We recently connected with Marin Rylee and have shared our conversation below.

Marin, looking forward to hearing all of your stories 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?

Born and raised in Los Angeles I’ve grown up around the entertainment industry and have been auditioning for professional jobs since I was 16. Instead of going to college I toured as an assistant with the dance convention LA Dance Magic. The program consists of assisting dance classes, working behind the scenes during competition, set up and break down of the event and mentorship opportunities with the faculty and staff. It’s a hands on educational program.

One of the biggest things I’ve learned over my years being in this industry is, “it’s not about you.” I moved to Nashville in 2020. Since then, I’ve booked more jobs here in Tennessee in 6 months then I booked in 4 years in LA. Why? Because when you pour into others, they pour into you.

In every job I’ve worked, I’ve made it my goal to be reliable. If you’re someone others can trust and enjoy working with, they will keep you around. That’s how I’ve been able to dance full time. Opportunities have come to me through people I’ve worked hard for in the past. It honestly took me longer than I hoped… but I stuck with it. And now, I’m blessed to say that I’m booking jobs almost every week and I’m able to focus more time on music.

Marin, 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?

My name is Marin Rylee. I’m a 21 year old dancer and singer/songwriter living in Nashville, TN. I’ve been dancing since I was 6 years old and I’m blessed to say that I now have a career doing what I love. I grew up in a creative family. My mom is a recording artist, my dad is in film advertising, my sister is in Belmonts songwriting program and my brother seems to do it all!

I’m someone who can’t seem to choose one creative outlet. The way I see it, why pick one when you can learn them all? During the lockdowns of 2020 I dove headfirst into songwriting and pop music production. I fell in love with the idea of creating my own sound and vision surrounding the stories I was writing. I taught myself how to use Ableton and Pro Tools just by spending hours in the studio.

After a few months, my parents and I contacted my mentor Jackie Sleight in hopes that she would have some advice for us moving forward. Little did we know she would be all in on the projects. She brought one of my other dear friends Will Thomas in to help bridge the gap from Dancer – Artist.

We spent the next few months finishing songs, focusing on branding and creating music videos. As of now I have 7 singles out on all platforms as well as 3 music videos on Youtube. Music is my way of expressing my emotions, feeling and dreams through words, sound and movement.

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

I learned the impact I can have on someone’s life. Art speaks to people. I didn’t realize the power one could have by sharing their life experiences with others until I began releasing music. I’ve had young girls and boys come up to me saying that I was the first person who “saw them.” That they knew they weren’t alone because someone else “understood” what they were going through. That’s true power… and I take that power very seriously.

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

Growing up, I was never the popular kid. I was never the person all my friends thought would go on to do “big things.” Honestly, that kinda sucked. I knew what I wanted to do with my life and never felt that I could share those dreams with my peers. However, now looking back I’m so thankful for those experiences because it forced me to work harder. I spent hours trying to better myself not to prove them wrong, but to prove myself right.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://marinrylee.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/marinrylee/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/marinrylee
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/marin-rylee-13833516a
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC_3j0R7EgBFxE6kwPd_Eghw
• Other: SPOTIFY: https://open.spotify.com/artist/0yYzKKfPongbBMNVrAjjoh?si=i91mau_5QkCASPmPfez6qw APPLE MUSIC: https://music.apple.com/us/artist/marin-rylee/1543478805