We were lucky to catch up with Nora Tirrell recently and have shared our conversation below.
Nora, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. Are you happier as a creative? Do you sometimes think about what it would be like to just have a regular job? Can you talk to us about how you think through these emotions?
In all honesty, I don’t do creative things full time. I have a full time job currently as a nanny, where I work from 8:00 am to 4:00 pm Monday through Friday. And to be honest, I love it. Being around kids helps my creativity and keeps me inspired to keep pursuing music as the job positively affects my mood and how I view creativity. I’ve been through times in my life where I’ve felt like it would just be easier to get a desk job where the work is mundane and the same every day but where I earn a lot of money. But I feel like having a job I’m not passionate about will make me feel less inclined to pursue the things I am passionate about. Having a job as a nanny makes me happy and keeps me wanting to continue to pursue my passions outside of work. I suppose the conclusion I’ve come to is that my career will always be music – I may just have different ways of making a living along the way to help support my career. And I used to frown upon that and think that I was unsuccessful if I wasn’t doing music 24/7 but I’ve realized that that isn’t always realistic, and I’ve found having a job I love that isn’t necessarily music makes it more enjoyable to continue to pursue music as much as I can while earning a living.
Nora, 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’ve been passionate about music for as long as I can remember. I grew up listening to Paul Simon, The Beatles and Peter, Paul and Mary on CDs in my Walkman. I used to walk around my house singing, listening to music and memorizing the words to songs I enjoy. I always had a knack for singing and as I got older, I decided to take voice lessons and discovered I had a good voice. I’ve always loved being creative and writing and the little poems and stories I wrote as a child eventually turned into songwriting. I remember the first time I felt inspired to write a song was when I had my first serious crush in eighth grade. I put all my feelings down on paper and poured them into my piano as an outlet for my emotions and I found it cathartic. I never forgot that feeling and that is a big reason I continued to write songs thereafter. I’m primarily a singer/songwriter and so my job is to take emotions and thoughts and get them into a song form that the masses can relate to. Relaying feelings through words can be difficult for some but for me, it’s the easiest and most satisfying way that I express myself. Heartbreak, family things, life transitions – these things have inspired some of the best songs I’ve ever written, and the ones other people have related to most.
I think what sets me apart is my ability to take emotions and put them into a song form that the masses can relate to. This is part of my service as a songwriter. I’m honest and open and willing to be vulnerable, which I think sets me apart from others. To be creative is to be all of those things, in my opinion.
I’m most proud of my most recent release, which is a very personal song called If Only I Knew. The song is about a tumultuous relationship with a family member that has affected me my whole life. The song was the hardest to come to terms with, but also the easiest to write and the one that most people found relatable. It goes to show that being honest and vulnerable is what listeners crave from artists.
I’d like to think that my work is honest and authentic to who I am. I’m someone who wants to connect to others through my art and make a positive difference in their lives.
How can we best help foster a strong, supportive environment for artists and creatives?
I think society can take creatives more seriously in general. There’s always a slightly negative connotation regarding people who are considered creatives and artists. “The starving artist” idea is something I’ve always frowned upon – it being assumed that because one is creative, they are poor and constantly seeking means to stay alive. I think this is a negative stereotype that needs to be broken and we need to think of musicians and other creatives as we would anyone else trying to make a career out of what they love and are good at.
For you, what’s the most rewarding aspect of being creative?
The most rewarding aspect of being a creative is realizing when your art has a meaningful impact on someone. The number of times I’ve received compliments are all wonderful, but it’s when people come up to me and say what specifically they liked about a set I played or that they related to a particular song because of whatever reason – that’s what makes it worth it to me and makes me remember that music really connects people. It’s humbling to remember that everyone is going through something or has been through similar hardships that we can all relate to. Being creative makes me remember that I’m only human and not perfect, and so is everyone else.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.noratirrellmusic.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/noratirrellmusic/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/nora.tirrell
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/mwlite/in/nora-tirrell-110946106
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/ntirrell18
- Youtube: https://youtube.com/channel/UCQgjAfpASyV3pGo76hrc_xw
- Other: https://open.spotify.com/album/0jAN9FDFuujUJAvCWww90I?si=RPt4ungXTxGbkwFnV-uDGg
Image Credits
Dan Hale