We were lucky to catch up with Nora Tirrell recently and have shared our conversation below.
Hi Nora, thanks for joining us today. When did you first know you wanted to pursue a creative/artistic path professionally?
Since I was little, I’ve always known I wanted to pursue a creative path. I’ve loved music my whole life and it has always been my primary interest. When I was young, I gravitated towards listening to music on my CD player, singing to myself and making up songs constantly. I was never interested in other subjects in school – except for English and Language. Words have always been my way to express myself, coupled with music. But I was never any good at math, science, or anything relating to engineering. I always knew that I was passionate about music and I had a certain knack for it from a very young age. I could memorize the words to a song so quickly, remember melodies and hear the chords changing, even before I knew how to read music. I think I was probably around five years old when I was listening to Paul Simon’s Graceland album on my WalkMan and I just fell in love with it, and that is what ultimately made me fall in love with music.
Nora, 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?
I grew up in the small seaside town of Marblehead, Massachusetts, about 18 miles north of Boston. I come from a very loving family who nurtured my love for music starting at a young age. I started taking piano lessons from the age of 6 through middle school, and even after stopping lessons, I never stopped playing. I’ve taken voice lessons since I was in middle school and was a member of my church youth choir from third grade until I graduated from high school. I was always encouraged to pursue my passions and embrace my creativity, and I’m so grateful to have grown up in that kind of positive environment. I always knew I wanted to get into the music industry, and from the time I was in eighth grade, I thought “I’m going to attend Berklee College of Music.” Berklee was always a dream but also the only path I was willing to take. I didn’t even think about the possibility of going to a different school because I knew Berklee would be the only place where I could really study and master my craft. (*spoiler* I got in after much hard work and tons of interview and audition preparation.) I am mainly a songwriter, singer and pianist. I perform my own original music as well as songs I’ve learned over the years that I love. I think what sets me apart from others is my honesty and vulnerability in my music. My songs are all based off of real-life experiences, people I’ve met, things I’ve been through, etc. Being raw and vulnerable and having the ability to connect with others is my main goal in creating my music. I think my music gives people an opportunity to hear something that they can relate to – whether it be loss, a complicated relationship, or navigating heartbreak. I want people to know that they’re not alone in their experiences and that we all can connect on some level related to hardships that we go through in life. I’m most proud of the connections I’ve made with listeners, especially with the last 2 songs I’ve released. I released a single in 2022 called “If Only I Knew” and it’s about having a complicated relationship with a family member. So many listeners have come to me saying they’ve had a similar experience or that the song made them feel less alone in their experience.
I’m also incredibly proud of my latest release, a single called “Parts of You” written for my grandfather who passed right before Thanksgiving in 2021. I’ve had a lot of positive feedback on this song, but most importantly, I’ve made connections with others who have lost someone important to them and found a sense of connection and healing through listening to my song. At the end of the day, having that connection and bringing out true emotions is what it’s all about for me as a creative. That’s how we all share what makes us human and I genuinely believe sharing art with the world makes it a more positive place.
In your view, what can society to do to best support artists, creatives and a thriving creative ecosystem?
The best thing society can do to best support creatives is to take us seriously. The arts are always something that seem to be brushed aside or pushed under the rug when in reality, our society would be nothing without art and music – it’s what creates a thriving culture. Musicians are always promoting themselves and practically begging people to come to our shows, listen to our music, download a song for $1.29 or give it a few listens on Spotify, buy our merchandise or a $10 or $15 ticket to our show – when we put hours upon hours into creating our art in order for others to enjoy it. I think a lot of people truly don’t realize how much time and effort goes into being an artist. The best way society can support us is by supporting our art – come to our shows, buy a t-shirt, share our newest song with someone you love. That’s how we’ll thrive more and be able to continue doing what we love.
Learning and unlearning are both critical parts of growth – can you share a story of a time when you had to unlearn a lesson?
One thing I feel that I’ve had to unlearn is that you’re competing with everyone around you. I feel like this was something that was drummed into me my whole childhood, but I’ve found that in the real world, you just have to create your own path. There’s no one who can truly get in your way and take what you want from you if you want it badly enough. You can only get in your own way, but not if you truly believe in who you are and in your art. I always felt like, for example, when I moved to Nashville, that I would all of a sudden have to become a country artist in order to be successful as a musician here. It seemed like the successful musicians in Nashville were all singing or performing country music, but I’ve learned over the last 4 years that people respond more to you when you’re truly being authentic. I don’t play or sing country music, and as soon as I embraced my style, I found that people responded much more positively because they could tell I was being authentic instead of trying to fit in with other country artists.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.noratirrellmusic.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/noratirrellmusic/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/nora.tirrell/
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nora-tirrell-110946106/
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCQgjAfpASyV3pGo76hrc_xw
- Other: https://linktr.ee/noratirrell
Image Credits
Dan Hale, Barb Bruton