Full name: Justine Dorsey
Position / Job title: Songwriter/Singer/Performer
1. When you were a kid, what did you want to be when you grew up?
I wanted to be a lot of things. There was a good chunk of time where I wanted to be a veterinarian. There was a veeeerry short-lived baseball phase (I have since lost my enthusiasm for physical activity). Looking back on it, I guess I always knew I’d be an artist somehow, whether it was as an actor or a singer or a writer.
2. Fast-forward several years/decades. How did you land (or create) your current position?
When I was thirteen, I started writing songs. And that vague dream of being an artist was thrown into focus. I got it, you know? I could really see a future in writing music. I was working on an album then, and it didn’t really work out. In the ensuing years I bounced around from producer to producer, and through this publishing company called Laurel Canon, I met my label. Unison Music Group.
But as I’m talking about this, I realize that that I’m not going to have a straightforward answer. Because being a singer/songwriter not really a “position”. I think a position (in this context) is defined by everything external to it, and everything external to an artist is constantly in flux. There’s always some big change of environment you’re waiting for, and so I’ve both landed and unlanded.
3. What is the biggest career mistake you’ve ever made?
My biggest career mistake is also my best career decision. Basically: the fact that I started pursuing music seriously at such a young age. I’ve been putting out music during a time when the internet is so linked to music, so everything’s documented. Every phase I’ve been through is out there for everyone to see. But lately I’ve been trying to look at this as a positive. All of those versions of myself have made me who I am right now. And the fact that you can see a timeline of how I’ve evolved is kinda cool.
12. Parents love to say, “just wait ’til you have to face the real world…” When you were in college or high school, what did you think the “real world” looked like? What is the difference between what you thought and reality?
I’m still in college, but I’ve absolutely noticed a change in how I perceive the world. Growing up, I always strived for this perfect state of being. I wanted everything to be beautiful and happy at all times, and when it wasn’t, I felt like I was living my life wrongly. Now, though? I realize that if things are going wrong, I’m probably living right. It’s so cheesy, but life isn’t meant to be perfect. I really don’t think it is. And I’m learning to accept that.
4. Should you work for the money, or do what you love?
Do what you love. Do what you love. Do what you love. Not having money is hard, but feeling unfulfilled is harder. Do what you love.
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