BY MAUREEN PARKER for WEEKLY VOLCANO | 9/25/2026
OK, so boom, with a huge dose of tenacity and determination!
Every now and again, the Lordt shines a light and gives you something you didn’t even know you needed. I asked a friend I’ve known since 1980 if he knew any musicians in the area I could interview, and the “Ocean” came through and parted like the Red Sea!
That friend is Steve “Ocean” Brown, and the name he gave me was Rocky Sandoval. I’d heard of Rocky but had never met him. After sitting down with him, let me tell you: this 43-year-old has a story that deserves your attention.
We started with American Idol, moved through MTV’s Making the Band and The Score, and added The Voice to the conversation. But those opportunities are only part of a much longer journey, one that includes disappointment, reinvention, and the determination to keep going when the dream gets expensive.
Rocky has charted independently multiple times on iTunes and signed with Warner Music Philippines. His music has taken him far beyond Washington, but his heart, family, and roots remain right here in Tacoma.
Before he found his voice as a recording artist, Rocky played tenor saxophone and served as a drum major. In high school, he was also a “closet singer,” his words, not mine, lol, writing lyrics to instrumental tracks and quietly exploring what he could do.
Like plenty of young singers, he started by sounding like someone he admired. For Rocky, that someone was Usher. The feedback he received was essentially that the industry already had an Usher; it needed to hear Rocky.
Finding that sound took time. About another decade, by his account.
While singing backup for local groups, he also heard that background vocals might be his place in the business. When you’re young and impressionable, comments like that can settle somewhere they have no business living. Imagine trying to build your confidence while somebody else is putting a ceiling on your dream.
Still, Rocky kept moving.
In 2004, he headed to Los Angeles, where he spent three years studying music, connecting with artists and musicians, and learning to become comfortable in his own skin. He went there with dreams of becoming a star. He also began the work of figuring out who he wanted to be.
By 2009, he was back in Washington with empty pockets and a sour taste for the industry, but the dream hadn’t left him.
Now, dreams are beautiful, but bills still want their money. Rocky took a job at Macy’s, where an unexpected connection helped open another door.
According to Rocky, Frantz Vibert, known as Vibez, heard him singing in the bathroom. His demo made its way from Vibez to DJ Funkdaddy and then to Steve “Ocean” Brown.
Listen. You never know who’s listening, even when you’re just trying to get through your shift!
That connection led to Rocky signing with Ocean Records and opening shows for the Ladies Night Out franchise.
And a quick side note: if you were around for those Ladies Night Out shows back in the day, chiiiiiile … we had a TIME, and a TIME was HAD!
Those stages also gave Rocky an education. An R&B crowd knows what it likes, and if you aren’t delivering, it will let you know expeditiously. Quick, fast, and in a hurry.
Rocky kept earning his place.
Around 2015, his time with Ocean Records ended. He went on to connect with Lyle Del Mundo and The Stereotypes, whose production work includes numerous hit singles with Bruno Mars, and continued building his career through independent touring over the next couple of years.
As a Recording Academy member, he also found opportunities to attend industry events and meet established artists. Those red-carpet photographs were about more than standing beside famous people. He used those moments to make connections and get into rooms where new possibilities could begin.
Then COVID arrived and interrupted everybody’s plans.
But Rocky kept creating. During the pandemic, he performed live online and released a song every month for 12 consecutive months. That consistency caught the attention of Warner Music Philippines, leading to another chapter of networking, travel, and opportunities connected to the Philippines.
Today, he releases music through his own label, Baguio City Music Box. He also has an exclusive clothing line that, he says, regularly sells out.
Of course, y’all know I asked him the AI question.
Rocky didn’t shy away from it. He has used artificial intelligence in parts of his music production, though not for his lead vocals, and sees advantages in what the technology can offer.
What I took from our conversation was that he still values the human element: the voice, feeling, skill, and heart an artist brings. For him, there is room to explore a tool while keeping himself in the music.
And music isn’t the only place where Rocky uses his voice.
He has spent the past 15 years teaching math, English, and ESL. He told me he has never missed a commencement for his graduating students.
That detail stayed with me.
Here is someone pursuing a demanding music career while showing up for young people and celebrating what they’ve accomplished. Whether he’s in a classroom or talking with an aspiring artist, he wants to help the next generation find its way.
Rocky also points to attention from Rolling Stone Spotlight, The Source, and Billboard as milestones in his journey. But throughout our conversation, he kept coming back to family, community, and gratitude.
Coming off a busy and successful summer of music, he is continuing to take shows as they come while preparing his next releases. His album, Monarch, is planned for early 2027, with a song called “Without a Throne” expected in October as a lead-in.
He also shared his experience with the Wish Bus and Jo Koy, and spoke about his song “Mamba Mentality.” That title feels right at home in a story about someone who has continued putting in the work through setbacks, uncertainty, and years of finding his own sound.
What stood out most to me, though, was how grateful he is for his opportunities, his talent, his family, and the life he is building.
He’s a good dude, y’all.
So go listen to Rocky Sandoval. Spend some time with his music and get to know the person behind it. There’s something motivating about meeting someone who has heard discouragement, come home with empty pockets, and still found a reason to keep creating.
Rocky has kept showing up for his music, his students, and his people. And through every chapter, Tacoma has remained close to his heart.
