How did you get your start in music? Did you grow up in a musical family or environment? 

My mom sang when she was very young and my dad played guitar. I grew up listening to a lot, and I mean a lot, of music.  It constantly  played in the car, in the house, everywhere! I would sing along to songs like “Dream On” by Aerosmith while running around the house.  My dad bought me a guitar when I was 5 and I thought it was the coolest thing ever! I really didn’t have any idea what I was doing, but I loved the sound and I loved rock and roll. 

 

What made you decide to become a musician? Was there a moment for you or was it more gradual? 

So, I moved to Florida from Pennsylvania when I was 8 and my new school here had musical theater. I loved to sing, so I thought that musical theater was fun. I started taking some singing lessons through my school and auditioning for shows (even though I was nervous and didn’t like singing in front of people). I spent about five years in musical theater and had fun, but missed rock music. In 2020, I started in an Artist Development program called DME Orlando, where I had guitar lessons and vocal coaching and I started writing music.  It was a gradual transition away from musical theater at first, but then once I started writing and playing electric guitar is when I knew, this is what I want to do! 

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Who are your musical inspirations? How do they have an impact on your music? 

Ann and Nancy Wilson of Heart are just amazing! Ann, because her voice is magical and Nancy because of her guitar skills. I always said I want to be like both of them.  I absolutely love Paramore. Besides Hayley being an awesome vocalist and performer, their music is authentic and crosses over into different genres, which I think is so cool.  I also love Avril Lavigne and Olivia Rodrigo.

 

Tell me about your writing process. 

I’m fairly new at songwriting so each song so far has been a little different. For my  first single, “My Runaway” my guitar teacher/vocal coach/producer, Mike Walker (DME) gave me the melody and the rhythm and said “go home and write some lyrics to this.” I knew the chorus but needed help with the verses so my brother Dominic helped me and he gets writing credit on that song.  For “Tragedy,” I had just lost my dog. I was sad and mad and just confused. I started humming the melody and the words started coming together. I brought it to Mike, just humming and singing it, because at the time I didn’t write music, and he gave it some extra tweaking. For my latest song, “Truth Cannot Hide” I actually wrote the music, the melody, and had different lyrics. Mike’s wife, Caroline, helped shape the lyrics. So now I’m better at writing the music and the lyrics. I have about five different songs I’m working on now. Some just pop into my head at random times throughout the day, but a few are from past notes and experiences i have written down. 

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How do you overcome writer's block? How do you stay inspired to create? 

I haven’t experienced writer’s block yet. I write down a lot of stuff. I’ve been keeping journals and voice memos for the last three years.  Even if it’s just a word or phrase, I write it down. Sometimes, I go back and read what I wrote and then I’ll start singing it and it becomes something. I think every day and every experience can become a song so I just write stuff down. 

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You have an incredible online presence for your music. How were you able to build your fanbase? 

Thanks! Social media is funny. At first I hated it. And early on, I cared too much what people thought. But then I realized if I want to play music for a living, a social media presence is necessary. So I just started posting every single day. I think it’s important to be authentic and real. I think having a combination of some singing stuff, guitar things, and funny behind-the-scenes stuff has been the key. The classic rock songs on guitar always seem to get the most attention and now everyone seems to like my “Tunnel Tuesday” posts. I try to respond as much as I can and be consistent and also just have fun. 

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What’s the story behind “Truth Cannot Hide”? How was that song put together? 

It can be taken both literally and figuratively. When I wrote it, I actually had different lyrics about sticking by a friend who really wasn’t being a good friend to me. But then, after meeting with Caroline (DME) she pushed me to get even deeper with the lyrics.  I actually had a few experiences with some people who helped shape the song. It tells the story of how you might think you know someone but once they reveal who they really are, it’s hard to see them again in the same way. 

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I love how the chorus was written lyrically and musically. It’s catchy, but it also captures the feelings of betrayal and disappointment. When you write choruses, is that the first part of a song you start with or, later on? 

Thank you! I really wanted that feeling to come through, so it means a lot  for you to say that. For this song, the verses were actually first and the chorus just made sense to build like that.  But for some other songs, I have the chorus and the verses are harder to fit in.  For “Tragedy” the chorus was done first. 

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People always talk about how rock is dead, but we do have amazing musicians as yourself making their own mark in the genre. Where do you see rock is heading? 

I’ve heard that rock is dead too. But I think it’s already making a comeback. I think it’s present in some pop/pop rock songs. I just saw Olivia Rodrigo at the Kia Center and I think there was lots of underlying rock there.  I think that’s how it’s going to come back into the spotlight; Pop Rock. I also think people are waiting for some heavier stuff too. 

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What was the biggest obstacle you had in your music career and how did you overcome it? 

Oh there are a few. One, just getting up in front of people. It was hard making the switch to Singer Songwriter/Solo Artist from musical theater. Being alone on that stage as myself, not a character, and having to talk to the audience, that was hard for me.  But I knew the only way to get better was by doing it.  I started going to open mics and practiced a lot and then got my first paying gig.  Now I love doing it and just keep getting better each time I get to perform. Also, like I said before, posting on social media at first was not easy for me.  I almost gave up, but I have a great support system with my mom and dad and they really helped me push through and not care so much about what people think. 

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What advice would you give to any aspiring musicians? 

BE YOU!! Have fun! Practice! And never ever give up!

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What can we look forward to for your music in the future? 

Well, the acoustic version of “Tragedy” will be out mid May. This is a pretty cool version with Tanner Johnson on cello and just me on acoustic guitar. We also made a little video to go along with it.  I’ve been writing a lot and might release an EP, but if not, definitely another single by the end of the year. I’m also excited about participating in a few writer’s showcases here in Orlando, Daytona Beach, and Nashville.