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

Hi Kierra, thanks for joining us today. Are you able to earn a full-time living from your creative work? If so, can you walk us through your journey and how you made it happen?

I currently earn a full-time living doing all things music. I’m a singer-songwriter who’s written songs for other artists, film/TV, along with companies and organizations. I’m a music educator, doing workshops and seminars with students, aspiring songwriters, and music lovers. I’m also an assistant director for a national online music school, The Young Musician’s University also known as YMU.

My love for music started young. My family is musical, so always being surrounded by music ensured that I’d be involved in it too. But I didn’t find my “thing” right away. I explored various instruments like piano, guitar, drums, singing, and the violin, but I never considered any of those to be my passion. Then, I found songwriting. And it was like a literal lightbulb moment. Everything clicked. I later realized that all of the instruments that I’d learned so far, could help me in the production of my songs. I won local awards, national awards, and received international recognition for my songs. I went to Belmont University and majored in songwriting, and what started as a break from school ended up being the start of my career. I taught music lessons, released music, performed live, did workshops, and earned more recognition. Then it hit me, and I realized I was doing it. I was earning a living with music.

This did NOT happen overnight. I was set on getting my degree and being hired by a publishing company right out of college. And honestly, I could’ve done it and I was on track to do it. During my first semester in college, I made all A’s just to prove to myself that I could do it. I planned out my schedule and all of my classes for the following semester, but I quickly realized that this wouldn’t work for me. Believe it or not, I wrote the least amount of songs in my life going to school for songwriting. But overall, the cons outweighed the pros. So I transferred to a full scholarship college and took the following semester to work through my thoughts and decided to take a break from school. Looking back, this was one of the smartest decisions for me. A lot of people never take the time, or even get the chance, to figure out what it is they want. And I allowed myself to take that time.

Knowing what I know now, I definitely could’ve sped up the process, but I’m glad I didn’t. The process is where I learned a lot about myself, had wonderful experiences, and grew the most. And the lessons I learned in the process are what’s aiding me in my success now. For example, I learned very quickly that in order to make money from music I had to diversify. The problem with a lot of “starving artists” and “struggling musicians” is that they only make income in one area. If you sing, then you only make money singing. If you’re a drummer, then you only make money playing drums. I quickly found out that wouldn’t work for me. So I started teaching music lessons, writing songs for companies, writing jingles for organizations and businesses, pitching songs for film, releasing music, etc. I became proactive about finding ways that music could be my job. In the process of doing all of these things, I learned about artist branding and building an image. I learned to have bios and pictures at the ready. I developed my artist statement and learned how to carry myself as a professional creative. One of the greatest things I learned was to go after what I wanted, no matter how daunting or intimidating. You already have a “no”, so why not apply? Why not take that chance? Now I have the opportunity as the assistant director of YMU to make sure kids ages 4-18 get to explore now what I found out in college. They get to learn more about music industry careers and the business behind musicianship, along with learning an instrument or taking a songwriting class.

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

Hi! My name is Kierra Gray and I’m a contemporary singer-songwriter, music educator, and the assistant director of The Young Musician’s University. In my songwriting, I’m a storyteller at heart, so I love writing lyrics that carry a deep meaning. I also enjoy writing from different perspectives and sharing universal themes.

My parents opened a music school when I was 4 years old, so I got to explore music growing up. This also cultivated my love for music education. I learned how to teach kids what I’m passionate about, and now I assist teachers in doing the same.

The thing I’m most proud of is also what sets me apart, my lyricism. It’s what my audience thoroughly enjoys about my music, and it’s what I enjoy most about songwriting. A good lyric can take you back in time, make you remember the past, and hope for the future all at once. And that kind of emotional response is what I hope my music invokes in every listener.

What’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative in your experience?

The most rewarding aspect of being an artist and creative is seeing your ideas come to fruition. For songwriting specifically, I get a little emotional with each song when the arrangement begins to take shape. This idea that’s been stuck in my head for so long is now in tangible form. The message, the concept, it’s now out in the open. There’s nothing like that feeling.

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

When I was in high school, I found out about this amazing arts organization called YoungArts. They have this annual national competition spanning disciplines in music, film, dance, visual arts, design arts, photography, and writing. In my first year of applying, I submitted three songs to their Voice: Singer-Songwriter discipline. I was so excited and extremely nervous, but I did it anyway. And I received a Merit award. Receiving this award helped me give myself permission to be an artist. I began taking myself and my craft more seriously, and my ultimate goal became winning at the highest level, being a YoungArts Finalist. I applied again the following year and didn’t place at all. That was not a fun feeling, but I’m so grateful for it. This “no” was my first taste of many “no’s” to come. I learned that every “no” would make a “yes” that much sweeter. I applied again the next year and received another Merit award. I was happy but had mixed feelings about this. On one hand, I was grateful to win anything. On the other hand, I began wondering if I’d grown.
The next year, I debated about whether or not I should apply. Could I handle another rejection? Should I go for it anyway? This would be the last year that I could enter the competition, so I decided to go for it. I filmed my submission videos last minute and prayed for a “yes.” And that was the year that I became a YoungArts Finalist. Not only that, but I’ve continued my work with YoungArts over the years and I’ve received many opportunities because of it. Sometimes I wonder how different my life would be if I’d never applied or stopped applying. Resilience is painful. It wouldn’t be resilience otherwise. It’s your ability to withstand, to take numerous “no’s”, and to bounce back. I highly recommend that every creative allow the rejections they receive to build resilience and not defeat. You never know what you’re capable of without trying.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.kierragray.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kierragraysingersongwriter/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/kierragraysingersongwriter
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kierragraysingersongwriter/
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@kierragraysingersongwriter