Today we’d like to introduce you to Belén Cusi.
Belén, can you briefly walk us through your story – how you started and how you got to where you are today.
I began playing classical piano when I was 8 years old in San Antonio, Texas. An aunt of mine had a toy piano in Argentina and once I discovered it, I was obsessed. I begged and begged my parents for lessons until finally, they ceded. They bought me a keyboard and found me a private teacher. I went through the first few lesson books voraciously – I loved it. As time went on and I was exposed to other things at school and with friends I developed other interests, especially sports. Karate, basketball, volleyball, tennis—but ultimately basketball—took the center stage throughout most of middle school and high school, my piano lessons remained constant, but my interest waned. Still, I never stopped my lessons (this probably had more to do with me feeling sorry for leaving my piano teacher than with me actually wanting to stick with it). By the time I was graduating high school, I had a renewed interest in, and appreciation for, my classical studies, and I worked very hard to put on a lengthy senior recital to celebrate all my years of study.
After graduating high school I moved to Boston to attend the communications school at Boston University. Shortly after arriving I sought out a piano teacher. The man I linked with was, serendipitously, a studio owner and music producer, and it wasn’t long until he was asking me whether I enjoyed singing, whether I had ever written music—or would like to. I began studying piano with him to keep up with my playing. Voice lessons followed suit, and then songwriting, and before long we were talking about an artist development deal and recording an album together.
We spent the next two years working on what would be my first (never-released) full-length album. During this time I took a leave of absence from college to work exclusively on music. I lived alone in a studio apartment on Marlborough St and spent the majority of my days either at the music studio near Central Square or at home practicing. I had a strict exercise and diet regimen to keep me focused on daily practice sessions, and kept a pretty intensive routine for over a year. Ultimately, I became burned out and a little lost in the process. I was unsure of who I was artistically, I was afraid. I felt like I wasn’t ready or good enough to put myself out there on stages occupied by artists I deemed to be “perfect.” I also missed college, and realized I still had other interests I wanted to develop and experiences I wanted to try, so I decided to put the project on hold and return to BU.
Fast forward several years later, I had graduated from BU with a journalism degree and written for various publications around Boston (El Planeta, a Spanish newspaper, Robotics Business Review, The BU Buzz), and worked different corporate jobs in social media marketing and sales, to name a few. Music was always there but it was hard to really devote myself to it when I was working full-time and otherwise isolated from other musicians—I didn’t have many friends “in the scene” and despite my first intensive recording experience, I was still quite a newbie when it came to performing live or just being a performing artist in general.
It wasn’t until I read Robert Greene’s “Mastery” that something clicked and forever changed the way I pursue music. I realized everyone has a different path on their way to mastery in whatever field they’re passionate about – and I realized that it wasn’t a race anymore. I realized I just wanted to spend my life studying music because I loved it, and because that journey of musical discovery was going to be my ultimate journey of self-growth and discovery.
That was December 2015. By January 2016 I had transformed a spare room in my apartment into a new piano room and music studio. I had bought a new guitar. I had joined two bands as lead singer and keyboard player – I was all in. And serendipitously- as if the stars new what I was doing and decided to help nudge me along – I was laid off from my cush corporate job in April. I took it as a sign from above and decided: it’s going to be music or it’s going to be music.
I took a job waitressing tables and started networking with musicians. I got my first call for a 2 hour show with a full band and said yes immediately – even though I didn’t even have a band! I hung up the phone and got to work. That show helped me meet other musicians and get more “gigs”, and by the end of the year I was being paid to perform and entertain the New Year’s Eve crowd at the very restaurant where I had started waitressing just six months before to pay my bills.
From there it has been a slow, but steady climb of just pushing forward and making the next step: writing original material again, recording new music, performing more, performing in other cities.
2017 Saw me performing all over Boston in places like The Beehive and Beat Brasserie, and Toad in Cambridge. I met a producer in New York City and began talking with him about recording together. By October 2017 I was in a basement studio in the East Village recording what will be my first single this summer 2018. We finished recording in December 2017 and have spent the beginning of 2018 playing our first shows as a band and getting my name out there.
Right now I’m focused on improving my social media presence, on writing more songs, on learning about the release process and getting as strong as I can so I can release my music as an indie artist and have full creative control over what I do. It’s an on-going process, it’s crazy, it’s up and it’s down and it’s seriously all around — but I wouldn’t have it any other way. I’m so lucky to be doing what I’m doing. And I always say – it’s not luck (to be able to pursue your passion) – it’s a CHOICE. I CHOSE to follow my gut and my dream when I lost my job two years ago, and I’ve chosen every day since to take this road, to say no to comfortable, stable jobs, to say yes to opportunities outside my comfort zone, to say yes to jobs other people might look down on, to say yes to being constantly challenged, to living a different lifestyle than my peers – I have chosen to spend my time doing what I love and building a career that I’m passionate about, and along with it I have chosen the hard stuff too. It’s not luck – It’s being willing to make it happen.
Great, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
Lol. Struggles are inevitable, and on the artistic path they take on a whole new dimension. There are intrinsic and extrinsic struggles.
Intrinsic struggles: “What am I doing with my life?” “Am I good enough?” “I’m definitely not good enough.” “Will this ever work?” “I have no idea what am I doing.” All normal thoughts that require awareness, patience, compassion and fortitude to work through and live with – they aren’t going anywhere. We simply learn to embrace and ideally, transcend them. We rally on.
Extrinsic struggles: I’ve struggled with not having a steady income and that being my choice. I’ve lost band mates and had last minute cancellations. I’ve been disappointed by connections or “friends” with different intentions than musical collaboration. As a woman in the workforce – and in entertainment especially – that is something you deal with and you choose how you want to handle it. It is what it is.
Alright – so let’s talk business. Tell us about Belén Cusi – what should we know?
I’m a singer, songwriter and piano player. I sing Latin Soul music and my voice has been likened to that of Norah Jones, Joss Stone, even Diana Krall because of my piano playing. I write original music and aspire to tell stories and inspire people through my lyrics. I’m also an ex-student athlete and fitness is a big part of my platform and how I hope to inspire people – to live an active and inspired lifestyle.
Is there a characteristic or quality that you feel is essential to success?
Determination and self-reliance. I’m determined to get where I know I can get (belief!) and I decided long ago that even if no one else wants to help me, or believes in me, I’ll find a way. This makes me 100% accountable for my success – not depending on anyone or any circumstance to get me places. It’s all on me, all the time.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.belencusi.com
- Email: hello@belencusi.com
- Instagram: www.instagram.com/belencusi
- Facebook: www.facebook.com/officialbelencusi
- Twitter: www.twitter.com/belencusi
- Yelp: www.belencusi.tumblr.com
Image Credit:
Daniel Santiago
Jessica Iampolskaia
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