By Rich Mancuso
We have all adapted to isolation and coping with the Coronavirus pandemic. Different things at home have become a routine the past seven weeks. Talking everyday with family and friends via social media provides the comfort we need.
Travis Demetri, he does the same with this adjustment. Though the 27-year old songwriter and entertainer is not traveling around the country and world. Instead, he is isolated in the Bronx and working on his next project.
He has that attitude of an artist. Born and raised in the Bronx, with a Puerto Rican and Domincan background, Demetri has the looks of an entertainer.
“I am an artist,” Demetri said this week. “I have control of my musical ability when it comes to the creative process. If I don’t articulate everything, I will go back and record it in the studio.”
Those ideas have culminated in his latest release. “Do I Ever” is his second single that was released last week. He wrote the lyrics at home. The production was completed after months of constant work at a studio in Brooklyn.
“Do I Ever” is about a break up,” he says. Yes, a song of thought dealing from experience.
His ideas of writing and composing are gearing towards another project at his apartment in the Fordham section of the Bronx. But this is about ambition and developing a career. There are goals of joining some of the other elite artists who come out of the Bronx. They, also, had ideas and put them to work.
Two that come to mind are Jennifer Lopez from Castle Hill, and Chazz Palminteri of “The Bronx Tale” from Fordham in the Arthur Avenue Little Italy section of the borough.
The“Bronx Tale” is down the road from where Demetri resides and both accomplished artists had a goal. They worked at the craft and in time the doors opened to where they are today.
“I want to get more involved in the Bronx community,” he says. “Talking to teens and things like that.: I feel like there are a lot of people out there, they still don’t know I’m from the Bronx. That being said, I find ways and obviously show through my work, I am from the Bronx.”
And he looks to get in the spotlight now with this latest release. His first release was “Rock With Me” with a love theme of that one night stand.
“I want to be showcased at these early stages rather than get a big break,” he says. “The Bronx is the most creative borough in New York.”
Demetri, has a history of dealing with adversity and surviving those early days of growing up in the Bronx. He tackled the issues, remains vocal and outspoken. In many ways, the lyrics and previous roles on camera are Travis Demetri.
“I always wanted to be an entertainer,” he said. “ I was always intrigued with the pop era with the boy bands and award shows. Those things inspired me. I used to tape a pen to my cheek and pretend it was a headset.
It was three options of either band, chorus, or drama at University High School in Orlando Florida where he attended.
“ Let me go with drama,” he said with a smile. And more experience came at the American Musical and Dramatic Academy in Manhattan. From there, more music videos and some roles on camera.
The era of technology and social media have helped with self promotion. YouTube has also been a tool to propel the career of a young and aspiring artist.
Five years ago, Demetri got a break in a reality YouTube series “The Circle NYC” about a group of guys in the LGBT community who were part of a cast. Everyone had their own journey and the cameras documented them.
‘I was one of the main persons and I was very vocal,” he said.
Another role was playing a high school kid in “Steel River”that was dealing with his sexual identity. “The Davenport Diaries” followed and his character Jordan, young and ambitious, is still seen on YouTube.
The character, of course, is vocal and taking control of a publicity firm owned by a wealthy and dysfunctional family. Filming was done in Washington D.C. for the low budget series that has become a huge hit on the channel.
But Bronx guys know how to survive in the moment. Travis Demetri would eventually be killed off the series that consisted of characters looking for control and power.
He gets thrown off a backyard balcony set as a mansion in a scene of a launch party for the Davenport clan. He said, again with humor, seeing himself lying on the ground was a good scene.
“I really worked hard on that show,” he said.
Triangle the series has helped to propel his popularity. More roles could come down the line, but now it’s all about the music and doing more after this latest release.
Link to “Do I Ever” https://song.link/DoIEver
More on Travis: Instragram: @travis demetri
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