Creative Freedom: Illezo (MATURA)

 Quotes to Love

“I’m not talking about getting 360 deals when I say I hate labels. I think when we call ourselves something specific, we run the risk of boxing ourselves into a category and limit our creative freedom.” 

~On Titles in the Music Industry~

Can we turn it up for Royal Oak, Michigan?!!!!!!!

Yes, because with about 10 shows (or more) under his belt and a passion for versatility in styles and genres of Pop and Rap we see that he is running at full speed. Illezo stopped for a moment to share a little bit about his love for music and we are thankful! So, let’s check it out…

He comes from a creative and entrepreneurial family, but music was not something he was exposed to at a young age; neither of his parents played instruments or sang so music was a new route for both creative expression and business.

Many people listen to music to escape from their reality but then some listen so they can connect with other people. He has gotten more vulnerable in his music to really bring out his abilities. He really enjoys people and loves connecting through music and performance. He shares with full humility…”I want someone who has been looking at a puzzle piece of themselves for a long time to see that it’s a perfect fit in a more complete picture of who they are as a human and not a piece to hide or discard.”

He believes that his is strongest skill(s) definitely emerge in songwriting. He is intentional with his word choice and takes his time to make sure he’s saying things specifically in a way that conveys the message he intends for it to be heard in. He practices singing, but in his mind he will be there soon. He definitely considers himself an MC as well because his live shows are both his favorite and the most impactful parts of his career. In a moment of reflection with a smile he shares: “When you can connect with people in a room and create positive energy and experience, there isn’t a better feeling.”

 

His current project is called MATURA, and it’s really an exploration into more of the pop side of his music. He’s been working on singing and production more so it will show more of his versatility.

 

When it comes to writing music, that responsibility isn't just on Pat it’s also shared with his team. Since starting to compose more instrumentally, he’s worked with members of his team “much more talented than I am” says he.., to help him build out the best music he can. One day he will write all of the lyrics, then other days he makes the entire instrumental, but then again there are times when he writes the vocal melody, so there isn’t just one thing that he always does and the collaboration definitely makes for better Art.

When Pat was in high school, he had a very motivating English teacher by the name of Jason Jones who encouraged him to continue writing poetry. He enjoyed it as an outlet. He didn’t share much of his work, but he learned a lot about himself in the process. Which opened the door for him to become a band kid and his mom talked him into taking a course at the local community college at night where he learned more about video editing and some basic music production. 

After putting a few songs together and falling in love with the process, he bought some equipment and started writing and recording with a few friends. He continued to work on music and moved more into working on his own individual journey. He found his voice and began collaborating with other incredible artists and meeting different creative people to work with has been one of the best parts of being involved with music. He really loves the whole process because there are no rules and you get to paint any picture you want on a canvas of silence.

When Artists create they have at least one song that they really were feeling during the process. Of course for Pat this song changes day to day, but his favorite song right now is from his upcoming project called: Autumn and he worked with Billy Famous to create it. Billy is an incredible creative force and he handled most of the production on the song. We work very well together and can grab the baton when one of us is stuck on a portion. He’s another member of the AGiLE SOCiETY family, which is the collective of brilliant Artists that he works with.

 

 

When you finally have an opportunity to step out on a stage in front of people that love and support your music it’s tough to tell which performances you really loved but Pat has vivid memories of every show he’s done. He did a show at Bleu Detroit where he met JR and from there really started taking music seriously. The crowd was incredible that night. He also did a show at PJ’s Lager House most recently and, again, his crowd always shows off for him. At the PJ’s show, he also had a full camera crew making him feel like a Rockstar. He also performed a few songs with Kobierich which were unforgettable. The energy at each show is something he is forever grateful for and he appreciates everyone always coming out and having a great time with him.

When challenges arise, there are many different ways to approach them, but with Pat he feels like every day has a new lesson to impact his career. It’s been a long journey so far and he’s loved every minute of it. One experience in particular that impacted him greatly was when he started performing live. It changed everything, from his approach to songwriting to his production. He writes now to account for crowd interaction, connection and engagement. He includes more builds and breaks in his productions as that creates a special type of energy that fans can really feel.

 

Most Artist don’t just sing or rap they also have other ventures. As a creator and someone who has grown up in a business-focused family of entrepreneurs, he is always up to something. He has a side project for design, social media, branding, PR and video content called the Nebulae Agency. He is also working to build out a course with an incredible engineer Rudy Youmans through Studio 221B. He has a new idea every day so he tries his very best to stay focused on the things he’s doing. But, he’s really a utility player on every team he’s on so if they need something to be successful, he learns what he needs to or he finds someone who is a good fit to fill the role.

 

      

 

 

ILLEZO Advice

If you have any interest in any medium of self-expression, do it. There is a very high chance you’re going to be awful when you first start. I know I was. But keep trying if you enjoy it. You’ll find that you continue to improve with each project you work on, and you’ll continue to surprise yourself with what you can create. Go out and do it. Trust in yourself and understand that using your personal taste as a guide will be what makes you unique.

Don’t get into it for the money. It’s fine to work to build a career and I’d be lying if I said I didn’t intend to make this a full time job, but I don’t create to get rich. I make music because I love doing it and I’m thankful every time I’m able to get paid for doing something I truly love.
 

Catch more of him and his music here:

Instagram at @Illezo

You can also find him on Facebook YouTube SoundCloud TikTok and pretty much anywhere else by searching: 

Pat Polzin (Illezo)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Maria Brenda: From Modeling toTV.

Maria Brenda from Chicago... 

Modeled in her early 20’s. At 5’4” she discovered that she is actually really good at modeling. she just wished that she was a little taller to be considered in the runway division.

Her most memorable fashion show was the Paul Mitchell Hair Show. During that time because of her look she was selected to do the runway show even though she wasn’t tall enough for it. That was the first time they had a shorter model doing the runway. They had to hem the outfit. But, the best part was the man himself did her hairstyle. It was an honor to her. 

She started acting when she was a little girl. She was in theater and drama in high school. She did her modeling and acting in her early 20’s but mostly modeling then she decided to have a family and from there she focused on her family and stopped acting for a while.

About 5 years ago, she started pursuing her acting again. She took some acting classes to refresh her skills. She was lucky enough to get some acting gigs to build her resume. The major role she played was as the Asian boss (Shanghi) for the series, “NO Chiraq”  on INTV. She is also the voice of the network.

In playing that part she became inspired and she started Zatori Productions and team up with some talented and creative partners. This is a new venture for her and she is ready for the challenges that come with it. So, what motivated her to start the company was for the love of the industry.  They are a media production company specializing in Film, TV, Web, Commercial, Industrial, Sports, and Special Events. She feels lucky to have such talented and creative partners.

The biggest challenge for her in the industry is that, “people judge you for your look  and what you put on social media and think that’s who you are as a person. They don’t know who you are in real life.” She has learned overtime to ignore it. It doesn’t do her any good.

Advice She Would GIVE 

to those individuals starting their own company is “to do your research first.” Ask yourself “What’s your goal in opening this business? Is  this something that you wanted to do? Is this a long term business? Is this profitable? She believes that if someone wants to open a business, that they should make sure that they will see themself being there for the longest haul. There is a lot of things to do in opening your own company. Research, research, research is the key.

I have a very supportive family. They think it’s cool that I’m following my passion and my dreams. They are my biggest fan.

Her biggest venture is the TV series is she working on is called “The Unlimited Lives of Gwen Salden” it is a story of a woman that suddenly finds herself time traveling in her sleep and living different lives in different realities. She has to figure out who she is and why certain things are happening to her.  The character has to figure out if everything she is going through: Is real or if she is just insane? Ms. Brenda loves sci-fi so she asked her talented write and good friend which is now one of the business partners’, to write her a sci-fi series.  They just got done filming the trailer for the investors. Her plan for the series is to get some funding for the pilot and build name recognition, then she will present it to reputable TV networks, nationally and or internationally.  “The Unlimited Lives of Gwen Salden” will appeal to both young and adult audiences. Fans of sci-fi, horror, suspense, comedy, drama, action will enjoy the series.

Her fans and audience can follow her through her social media:

IG, FB, Linkedin, Twitter, IMDB: Maria Brenda