You never know how small the world is, until you actually meet the people living in it. Want to know how small my world is? I found out when I met singer, Desiree Tizon, who lives literally two flights up from me in Yonkers, NY. Desiree is currently a student at Florida International University (F.I.U.), studying Public Relations. But besides her education credentials, this girl can sing! Desiree sat down with elleELLEeye for an interview and we got to know her a little better.
LLi: What makes you love singing?
DT: When I listen to music, and I see how it influences me. I want to be that influence for other people. Especially for girls...you don't see that many female singers period. And if you do, they come and they leave. Every time I feel like I want to give up, "I'm like I can do it!"
LLi: What's missing from the music industry that you plan to bring?
DT: [What's missing is a] realness. A lot of people just want to force and push out hits, not really remembering why they were doing it in the first place. My main motive is to remember why others love my music. When people say that they like my music, a lot of them say, the lyrics meant a lot to them and that they could relate to it. That's why I want to keep doing it.
LLi: Do you ever feel like school interferes with you reaching dreams?
DT: All the time! I've always been a student who was involved in everything, so I was like "Oh, whatever, this is going to be nothing." It didn't happen that way. I had a meeting with [producers] Cool and Dre and they're like "This is hot; we want you to be a writer for us". [Unfortunately, I had to study for my sorority initiation on the day they wanted to meet.] I think I messed that [relationship] up, because I guess they saw it as, "Oh this girl isn't serious. If she was, she would be here right now."
LLi: Is there anyone you would like to work with...up and coming/underground artists?
DT: J. Cole. I love him so much. A lot of people say "Oh you just love him because he's a rapper." But, [what] I respect most is that he had the same problem I did. He was going to college, he didn't know how he was going to push his music - but he got his degree. Now, look at where he is. I look up to that a lot. I really like his music.
LLi: What do you live for?
DT: Music. Honestly, this has always been something I knew I was going to do. Sometimes I would get scared and say, maybe I should just go to school, get a job and be normal. But once this started taking off, I knew I could do this.
LLi: Who's the most inspirational person when it comes to your music career?
DT: My biggest inspiration is Alicia Keys. I respect her so much; her and Beyoncé. I started playing piano because of Alicia Keys. I could look at her in a concert, she can sit and play the piano the whole time, and everyone would love her. Everybody respects her. That's what I want.
LLi: With influences like Mary J. Blige and Alicia Keys, it’s easy for artists to lose their way by trying to sound like or be like someone else. How will you remain you?
DT: [I will remain me] by staying true to the music. A lot of people in the business [today] want everything to be a hit. But Mary J. Blige's "I'm going down", wasn’t a “hit”. A&Rs would listen to it and say - this is just another ballad. But, she stood true to what she was doing, and now we look [back] at it and say, "That was a classic." So I'll stay focused [on me].
LLi: You began writing songs at 7, what were you writing about at that age? How has your music progressed since then?
DT: I was writing about love! My dad was a freestyle DJ for Stevie B. and all of that high-pitched "Rock the Bells" type stuff. I would just write little stuff then. [I’ve progressed] format-wise. Even now, [with my version of "Killin' Em"] it was hard to write. Rappers, they have a flow for their 16 bars, but if a singer does the same melody to the bars, people will snore. So it's just learning to overcome that.
LLi: What's your recording process?
DT: Actually, a lot of the songs I write are on the spot. The first song I did, "I Wanna Go Back", is the only song I wrote ahead of time. It's just a thing of me going to the studio with my producer Michael, and I’ll write.
LLi: What inspires your ability to create?
DT: All of the songs I write are personal. The one that's coming out soon is called "Gonna Say Bye". All of my other songs have been [about love] and then something happened where things weren't so lovey anymore. So the next song is showing how I was there for everything, but [he didn't] appreciate me - so - I'm going to say bye. When I'm about to write, I think about how I feel. It's like writing a diary in your own format.
LLi: Being a music artist, what type of picture would you paint for the world to see?
DT: [I’ll paint a picture of somebody who can do a lot]. With all I do, people call me Wonder Woman. In order to be a good role model for people, you need to be smart and be able to hold yourself well. At the same time, you need to be able to be a boss and hold your own. I want the world to look at me like "She's a sweet girl, but don't mess with her!"
LLi: Do you have any stand out moments in your music career thus far?
DT: A lot of the things that I remember most have been singing with my high school choir [at Osceola High School]. I didn't go to a performing arts school; I went to a regular high school in a little city next to Orlando, named Kissimmee. That choir did everything for me. I learned so much through them, and more about myself; like learning to have patience and how to deal with other people. We sang in Virginia at “Music in the Parks”, in New York to sing at Carnegie Hall, the Bahamas, L.A., and all over Florida. Sometimes [it’s tiring, but] "I love this life".
LLi: How do you prepare for a performance?
DT: Before I perform I have to listen to music that makes me feel like I'm the sh*t. If I mess up the first time, they're going to remember me as the girl who messed up. I’ll listen to Beyoncé and Nicki Minaj [to help me] put on this demeanor like "I got this!" Once you have that, you're good.
LLi: There are no limits, what would be your dream performance?
DT: To go to any other country and have people know the words to my songs. I don't know how I would react to that. I was watching, the Beyoncé Experience, and she was in Tokyo. Those people don't know English, but they know all the words to her songs. That would be enough for me.
LLi: When can we expect new music from you? Do you have any upcoming projects?
DT: My new website, www.DesireeTizon.com features two new songs. I just did songs for Miami artists Kurtiz the Kid and Mercy. I'll be working with Ghost Rider and J. Nics (who’s opened up for Curren$y, Wiz Khalifa, and Big Sean).
*Photo credit: Vintage Stereon
POP Photography
Natalie Chaparro
She's super cute.