Setting The Scene
Women are incredibly underrepresented in the music industry, especially in producing. Committed to defying the odds, local music producer, audio engineer, songwriter, artist, and creative Tiana Shai brings her own seat to the table where one has historically been denied for women.
“Having my own feminine energy in my space is really important to me,” she said. “And I think it allows me to not think about anything else and immediately tap into my creativity.”
Born and raised in Hawaii, Tiana is known locally in Vegas. She works alongside her husband, Tyler Gaston of the Gas Station Studios.
“I think it’s definitely difficult to bring Hawaii to Vegas,” she said. “As far as energy and vibe, I definitely carry the energy of Hawaii with me everywhere I go, but because it’s the complete opposite, you know, like the jungle versus the desert, it’s kind of difficult.”
When you visit her studio, palm trees and the scent of coconut decorate the room.
“I think, ever since we moved into the new building, and I was able to create my own studio room that’s just specifically for me, I’ve been able to, you know, create a space that feels like me, that I’m comfortable in, because I designed it from the ground up,” Shai explained. “So having the palm trees in there, having the candles in there, having the lighting a certain way, and everything sets my preferences as an engineer.”
Tiana Shai, The Professional
Shai ultimately decided to separate her business page from her personal page. “Your Instagram, as a professional, especially as a small business owner and in a creative field, is really your business card,” she explained.
A study by Science Advances showed that conscious and subconscious biases happen more to women than men regarding professional judgment. “Together, the current research illustrates that even when issues of women’s representation in a field have largely been resolved—even when there is a wealth of women who have made it into the field’s ‘pipeline,’ with careers fully underway—gender biases can thrive.”
This is an unfortunate, unspoken rule that women must remain mindful of and navigate. Even in roles where women thrive, the issue persists as the pressure in the music industry stacks against them.
“If I just went out to brunch with my friends last week, and I’m posting pictures of brunch, and the first thing they see when they go to my page is me out to brunch,” Shai explained. “They might not take me as seriously. They might not see what I do. They might not even notice that I’m an engineer and a producer, which is a really important part of who I am.”
Tiana Shai, The Advocate
As time passes, more women want to join the 6.5% that make up the producer industry. Looking at Tiana’s social media page offers inspiration to those wanting to pursue a career in the music industry.
“If you’re creatively inclined, and you’re interested in doing music in any capacity, it’s definitely great as a woman to know how to navigate basic recording and that kind of thing, because then you can do it for yourself.”
With frequent reports and allegations of women experiencing abuse and disrespect, you must learn these skills for yourself to remain vigilant about your surroundings.
“Seeking out other women and trying to get advice from them or [interning] under them would be ideal,” Shai advised. “Luckily, there are more resources now that we have the internet, and you know, you can maybe shadow somebody virtually, or those types of things that don’t necessarily have to be in your city, but it’s a tough industry, and I tell people that a lot.”
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Tiana Shai, The Dreamer
Representation, although it may be slim in this field, makes it all the more important to have.
“I definitely want to say that the greatest female producer of all time is Missy Elliott. Yeah, I’ve always felt inspired by her as a songwriter, as an artist, as a producer,” Shai shared. “My favorite artist of all time would be Whitney Houston. I love how in every interview that she was ever in, she was always just authentically herself.”
Missy and Whitney are widely known within the industry as trailblazers and recognized as legends in their field. Looking up to those two women, you can’t go wrong with anything you set your mind to accomplish.
Tiana Shai, The Human
Beyoncé famously stated, “The reality is: sometimes you lose. And you’re never too good to lose. You’re never too big to lose. You’re never too smart to lose. It happens.”
When pursuing your dreams, especially in a male-dominated field, you face a lot of opposition.
“I kind of dive into analyzing it and feeling it first, because the feeling of that loss or that failure should fuel you if you’re going about it correctly,” Shai said. “If you’re learning the lesson from that, you can know what not to do next time, what to do differently next time.”
Loss is hard, but you must continue pushing and breaking down those barriers, not only for yourself but for those who come after you.
“I just want to turn it all into fuel. I think that feeling is also very important,” she said. “It’s like, okay, you know you fail so many times. So if I just keep doing it and I adjust things and tweak things, then one of these times I’m gonna win. I’m a Capricorn. So I love a plan.”
Tiana Shai, The Legacy
Tiana has accomplished many feats throughout her career, including signing to a record label, traveling, and touring. She also wrote and won awards for the music she penned. When asked what her advice would be to those whom she inspires, “authenticity” was the answer.
“The uniqueness of Tiana Shai is what makes me actually stand out, you know, because I’m a woman,” Shai said. “I’m a woman in a male-dominated field. I’m a Black woman. I’m, you know, of Hawaiian and Jamaican origin, which is a very random blend that you don’t hear very often.”
Becoming comfortable with who she was didn’t come easily. It took a lot of work on her part.
“I definitely went through a period of time where I was blending in purposely, because I am kind of naturally introverted,” she said. “I grew up in a neighborhood that was predominantly native Hawaiian people and tourists, so there weren’t a lot of Black people where I grew up. So it did take me a lot of time in my younger years to really own who I am, know who I am, and be proud of who I am.”
Society constantly asks women to perform and conform to the perfect mold. It’s refreshing to see someone going against the grain.
“[It takes] a lot of spiritual work, a lot of self-love work, therapy, meditation, all of those different things, to really stand in that and be proud of all of the pieces,” Shai said. “And once I became proud, it was easier to show those pieces off and be like, ‘This is who I am, this is how I’m unique.’ And the more I did that, the more it amplified my growth.”
A Seat at the Table
Shai expressed the importance of women creating space for themselves in the places they want to be.“I tell women and girls that reach out to me like you do have to have thick skin as a woman in this because they don’t have a seat at the table for us; you have to create your own, you have to bring your own chair.”
The tides must change, and music lovers hope the music industry recognizes more women for their contributions.
“I think I would like to be remembered as one of the greatest female producers of all time,” Shai shared.
Connect with Tiana through her socials and stream her music on all music platforms.
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