Interview With ‘Off The Strip’ Winner Robbie Dean! (@Robbie_Dean1)
Photo Credit: Greg Doherty
1. When did you realize you wanted to be a singer?
I was always singing as a young kid, even as a baby, at least that’s what my parents tell me. My grandmother said as an infant I mimicked her coo in perfect pitch. She was a vocal coach so I trust her! -haha. When I was eleven, I came across a YouTube video of the Jackson Five singing Who’s Loving You which inspired me to learn that song. That was a pivotal moment in my life after which I started singing the national anthem at little league games. Then I went to compete in local talent shows which lead to auditioning for American’s Got Talent and the X-Factor. At age thirteen I made it on the first season of the X-factor, was Aladdin in my 8th-grade musical and joined my first band. Shortly after that was accepted into the Commercial Music program at the Orange County School of the Arts. I’ve been 100% focused on performing, writing and producing music ever since! I honestly couldn’t imagine myself doing anything else.
2. How would you describe your sound?
I describe my sound as a singer-songwriter R&B soul. Although I’m working on creating my unique sound, I compare myself to some of my musical influences such as Daniel Caesar and Mac Ayres.
3. How would you describe the moment when you found out you won THE OFF THE STRIP singing competition?
I felt such a burst of energy in my soul when my name was called! It was suspenseful and although every artist was deserving, I felt the anxiety and anticipation hoping my name announced as the winner! I got such a great response from the crowd at Roccos WEHO where the event was held, and I appreciated the love. Hearing the crowd’s reception during my performance and after I won was amazing! Having so many friends and family showing their support, many who came from Orange County to LA each week was beyond cool. In the 8th week of the competition, I made the top five and got to sing three songs including Unaware by Allen Stone and All of Me by John Legend. Some of my best friends from the band Undecided Future joined me on one song that was a killer rendition of Ariana Grande’s God Is a Woman. I felt like that song especially got such a positive reaction and sealed the deal! Off The Strip awarded me a very generous $10,000 prize that is going to help me finally move to Los Angeles!
4. How did that win kickstart your career?
The prize money from the competition is going to help me move to LA more comfortably. I just turned 22 last week and I’m so ready to experience a more independent living situation in the LA music scene. Winning Off The Strip was mostly a boost of confidence for me. I feel even more motivated now to keep pushing forward with my music. Since I typically am a one-man show, playing with a band made me realize how I need to build a band and start performing my original show. Since the competition, I’ve also received some calls for interviews with one coming out in the next week on Musicash Weekly. This all started after I was invited to interview and perform on the Females Unfiltered talk show. Chrissy Carpenter, one of the hosts sent me the tip about the competition and said she thought I could win! She had so much confidence in me that I felt I had to go for it! Note to Chrissy… I owe you dinner!!
5. Do you have any music you’re currently working on?
Yes! I just recently started working on new music with some other collaborators. Expect an EP coming out late this year or early next. I write and self-produce most of my music and currently have six songs available to download and stream. All were released this past year. Please feel free to add them to your playlist, help an artist out and share! I also spend a lot of time writing and producing music for other artists as a music producer at OC Hit Factory. My favorite thing about being a musician is creating something that never existed before.
6. If you could collaborate with any other artist, who would it be and why?
Daniel Caeser hands down. His voice is butter and I love the jazz elements in his songs. I think he and I could come up with some bangers together! Daniel if you’re reading this call me.
8. What are your social platforms?
robbiedeanmusic@gmail.com
Subscribe to see more of Robbie on our channel!