We recently connected with BrookeLynn MacNeil and have shared our conversation below.

BrookeLynn , looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. When did you first know you wanted to pursue a creative/artistic path professionally?

I first knew I wanted to persue music when i was 6 years old. My adopted mother placed me into a local choir called YPC (Young Peoples Chorus of Erie) and i felt it just suited me so well !!!

It all started when she had first placed me in ballet when i was 5… i was always nervous to do things myself, so my mom signed my brother up for it too. That didnt go so well, so my mom pulled us both out.

Not long after, my adopted mother heard me singing to the radio on a car ride… after a few songs, she decided that mabey i would enjoy choir more than dance and man i sure did !!!

BrookeLynn , before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?

When i was only 6 months old, i was removed from my biological parents home and placed into the system. By 2 years old, i was adopted with my forever family that wasnt so forever…

Once i was adopted, my adopted father started horrendous actions that lasted the course of 6 years… once he had gotten arrested when i was 8 years old, life became hard for me.

I would act out, i was angry with not only everyone around me but myself, and thats where my music comes in.

2 years later in 5th grade, we were assigned a poetry project, where i fell in love with the pen and the page. It helped me express myself, release my trauma, and feel like someone was listening, even if they were just written words on a page.

I continued to not only write, but listen to the radio as well, where i had the epiphany to make my poems into songs.

By 13, i was completely removed from my forever home and placed back in the system and that was extremely difficult for me.

i remained in the system bouncing from place to place until i aged out at 18, but during those 5 years, more passion for music burned inside me.

At 15, my teacher had started to teach me ukulele! She had realized how much music meant to me and wanted to share her gift which to this day i will ALWAYS appreciate !!

At 16, i was living in pittsburgh and i was taught guitar by my music therapist. I fell in love with the sound of the acoustic and its been my favourite way to write since !!!

After ageing out at 18 tho… i lost my passion. i was isolated from society for 5 years, so there was so many things i didnt get to do. I started going down the wrong path, completely giving up on not only writing, but myself. I felt alone, i had no parents to help and knew no one…

I became an addict by 19… destroying myself because i felt no one loved me… i struggled with addiction for 2 years until i realized i was slowly burying myself, but i didnt wana die, so i decided to get clean.

My passion reignited because i met Phantom Clawz, another local artist here in Erie, Pa. He actively was releasing original music which helped me remember my spark, my light in the dark

Ever since, i couldn’t stop writing. i felt a sense of purpose again, one i havent felt in a long time and thats when i did some self reflection and realized im not alone, so i started posting my music and actually performing my songs on stage. I realized that since music helped me get thru my rough times, mabey something in my lyrics could inspire someone else in my shoes… give them hope and mabey even save a life… let them know theyre not alone.

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

Something i feel non-creatives would struggle to understand is how much emotional depth i personally put into my lyrics… not only do i tell a story, but i tell MY story, one that if the right person comes across, they can relate and feel less alone and mabey find their purpose thru writing the way i had.

Are there any books, videos or other content that you feel have meaningfully impacted your thinking?

eminem would be my main reason for continuing music until i get where i want to be… not only did he grow up in a broken home like me, but he didn’t let others, let alone his own fears, stop him from achieving his dream. his lyrics spoke to me, from Lighters, to Lose Yourself, to Til I Collapse. Those song told his story… and inspired me not only to continue living mine, but share it with others as well.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: elysian.empress
• Facebook: BrookeLynn MacNeil
• Youtube: elysian.empress
• Soundcloud: elysian.empress
• Other: elysian empress all music platforms
  (Spotify, Pandora, Amazon Music, etc)

  Signed to : TheTalentless

Image Credits

BrookeLynn MacNeil
Amy Sas from Happi 92.7