We recently connected with Maria Diebolt and have shared our conversation below.
Maria, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. Did you always know you wanted to pursue a creative or artistic career? When did you first know?
I have always been a very creative and art-driven person. My mom put me in dance classes at the ripe age of 3 years old. Since then, I have never stepped off a stage. There’s always been a part of me that knew this was what I wanted to do. But this is not to say there haven’t been challenges and A LOT of decision making along the way.
Everybody around me knew I was a born performer. I skipped sports as a child and went straight to music and dance. When I was young, I would make up a song with choreography for my mom before I even knew what songwriting really was. So, to say it’s in my blood is an understatement. As I got older, I started performing more, getting into competitions, writing and releasing my first EP, etc. I loved doing all of this and could very clearly see my future in music. I would daydream constantly about what it would be like and who I would become. I would watch videos of my favorite artists (specifically Selena Gomez, at this time) and imagine myself in her place. So, in reality, I have always known I wanted to pursue a creative path professionally. And then I grew up, and things got much more complicated.
College can be a huge turning point for people, if they choose that path for themselves. My mom always encouraged it (no matter how hard I tried to fight it), and I ultimately agreed to go. Long story short, it was a fantastic decision for me! But as a chronic overthinker, I couldn’t help but look around at all these other career paths and wonder what it would be like to go down them instead. With so many choices to go down, it was severely overwhelming. I could see myself doing anything and everything. This made me constantly ping pong back and forth on whether or not music was truly what I wanted to do, or if I had done it so long and gotten so deep into it that I didn’t feel like I could go back on it. In the end, I stuck it out and graduated from Butler University with a degree in Music Industry Studies. Right out of college, I got a receptionist job at a doctor’s office. For some reason, the thought of having my down desk or office appealed to me so much (…and still kind of does)! After about 2 years, I realized VERY quickly that while I am able to do a job like that, the last place I belong is trapped behind a desk. Because of this realization, this was when I realized just how much I wanted a career in music full time.
This topic hits closely to me for a multitude of reasons, but especially because I am still going through this now! Before, it was deciding what college path I wanted to go down. Now, it’s deciding what my course of action for a stable life is. I would love to disprove the “broke musician” stereotype, but I am one, and proud to be one! Music may not be able to pay every bill right now, but it pays in so many other ways. I’m filled by the love and support of my fans, friends, and family. I am enriched by every person I meet at a show. I am balanced because I have the time and opportunities to get out my creativity through songwriting and performing. And I am proud because I know that I’m living part of a dream that the younger version of me has always had.
I encourage you to take this as your sign to find and trust your intuition. Listen to what it has to say. Life is going to be full of what-if’s no matter what. If your gut feeling leads you down a certain path, follow it. Trust that it will get you to where you need to be, in your own time. And if you’re struggling, worried, anxious, frustrated… do what us creatives do best. Create.
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.
My name is Maria Diebolt, and I am a songwriter and recording artist from Indianapolis, Indiana. I’ve been releasing music and performing for over 10 years. My sound spans from Top 40 pop to major R&B influence. I released 4 singles and an EP last year (2023). My latest release from this year (2024) is Temptations, which is heavily influenced by R&B and the 80’s (two of my favorite things!).
I am very proud of the awards that some of my songs have won! My most recent is Love Hangover winning Single of the Year (Silver) at the International Singer Songwriters Association Awards in Atlanta, Georgia this year. I have also won or placed in the UK Songwriting Contest, International Songwriting Competition, World Songwriting Award, and more.
The main thing I want fans and followers to know about me is I love sharing, singing, and breathing songs with them. All of us are forever changing and growing, and music does the same thing right along with us. A single song has the ability to change the world or change a heart. It brings people together in a way that not many other things can. It taps into the deepest of emotions and reminds us that we’re always being heard and that we’re not alone. At the end of the day, two things we will always have and count on is ourselves and music.
What can society do to ensure an environment that’s helpful to artists and creatives?
There are a lot of things people can do to support artists and I do have a lot of thoughts on it! But I’ll stick with just a few for today.
If you have a friend or family member who is an artist, an insanely easy way to support them is by streaming their music. It doesn’t have to be their discography on a loop 24 hours a day. But placing some songs in whatever playlist you’ve been listening to recently can significantly help their streaming numbers. The other major thing is going to their shows!!! Go support them in person! I can say from first hand experience that seeing my friends and family in the audience makes any show 1000x more fun. And be sure to show support on their social media as well. The algorithms can be hard to trigger and any likes, comments, or shares can help boost them and get that ball rolling.
A way to support any live musician you might come across is tipping. I know this may be controversial because many people on social media have talked about tipping being everywhere we turn. I encourage you to consider tipping an artist if you see them performing! Contrary to what you might think, we don’t always get paid a lot of money from shows. And this is a way to tell an musician that you really enjoyed their performance and believe in their worth!
Of course, not everyone has the means to tip! A free, easy way to show an artist you care is by simply participating! Be an active audience member. I’ve had my fair share of shows where absolutely no one has clapped or showed any interest, and it can really weigh on you. Personally, I’m a people pleaser. And if people are actively showing they’re having a good time, then it makes me feel good! Because at the end of the day, most of us just want to share our love for music with the world. We want people to have a good time seeing and hearing us.
Learning and unlearning are both critical parts of growth – can you share a story of a time when you had to unlearn a lesson?
I feel like there are a few lessons I’ve had to unlearn! A big one I’ve gone through recently is learning to take feedback without taking it personally. I’ve recently been taking some classes, going on retreats, talking with mentors, and all of this has made me learn to separate personal from product. As songwriters, most of what we write is a direct line to our souls. It’s our thoughts, feelings, insecurities, accomplishments. So getting any kind of feedback on what we’ve written or how we’ve told our story can be a bit difficult to disassociate from that line. But going through those challenges can help you create even better stories!
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.musicbymaria.com
- Instagram: @music.by.maria
- Facebook: https://Facebook.com/mariadiebolt
- Twitter: @music_by_maria
- Youtube: https://YouTube.com/mariadieboltmusic
- Other: TikTok: @music_by_maria
Image Credits
Angie Mae Photography ( https://angiemaephotos.mypixieset.com/about/ )
Art Girl Davis Photography