Rising Music Star Allison Cipris On The Five Things You Need To Shine In The Music Industry

An Interview With Karina Michel Feld

As a part of our series about rising music stars, I had the distinct pleasure of interviewing Allison Cipris.

Thank you so much for joining us in this interview series! Can you tell us the story of how you grew up?

I grew up in suburban New Jersey, very close to New York City so my childhood was very culturally enriched.. My parents, although not musicians themselves, were huge music enthusiasts and took me to see lots of live concerts from a young age. They have always encouraged and supported my musical career.

Can you share a story with us about what brought you to this specific career path?

If you ask my family, they’ll tell you that I was singing before I could even speak. I think music and performing is just something that has been a part of who I am for as long as I can remember.

Can you tell us the most interesting story that happened to you since you began your career?

While I was recording my single “She’s a Queen” I had the honor of working with the incredible producer, Simon Reid. When we were working on this song together it was during the height of the pandemic, so we orchestrated the entire production via zoom. This entire process was insane to me! It was mind blowing to see us bring my vision to life from two different states, Simon being in Nashville and me in New York. I think this was definitely unlike anything else I will ever experience in my career in the music industry, and even though it was an awesome experience I’m so excited to get back in the studio all together again.

Can you share a story about the funniest mistake you made when you were first starting? Can you tell us what lesson you learned from that?

Funniest? I don’t know how funny this was, but I can laugh about it now. A mistake and lesson learned was to NOT wear high heels during load in. Heels, plus steps leading up to a stage when you have no balance and a guitar in your hand equals a bad situation and a sprained ankle!

The show must go on through and I did ignore the pain to play the whole show with a sprained ankle, but it wasn’t pretty.

What are some of the most interesting or exciting projects you are working on now?

I have been writing music and collaborating with so many talented musicians, over Zoom no less! It’s been really cool to be able to work this way. I am working on a bunch of new music to hopefully release sooner than later.

We are very interested in diversity in the entertainment industry. Can you share three reasons with our readers about why you think it’s important to have diversity represented in film and television? How can that potentially affect our culture?

I think diversity is the most important yet most underappreciated aspect of film and television and in our culture altogether. First and foremost, it brings new ideas and perspectives to the table because we are all from different cultures and backgrounds and have the potential to create something really magical when we all work together. Second, it is so important for everyone to be able to watch a movie and see someone who looks like them. Growing up I was so privileged to see hundreds of girls in Tv shows who looked like me, but I recognize that not everyone has that experience. Having diversity in TV allows young people to see themselves and know that they can dream big and do that, too. Lastly, I think everyone deserves equal opportunities to achieve their dreams. No matter who you are or what your background is you deserve the chance to be on TV or in film! This is similar to what I wanted to achieve with my song “She’s a Queen”. It’s about women of all kinds being the bad ass queens that they are, whether that’s a mom, daughter, teacher, student, etc. Diversity is the key to unity and success in the world!

What are your “5 things I wish someone told me when I first started” and why. Please share a story or example for each.

Five things I wish someone told me when I first started:

Be true to yourself. Don’t try to copy other artists or follow popular trends. Be authentic to who you are and know what you’re putting out there.

Don’t be afraid to take a chance on yourself. You are your biggest cheerleader.

Practice your instrument and craft of songwriting daily!

Don’t worry so much about other people’s opinions. Be confident

Take lots of pictures and videos. Document as much as you can so you can see how far you’ve come.

Which tips would you recommend to your colleagues in your industry to help them to thrive and not “burn out”?

I’d tell them to take a break every once in a while! It’s ok to stop and breather. So many of us are always on the go 24/7 (myself included!) that we forget to just appreciate what’s going on around us and really be in the moment wherever we are.

You are a person of enormous influence. If you could inspire a movement that would bring the most amount of good to the most amount of people, what would that be? You never know what your idea can trigger. :-)

Wow. I wish people would just “Be Kind” to one another. Too many times I see or hear people trash talking other individuals they don’t even know. There is no need for negativity towards anyone, especially for people you don’t even know personally. Kindness doesn’t require too much effort.

None of us are able to achieve success without some help along the way. Is there a particular person who you are grateful towards who helped get you to where you are? Can you share a story about that?

My family would be top of my list. Without their support, I wouldn’t be able to continue to do what I love. Especially my parents. To this day, they have not missed one performance of mine.

Can you please give us your favorite “Life Lesson Quote”? Can you share how that was relevant to you in your life?

My mom always told me, “If you don’t ask, you don’t get.” That and never leave the house looking disheveled because that’s the day you will run into everyone you know!

Is there a person in the world, or in the US whom you would love to have a private breakfast or lunch with, and why? He or she might just see this, especially if we tag them.

I would LOVE to hang out with Sheryl Crow. She’s my musical role model and my all-time favorite songwriter. Maybe we can collaborate someday?

This was very meaningful, thank you so much! We wish you continued success!

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