We recently connected with Mk Strother and have shared our conversation below.

MK, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today Learning the craft is often a unique journey from every creative – we’d love to hear about your journey and if knowing what you know now, you would have done anything differently to speed up the learning process.

I began piano lessons around the age of 5 from my grandmother, and it progressed into a love for music. I was part of the marching and concert band in high school. After I graduated high school, I began taking fiddle lessons. I did songwriting off and on throughout the years, but I became more serious about it in January 2023.

I learned that being consistent over the years would have sped up the learning process and made things easier. The saying “practice makes perfect” holds a lot of truth behind it.

I believe that learning piano and music theory at an early age were the most essential skills. It has made it easier to learn other instruments and new music.

Some obstacles that stood in my way of learning more were a lack of patience and consistency. When I was younger, I wanted to instantly be good at whatever project I was working on. I learned there is beauty in the slow process, and I now have a much better outlook and patience on everything.

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?

Hi, I’m MK Strother, and I am a singer-songwriter/musician.

I got into music after learning piano from my grandmother as a kid. Over the years, I have learned piano, flute, fiddle, and guitar. Growing up, I knew I wanted a music career, but at the time, I didn’t know what that looked like for me. I tried several different things, and nothing ever seemed to work out. I have written songs off and on throughout the years, but I kept giving up because I felt like I was so terrible at it. I was also afraid of what others thought of me.

In January 2023, I decided that I wanted to take songwriting more seriously and started seeking courses and guidance. I joined Lance Carpenter’s Music Row Coach and began networking. Lance provided feedback to help me grow and pushed me outside of my comfort zone. From there, I began co-writing, making new friends that were in the same boat as me, and I realized that everyone starts somewhere. The songwriting community is very welcoming.

Over the past two years, I have grown tremendously as a songwriter, and I have been able to tighten up my music skills on fiddle and guitar. I’m very proud of how far I’ve come in the past two years. From knowing absolutely no one in Nashville and struggling to write songs to having a wonderful group of friends/co-writers and having a strong catalog of original songs.

What sets me apart from others is that the songs I write have deep meaning. Most of them are Christian based in some format because it is a way that I get to honor the Lord for the talent that He has given me. I try to make sure that there is a little nugget of Jesus in the majority of my songs. In addition to my songwriting, I play fiddle which brings something extra to the table. Even though I’m not a master at it, people still enjoy listening to me play, and I love watching their facial expressions.

What can society do to ensure an environment that’s helpful to artists and creatives?

Society can go to the shows, share the information on social media, or drop an uplifting and friendly comment on the artists/creatives’ social posts. I truly think that social media is one of the most convenient ways that anybody can support an artist or creative. It’s completely free and easily accessible. I also believe that streaming any music that the artist/creative has released is very helpful.

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

For me, writing a song that really touches someone and creates some type of emotional spark. You never know what someone is going through, and maybe you share a similar story. I love being able to bring someone peace or spark a happy memory while they are listening to my song. I think it builds a strong connection to you and the listener, but it also feels like a confirmation that you are on the right path.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://mkstrothermusic.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mkstrother/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/mkstrother
• Soundcloud: https://soundcloud.com/mk-strother
• Other: TikTok: MKStrotherMusic

Image Credits

The Get Up
J.E. Photography