Meet Aushailene Ragin | Singer-Songwriter, Musician, & Actress

We had the good fortune of connecting with Aushailene Ragin and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Aushailene, is there a quote or affirmation that’s meaningful to you?
My biggest fear as a child was that the world would end before I had the chance to accomplish my dreams. I dreamed of becoming a famous singer and actress, and as a teen I wondered if these dreams would ever see the light of day. Especially with the ticking clock of life constantly at the forefront of my mind. Yet, when my High School best friend showed me the film Donnie Darko one night at a sleepover, my entire perspective changed.

In the film, when contemplating death, Donnie has a realization. He speaks, “I hope that when the world comes to an end, I can breathe a sigh of relief, because there will be so much to look forward to.” – Donnie Darko, 2001

After I heard this quote it always stuck with me. Although Donnie realized this only moments before his passing, I was blessed to realize as a teen that death is only the beginning. That as long as I take steps that are in alignment with my dreams, I’ll get there eventually. Even if it is in the next lifetime. I will succeed.

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
I am a singer, songwriter, musician, and actress. I was born and raised in San Bernardino California, but I moved to Atlanta Georgia with my mom when I was in High School. My mother remembers that when I was only 2 years old, I would go up to her and ask her to write the words that I sang. As this continued, she realized that I was trying to sing and write my own songs. Quickly, she would often turn on her VHS camcorder and record my antics. That is where my passion for performing began, and as I learned to write on my own, my mom got me piano and guitar lessons to accompany my original songs.

I would say that at the age of 6 however, I fell in love with the concept of acting. As an only child, I had a lot of free time, and film gave me a great escape. I would rewatch my favorite movies over and over again on my small little box TV, memorizing the lines of my favorite characters and plots. I expressed this to my mom, who then enrolled me in acting class at the Rialto Community Center, which I added on to my music lessons.

I can imagine that it was hard for her, as a single mother, to afford my big dreams. Yet, she always found a way for me to live out my passions on a budget. This taught me to be self sufficient as well as observant, as I looked for new opportunities that would allow me to practice my craft at low cost.

Once we moved to Georgia, I began acting and training professionally when I was cast in the Alliance Theatre Teen Ensemble (2015-2016 season). My mom even gifted me with recording equipment to produce my own songs. Since then, I graduated Cum Laude from Georgia State University in December 2019 with a bachelor’s degree in Interdisciplinary studies with a focus on Theatre Performance and a minor in Spanish.

The most important thing I have learned on my journey to become a successful performer, is to take agency over my career and my dreams. You can’t just wait to “be discovered”. You have to actively choose to walk the path that is in the closest alignment with your vision; trusting that you will meet the right people along the way. Even if you don’t, know that you will be okay because you’re out here making it happen for yourself.

For this reason, my new single/music video “WOLVES” was such a big accomplishment for me. Not only did I Produce and Engineer the entire song myself, in only two weeks, I also Executive Produced and Directed the music video. The entire process from idea to release took around 5 months. On our final shoot date for the video, as we set up the bright red lights, I remember looking around at all of the cast and crew in awe. I felt so proud of myself. I made this happen. It was alchemy, true creation, and confirmation that I am on the right path. My inner child was brimming with happiness.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
Whenever my cousins come from California to visit, I always have fun planning up a little itinerary of all of my favorite spots in the city. It helps that me and my cousins are the same age so we like a lot of the same things.

We would start the day with coffee at my favorite coffee shop, Café Intermezzo at the Midtown location. I always joke that Café Intermezzo is me if I were a coffee shop. It has the most beautiful European aesthetic and warm atmosphere. Not to mention tasty drinks and treats! I would order a vanilla latte with extra sugar and some kind of alternative milk.

We would then take a short stroll through Midtown until we arrived at The High Museum of Art. I absolutely adore this museum and it is right next door to the Alliance Theatre which is also such a treat for an evening show.

Finally, we would end the day at my favorite restaurant, Yard House at Atlantic Station. I love this location because it gives you the unique indoor-outdoor vibe of Atlantic Station, paired with yummy Americana food and drinks. Like me, my cousins also eat plant-based so we enjoy that the Yard House menu is vegan friendly! I always order the Gardein Wings and Truffle Fries with lots of ketchup! I’m a creature of habit.

Some honorary mentions are the Fernbank Science Center where you can watch the stars in the Jim Cherry Memorial Planetarium, the Starlight Drive-In for a cozy film, the hiking trails at Arabia Mountain to balance the root chakra, and of course the Coke Museum for some sugary fun.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
I would like to dedicate my shoutout to my mother, Venus Ragin. Throughout my journey, she has been my number one support system and I could have never gotten this far without her by my side.

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/aushailene/

Twitter: https://mobile.twitter.com/aushailene

Facebook: https://m.facebook.com/aushailene/?ref=bookmarks

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/c/AushaileneRagin

Other: “WOLVES” Music Video: https://youtu.be/lz9JYpA7Es8 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/23Hg6RkJvyMp6uTQofX1xq?si=GlQ5r1cCTDGNScr93GH9vw&nd=1 IMDB: https://pro.imdb.com/name/nm8341238?s=32be8b07-44c1-b828-867a-03ccb262d6c9&site_preference=normal