Nikia Yung Sayre (Nikia Yung is her stage name) wears many hats. She is a private violin teacher, musician and songwriter. She’s also a search engine optimization director.
Nikia moved to Lafayette about a year ago and the local music community already loves her. She is a classically trained violinist who now uses her talent and brilliance in more unconventional ways. In a word, she’s a bad—.
Since arriving in Lafayette, Nikia has recorded with The Good Dudes, The Rayo Brothers, Derrick Savoie, Sean Bruce and other talented acts, and now she is releasing her own music. Her newest EP (her second record) is called “Wild Beasts” and there is a CD release event at The Pearl (in downtown Lafayette) on Sept. 7.
She tells me she was in search of a wider sound, and although she borrows elements from her classical background, the EP is definitely more toward rock. I hope you get to hear it for yourself. You can find out more about Nikia on her website, nikiamusic.com and her facebook page facebook.com/nikiayungmusic
What was your first job? My first job was being a hostess at a luxurious, up-scale restaurant. Not sure if you’ve heard of it before, but people back home call it Applebee’s.
Describe a typical day in your life. My days are pretty jam-packed. I like to stay busy, to a fault. I work my day job remotely from home, then either teach music lessons after, go to the gym or cook dinner (if I’m lucky and have time). My evenings are usually filled with other types of work, rehearsals, gigs, or spending time with loved ones. A typical day doesn’t end till about 9:30-10 p.m. if I don’t have a gig.
What advice would you give the younger you? Don’t be so scared. It’s just life.
What event in your life most shaped who you are now? Two major events: Being adopted has very much defined my perspective of life, relationships, and everything I’m grateful for. On the other side, going through a divorce in my 20s forced me to come to terms with a lot of realities, good and bad.
What values do you live by? Do right by others. I give people the benefit of the doubt, too often sometimes. I also believe, though, that hard work pays off. Family is the company you keep, and love…above all, is the most important thing.
What do you most appreciate? I appreciate the simple, small things: The smell of fresh coffee in the morning; a fresh load of warm laundry; a kind introduction by a close friend; a slow, sad song; a meal cooked with love in a small kitchen; a really good hug on a really bad day; flowers, just because (which, I admit, I am spoiled with often!).
What is your favorite journey? Probably one I have yet to take, if I’m honest. But I did travel to Ireland in 2017 by myself. It was my first international trip and I did a lot of soul-searching and healing during that time — a real eat, pray, love type of experience.
Where is your favorite place to be alone? I have always done my best thinking in solitude by water. Whether it’s just a pond or a lake at a park, or the ocean, I always feel connected, even when alone.
What living figure most inspires you? This is SUPER cheesy, but my boyfriend, Jesse Reaux is top of the list, hands-down. He is the hardest-working person I’ve ever known and an amazing father, and incredible songwriter and musician.
How do you “let the good times roll” ? I love just being in good company with good conversation and good music.
What did you want to be when you grew up? I definitely remember wanting to be a librarian. And then I wanted to be a grocer.
How would you like to be remembered? I’d like to be remembered as someone who was genuine and someone who contributed something beautiful to the world.
What do you say to yourself when you doubt yourself? Self-acceptance and self-validation are so, so important! There will always be moments of doubt, but I think it’s important to let myself feel scared and vulnerable and to accept it with grace and non-judgement. Once I acknowledge it, then I can remind myself that I’ve got this, I’ve been through harder things and survived them. I also like to remind myself that the sun will rise whether I take the plunge or not, so I might as well.
What three things are vital to BEing YOU? Creating. Growing. Feeling.
Which words or phrases do you most overuse? I overuse “essentially” and “ultimately” a lot during work hours, and in casual conversations I always use “just like” or “feels like”.
What is your favorite word? Lackadaisical is fun to say, but I’ve always loved the word mausoleum.
What food could you live on for a month? Soup and/or steamed crabs…or…just crab soup? (I’m a Maryland native).
What literary, movie or cartoon character do you most identify with? I grew up watching One Tree Hill…religiously. One of the main characters on the show hit home with me, Haley. She was the nerdy girl who was reliable and on the straight-and-narrow. As her character developed, she became a musician and songwriter, made some poor choices, but I always loved that her character was strong, supportive, and set on doing what was right.
Describe yourself in five words. Short (because…let’s be real). Contemplative. Intuitive. Hard-working. Efficient.
What is your idea of happiness? Heaven’s a julep on the porch. Actually, those are lyrics by the Punch Brothers, but they hit home for me.
What music defines who you are? Classical music, for sure.
What do you most regret? Ever trying licorice. I hate licorice. But in all seriousness, regret is a feeling I don’t often feel, which I’m grateful for.