Talent is sometimes not enough to make it in the music world. In the industry, endless decisions and tasks can place a heavy strain on artists. Often, it is not only a lack of money but the stress to get everything right and be everywhere at the right time that can affect musicians. One of the most serious consequences is burnout.
Finding a good mentor in the tough and competitive music business is vital to building confidence and reaching set goals. The talented Tacoma musician Adrian Milanio is known for more than just his abilities as a songwriter and singer. Milanio is also known for mixing HipHop and R&B. He creates music that makes many experienced musicians sit up and take notice.
For Adrian Milanio, it was a dream come true to find mentorship from the brilliant R&B singer and songwriter Ne-Yo. “I have admired Ne-Yo for many years, and together with Lucky Daye and Bruno Mars, he influences my music a lot right now.”
Focusing on music
Adrian Milanio found himself in the position of having to rework his plans last year after the cancellation of his planned live shows. This was not difficult for the likes of a creative talent like himself who keeps himself busy with songwriting, singing, mixing, and social media.
“At first, I was devastated at losing the opportunity to perform at these colleges, but I quickly realized that I was being given a chance to find other things to keep myself busy with, and that’s when things started happening.”
Adrian Milanio received a grant to present a virtual concert on Instagram Live. His idea is to use the grant to showcase the work of local talent in the Tacoma area. He plans to support them in all areas of their music, including recording, promoting, and marketing them on social media. People can expect to see some exciting videos drop in September this year, but for now, Adrian Milanio is quiet on which artists he is presenting.
While working on this, Adrian Milanio also signed a record deal with frtyfve Records. The London-based indie label was impressed with the success of his single, “Where You Wanna Go” on Spotify’s editorial lists. The hit song has since been remixed by UNOMAS, making it a favorite at club turntables.
Another significant thing that happened in 2020 was a collaboration with IamSu! on a track called “No Calls.” Other collaborations were with music artists Nef the Pharaoh and Marylou Villegas.
Mentoring and success
Soon after getting signed to his label, it was Ne-Yo who reached out to Adrian Milanio with words of encouragement and advice. Due to distance and the pandemic, the two artists have kept up their communication online, but the advice and inspiration are a valuable part of the mentoring process for Adrian.
“First and foremost, you have an amazing voice, bro..” These are the first words uttered by Ne-Yo in their first online meeting, which initially encountered some technical difficulties. Once they managed to sort these out, they chatted about what the young artist is currently doing and his goals.
“I realized I was doing something right when Ne-Yo played “Where You Wanna Go” for me, and told me he thought it was amazing,” Adrian says humbly. “His calm presence, encouraging words, and advice on the industry are welcoming and encouraging. We plan to continue having Zoom meetings in the future, and I look forward to hearing more from someone with so much talent and experience.”
The next steps
Besides the planned virtual concert series in Tacoma, Adriano Milanio with the 10 million-plus streams on Spotify and TikTok is also working on other plans. Music-wise, he plans to release more singles and work on an EP.
Adriano Milanio is also working on his biggest project yet, his online mixing service. This is a business opportunity in the industry he loves. His mixing talent has not gone unnoticed by others either, and many look forward to working with him.
Adapting to a new reality appears seamless for Adriano Milanio. He took his talent and turned it into opportunities. Not only are people in the industry watching him with interest, but his growing fanbase eagerly anticipates every new move he plans.
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