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

Noamz, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. If you could go back in time do you wish you had started your creative career sooner or later?

There was a time when I wished that I could have started my creative career sooner, but now, I feel like I chose to pursue music at exactly the right time. I’ve been playing music since I was kid. I started on piano at 8, and then picked up the flute at 11. I played competitively as a classical flute player until I was 19, where I was the first chair at the UW-Madison Orchestra and ranked one of the best youth flute players in the state of Wisconsin. I had to quit flute at 21 because of major back issues that made it too painful to play.

So for 2 years, I barely played music. I went from 4 hours a day of music, of it defining my life, to nothing. But in that time, I grew so much as an individual. I was a full time Climate Activist through Sunrise Movement and won the largest federal investment in US history to fight climate change –the Inflation Reduction Act for those who know it. I successfully ran a team. I learned how to take media interviews. I grew so much emotionally and spiritually.

But after 2 years of incredible work, I still felt a part of me missing. It was this super strong feeling that I was abandoning a part of me: my artistic and musical self. So very organically, through deep desire, I got back into music, but this time, as an alternative artist. I started singing and playing the guitar and keys more seriously and writing music. I had this restlessness inside of myself. I played at open mics in Chicago and the reception was amazing! I discovered that I had something special. People would come up to me after shows and let me know that hearing my music helped them heal in their heartache. Their faith created a fire that fueled my musical career. So by December 2023, after a year of confidence building and testing out the waters, I was ready to make the big leap and do music full time, not as a classical musician, not as a flutist, but as NOAMZ.

Without that time away from music, I wouldn’t be the artist I’m proud to be today. I feel clear that I want to heal people through my music. I want to make music like no one has made or heard before. I want to create beautiful and meaningful moments for the world that live beyond me, and help us feel more connected to each other. And I have the self-assuredness and spiritual grounding to go on this unpaved path with confidence.

Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers.

My name is NOAMZ, and I’m an alternative soul artist. My mom is from Guadeloupe, a French Caribbean island, and my dad is from France, and I was raised in a small midwest town outside of Madison Wisconsin. My music is an eclectic mix of many different styles, from classical to jazz to hip hop. I started in music at 8, but have been writing, producing, and releasing music since 2022.

I got into producing my own songs after a couple years away from music and needing to process this really intense break up with my ex Apollo. I couldn’t find a therapist because they were all booked during the pandemic, so I released my first EP called “Not Today Sadly” as a way to process the pain I felt after the breakup. It’s a live therapy session of what I thought my therapy session would be like, if I could have had one.

Every song I write is meant to be a moving experience, whether it’s through unique production, flutes pitched down two octaves, a gripping story, or soaring vocals. I want the listener to be brought into a moment.

My next EP “Pandora’s Box” drops October 31st. Each song is an emotion I’m afraid to express to the world in hopes that I can make peace with them, and not be afraid of expressing them anymore. I hope that people can relate to my pain and growth, and grow themselves through listening!

What can society do to ensure an environment that’s helpful to artists and creatives?

I think there needs to be more individual and government funding going directly to artists through grants, Patreon, or cash payments! And specifically targeting artists who are trying to push the boundaries of music. I know a lot of artists, especially in LA, would love to make more experimental music, but are nervous to because the primary way to make money off of music is if it seems “popular”. Ads want a “Dua Lipa song” without paying the Dua Lipa rate, so they hire artists at a “cheaper” rate of $10,000 to make a Dua Lipa like song! That’s an extremely enticing amount of money for young struggling artists. And music that is perceived as “popular” often sounds familiar. So this lack of government and individual support drives a whole ecosystem of people to make unoriginal music that they could potentially sell for ads or tv shows. Tragically, these types of songs will probably get made by AI within the next 10 years because AI is even cheaper than a poor struggling artist.

The most viable and creative ecosystem will be one that encourages experimentation and creativity. We need to put money behind that so that artists have the space and time to explore.

And truthfully, I think people broadly are tired of hearing the same music again and again, but there’s not enough of a safety net for artists to experiment in the US! And because of wealth inequality in America, being a poor artist is becoming increasingly challenging, with rent and food only going up. I would love for the US to create a new musical genre like hip-hop again, but that will only happen if artists feel safe to experiment.

Is there a particular goal or mission driving your creative journey?

I want to build a more caring world through my music and artistry. People look so much to artists and creatives to know what’s “cool” and I think taking care of your neighbor and building strong caring community is extremely cool, and needs to be popularized. Loving those around you, whether your friend or “foe”, should be cool. I want to bring back the “one love” mindsets that artists like Bob Marley instilled in the world back in the day.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/iamnoamz/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/p/NOAMZ-100069884101902/?_rdr
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@NOAMZ
• Soundcloud: https://soundcloud.com/noamz-noamz

Image Credits

Isaiah Thomas @mr2aesthetic