she's
also an editor, and she has beena new york's bestseller for
many times over and she's fromright here thank you so much.
Yes, let's have thatconversation you know, I always
(13:35):
have a plan b, c, d, e and fyeah, yeah, I know my mom was in
my ear about that.
Speaker 2 (13:41):
Now, like, what do you want to do if they don't
pick it up?
Speaker 1 (13:44):
and I'm just like, I'm a trust guy like there's
other opportunities because youcan self publish.
You're not just stuck to that.
I mean you can open your ownpublishing company.
I mean there can be things thatcan be done.
I mean so that right there, ifit's your dream, it can be done.
All you have to do is doresearch, talk to people.
(14:07):
I spoke to a man I interviewedon my show one time and I said
what advice would you give topeople who's trying to get into
the industry?
He said always work with people, or be around people who is
making money doing what you'retrying to do.
He said you don't want to bearound people who is not making
money and basically front,because it's not going to put
(14:30):
money in your pocket.
You need to get around peoplewho know what they're doing.
So I'm interviewing, I listenand a lot of things I try to do
is pass resources along.
So if that's what you need, hey, I know a publisher, I know an
editor.
She's well, well, wherever.
Speaker 2 (14:47):
Now, all right well, I'll receive it.
I thank you so much.
I received the advice.
I'm always asking people likewe can you give me any words
that can help me out?
So I'm always willing to listen.
If you got something for me,I'm gonna hear it.
You know, I'm saying Iappreciate it.
Speaker 1 (15:06):
Tell me how long did it take for you to write the
book with you being a student?
Speaker 2 (15:16):
So it took me about six months to write the material
because I'm a night owl,sometimes I'm asleep and the
words just I have to get up andwrite it.
I have to.
If I wrote pretty fast, um, theprocess took a long time
because, like I said, everythingI wrote, I had to get it
approved, there was somebodythat looked over it.
(15:38):
Um, I had to go to a panel.
So it took a full year to geteverything together, but about
six months for all of the poemswell, I thank you for coming.
Speaker 1 (15:49):
I really enjoyed you.
You, you are very interesting,so if you have any last words,
you get your last words.
Tell everybody the name of yourbook.
Your social media handles wherethey can find you and where you
hope to be.
Speaker 2 (16:02):
My last word is success is a journey, not a
destination.
The woman told me I was gonnawrite a poetry book when I was
in the fourth grade.
I'm 26, give yourself time, andmy social media handles is Tyra
, no banks on everything.
So it's ty4a, tyra.
(16:23):
That's four a's, no bank, andthen I can send you something.
I don't know if you put thingson the screen or whatever, but
you can find me on tiktok,youtube, instagram.
Speaker 1 (16:33):
It's all the same, okay now, how did you get the
name tyra?
Speaker 2 (16:37):
no banks when I meet people and they're like what's
your name?
And I'm like tyra, and they'relike, oh, like tyra banks the
motto.
I'm like no, no, no Banks, I'mTyra.
You're not the same honey.
I got you, I got you and I juststuck with it.
Speaker 1 (16:55):
Especially on TikTok.
She loves TikTok, I can tellFacebook, instagram and her
YouTube channel.
You can find us on all podcastsand platforms Spotify for video
podcasts, youtube, googlePodcast podcast, pandora.
I know I'm missing some, sorryeverybody.
(17:16):
Partnership with Apple, so ifyou have your links, send your
links in.
You find us on Facebook and theblog every Friday.
We'll see you next week.
Bye.
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