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

Monique, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today When did you first know you wanted to pursue a creative/artistic path professionally?

I had always known I wanted to pursue a professional career in music. My father, Jack Smaz, was a professional jazz drummer, so at an early age I was shown first-hand that with the right mindset, a hard work ethic, and a burning love and passion for music, pursuing a career in music was achievable. Unfortunately, my father passed away when I was 7 years old. His passing heavily influenced my drive to create a life that allowed me to continue playing and performing music forever. Music is my way of staying connected to him and keeping his memory alive. I had also always had a natural ability to play music, gravitation towards music, and love for music. At age 5 I began private vocal lessons, followed by piano lessons at age 6, and then I joined the St.Paul School of Rock at age 7, where I started taking guitar, drum, and bass lessons, playing with a full band, and performing live shows at local music venues. I continued playing various instruments and performing countless live shows with the School of Rock until age 16, when I left the School of Rock to begin my solo career. I started booking my own paid gigs as a solo acoustic act at the local coffee shops, clubs, and bars around town, and I haven’t looked back since. Music was something that I knew, at a very young age, I wanted in my life forever; for me and for my dad.

Monique, 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?

Highlights of 2022 for readers to get to know me and my work better:

By way of writing my information down on a cocktail napkin at a local live music venue (NE Palace, in Minneapolis, MN), I obtained management; Vanessa Peterson Delaire (Hygge House Productions, The Peterson Family of MN).

In March and August of 2022 I traveled to Nashville to write, perform, and embark on the endless musical opportunities in Music City. I played various music venues around Nashville, in Printer’s Alley, and on Broadway (Cabana Taps, Bourbon Street Blues and Boogie Bar, Loser’s bar).

In October of 2022, I released my first single “Let Me In”, produced by Jason Peterson Delaire (Prince, Michael Bolton), mixed by John Fields (Jonas Brothers, Miley Cyrus), with Collin Johnson on guitar and backing vocals, Isaac Levy on bass, and Jay Corkran on drums.

Following the release of my single “Let Me In”, I was featured on The Current and was included in their monthly scouting report, “10 Minnesota Musicians to turn up in November”.

Also in November of 2022, I made my debut performance at the world renowned Dakota in Minneapolis, MN playing with the Classic American Rockers (Ricky Peterson (Fleetwood Mac, Stevie Nicks, John Mayer), Paul Peterson (Steve Miller Band, Peter Frampton, Kenny Loggins) and Jim Anton (Jonny Lang)).

Upcoming events: Tribute to the Last Waltz show with Mark Joseph at the Fitzgerald Theater (Saint Paul, MN) on January 28th, 2023.

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

The most rewarding aspect is getting to connect with people through my music. Music brings people together and it bonds them, on their best days and their worst days. It creates a safe space. Music gives some people an outlet to tell their stories and share their experiences, and it gives other people an opportunity to listen, reflect, and relate. As an artist, it is so rewarding to hear the ways your creations resonate with others.

How can we best help foster a strong, supportive environment for artists and creatives?

Buy artists music directly from artists, download their music, buy their merchandise, grab a few friends and buy tickets to their shows. Support does not have to come in the form of financial support either – there are plenty of free ways to support artists. Follow/promote them on social media, stream and share their music, like/comment on posts, share upcoming shows and events, tell your friends/family about them, etc.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.moniquesmaz.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/moniquesmaz/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MoniqueSmaz/
• Other: LINKTR.EE: https://linktr.ee/moniquesmaz TIKTOK: https://www.tiktok.com/@moniquesmaz

Image Credits
Mike Madison / BumpOpera Brent Snyder