YAAY-YOU JULY 2018 / AUGUST 2018, A Beautiful Mind, welcomes MIMI CICERO

MARCELLA PRECISE & YAAY-YOU
welcomes

MIMI CICERO

'YAAY-YOU' JULY 2018 / AUGUST 2018:

To show a diverse reach of readers that everything is possible all over the globe, what states or countries have you lived in? What state do you live in now? 

This is such an awesome question because I personally connect to an artist SO much more when I know they have lived in my home state. I have lived in Miami, Florida my whole life. My mom was born in Cuba and lived in Venezuela for a few years and my dad was born in Boston but raised in Puerto Rico. 

1. If there's a song that reflects your vibe, what would that song be? Do you meditate, pray or/and take time to mentally relax? If so, what part of the day? For how long? 

My musical style and interests are constantly evolving but one song that I think will always represent who I am as an artist, both lyrically and sonically is “The Heart of the Matter”, the India.Arie rendition. She is one of my biggest influences and her music is so full of universality and peace. As for mental relaxation, every morning I read a Bible verse and pray to God. It helps me start my day right with a positive, grateful and peaceful mindset. I don’t have a consistent meditation habit in place but once in a while I take Vinyasa or Bikram (hot yoga) yoga class where I do meditate. Being a full time singer/songwriter and college student can take a toll so to unwind, I love watching movies or cuddling up with a good book. 

2. Congratulations on your new goals. Tell us about 2 great projects/events that you were proud to be apart of in this lifetime.

Thank you! Well this EP is definitely one of them. When I started out the process of creating this album, I knew that I wanted to do music professionally really badly, but I was unaware of many of the things in this industry. This experience has been so much of a learning one for me that has allowed me to begin finding myself as an artist and bringing together all the styles of music I love and adore so much. Another project I feel really proud of being a part of is being a spokesperson for Scoliosis surgeries. I was 12 when I had the surgery (I now have 22 screws and 2 titanium bars along my spine) and several months later was asked to talk to patients who were nervous about having the surgery and give them advice. I met so many young people along who were going through something similar to me and it was an awesome experience to be able to give back and help them in any way I could. I still keep in contact with a few of them and one of them is actually a voice student of mine (I do vocal coaching) right now! 

3. Tell us about your new EP "CLOUD 8”. 

My debut EP “Cloud 8” tells my story: a little bit about my past and where it has lead me to be right now though a fusion of R&B, pop and jazz. It’s about falling in love and all the emotions and experiences that come with it. I wrote the songs during the very moments  I was experiencing falling in love for the first time after coming out of a very, very tough 3 and a half years in my life. It’s a very uplifting, peaceful yet fun listen and I hope people blast it through their car speakers and sing along to it and get inspired. I want it to remind people that the right kind of love should make us bold, joyful and at peaceful and that this love is still out there for everyone. It’s very special to me and I hope people love it and make it a part of their lives. 

4. What early part of your life's journey, prompted you to become a Singer and have it become such a necessary outlet for you? 

I was always obsessed with music growing up and knew I wanted to do it for a living from a very young age. I begged my parents to put me in singing lessons and by 5 years old I was performing for pretty large crowds. Since then it’s always been at the center of my life. From ages 14-17, I faced some intense health issues that did not allow me to sing. It was incredibly frustrating and sad for me to not be able to use my voice, but during that time was when I began to teach myself instruments (piano and guitar) and this allowed me to begin bettering my songwriting craft when I was able to use my voice again. Coming out of something so dark, I had many emotions to express and music allowed me to do so. Music and singing have always been therapeutic for me but not being able to do it for so long really enriched my appreciation for it. Now, it’s second nature to me, 

I can’t live without it. 

5. With some of your successful experiences, allowing you to connect with other purposeful people, what are some of your daily activities now?

I am pretty much a workaholic so I’m constantly doing something— whether it’s performing, writing, rehearsing, working with other artists or doing interviews like this one. I have an agenda that really allows me to organize my ideas and tasks, and the night before, I like to plan out my “things to do” and schedule my days. 

6. What do you do for fun? What new fun thing would you like to try? 

For fun I really love to spend time with my friends/boyfriend. I also love going to the beach, going to the gym and cooking. My friends are so much fun to be around and so supportive, going out or hanging out with them at my house is always a blast and so special. As for what I want to try for fun, (this is something that I dream about everyday): I want to travel on tour (with my closest family/friends)! I am obsessed with traveling and there are so many places I want to visit in this world: performing my music around the world along with that would be an absolute dream come true and so, so, so much fun. 

7. One thing on my Life List (something you'd still love to accomplish but haven't done yet in this lifetime) is... There’s a lot of those but one of them is to perform at an iconic performance venue like Madison Square Garden or the Apollo and have an inspiring, unforgettable performance. 

 8. What/Who keeps you motivated in this ever changing world? 

Life, people and music. Life is so complex and crazy and beautiful, I feel like it’s practically impossible to not live passionately. Spending time with the people I love really motivates me to keep working for my dreams because it reminds me of the things I want to accomplish not only for myself, but for them. Music and all the beauty and magic it holds always keep me motivated because it reminds me why I do what I do. 

9. What are 2 qualities that you prefer and respect about a mate at this 

point in your life or in the future? 

A heart of gold and someone who doesn’t take themselves too seriously. I’ve learned that beyond intellect, beyond looks, beyond anything else, I think someone with a good heart who would never do anything to hurt you and genuinely wants the best for you is something incredibly important. I also like someone that I can have fun with, can make me laugh and is just fun to be around in general. Lightheartedness and laughter are timeless. 

10. Who gave you 1 really good piece of advice early on and what was it? 

My mom once told me to love myself and not get too caught up or care too much about peoples opinions of you and that’s something that’s always stuck with me. 

11. What piece of advice would you like to share, for a fun life? 

I would say to keep your hope alive, travel as much as you can and don’t take yourself to seriously! Even when you feel like you’’ll never see brighter days or have the life of your dreams, you have to keep fighting. Also, it’s cheesy but we really only do live once and we have to enjoy as much as we can; we shouldn’t get too caught up in work and temporary things. 

12. What is NEXT for you in 2018 and beyond? 

Being 18 and just starting out in my career as an artist, I have a lot to do. There will be lots of live performances, a music video or two, collaborations, YouTube videos, and …. always new music of course. But for now, I will finish telling the story of “Cloud 8” through many exciting events that I can’t wait to share. 

13. Choose 1: High Heel, Low Heel OR No Heel? High heels!

 Choose 1: Novels, Biographies, Inspirational Book OR Blog? Always!! Novels… I’m a hopeless romantic lol.

 Choose 1: Fresh Fruit, Fruit Smoothie OR Fresh Fruit Juiced? Fruit smoothie! I could live off smoothies! 

14. What ONE word would best describe YOU right now? Happy :) 

Optional SideNote: In 2 sentence or less, what do you think of the YAAY YOU Blogazine? 

I love how this blogazine celebrates individuality and life! It is so refreshing :)