We were lucky to catch up with Antonio McGaha recently and have shared our conversation below.

Hi Antonio, thanks for joining us today. When did you first know you wanted to pursue a creative/artistic path professionally?

Though I have been around music most of my life, it was not until the mid 2000’s that I decided to take my artistry more seriously. I grew up in a household with parents who are both accomplished musicians, singing and playing drums in choirs and in gospel quartets. My family and I spent a great deal of time singing together in the local churches as well as in weddings and other special occasions. The talent and passion have always been present but it wasn’t until I met my fiance Letitia Johnson that I felt it was possible to do music professionally. She was definitely a major springboard in me pursuing the path of an artist as passionately as I have.

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

As I stated before, I have been around music my whole life but didn’t take pursuing an artist seriously as a profession until the mid 2000’s. Since deciding to pursue this path, I have created and released a number of R&B/Soul music singles and an EP which you can find at www.toniosmusic.com. Outside of being a singer/songwriter I am also a vocal coach who assists and teaches other vocalists with the basic fundamental mechanics of singing. I believe the thing that sets me apart from other artists is my authenticity and willingness to stay in my lane. Though I study many of whom I considered the greats such as Stevie Wonder and Donny Hathaway, I believe that it is imperative for my songwriting to remain true to who I am as a black man, father, lover, friend and educator. I am most proud and grateful for every opportunity I have or am presented with to create music I feel is inspirational, real, thought provoking, and soulful. With the Tonio Music brand you will always be presented with quality material as well as content I consider to be epic, life-changing, and timeless!

We’d love to hear a story of resilience from your journey.

I moved here in 1997 to pursue a degree in biology at Morehouse College. While going into the 2nd semester of my sophomore year, I was presented with the opportunity to participate in an environmental science program called the Biosphere 2 program in Arizona. I was able to successfully complete the program and return to Morehouse College the following semester. To my surprise, I would find out that I would have to go before Morehouse’s Judiciary Committee regarding defrauding the Biosphere 2 program of its tuition money. Knowing full well that I had done no such thing, I prepared for the hearing only to find myself wrongfully expelled during its conclusion. As a result, I became involved in litigation with Morehouse College for about 7 and a half years. I eventually won my case and was exonerated but Morehouse would refuse to release my transcript for another 7 years or so. Finally, around 2018, my transcript was released and was able to resume my academic pursuits obtaining degrees from both Atlanta Metropolitan State College and Georgia State University. During this time, I also became divorced from my son’s mother. There were so many times that I considered giving up during this journey, but I knew it was imperative to keep going not just for myself but also so that my son could witness a real live example of perseverance.

Is there mission driving your creative journey?

The goal or mission of my creative journey, is always provide content that is inspirational, empowering, authentic, and positively life changing. I believe that music is one of the highest forms of creativity and that it should be utilized to produce as much love, compassion, hope, peace, joy, in the world as we can as artists.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.toniosmusic.com
• Instagram: @toniosmusic
• Facebook: antonio.mcgaha
• Youtube: youtube.com/@toniolive1

Image Credits
Photo cred: Brandon Williams