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

Melissa, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today We’d love to hear about the things you feel your parents did right and how those things have impacted your career and life.

My parents did a lot of things right, to be honest. From a songwriting perspective, my parents have always – since I can remember – fostered my creativity. They made so many home videos of me singing my heart out as a little kid, and when I was a teenager, they bought me my first guitar as a birthday gift. Also as a teenager, I bought a ton of different colored permanent markers and scribbled song lyrics all over my dresser and bookshelf. My parents were completely cool with it and even encouraged me to color on my ceiling fan.

It wasn’t at all surprising after college graduation when they were my greatest supporters in my decision to move to Nashville to pursue my passion for writing songs. Their championing me – then and now! – taught me to believe in myself (through life’s *many* hardships!) and walk with a confident posture.

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.

I write and record pop music for film and television under my own artistry – Melissa Miller – and also as a duo with my creative soul sister, Sarah Spencer, under the artist name ILYSM. I/we have many songs on Spotify and other major platforms.

Now in my 30s, I’ve entertained this passion since the age of 14 and have professionally pursued songwriting since 2012. Writing music, for me, happens in many forms. I often sit down by my keyboard or with my guitar and come up with a song that way – or I will “topline” tracks. Toplining means writing the melody and lyrics to a track created by a producer. I adore writing this way because I can take the track to the vocal booth I have in my home and record vocals right away. Then I’ll send my vocals to whomever created the track – and voila – a new song is born!

The latest song I released is called “Dear Whoever You Are” and can be found on Spotify under Melissa Miller. I wrote this song solo – and Sarah (mentioned above!) produced the track for it.

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

Writing new catchy melodies and lyrics! I am extremely meticulous when it comes to writing, so I will go over my lyrics until I am satisfied with and excited about every single word. I also love sharing new songs with people and hearing about how they connect to them, whether it be lyrically or to a beat that gets them up and moving!

How about pivoting – can you share the story of a time you’ve had to pivot?

I had to majorly pivot in 2019. I experienced burnout because I was working seven part-time jobs at once, while living in Nashville. (I feel exhausted all over again re-reading that sentence!) I started to lose my love for songwriting because I was doing way too much at once. Financially sustaining myself through music alone is a place I’ve yet to reach, and for a while, that fact made me feel massive amounts of shame.

I pivoted by moving back to the Midwest (currently reside in Chicago) and knew I wanted *ONE* (not seven!) role that made me feel as excited and alive as music does. Traveling is another tremendous adoration of mine, so I applied (a lot) until I landed a role at United Airlines corporate.

I now work full-time for United (and love it!), and once I began to feel settled and less scatterbrained in Chicago, my love for music came back. I’ve been more creative than ever lately, and a lot of that is because I recognized I needed a life change and made that change.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.melissamillermusic.com
• Instagram: @melissamillermusic
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/melissa-miller-46906915/
• Other: Link to “Dear Whoever You Are” –https://open.spotify.com/artist/1ohUszngHZLhbv40BNV39k?si=q6GRXGWvS9eTGCc6GoPfpQ https://open.spotify.com/artist/0W8vwo3r9AjL88iuzon5Yl?si=IdVd14uHSG67TX3rGXSvJA