We had the good fortune of connecting with Yari Ferrari Music and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Yari Ferrari, can you walk us through the thought-process of starting your business?
I knew I always had a natural gift but I was never confident in sharing my talents with others. When I got to high school I started to gain more knowledge around things i’ve always wanted to do and learn. I also started to meet people who had the same interests as me. This gave me that boost to start taking my abilities serious and I began to put myself out to the world and show what it is that I do.

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 grew up in the church playing drums every Sunday. Music was a big part of my family. Before I started playing, I was watching my grandpa play the drums & my grandmother play the keyboard in church. My father was also a drummer. I simply learned by watching them and then one day I told my grandparents I wanted to play. I was about 5 years old. They taught me some of their skills, bought me a mini drum set and I eventually got a keyboard. I also started taking piano and drum lessons but the style I became most comfortable with was teaching myself. My grandma played the keyboard by ear so that became my style of play as well. When I moved to ATL at age 10, I was only able to bring my keyboard with me so that’s what I began to focus on. My favorite thing to do was make covers of my favorite songs. I started off looking up tutorials on Youtube but eventually I started learning on my own. This led me to starting my own Youtube channel to broadcast my talents. As I began to learn more and more about the piano through playing, it sparked my creativity which is when I started making my own music. Making melodies on the keyboard is what I fell in love with. One day my uncle heard me playing and suggested I should start making beats. It took me awhile to take heed to that but I eventually started. He was the one to teach me! All of this was the beginning to a long process of building skill. It’s a continuous journey because there is so much to learn. It’s easy to get discouraged but knowing that there are unlimited possibilities and opportunities in front of you as you get better is what keeps you going. Staying consistent probably has been one of the biggest challenges especially being a perfectionist. However, having patience and letting things flow has helped with not beating myself up about not making a post or uploading a video. Giving myself grace and telling myself it is a process, even with gaining certain characteristics that you know you need, allows me not to move too fast. A lot of the craft is perfected behind closed doors. You have to stay confident about the work you’re putting in. When I was younger music was everything to me but my biggest challenge was stage fright. That made me believe I couldn’t do anything when it came to having an audience. I was always afraid to mess up. Something that I learned that I still recognize today is messing up is inevitable. We as humans make mistakes no matter what it is that we do. It’s okay though because it’s apart of growing. It’s not easy but nothing in life is so, you might as well stick to what you’re good at. The motivating part about building this brand has been the feedback I receive when putting my art out. My first cover ever on Youtube has 10k+ views right now. When I first posted I had no idea it was getting attention, i had no expectations on results but people loved it and it wasn’t even a minute long. Things like that make me most excited because you know you have so much more to show, give, and do. Even with not having a big platform or a bunch of followers and subscribers, you can still make an impact and make people smile and that’s what’s beautiful and important. One comment of encouragement literally makes me go harder because I know that people are watching! I am also excited about increasing my knowledge and experiences. I plan to start attending more camps, workshops, and even some more auditions! I had my first audition this year for Lil Yachty’s all girl band where I had an AMAZING time and it has inspired to keep moving out of my comfort zone. Music is a way that I express myself. Being someone who is kind of to themselves and who has been through a lot but never got to speak about it, music helps me feel connected. It puts joy in my heart and that is what my brand is all about. Creatively expressing who I really am. Speaking my truth through creative sound. This has been apart of the path of sharing my story, i’ve just been taking it chapter by chapter.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
Brunch is definitely a must in ATL. For a quick pickup of something delicious i’m making a trip to Gutbusters. For something fancy to sit down and drink a good mimosa i’ll have to go to Toast on Lenox, Milk & Honey or Nouveau.

My favorite place to grab a healthy snack is Playa Bowls who serves the best fresh smoothie bowls.

For Lunch or Dinner something not too fancy, I like to eat at Little Azio’s or Dream Dish.

For a fancy dinner The Vault and Batsi are really tasty.

Atlantic Station is definitely one of my favorite places to go. You can enjoy a movie or other fun activities (depending on the season), shopping, good eats of all sorts, and great scenery.

The battery ATL is also another fun place to visit for a variety of food, festivities, and scenery. If you can catch a Braves game that is a must!

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
I would like to dedicate this shoutout to my Great Grandfather who passed away when I was 9 years old. He was a father figure who raised me before I started living with my parents. He always encouraged me to go after my dreams and always told me I would be a star because of my talents. He instilled in me how blessed I am and why I should work hard. When it came to music, he LOVED to watch and hear me play the drums. He never missed a beat of letting me know how special I am even if I couldn’t see it. His pure love and motivation still pushes me today. It’s a big reason as to why I even do what I do!

Website: https://linktr.ee/yariferrari

Instagram: @yariferrarimusic

Twitter: @iamyariferrari

Facebook: @yariferrarimusic

Youtube: https://youtube.com/@yariferrarimusic

Other: https://on.soundcloud.com/nLMGm4G3so721WHU9

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