Today we’d like to introduce you to Raphina Austin.
Hi Raphina, we’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
I started off this path of entertainment as a little girl. Being a mother of four kids and seeing how my own children each have a unique talent in entertainment, I understand my gifts more and more. I started tapping at two years old, my mother bought me little tap shoes and I would tap in a small tile square space by our front door and I would tap for hours. My biggest stage was our church, praise and worship was a really big deal in our church. My praise dance was my tap dancing moves my pastor would say “Phina-Mae, get out here and do your dance with ya feet!” Those moments led to me taking lead or being part of so many things as a kid. I love entertainment. I did Broadway shows in school and in our Inner-City Theatre, I participated in modeling shows and beauty pageants, sports, etc. I earned and received a lot of popularity titles and academic awards but school wasn’t enough for me. It was time being taken for hours to study things that I knew would be useless. After my freshman year of High School, I withdrew and enrolled myself into homeschool. I had really big dreams and I knew if I wanted it, I had to give it my ALL! I did that I got up early did my studies and then spent hours on hours practicing and working out and creating my own shows and writing my own songs. I did attempt to pick up the bass but that was short-lived. 🙂 Around 16, we moved to Austin and 911 happened and that changed my world completely. The old ways of entertainment discovery would be no more. My first big shot was the 1st season of American Idol. I made it through several of the audition processes. My last audition I was in line and had befriended Kelly Clarkson (ill never forget this) because this was the first American Idol audition ever we didn’t know what was behind the doors. There was one more audition right before we got to the judges and it was between Kelley Clarkson and myself.:) We had to go back and forth in the audition it was a really cool experience, and I like knowing that the Kelly Clarkson we see today is truly the same girl from the start she is a sweet fun bubbly person. It was a good loss. After that, I modeled, taught dance, started recording music in the studio and my entertainment career took off. In a span of eight years, I was getting calls to do different projects and events. I worked in different platforms to help build my name and my work ethics and gifts. I opened for 2chains, a spokes model an MC, host of a TV show on CW Austin, a singer, an actress doing commercials, etc. I started with hip hop and rnb. I did well in that local level of industry but I knew it wasn’t me.
I was still working on my album and it was a five years project that I had to trash due to discovering the producer sold my tracks to another artist. I was depressed for a few months, I finally shared why I dropped the album to my boyfriend/fiancé who is a musician and he said “no problem we will create an entire new album.” Four years and two new babies later, I have created a name for myself in the live music scene. We pieced a band together and I hit the ground running to rebuild my brand and my name in a different circuit of entertainment. After doing live music in Central Texas for the last five years, I’ve enjoyed seeing my fan base grow and my support system grow, I thought I wanted to be Hollywood famous you know an insta-star type. Start young and then drain them of anything pure. Instead, I’m 36 years old a mother of four wonderful kids. I perform cover music for hundreds of people every week and I’m a Spokesmodel for Firstline Brands Evolve Hair Care line. All this hard work over the years has finally placed me in the position to work for myself and not be a “starving artist” and instead become an independent artist. At this current moment, I’m taking a break to revamp my live music look and sound. The album is my biggest reset project and I’ve never been more excited to share my music with my fans and followers who love what I do. It’s hard to describe the album without sounding ‘cliche’ I can say it will touch the heart and fill you with love. My social media pages are where you can see ALL of my work from modeling hair care products to live video feeds of our shows,
I’m really blessed to walk the path I’m able to walk in. I’m grateful for everyone who gave me a chance to show what I can do. Each acception and rejection made and molded me into the entertainer I am. I’m full of energy; I love what I do. I love that what I do also touches others. I’ve had many shares in tears how hearing my voice made their pains and stress go away. It takes those moments and cherish them.
I am taking a break to work on the album and get it ready for debut. I will go back to performing in October. I do have residencies lined up at Spinners in North Austin new owner new looks family-friendly Brass Tap in both Round Rock and Austin Domain, Shore Raw Bar and Grill in South Austin, Kalahari Resorts in Round Rock and Typhoon Texas in Pflugerville. Yes, I will be doing an entirely new set and bringing in original music. I’m sooo excited!
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
Ha! There have been sooooo many downs and disappointments trying to find where I belong while dealing with jealous relationships or people. Thankfully I have the ability to always look at the bright side. I don’t know why I do that but I do know it pushes me every time. You also have to understand, entertainment is about finding where you fit. When you can process that, the 30 no’s hurt a little less cause that one yes is the yes for YOU. It’s hard being a woman in the industry that caters to men it’s also hard being a woman in the industry that doesn’t play an instrument. The struggles keep you humble and help you grow if you can learn from them.
Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
I am the Brand Ambassador for Firstline Brands Evolve hair care. I create videos that demonstrate all the many ways you can use and wear our hair care products. We have scarfs, bonnets, silky wrap scarfs, wide-edge bonnets, reversible bonnets, adjustable bonnets, brushes, combs, edge styling brushes, scrunchies, headbands. I’ve been doing it for four years now and my position has grown into sales. So I also work from home and am part of the sales team of Firstline Brands and I work with beauty stores to get our high-quality products in all the stores here in Central Texas. Its really been a great job to have during this pandemic. Music is rocky with the high-risk levels rising so it’s a blessing to have something I can do from home that I love. This particular part of my entertainment career is soo much fun because I get to write, create, direct, capture and develop my own style while marketing a product that I believe in and I’m not selling something to the world that is fake. I’m selling something that I actually use on a daily basis and love it on a personal note.
What was your favorite childhood memory?
My favorite childhood memory would be making the cut at 14 yrs old to be a Jr Dallas Mavericks Dancer and performing with the Dallas Mavericks Dancers during the halftime games and seeing yourself on the big screen.
Pricing:
- 1hr gig $300 1hr provide PA $450 Acoustic Grooves (only)
- 2-3hr gig $500 provide PA $650-$700
- 4hr gig $800 provide PA $950-$1000
Contact Info:
- Email: Raphinaa@gmail.com
- Instagram: Viccilady
- Facebook: Raphina Austin Band
- Youtube: Raphina Austin
