BLEEP ‘Rising Star’ Spotlight: Dominic Crossey

Dominic Antonio Crossey has been making music in New York for ten years and doesn’t plan on slowing down anytime soon. As a participant in the Rising Star competition, he said one of the biggest takeaways was that “it was nice to form a good habit of singing something on a stage each week, getting through the jitters, and the routine of learning the music. Doing that on a weekly basis was a really good habit to get into.”

What do you do when you’re not singing?

Sing. I work at two restaurants, one as a waiter and one as a bartender. I’ve been balancing two jobs since January and now, I’m taking a leap of faith and dedicating more time to music.

Working two jobs, you’ve got to be tired. What keeps you inspired?

Kindness. I’m very visually stimulated with color. Bright and vivid colors. Even though I love black and white, I think those are both strong colors. I see color a lot and I’m always riffing in my mind. I’ll be doing my daily thing and then vocalizing that. I see paint and colors when I’m singing, not scales and music notes.

What is the biggest challenge for you as a performer?

To get out of my head. I feel I meant to sing, on some scale or level. Ideally, I’d like to make a living off the artist’s life, which is hard living in New York City and we can’t save money here. I’ve been here ten years but I’m still pushing to make it happen.

After ten years, what has your journey been like?

Staying driven has its peaks and valleys. I go through moments of questioning and not trusting myself. What drives me is seeing other people fulfill their true calling, especially when friends and loved ones succeed. I’ve cultivated great groups of people in my life and seeing them do what they’re meant to be doing is inspiring. It’s the goal, to be happy and successful to whatever degree that is.

What keeps you creatively stimulated when you aren’t performing?

Music. Every moment of every day. When I’m on the train, I’ll listen to the same song on repeat for 45 minutes, dissecting it and discovering things I didn’t hear before in chord progressions and vocals. I’ll catalog it in my brain for when I’m creating my own music. That’s my life. It’s music all day long.

Interview by Ryan Brinson

Photos by Clay Burch

For more on Dominic, follow him on Twitter!