Perpich News

Dessa Speaks to Students During Common Experience

Dessa spoke with Perpich Arts High School students during Common Ex on Monday, October 21st

October 21, 2024

Musician, writer, performer, and artist of many talents, Dessa, spoke with Perpich Arts High School students during Common Ex on Monday, October 21st. Common Ex is a series of presentations where students often hear about the artistic life from practicing artists, many of whom are Perpich graduates. Dessa’s presentation hit on the themes of having a career in the arts, how your attitude can be more important than your aptitude, and the complicated relationship with social media.

“Your careers have already started. You just haven’t made any money yet. And your reputation as an artist has already begun,” said Dessa. She noted that how you treat others is a huge factor in getting work. Someone may be an excellent drummer, for example, but if they are a jerk to be with for hours in a tour van, they may not get booked for the gig.

Dessa warned against putting too much energy and value into social media, which she called “the stock exchange of human affirmation.” Guilty of doing this herself, she strives to care less about “the metrics of success that are handed to us by society” and care more about “the human metrics that really matter.” She went on to say, “I can’t control what the world thinks about the music once I put it out there. I have to focus on my relationship to the music.”

“There is no formula for guaranteed success,” Dessa shared. “If you can keep your expenses low, that will buy you more freedom to do your art.” She suggested that small exchanges like coffee from home instead of the coffee shop can mean needing to work fewer hours at a job which would allow more time to dedicate to your craft.

Later that day, Literary Arts students welcomed Dessa into their classroom. She spoke with the group for specifically about being a writer. “Dessa brings energy, insight, and care to her classroom visits,” said Dr. Kevin Lally, Literary Arts Instructor. “She helped us make sense of writing, college, and what it means to be an artist. As always, we’re so grateful for her visit!”

Singer, rapper, and writer Dessa has made a career of bucking genres and defying expectations—her résumé as a musician includes performances at Lollapalooza and Glastonbury, co-compositions for 100-voice choir, performances with the Minnesota Orchestra, and top-200 entries on the Billboard charts. She contributed to the #1 album The Hamilton Mixtape and the RBG documentary; her track, “Congratulations,” has notched over 20 million streams. As a writer, she’s been published by The New York Times and National Geographic Traveler, broadcast by Minnesota Public Radio, and published a memoir-in-essays (My Own Devices, 2018) in addition to two literary collections. Her recent project, Bury the Lede: A Cocktail Book, 2024 is a 6 x 8″ hardcover collection of bespoke drink recipes named after and inspired by the songs on Bury the Lede, the full-length album by Dessa. As a speaker, Dessa has delivered keynote speeches and presentations on art, science, and entrepreneurship; guest lectures at universities and colleges across the US; and a TED Talk about her science experiment on how to fall out of love. She also hosted two seasons of Deeply Human, a radio program created by the BBC and American Public Media. Dessa has been covered by PitchforkForbes, and The Wall Street Journal amongst others. The LA Times says she “sounds like no one else.” NPR’s All Songs Considered calls her “a national treasure.” On the stage and on the page, Dessa’s style is defined by ferocity, wit, tenderness, and candor.