We were lucky to catch up with Micaela Torain recently and have shared our conversation below.

Hi Micaela, thanks for joining us today. Can you talk to us about how you learned to do what you do?

Learning the art of songwriting and making meaningful music has been a combination of formalized training and experiential inspiration. I wrote my first song when I was around nine or ten, inspired by a passage in the Bible. I was taking piano lessons and occasionally singing, but I had no knowledge of how to write songs. The song was well-received when I performed it publicly, but I didn’t actually write anything else until I was in middle school. At that time, I started writing songs as a way to process the things happening around me, and within me. I wrote about a boy in my class who was being bullied, my own struggles with depression and general growing pains, and anything else that moved me. I continued to take piano and voice lessons into high school, and I was singing and playing at church or school as much as possible. I think being in several environments where my gifts were encouraged and celebrated allowed me to become the artist I am today. After high school, I went on to study music in college. That’s where I received the most formalized instruction and the opportunity to collaborate with other creatives.

I think one of the greatest obstacles I faced was losing one of my music teachers when I was in the fourth grade. He was one of my earliest and biggest supporters. His loss was sudden and devastating, so much so that I actually stopped playing for about three years. It took me some time to fall in love with it again after that, and even longer to rebuild the proficiency I’d lost by neglecting my gifts.

Looking back, I think I could’ve sped up the learning process by having more self-discipline and take more risks. I don’t think I was a lazy kid, but I was sometimes averse to trying new things. I think if I had learned early to push myself in spite of discomfort then, it probably wouldn’t be as hard for me to do now that I’m an adult. In terms of taking more risks, I wasn’t shy, but I was reticent. I didn’t ask as many questions or go for as many opportunities as I could have. I’ve learned to say “yes” and be more curious through the years.

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 Micaela Torain. I’m 27-years-old. I’m originally from Durham, NC but currently reside in Wake Forest. Music was my first love from an early age. I always new I wanted to be a singer, and was encouraged by my parents to pursue it. I spent my childhood playing piano and singing at church, school, recitals, and any place that would have me. I went on to pursue a degree in Commercial Music: Artist Development from Liberty University. My most recent endeavor has been teaching private voice lessons at a local music academy in Wake Forest.

I’ve had many opportunities to use my gifts in the past several years. I’ve led worship for different ministries and currently serve as the worship and prayer coordinator for a women’s ministry/conference in Lynchburg, VA. I’ve sung at several weddings, most recently for a friend who got married in Ethiopia. Last year, I had the great privilege of planning and facilitating a benefit concert for a nonprofit located in Raleigh. I’ve also been hired by nonprofit and for-profit organizations to write songs that synthesize their core values, mission, and vision…something I’ve dubbed “corporate songwriting.” These songs can been used for marketing, corporate events, or even investor pitches.

For me, the most foundational parts of my brand are centered around my faith. My love for Jesus inspires me to love people well and to serve them with excellence and integrity. I want the music I make for others to be infused with that love.

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

My mission as a creative is to make people think deeply and feel fully. I think all good art is supposed to ask questions, to stir questions, to take us on a journey beyond ourselves. Maybe a good song will make you see something in a new light, or maybe it’ll just make you happy. Either way, it’s done something good.

There will always be an element to my art that is also evangelistic. I’ve found great joy in relationship with God, and I want other people to know that joy. Not everything I make is explicitly sacred, but it all comes from Him and is ultimately for Him.

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.

I believe most people don’t generally think of creative work as “serious” work. Most view making art as a hobby or a fun pastime. You’re not saving lives or “changing the world.” But how many of us have heard a song that moved us, or saw a movie/show that inspired us? How many songs have been the soundtracks of social movements or responses to major historical events? As a woman of color, I’ve both learned about and personally witnessed how artistry has been an outlet for escape, an act of protest, an expression of joy or lament for people who look like me. As a Christian, I’ve seen how a theologically rich song or Biblically-inspired Renaissance painting can introduce someone to God in a way a sermon can’t. Good art has raised money for charitable causes and united people who were otherwise divided.

I’d never presume to say that my job or any creative’s job is the most important. I don’t know if art can change lives, but I know it can change minds. It can reach the deepest parts of someone’s heart, even if only for a moment, to deliver a truth they may not have otherwise received or bring out something they might not have otherwise realized. A good artist is like a well-digger, hoping to hit the water found in the soil. Our job is to “dig a well” in the human soul, and hope that what we find brings something to life.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://micaelatmusic.com
• Instagram: @micelatmusic
• Facebook: Micaela Torain Music
• Twitter: @micaelatmusic
• Youtube: Micaela Torain Music (but also just search Micaela Torain, as I’ve done things with other people)
• Other: TikTok: @micaelatmusic1
  Threads: micaelatmusic

Image Credits

point200, Dorian Gómez, KNZKNG