Polite and dedicated are the first impressions one gets when talking to Kerry Long. The budding musician who studied business administration at NC State has, to his credit, beautiful songs like “Bye,” “Sorry Stacie” and “Just Cant.” Surprisingly, Long said that he was not initially interested in music.

“I loved playing baseball in school,” Long said. “In fact, I have played club baseball for one year as well. I realized it was not meant for me.”

What then got him interested in music and singing? 

“My father is a singer,” Long said. “Three of my five siblings sing as well so I was never an alien to music and songs. However, I first realized my passion for music when one of my friends gave me music production software. To explore it more, I played in a band in middle school and for two years in high school. It was by the end of that period that I started considering taking up music as a career.”

Long has a diverse interest in music.

“I loved playing R&B music initially, but I decided to go live only two years ago,” Long said. “Now I usually mix between R&B, pop, hip-hop and country”

Long said he loves listening to R&B, pop, hip-hop, electric dance music and a mix of all genres. He is also a great fan of John Mayer, whose effect is apparent in all his songs.

One might wonder what are the difficulties Long faced in the beginning of his pursuit.

“Having theoretical knowledge about music is one thing, actually playing is entirely different,” Long said. “I had a lot of practical things to learn so I started by playing easy songs. However, I still had to learn how to play guitar for live shows.”

Long still faces difficulties, but now they are different than the ones he initially faced.

“I have to memorize songs when I have to play at bars,” Long said. “I am still improving upon my guitar playing skills, but I enjoy every bit of what I do.”

How does he keep himself inspired through all these difficulties?

”I am always inspired when people tell me the influence my songs have on them,” Long said. “My belief in my abilities always pushes me to challenge boundaries. As I grew up as a musician, I realized that sometimes it is fine to be uncomfortable.”

Jordan Baines is the drummer in the band Long sings for, “Kerry Long Music.”

”I met Kerry through a mutual friend just a year ago but now he is like family,” Baines said. “I have always believed that music [can] break negatives like racism and brings unity and peace. Meeting Kerry reinforced that belief. I love his voice.”

Long said he is very optimistic about the scene of music in the Raleigh-Durham region.

“Raleigh is a good place for artists to start their journey and grow in their formative years,” Long said. “They have a lot of opportunities to play in front of the crowds and collaborate with other bands and artists for their production. I also feel there is a lot of scope for expressivity here.”

When asked about his upcoming projects, Long smiled.

”I have a website coming up which will help me to connect to the music-loving community and make my music more readily available,” Long said. “I am also working on a set list of songs and working on a self-produced album.”

When inquired about what advice he wishes to give to youngsters who wish to pursue music, Long had this to say.

”Just believe in yourself and keep assessing your goals from time to time,” Long said. “And don’t [be] bother[ed] by what others say.”

Long ended the interview by quoting Les Brown: ”You do not have to be great to get started, you have to get started to be great.“