Ruby Amanfu
Nashville, TN USA
"We have personal power and we can blow the doors off of the building with how much power we allow to come out of us. It’s there. You have to believe that it’s there."
Career Roadmap
Ruby's work combines: Music, Writing, and Being Creative
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Day In The Life
Skills &
Education
Advice for getting started
I'm a huge supporter of arts programs in school. Middle school and high school were where I started really expressing my talents in singing and songwriting. Having access to great arts programs and fully participating in those programs was the foundation for my career.
Here's the path I took:
High School
Life & Career Milestones
My path in life has been direct
1.
I was born in Accra, Ghana, but moved to Nashville, Tennessee, with my family when I was about three years old.
2.
I was an introverted child and would spend most of my time writing songs and listening to music.
3.
I went to a magnet high school with a premiere fine arts program that gave me access to incredibly supportive teachers and an on-site studio where I could record my own songs.
4.
My friends and mentors, Dave and Becky Matthews, saw potential in me and funded my whole first album, which I recorded in high school.
5.
I moved to Boston to attend Berklee College of Music but transferred to a college back in Nashville after a year because my album had been released and was gaining traction back home.
6.
I got my first publishing deal and record deal at 19, so I officially left school to give my full attention to my professional career.
7.
I wrote a hit single, “Sugah,” which led to me being signed to a co-venture between popular record labels—the co-venture fell apart after the release of my second album and I came back home.
8.
My friend Sam Brooker and I started writing and recording songs together—we really hit it off, decided to perform together as Sam & Ruby, and landed a record deal!
Defining Moments
How I responded to discouragement
THE NOISE
Messages from Myself:
Why should anyone care about my music? I'm not anybody.
How I responded:
I had given all that I had to my career and what I thought I was supposed to be but things weren't going right. I was at a very low point in my career and I started convincing myself that no one should care about me and my music. When I was asked to be part of a music retreat with fans and was surrounded by true music lovers, my thoughts were reversed. It wasn't about what I was supposed to be—it was about what I was. I started caring again, others cared, and I saw my career in a new light.
Experiences and challenges that shaped me
Throughout most of my career, I felt like I was giving so much and not receiving anything in return from my peers and labels. I was exhausted and wanted to quit. It wasn't until I was surrounded by true music lovers that my passion was rejuvenated.