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

Hi Mahaley, thanks for joining us today. It’s always helpful to hear about times when someone’s had to take a risk – how did they think through the decision, why did they take the risk, and what ended up happening. We’d love to hear about a risk you’ve taken.

During the pandemic I realized that my full time work in the opera business for 12 years was one that served me well for a long time, and brought me much joy and some of my best friends and experiences I have had- but I was feeling a pull for many different reasons to close that chapter and re-invent. Strangely that reinvention was more of a homecoming, as I started to write my own music again, which is something I had done naturally since childhood. I had not written a song since I was 19 years old, but the music and poetry started to flow again, and I was able to channel so many years of desire to express myself on my own terms, and create a new artistic persona, “Mahaley”! I knew that this was a huge risk, and that many people in my field and family may not understand the drastic change, but I felt very deep instincts about this shift, and have had so many confirmations of this change since- writing my own music again gives me great joy, and a sense of deep authenticity.

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

I write songs and distribute these songs on platforms like Spotify, Apple Music, YouTube, etc. I am grateful for anyone who finds my music uplifting, fun, healing. I hope you enjoy and share if it is meaningful to you! I am proud of the fact that every song is based on my real life experiences, and I hope that my sharing invites other people to share their stories as well!

For you, what’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative?

The most rewarding aspect of being an artist is that you can really be your truest self- if you are creating something and putting it out into the world without any fear of how it is being received, and if you are putting out authentic expression, you can’t “win” or “lose”- you just release it into the world and hope it touches someone, excites someone, inspires someone, helps someone through a tough moment, and that is all you can do. I have no attachments to how it is received, or if it is “liked”- I know that my audience will be the people that find it meaningful, and those that are not attracted to my music have lots of other types of music that will speak to them, and that is a GREAT thing!

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

My audience on social media for my non-opera work (Mahaley) is still in the process of growing. I have an Instagram account: @mahaleymusicofficial, as well as an Artist page on Spotify and YouTube under the name Mahaley. I drop a new single on the 8th of every month, so folks know when to tune in to something new! Go give me a follow on those platforms if you would like! <3

Contact Info:

• Instagram: @mahaleymusicofficial
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCPggyMb-e-pS8jo1Y4g9kYA
• Other: https://open.spotify.com/artist/7JjESpkpDMdYelnGhb9Giz?si=rhox_JZjSY-OW4RmepZ3wQ

Image Credits
Bree Nichols