Xavier Keyz is an evolving musician and TV production professional who has complete control of his own career as an Indie Artist.
The very talented Keyz paid a visit to Full Sail University on November sixteenth for a lecture, where he shared what it's like to work within both industries. In addition to a story from his biography of singing Faith Evan's "Soon As I Get Home" at only two years old, he also shared that he picked up his first professional camera at just 16. Speaking his own fate into the universe, he remembered pointing at one of the biggest cameras in his church and saying, "I'm going to work that, learn it and master it," and indeed he did. His story within both industries speaks volumes to what you can achieve if you are persistent, and it serves as an inspiration to all considering a career on the same path.
"You have no idea how powerful your words are when you use them intentionally."
Having the privilege to do an exclusive interview with Keyz after his lecture was nothing short of amazingly motivating. The interview was filled with many gems of valuable information and quotable moments. His dedication and endurance seem to come to him naturally. This was evident as he entered the Zoom with the angelic sounds of practicing piano parts for a future endeavor. From beginning to end, there was never a dull moment. We spent about an hour in genuinely positive vibes and laughter as he shared exclusive stories of his personal life growing up and his lessons, challenges, and goals as an artist.
"Everything that you go through, everything that we experience, everything that we are learning, is for later on. You may not know what it's for right now, but it's so true, and it's so real. It's for later on," Keyz shared.
At the start of the interview, Keyz reveals his experience as a TV production professional.
He explains that he became really interested after training and finally getting his big chance to run the camera he had been mastering for church. He started to freelance in the TV world. He explains how things unfolded for him shooting for a video game tournament and led to doing a New Year's Eve count down in New York and so on and so forth. Today he has a lengthy resume of experience shooting everything in sports entertainment except golf. The talented TV production professional shared that he is currently working with NFL films as a crew member for the show "Hard Knocks."
When asked about his musical influence as a child, he mentioned that recording star Usher was a significant influence. He also shared a story about watching his grandfather play the piano at the kitchen counter. He was amazed by this and wondered how he knew what keys to press. His interest led him to say to himself, "I
want to do that one day." His grandfather was not the only person who influenced him to earn the name "Keyz." There was a guy named Mr. Allen at St Gregory Catholic School in Chicago, Illinois. "He would always play the organ during mass," Keyz recalls. He found it to be "so cool" as he sat next to him and watched him "play two rows of keys and do stuff with his feet." We had a great laugh as he shared a story that he mentioned he had never told anyone before. He explained how he went home and carved piano keys into his wooden desk and would pretend to play the notes making the sounds as he pressed each chiseled key. "My mom was so upset," he says. At that moment, his mom discovered his interest and went out and purchased him his first keyboard. "And from there, it was history," Keyz proclaims.
"A lot of people used to tell me back in the day, a lot of close family members… you are enough on your own."
Keyz speaks of being self-conscious of his voice growing up.
His voice was not as developed, so he felt like he needed someone to be successful. He felt that he needed to be in a group. On the upside, he also just loved the group feeling. He liked the idea of coming together with others and becoming family, impacting others, and "blowing up!" Though being in a group was not the predestined plan for him, it plays a crucial part in his journey. Leaving him with key takeaways and lessons that equipped him with the tools necessary to begin his career as a solo artist. From his first single Trip to Mars to his more current album, he has grown and developed extensively as an artist. It is evident in his more recent album Red Wine that his past experiences and challenges have prepared him to exceed expectations.
"Trust the Process"
Being an Indie Artist does not mean doing it all alone.
Keyz is no stranger to guidance. He talked about the advice he receives on a regular from his mentor Ryan Leslie. Amongst his many talents, he also has a knack for investing and trading CryptoCurrency. This is a talent that has been developed with the help of his mentor, and he was proud to share that he finally mastered it.
Paying it forward, Keyz is determined to do the same for others. He offers guidence to individuals through his Master Class , where he teaches individuals about the W.I.R.E system (Tailor made by Ryan Leslie). He has a vision to teach others how to invest, build capital and take a small amount of the profits to fund their own career. Accessing mentorship from Keyz is extremely easy. Interested individuals are able to simply text him with the hashtag #mentorship to his phone number which is posted on all of his social platforms.
Ending the Interview on a high note,
Keyz was sure to share some sound advice for those who are looking to pursue a career in the entertainment industry.
"The follow-up is key. Make sure that you do follow up when you connect with these entertainment executives. And don't compare yourself to other people's success, other people's journey because they are definitely on a different chapter than you. You may just be starting out, and it's ok. Don't despise those small beginnings. Celebrate those small wins. That is extremely important to becoming fuel for your success and getting you to those next steps."
You can watch the full interview here. Look out for more to come from Xavier Keyz. He is currently working on multiple projects and a single called You, to be released Valentines day 2022.