We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Michelle Rose. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Michelle below.
Hi Michelle, thanks for joining us today. When did you first know you wanted to pursue a creative/artistic path professionally?
I’ve always known, but it became a bigger focus as I grew up. When I was three, I took my first acting classes. From there, I really felt like I had to have a career in the performing arts/entertainment industry. When I was five or six, my parents heard me singing along to Sarah Brightman CD’s in the backseat of their car, and they felt that I sounded like I had some natural singing ability. They encouraged me to try singing lessons. After my very first voice lesson, I fell in love with vocal training and never looked back. From there, I dreamt about singing (and acting) careers for the next few years. I participated in some plays and musicals and acted in some movies. When I was 11, I started co-writing song lyrics with producers. I became very serious about pursuing music as a career when I was a senior in high school and decided to go to Berklee College of Music. The more I thought about my passions, the more I realized that I wanted nothing more than to be a professional singer/songwriter/artist. Now I’ve been working as an independent artist these past six 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.
I started taking singing lessons when I was six, and I’ve been training in singing for 18 years. Most of my training has been in Classical and Opera, but Pop is my favorite genre. I’ve mainly made Pop songs, but I’ve recently explored other genres, like Country, EDM, and Jazz. I really like that I haven’t been contained into just one box. I’m a songwriter, so I just write whatever songs I feel I need to get out of my creative system, no matter what genre they are. I don’t want to only be one thing or only write in one genre. I like fun, upbeat dance songs, but I really love writing songs with a deeper message. I don’t want to be a trendy artist who only sings about fluffy topics. I want to be an artist who moves my listeners emotionally. I hope to leave a lasting impact with my songs. I use my songwriting to get out messages into the world that are important to me – messages that I think could help make the world a better place. I’ve already started doing this by writing songs about domestic violence, which is a topic that’s very important to me. I have also written songs about social justice issues, eating disorders, and bullying (I still need to release those songs). I’m willing to write about the uncomfortable topics that other songwriters might choose to avoid, because we need to be talking about these problems more as a society. We could make huge improvements in the world if there was more awareness for so many different issues, and my songs are my way of trying to start those hard conversations.
Is there something you think non-creatives will struggle to understand about your journey as a creative?
A lot on non-creative people often ask, “What are you going to do with music? What’s your life goal?” But for me, I feel like I already am living my life goal, because I’m doing all the things I always dreamt about doing. Yes, I’m still in school, working on my Master’s degree in Songwriting at Berklee College of Music – but I am also constantly working on my music career, to the point that I basically do nothing else. If I’m awake, I’m probably working on my career. It bothers me that people don’t believe that music careers aren’t real careers, especially since there are tons of examples of successful musicians in the media every single day. I am already writing songs, recording songs, directing music videos, working with companies, writing songs for movies, etc. Although I’m still currently a student, I’m living my dream right now. It seems that society thinks you’re only successful in music if you’re a billionaire, but I don’t agree. Success can mean so many different things. I am really happy with my career right now. When people ask me, “What do you plan to do with a Songwriting degree?” I always say that I’m already doing what I want to be doing. Now, I just want to do it at a higher level. I want to be a professional singer/songwriter/musician for the rest of my life. Even though a lot of non-creative people think that creative careers are impossible to attain, I’m not scared in the slightest. I know all the risks, and I’m still going for it, because it’s my passion. I wish non-creative people would be more understanding and less judgmental of creative careers. Music careers are real careers – it’s not a side job for every musician! I know TONS of musicians who only work on music full time, and they deserve credit where credit is due.
Is there a particular goal or mission driving your creative journey?
I have a really strong inner fire that burns very bright. I am like a bulldog – I never give up when I have my heart set on something. I have been training and working in the entertainment industry my whole life, and I want to see how far I can go with my music. I used to feel embarrassed telling people my goals when I was younger, but now I tell them the truth. I want to someday win a Grammy and do stadium tours all around the world. I hope to still be working as a musician even when I’m in my 60’s, just like Madonna and many other musicians. I have always had really big dreams. Not everyone will think they’re plausible, but that’s okay. I’m doing this because it makes me really happy, and because I love challenges. If others are able to do it, why can’t I? I don’t believe in any limitations for myself. I want to prove to myself and all the people who have overlooked me that I am cable of achieving something seen as impossible.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://michellerose.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/michellerose_music/?hl=en
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/michelle.rose333/
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/michelle-rose-86855b184/?fbclid=IwAR0BJIUN_Kz0aIY6en3qcPyWIBCvws9CRUivtjIby_KVxf3DA2s0xH_rUIc
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/Michell29339944
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC6whw8Ofw-_OOP5DQ-lnIOw
- Other: https://open.spotify.com/artist/7gWs6SrY51WIZRhqbQvlSD https://music.apple.com/us/artist/michelle-rose/1490518340 https://soundcloud.com/user-207923095 https://www.pandora.com/artist/michelle-rose/ARnqg7VPnVV3hKZ https://www.amazon.com/music/player/artists/B001HU8HNE/michelle-rose?_encoding=UTF8&sn=d&isDramIntegrated=true&shoppingPortalEnabled=true https://www.imdb.com/name/nm3357905/bio/
Image Credits
Amanda Upton Photography Joshua McGrane Paula Preston Photography