Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Sharon Marie White. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Sharon Marie, appreciate you joining us today. Can you take us back in time to the first dollar you earned as a creative – how did it happen? What’s the story?

I was around 15 years old in a Rock band and we started to play at various venues. This became my “summer job” until I graduated high school. I saved enough money so I had a nice amount of money to start my life on my own.

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

From a very young age I loved both art and music. At the age of 14 I started to take guitar lessons. By the age of 15 I was in a band singing and playing in a Rock band almost every weekend at various venues. After graduating I was in a couple of bands but not gigging as much. Fast forward to the 90’s , now I am married and my husband and I are raising 3 beautiful boys. At this time we also purchased a flower shop which I really enjoyed and kept me in touch with my other creative side. By this time I had switched from Rock to being in a Country band, This is where I began to pursue songwriting and would play my original songs alongside our musical sets. My songs were well received when played live and this really was a strong motivation for me to keep up with songwriting.

In 2002 my family moved to another province and although I was not playing live music I kept on writing. I also taught guitar lessons which I really enjoyed.. I loved passing on my love of music to both the young kids and older folks who wanted to learn guitar. At the same time now as our boys are older I also had more time to pursue my passion for art. I learned several mediums which I still enjoy today.

My husband and I purchased sound recording equipment and created our own little studio. We started recording some of my songs with the help of some friends and our sons who played the drums as well.
I decided to send one of my demos to our local Country radio station and much to my surprise they played my song and had me on for an interview. This was a pivotal moment for me and really made me decide to get more serious with my songwriting. I found some amazing musicians in Nashville that would play the music that I had sent and then we would record my vocals at our own studio.

I began searching out radio stations that would play my songs. While mainstream was a hard to get played on, I found a plethora of online radio stations across the globe that would play me. I have built up a great list of stations and have met so many amazing DJ’s online that tirelessly promote Independent artists like myself. I also have built up a wonderful loyal fan base, who are constantly pushing me forward. I couldn’t do any of this without the help and support of my husband who works tirelessly in the studio, keeps me motivated and truly believes in my talent. Our grown children are always encouraging me along the way.

I believe my strength as a songwriter is conveying my message so that the listener can relate and feel like I am telling their story. This is what I am most proud of.
So in a short four years I have released 8 singles, received numerous awards and accolades, started a YouTube channel , posted song videos and am excited to say I will be releasing 6 new songs in the near future. I continue to write my music as well as balance my art career which keeps me very busy while working part-time at our own Company.

I just turned 60 this year, and when I look back at all I have achieved and all of the dreams I still will pursue, I am very proud. Age is just a number, don’t let anyone tell you, man or woman that you are “too old” to go after your dreams!

For you, what’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative?

I think the fact that whether I am creating a piece of art or a new song it’s the positive feedback I receive that really urges me on to keep creating. It’s very cool knowing as a creative that my art/music resonates with others. Now, of course not everyone will appreciate what I do but you will find your “tribe” as they say.

Is there something you think non-creatives will struggle to understand about your journey as a creative? Maybe you can provide some insight – you never know who might benefit from the enlightenment.

People will constantly comment “Oh your so talented”. Yes talent is a part of my journey, but not as much as all of the hours I have put in learning all of my crafts as a songwriter, singer, musician, visual artist. All you need is a desire to learn.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.sharonmariewhitemusic.com
• Instagram: sharonmariewhite64
• Facebook: https:www.facebook.com/Sharonmwhite64
• Twitter: @sharonMarieWhi8
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=sharon+marie+white

Image Credits

Photo credit given to Laurie MacBrown Photograpy