Peach Jam Podcast: Wiley From Atlanta

Caption

Wiley From Atlanta on Peach Jam

Credit: GPB

 

Wiley From Atlanta:  I went to Montessori school when I was a kid, which explains a lot if you know me. Because, like, you know, Montessori kids, we kind of.....kind of weird. Just because Montessori is a really unique thing, I do think a lot of people have an impression that it's like, Oh, it's some kind of crazy alternative school. Like, no, you have to do the same stuff, you know, just in a different way. And you have a lot more independence and sort of freedom to decide what you want to do. And I think that directly contributed to me making music and like wanting to be creative and make art in general because I mean also because I had no great love for school. But it's also like Montessori really encouraged that kind of you can choose what you want to do and like who you want to be in a way, and everyone kind of gets along because of that environment. So it was very jarring to then go to Shamrock Middle School and like, you know, it's a very rigid format compared to Montessori. But, you know, I adjusted. It's just it's an interesting thing. I think it's a big influence on why I do what I do.

Jeremy Powell: So like being raised in some kind of creative where creativity was encouraged.

Wiley From Atlanta: Yeah. And like, you know, Montessori punishment is kind of like I'm really disappointed in, you know, like, it's like the way your parents. I don't know. It's. It's strange. Yeah.

Jeremy Powell: There's no, there's no in school suspension.

Wiley From Atlanta: Yeah. I mean, like, I had a, my worst punishment I ever had was I was removed from the classroom for like three days. It's hard to describe it. It was like, we like my friend and I got in trouble. We had to sit in the art classroom and we just weren't allowed to, like, be a part of the community, which at first I was like, whatever. And then you just come to really, my friend, like, really couldn't handle it. He would come in every day and be like, I'm not doing this anymore. I was like, It's all good, man. You know, we just got to keep our heads down.

 

 

 

Jeremy Powell: One of the things that I find interesting is when you're talking about that, you know, I was in middle school when I really kind of found the sounds and but you're still talking about being 12 years old and kind of finding yourself and your direction in life. That's pretty early. 

Wiley From Atlanta: I think it was kind of just like I was someone that tried a lot of stuff when I was a kid. And I always wanted to be really good at whatever I was doing. And I would get kind of easily frustrated if I wasn't that good or if I was having trouble or whatever. And I remember like talking to my parents about just feeling like music was the first. Maybe besides creative writing, I've always kind of like really thought I was good at that. But like with music, it was the first thing where I was like, No, this is the thing. Like, this is what I want to be really good at. And I was terrible when I started recording myself, like got made fun of like I released it too, because like, SoundCloud existed, I was like, Who cares? Everybody, you know, like bashed me and everything because like, middle school, high school, it is what it is. But I didn't care. Like, that was the first thing where I was like, I'm bad at this, but like, I'm going to be good. Like, I just sort of had this confidence from somewhere. I don't know, maybe from kind of being comfortable on stage and stuff. But yeah, I don't know. I just, just the first thing that I felt like I can be really good at this, and once I figured that out, it was all I wanted to do.

 

 

Jeremy Powell: And when you mentioned the confidence from being on stage, you are trained. I don't know what it's called. Is it a ballerina? Is that you're not? Are you a ballerina?

Wiley From Atlanta: Well, I think, like, I could be completely wrong, but I do think that they may refer to male ballerinas as like ballerinos, but pass.

Jeremy Powell: Ok.  I don't know

Wiley From Atlanta: I would rather be called a ballerina than whatever a ballerino is. That sounds ludicrous to me. But yeah, yeah, I did ballet for eight years.

Jeremy Powell: From what ages?

Wiley From Atlanta: I was probably six when I started. My parents have some, like home video of me being six years old doing it.

Jeremy Powell: I'm going to need you to send that.

Wiley From Atlanta: Yeah, I know, I'll try to find it. It was like I was I was just sort of like, look, you know, yeah.

Jeremy Powell: Are you dressed as like a ladybug or something, you know?

Wiley From Atlanta: So that's the other thing. Like, I mean, kind of I'm glad that it wasn't there because it was very like, you know, I wore black tights, white t shirt. And then like, as you get older for the recitals and stuff, the boys have to wear, like, really uncomfortable stuff. I mean, I'm sure it's way more uncomfortable for the girls anyway, because they have to be on point and stuff when you get older and we don't have to do that. But yeah, I would have all this crazy hot, you know, velvet frills like itchy, you know.

 

 

 

The Peach Jam podcast from GPB features songs and stories from a variety of the incredibly talented and diverse bands and artists who call the Peach State home.

Recorded live in our GPB studios, you get a front row seat for the intimate musical performances and free-flowing conversation from a truly eclectic variety of Georgia musicians. You can find more at GPB.org/PeachJamPodcast — please download and subscribe on your favorite podcast platform as well.