Reneé Dominique, Singer/Songwriter: Be Different but Don’t Compare

Renee Dominique is a singer and songwriter. You could find her songs on her YouTube channel, along with a few covers and short films she creates.  With her career on the rise, Renee wants to make sure she positively inspires people through her music. This natural born artist couldn’t imagine a life away from the arts. Her passion, her art, and her heart are a display of what hard work could result to, how faith in the proper timing is important and how the elimination of self-doubt is key to making it work.

Tell us about your daily routine in your occupation (a day in the life)

If I don’t have any events, besides watching movies on Netflix, I try my best to write music. I also take raw footage of the places I go to then I turn them into short films. However, I don’t really publish them. Hopefully, in the future, I wanna pursue filmmaking as well. I want to connect filmmaking to my music, so sometimes I film stuff and then I get inspiration from that to write music.

What do you love about what you do?

What I love about singing and songwriting is that I can really connect with people right away – on a personal level. As an artist, I want people to be inspired to become a better version of themselves through the music I make – that’s the biggest thing for me. As cheesy as it may sound, I want people to be inspired to do something positive in any situation, it may be a small thing or a big thing – just in any situation they are in. That’s one thing I love about what I do, and I strive to do through the music I create.

What is your passion and how did you discover it?

I loved music ever since I was a young girl, but when I went to regular school, I was so consumed with academics and sports that I completely forgot about it for a couple of years. However, when I was homeschooled, I rediscovered my love for it. I picked up the guitar again, started singing and never put it down. Later on, I started doing YouTube videos. I was expecting the worst responses, especially from social media, but seeing the positive response to my videos gave me the extra drive to do it more. I am so happy with what I am doing and I actually do not see myself doing anything else other than music or the arts, in general.

Was there resistance to getting to where you are? What were they? How did you overcome them?

I think my biggest struggle is trying my best not to compare myself to other people. I’ve seen a lot of people start a career similar to mine and just get there in a snap, and honestly, it’s discouraging. I often ask myself, what do I have to do in order to get there, to have what they have? And there are times when I feel like I’m not really cut out for this because I’ve been working so hard, but nothing really follows through. However, one important thing that I actually discovered that’s been helping me overcome that struggle is to filter what you see, especially on social media, and really focus on the positive things that can help you be better in what you’re doing. Another thing is to really rely on God’s timing. I think everyone has their own time when it comes to the success of their careers. So one, don’t compare yourself to others and two, trust in God’s timing. It’s still a struggle for me. I haven’t fully overcome that, but I am getting there.

What are some of your career highlights and career goals?

One career highlight for me was the moment I decided that I wanted to take YouTube seriously. YouTube was just a once a month thing for me before and I didn’t really think it would help me in my career, but I’ve been contemplating it for a long time. So when I finally decided to take it seriously, I did this campaign called #ReneesRoadTo100k subscribers, and in a span of one and a half months since it launched, I reached my goal! It seemed impossible when I started it because I only had thirty-six thousand subscribers at that time, but it happened and I got a silver play button for it, which is really nice. I also had a meet and greet in the Philippines where I was able to meet some of the people that subscribe to my channel. It means a lot to me that I get to meet them and thank them for their support. Apart from that, coming here to New York and sharing my music to a different audience is such a big thing for me.

As for my career goals, I want to be able to release a single here in New York and hopefully have it streaming on the radio and Spotify. I also hope to get signed to a good label and release music that I know I’m confident about, and eventually, I’ll get to tour.

Back then, my goal was to be Beyonce. But it’s not anymore, I wanna be Renee.

Any specific thing you’ve learned in your current job that you believe will help you in the future? Tell us the story behind it.

Getting to where I am now, from the Philippines to New York, I really relied on what I can do, and on what my mom and manager could do in order to help me reach my dreams. I was expecting so much once I came back here, but nothing really happened as planned and that’s when God spoke to me and I realized a lot of things – that I should stop trying to do everything by myself and in my own terms because God knows better and His ways are perfect. This trip really showed me that you could do whatever you can in your power but if you don’t submit your plans to God, you won’t get there – not in the way God wants you to. The main highlight of this trip was really to submit all my plans to God first and trust Him rather than trusting in my own power.

What role, if any, does being Filipino or the Filipino culture play in your life, your work, or education?

There are so many bits and pieces that I could put together into a song since I come from a different culture, so I have different experiences coming from a whole different place and perspective. That is something I could bring to the table by letting people hear my story and telling them what I’ve been through as someone who is not from here. Another thing I like is the sort of conservative nature of Filipinos. Compared to other parts of the world that are very liberated, as a Filipino, we have this conservativeness that helps guide me in knowing my limitations and boundaries when it comes to different things I encounter.

Hardest struggle or experience in pursuing the field you are in?

Hardest struggle is really how you look at yourself and how you see other people, how that affects you and how you perceive your future. Like I said earlier, you see people who just started, doing the same thing, and they get there right away! It’s such a struggle to really focus on yourself and to focus on what you can do to make yourself better instead of focusing on other people’s success. Comparing yourself to others is really my hardest struggle.

Practical advice for anyone who wants to go for a goal or dream that is similar to yours?

Try to get inspiration from people to find your originality. Be different. It’s not bad to be unique and being different is what can help get you to where you wanna be. So don’t be pressured by the standards of this generation, especially when it comes to career. Stay authentic. Stay true to who you are and don’t try to let anybody or anything change that. Of course, trust in God’s timing, you work at your own pace based on God’s plan for you, so don’t compare yourself to others.

For more of Renee and her work, follow her on Instagram @heyimrenee or subscribe to her channel heyimrenee.