We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Laura Doherty. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Laura below.

Alright, Laura thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. Have you been 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? Was it like that from day one? If not, what were some of the major steps and milestones and do you think you could have sped up the process somehow knowing what you know now?

Being a full-time musician has its ups and downs, just like any profession. You often have the clear out the noise of what everyone else is doing and forge your own path. Music has been a passion of mine since I was a child. From singing into a tape recorder, to piano and clarinet lessons, to picking up a guitar at age 16 and never putting it down, my path to being a full-time musician was paved with being a fan of folk and rock music of the 60s and 70s, and then being a child of the 80s, immersed in the MTV culture, and then a fan of all the 90s female singer songwriters. The Indigo Girls are my biggest inspiration. I moved to Chicago after college, dabbled in the world of Improv Comedy, for fun, all the while working different administrative jobs in the corporate world, bouncing around, trying to figure out my place in life, as many often do in their 20s! When I stumbled upon the Old Town School of Folk Music in my mid-20s, I knew this was a place I wanted to spend a lot of time in. I was “in the right place at the right time” and landed a job running their children’s programs, and teaching guitar to adults and kids. Being surrounded by all kinds of musicians was a good thing, and I started recording songs I had written over the years. I released a few grownup albums, was in an acoustic duo called Sweet Hello, and all the while was writing children’s songs and performing family concerts, part-time. After a decade of running kids programs, I took the leap to forge out on my own as a children’s musician full-time. 14 years later, I’m still having fun playing music for kids, touring the country, and have recorded 5 award-winning albums for kids and families.

I remember that spark I had back in 2009. I could see a path to creating this full-time job, in children’s music. My music is educational too, so working in schools and daycares provides steady income throughout the year, and I tour more in the summertime. CDs have almost become obsolete, but I’ve been able to make a good living from streaming music.

As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?

I’m a queer singer-songwriter based in Chicago, and bandleader for my folk-pop band Laura Doherty & The Heartbeats. I perform children’s concerts nationwide. I also teach music and movement classes in daycare centers in Chicago, and I teach in a program called Wiggleworms, an early-childhood music program at Chicago’s iconic Old Town School of Folk Music.

I’m most proud of the 5 children’s albums I have recorded, and all the families I have brought joy to over the years. I received a fellowship grant in 2020 and 2021, called the Jubilation Award, a grant awarded to spread joy through music! I’m proud when I leave a classroom and I hear a child humming or singing my songs while their on to their next activity. Another proud moment is when a Burt Bachrach/Hal David song I recorded, “Raindrops Keep Falling on my Head” was licensed on a British television show “Dancing on Ice”.

I’ve been told my albums are “calming” on car rides and that parents are often listening and singing along even when their kids are not in the car. That’s the best compliment I could receive of my music! I strive to write clever songs that appeal to the kids first, and that the parents enjoy listening too, with high quality production.

What do you find most rewarding about being a creative?

The most rewarding aspect of being an artist is I get to do the thing that I’m good at. Music has always come easy to me. I never felt like I was practicing, even though I certainly was, when I was playing so much music growing up. I was the kid at the piano, playing classical pieces while my mom cooked dinner, and the teen in my room, teaching myself chords and rocking out to all the classic rock hits.

Performing comes natural to me. When I write a song that I know is good, it’s the best feeling. Recording in the studio is a total blast. Being able to shape my career is rewarding. There’s a sense of adventure in it too. I love playing in new cities and towns, and I also loved playing hometown shows.

The business side of the music business is the most challenging. The booking, promoting, marketing, etc. But it has to be done to do all the fun, creative stuff!

Any insights you can share with us about how you built up your social media presence?

Building an audience on social media: Be your authenic self. People can spot when artists are being inauthentic. I post things that I think will be interesting to my fans. My instagram stays the most up-to-date, so people know where I’m performing, and when new albums and singles are released. And sometimes I post little “slice of life” things.

Contact Info:

• Website: http://www.lauradohertymusic.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lauradohertymusic/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/lauradohertymusic
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/laura-doherty-50b5615/
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@LauraDohertyMusic/featured

Image Credits
The first photo with brick wall behind me: Photo by: Jill Liebhaber The one with the full band, red curtain behind: Photo by: Phil Onofrio The ones in the studio: Photo by Rich Rankin