We recently connected with Adrienne Smith and have shared our conversation below.

Hi Adrienne, thanks for joining us today. Let’s jump back to the first dollar you earned as a creative? What can you share with us about how it happened?

It’s hard to recall but I believe my first dollar earned as a musician was on the boardwalk in Ocean City MD. I was 15 years old, had learned a few songs on guitar and had waited all year to get a chance to go busk on the boardwalk. At first it seemed like a huge challenge to just start singing for anyone who’d listen but I was more excited than anything else. Once I realized that people were enjoying my music even if they didn’t stop, my confidence grew and someone dropped a dollar in my hat. It empowered me to continue busking in downtown Frederick which led to meeting many local musicians and making connections with them.

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 am a singer, guitar player, and manager for my roots rock band, The Dirty Middle out of Frederick, MD.

What do you find most rewarding about being a creative?

One of the most rewarding aspects of being an artist is experiencing how children respond to a performance. Our group is fortunate to be considered ‘family friendly’ and we often have performances at festivals and events where children would be able to enjoy the music. There is no greater feeling than seeing a young child stare in amazement at our group. It’s almost as if I can hear the little gears in their head turning and them thinking, ‘hey I want to do that…I can do that…I will do that.” just like mine did when I was first exposed to live music as a child. In 2023 we had the opportunity to perform at a festival for my day job as an elementary classroom assistant at Butler Montessori in Darnestown MD. By the end of the gig, there was a line of about 20 kindergarten girls soaking it all. It was an amazing experience. Girls to the front!

Is there something you think non-creatives will struggle to understand about your journey as a creative?

One thing I’ve realized that non-creatives struggle to understand is that my creativity is so deeply personal and it’s not something that I can turn off and on. Writing songs to process the happenings in my life has always been an integral part of how I’ve begun healing myself. Though it might look like just a band playing music, the audience is essentially getting an up close view of the inside of my brain and my heart. Creating any type of art can be an emotional experience and that carries over to the performance of that art as well. Every time I sing a line I wrote about something that has affected my life in some way, I am able to process even further and continue to heal myself.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: www.instagram.com/thedirtymiddle
• Facebook: www.facebook.com/dirtymiddle
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@thedirtymiddle

Image Credits
Photos in black leather jacket credit: Jillian Abir Macmaster Photo with arms raised credit: David Friedner