The Dot Experience Cast: Precious Perez

Latin Pop artist, songwriter, author, and educator, Precious Perez is a dedicated advocate for disability awareness in all parts of her life. Through her many talents, Perez has used her platform for education about blindness, awareness for life with disabilities, and the importance of believing in yourself.  

Early Life 

Precious Perez was born with Retinopathy of Prematurity, a condition causing blindness from birth. “I was lucky enough to have an incredible team of people around me who made sure I had everything I needed,” said Perez. In both school and extracurriculars, Perez was placed in public programs that helped her gain independence as a blind person navigating through systems that were not set up to accommodate her. “I’m really grateful to my mom, for making sure I was going to grow up like anyone else in the world. That I could be independent, and learn how to live and function in society,” said Perez. Life in public school brought its own challenges for Perez as she experienced bullying and isolation. But her hardships led her closer to what she loves − music.  

At the age of 6, Perez received a Barbie karaoke machine. “I would sing along to the radio in my room by myself, and I loved it. I started getting involved in school chorus and music class, and as the years went on, I got more interested in writing my own music. I wrote my first good song when I was 13, and my first terrible one when I was 10,” said Perez. “It grew into more than just a hobby, it became what I wanted to do.” In 2021, Precious graduated with a double major in Music Education and Vocal Performance from Berklee College of Music and began her pursuit of a full-time music career. 

Career 

After graduation, Perez hoped to begin a career in music education, but quickly learned that it wasn’t realistic with the accommodations she needed in her classroom. “Initially, I thought I would become a teacher and do gigs in my free time, trying to have the best of both worlds. But I quickly realized I’m not built for full-time teaching,” said Perez. “I decided to just jump into freelancing and embrace my LLC, because I was getting more opportunities on the entertainment front. That was a scary leap to take.” Since then, Perez has worked in accessibility testing, voice acted for a Paramount Plus miniseries, as well as a new Dora animated series, played in a local cover band, and written a book about her experience growing up blind. “I have so many irons in the fire, but my main passion is making Latin music. That’s what all of this has been for,” said Perez. With two new singles out since September and four more on the way, Perez’s music career and content creation are at the top of her priority list. “I am just incredibly grateful that I get to do what I love, and I’ve worked so hard to get to this point,” said Perez. Through all of her music and her online social media platform, Perez has been working to create awareness for blindness and disability, as well as advocate for accessibility in the music industry. Working with Recording Artists and Music Professionals with Disabilities (RAMPD) has been a way to keep her goals at the forefront of her work. “My whole goal is to spread love and uplift all of my communities,” said Perez. “It’s so important to use whatever influence you have to empower other people. If your work touches even one person, you’ve already done what you came to do.” 

The Dot Experience 

Having grown up with APH products and resources, taking her place among the Dot Experience Cast and APH’s Blind Musicians Collection has been an honor for Perez. “It all feels so full circle in a way I don’t even fully understand yet. It’s like history is being made in real time,” said Perez. “I think [The Dot Experience] is so powerful. This museum really is designed for everyone and is giving a window into our history in an interactive way, and I think that’s really incredible.” 

To keep up with her work, you can follow Perez on all social media platforms @PreciousPerezMusica, and on Spotify under Precious Perez. To learn more about her music, and her life, check out her website, and listen to her new single “Sin Preguntar.” To learn more about The Dot Experience and our incredible cast, visit the website, or follow The Dot Experience on Facebook.