We recently connected with Linnaia McKenzie and have shared our conversation below.
Linnaia , appreciate you joining us today. Learning the craft is often a unique journey from every creative – we’d love to hear about your journey and if knowing what you know now, you would have done anything differently to speed up the learning process.
When the world stopped in 2020, it was a critical moment for the all of us to reflect on our pursuit of what we truly want in life while we have the opportunity to do so. I used that moment in time as fuel to revisit my passions and take greater, intentional action on making my dreams come true. Since I can remember I have loved music; the way it can make you feel, the way it can entertain, the way it can bring people together. Coming from a family of skilled, experienced musicians allowed me to fall right in line with developing my skills as a singer and performer at an early age. By the time I was 8, I had performed in my first Community Theater production and was assigned my first public solo where I was given the opportunity to sing for people outside of my family. Since then, performing remained a consistent way in which I expressed myself – I continued to seek every opportunity I could to be on stage. Throughout my experience I was able to learn the different processes and skills that not only bring a staged production together, but also what I needed as a performer to really thrive in a live performance: rehearsal, rehearsal outside of rehearsal, listening to the music on repeat to learn the lyrics, practicing in the mirror how I will perform on stage and my favorite thing: watching my favorite artists perform at concerts, in music videos, on tv. I learned a lot of what I know about my craft by watching. As we arrived to 2020, I realize the hiatus I’d taken from performing between 2018 and 2020 was too long and I was ready to put my own solo show together. A close friend encouraged me in doing so and helped me to see that my talent and my story was capable of being produced on stage. At that moment, I formed a band, began to work on a set list of all my favorite songs, I created a talk track to share my story between tunes and next thing you know, I was producing a full show that I endearingly titled “Reintroducing: Linnaia Chemise.” I went a step further to have the production live streamed because this was happening heavily with concerts and shows in 2020 so I now also have a valuable archive of the entire experience I am able to look back on. From that experience, I realized that one of my strengths is using the power of music to create a unique experience and make memories that will last a lifetime and beyond. Outside of music, I was a Project Manager at the time – so a critical skill that was essential to the success of this show was strong communication and appreciation for the artists that agreed to work with me. I paid for the entire production out of pocked and only charged a “pay what you can” rate for those who attended because when I think about why I did the show: it was to show myself what I was capable of. Once I saw that, it led to many more opportunities to produce shows and shortly after I became the Associate Producer at Music Theater Heritage in Kansas City; a role that I have now been blessed to hold since September of 2021. As I am working on the second show in my 3rd season in our Ruby Room series, I can confidently say that I was the obstacle standing in my own way. I always had this vision, but I needed to also believe in myself that I could do it and do it well. You can now refer to me as Linnaia The Producer, because my zone of genius is undoubtedly being able to produce experiences, produce shows, and ultimately, produce a life worth living.
Linnaia , love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?
I may have shared a ton about this on the previous question; my apologies for jumping head in! I would love for readers to know that it is possible to have more than one dream. As I’ve mentioned, music is a huge part of my life and always has been but I am not pursuing music as a full time Producer and that is for a reason. In the past I’ve found that when being a performer is my main source of income, the stress that comes with that made me lose my interest in performing all together. In this season, I am able to perform and produce without that pressure which was the recipe for success in my situation. In addition to being a Producer, I am also a devoted Mother, Salesforce Consultant and Community Organizer. All of these roles serve people, which is ultimately what I’m called here on earth to do.
How can we best help foster a strong, supportive environment for artists and creatives?
Recently I have talked with many independent artists that have found it difficult to break through because of how social media and society only pays attention to who and what is “relevant”. I believe society can provide more mainstream opportunities for local artists to gain a larger platform, which they have been doing in recent years through TikTok and Instagram. However, creating reels is not every artists strong suit – instead many artists prefer to focus on their craft instead of marketing. In today’s world, you do truly need both to be successful – so I’d like to see society make it easier for underground or newer artists to break out.
Learning and unlearning are both critical parts of growth – can you share a story of a time when you had to unlearn a lesson?
In my earlier days of performing as a young Black Woman, I quickly noticed and adopted the idea that I could only play roles that Black Women have traditionally played or that I could only sing songs that Black Women have traditionally sung. While I have always felt empowered and proud to do so, that thought process was also very limiting. True musicians love all genres of music no matter who has traditionally done what. While I see steps being made for the entire world to unlearn this, it was a critical lesson I personally had to learn to heal from feeling like I wasn’t good enough or worthy of a role because of the color of my skin.
Contact Info:
- Instagram: @linnaia_
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/linnaiaxchemise/
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/linnaia-mckenzie-15481324/
- Youtube: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLCjYG0Ma4UgdQrVKnCSkHpe9jS3UnKjP4&si=4aukMsesgVubs6P6
- Other: https://thesupermom.org/2025/linnaia-m
Image Credits
Vaughn W. Harrison | Seen Productions