Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Erin Dalton. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Erin, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today When did you first know you wanted to pursue a creative/artistic path professionally?

Was there ever a single moment I knew I was meant to pursue music beyond a hobby? Was it a series of moments, reminders to tuck away when I began to doubt myself? Do I “succeed” or “fail,” depending on whether I am “making a living” at all times by this music? Like waves on an ocean, I ebb and flow in and out of these questions.

When I was a child, I would hum melodies to myself. I never busied myself with the concern of whether or not they were my melodies; I simply hummed them. When I was made to sit still and remain quiet – in classrooms or in church pews – these melodies remained inside of me. I was a good student with acceptable-enough grades, but a few report cards were sent home with remarks such as “in her own world” or “daydreaming.” At the time, I felt shame, as though I was slipping from the goals of capitalistic efficiency and its required focus on predetermined subjects, for which surely we were all bound? I know now that I was never fully “absent” from the present; rather, I was very much so engaged with the universe within me – violins and drums and singing. Words that would one day evolve into song. An original guitar line that I sang so many times to myself, I can still sing it to this day.

I have another memory from my teenage years. My brother used to create these electronic compositions with this computer software that was popular in the 90s/early 2000s (I texted my brother – he can confirm it was Magix Music Maker for those that are curious). I spent many afternoons sitting on the floor watching him work, even contributing vocals on a number of them. He has always been such a natural creator and witnessing those early compositions was like a training ground for my later development as a musician and arranger. I couldn’t imagine that anyone so talented should “hide their talents,” and I would frequently push him to “get his songs out there,” as though being in the public eye is where every creative act should live, breathe, and find its meaning. (spoiler: it’s certainly and, most undeniably, not.)

My brother didn’t seem as enthusiastic about my grandiose dreams for his life (the audacity!). His reply to my pleas was simple: “I make songs that I want to drive around and listen to. And that’s what I do.” In other words, “I make this music for ME. And that’s enough.”

At the time, I was gutted. Truly. I know it seems dramatic, but I can very quickly develop grandiose visions and dreams for anyone’s life (not just my own) or any budding, promising project, often to my dismay and disappointment. But, in my present days, the message is clear and resounding: at the end of the day, maybe all that matters is that I am proud of the work I have given my truest self to. That, alone, is enough. Anything extra could just be the icing on the cake.

This memory shows up now and again, particularly when I feel myself struggling with the tension of why I create and who it’s really for in the end. 
As a teenager, I was obsessed with the idea of entering the music business, devouring any article and interview on the topic I could get my hands on. I had my sights set on being a music critic, believing my opinions and snarkiness could be put to good use in the form of journalism on a topic I couldn’t stop myself from arguing if I tried.

Something happened, though. The deeper I dove into learning about the music industry, the less excited I became. The world of this business seemed less than human, somehow. Demeaning. Disrespectful and completely unsupportive of the true creative process and the mental health it would require to sustain it. And, dare I say, not actually about music at all? The disappointment I felt in uncovering was somehow a weight and weight lifted, all in one go.

But did I abandon the road to a creative-driven life there? No. The path simply shifted. I began a long journey of digging into the many ways one might explore their creative selves while still keeping food on the table and gas in the tank. I taught music via private lessons and in schools, created workshops for fellow educators, hosted house shows, worked as an artist-in-residence, directed country music camps and currently sing lead in a regularly-performing band and teach kids ukulele for an outdoor forest school. I have a lot of irons in the fire, but it has become the way I navigate my life.

While we’re here, the question comes to mind: is there one way to “the top?” What does it mean to “climb the ladder” in the industry of music? Across the genres, across the different fields of study, are we all to walk the same path to the same idea of “success?”

As someone who believes the greatest gift we have to offer is only given in our truest form, we are depriving ourselves and one another if we all attempt to follow the same path. What is for one may not be for another. And this is the gift of the open door into whatever is waiting for you to step into.

This is my goal. Long ago, I realized that the only path for me would be in expanding and sharing my creativity, in whatever shape or form it would take. Whether it is always paying the bills or not, I know that, ultimately, what matters most is that I can stand by my work; that it has been created and offered in its truest representation. Everything else is the icing on the cake.

Erin, 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?

Born and raised in the elderly Appalachians of northeastern Tennessee, Erin Dalton is a well-seasoned vocalist, songwriter, educator, pianist, composer, and arranger. Immersed in a wide range of music (her father is an Appalachian story-songwriter and her mother, a classically-trained pianist/organist), she began honing her skills by ear and in formal training at a very early age.

Continuing on a path of musical endeavors, Erin went on to Gardner-Webb University, where she spent four years in intensive piano, voice and composition courses. As a senior thesis, she created a one-act musical, “Work, In Progress,” along with the university’s theater department. The musical had two performances in a 200-seat theater with packed houses for each performance. Dalton graduated in the spring of 2008 with a B.M. in Music Composition.

For the past decade, Erin has been traveling and teaching everything from elementary school music to hip hop songwriter/performance courses for nonprofits and organizations, hopping from North Carolina to Pennsylvania to northern India. She spent five years as the director of music camps for The Birthplace of Country Music. She has created string arrangements for a wide range of artists, including Amythyst Kiah and Bill and the Belles, and also spent a year studying jazz piano with renown composer and Steinway artist, Chad Lawson.

Erin currently resides in Johnson City, TN, where she is a music educator, arranger, and frontwoman of Charlie Maples.

Is there mission driving your creative journey?

The goal is to create what is uniquely inside of me. I never want to create for what I think others will like – that type of work is a flash in the pan. What drives me is creating something perennial – something I can stand behind; that is true to my experience and the process in externalizing what is brewing internally.

In your view, what can society to do to best support artists, creatives and a thriving creative ecosystem?

Art should be revered and given a respectable position in society. Many artists become discouraged with attempting to build a life around their art because it can be very difficult to make a living off of it, often seen as “something extra” rather than a vital part of the human experience.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://charliemaplesmusic.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/erindaltonator/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/charliemaplesmusic/
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/erin-dalton-74b70414
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@charliemaplesmusic
• Soundcloud: https://soundcloud.com/erindaltonmusic
• Other: https://www.erindalton.com/

Image Credits

Zac Wilson
Hunter Berry Photography
Fauna Forest Farm