Ian Gabriel

Ian Gabriel

From Red Barn Radio by Red Barn Radio

March 10, 2026 · 59 min

About this episode

Ian Gabriel discusses his journey as a music artist and motivational speaker, focusing on his experiences in the foster care system and his activism for youth.

Ian Gabriel (MIRAAGE) is both a professional Music Artist and a Motivational Speaker. Born and raised in Lexington, KY. The music has a Pop/Jazzy/Hip-Hop feel, spiced with horns and flow switches. This along with his voice creates beautiful soundscapes with soul and passion. MIRAAGE has been making music since he was very young and has been producing it professionally since 2010. He debuted his first full length project, "Donuts & Coffee" in 2015 which is a tribute album to the late great James Dewitt Yancy AKA J Dilla. The album displays MIRAAGE'S lyrical prowess and complexity over the instrumentation provided by J Dilla's "Donuts" album. He continues to provide intricacy and yet stay simple enough to make sure the message connects with his audience. He brings back true soul music into an industry that is now so hard to find. Ian is also an activist for foster youth and individuals with disabilities. He started speaking at different events/conferences at age 15. He uses humor and music to connect with youth, families, and professionals on various topics; Relating to his 13 years that he spent in the foster care system. Recently he gave a keynote for the…

People in this episode

Guest: Ian Gabriel

Topics covered

  • music
  • motivational speaking
  • activism
  • foster care
  • youth empowerment

Keywords

  • Ian Gabriel
  • MIRAAGE
  • music artist
  • motivational speaker
  • foster care
  • activism
  • youth empowerment

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: MIRAAGE, TAYLRD, YMO, KECSAC

Books & works: Donuts & Coffee

Places: Lexington, KY

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