Patrice Petway Compton

I attribute my success to dedication, practice, hard work, and consistently grinding, consistently learning, consistently trying, consistently being present, and putting myself out there for years. Even though singing isn't always stable and sometimes doesn't pay enough to afford the lifestyle I want, I didn't want to let teaching go, but I also wanted to follow my dreams, so I just sucked it up and did both of them. The trick is to just keep grinding, and eventually you'll get to a level where you can choose what you want, and I feel that I'm at that place right now. I'm at the place where I have decided that I'm just going to sing full-time. People forget that performing is a lot of work. It's not like we just have the songs in our heads. We have to learn the material, we have to do the choreography, we have to put the show together. There's so much that goes along with it. It literally is a lifestyle. If I'm doing Tina Turner or power singing, I'm working out, I'm running, I'm singing and dancing at the same time to build up that cardio and vocal stamina. I cut out dairy on days I sing because it creates mucus, I stop eating by 2pm if I'm singing at 8pm because my stomach needs to be empty so I can perform, I rest my voice before shows, and I drink warm water and lemon after to calm my vocal cords down. I don't drink alcohol regularly because it'll dry out your vocal cords and ages you faster. It's more than just getting up and deciding I'm gonna sing today, there's a whole preparation that goes along with it.

The best career advice I have ever received is to stop overthinking, take initiative, and simply go out and do it. I have learned that opportunities rarely come with perfect timing or complete certainty, and progress happens when you are willing to act despite uncertainty. This mindset has shaped my approach to both education and entertainment, reminding me to trust my preparation, take calculated risks, and move forward with confidence rather than hesitation.

I would say do not be afraid to let your voice be heard, because obviously, it's a very male-dominated industry. Don't be afraid to speak up for yourself. Don't feel like you have to compromise your values. Make sure to get professional advice. Like, if you need a lawyer for something, see if there's a lawyer that will represent you for either a discounted rate, or if you have a deal or something, maybe they'll represent you for a small percentage of a deal that you have. And then just don't give up. I mean, you're just gonna keep getting better and better and better, and keep trying, but you have to keep training, you have to keep practicing, you have to keep putting in the work, and just don't give up. It is still very male-dominated. I'm not gonna say it's easier as a woman, but there are more avenues that you can go to help make yourself seen, be seen, but still, at the end of the day, it's still very male-dominated.

One of the biggest challenges in my field is that it remains a male-dominated industry, particularly in production and leadership roles, which requires persistence, confidence, and consistently proving my expertise and creative vision. At the same time, the opportunities are endless, as the industry continues to evolve and expand, giving independent creators greater access to platforms, tools, and global audiences to build, produce, and share work on their own terms.

The number one value for me is to remember that God is in control. If I do something before I do something, I'm gonna pray about it, and I'm going to remember, like, even if things are stressful, even if things are hard, just remember that God is always there, and He's got my back. He knows what's gonna happen before I even know. Sometimes we get so caught up in trying to find this opportunity or that opportunity, but I forget that a lot of things just come to me out of nowhere. Like, someone just calls randomly, and I know that's nobody but God. My number two value is to make sure, with all the hustle and bustle, because it gets busy, and sometimes entertainment isn't so family friendly, just remember that my family comes first. My son comes first out of everything. It would have been great to do that cruise ship tour, but when my son can't go, I can't do that.