We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Tenise Marie. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Tenise below.

Tenise , looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. Did you always know you wanted to pursue a creative or artistic career? When did you first know?

As a child, I always loved singing and writing poetry. When I was eleven years old, my best friend and I sang “Dear Mr. President” by P!nk a capella at a talent show at our rural elementary school in British Columbia, Canada.

One of the women in the audience subsequently gifted us an hour of her recording time at a local home studio, and we recorded a one-take, a capella version of the song together. We only ever recorded that song for posterity, for our own memories, but I will always be grateful that we did. It is so endearing to listen to it now. We were only eleven. We hadn’t even learned to harmonize yet. We sang the entire song in unison. It is so beautiful in its rawness and imperfection.

You could hear the passion, even then. That was the first time I had ever heard my singing voice recorded, and I fell in love with the sensation. Through my teen years and early twenties, I navigated all of the usual insecurities and self-doubts about following an artistic path, but it was in that moment at eleven years old that I knew performing and making records was what my heart longed for.

Tenise , 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’m Tenise Marie: a Canadian songwriter, vocalist, multi-instrumentalist, performer, and recording artist based in Nelson, British Columbia.

I tend to credit my childhood in the remote mountain community of Argenta, BC as the source of my inherent love for music. My singing and songwriting have been deeply influenced by the folk music traditions I experienced in my early life. I grew up attending singalongs with my mother and chiming in at campfire jams. I started songwriting and performing in local cafés when I was fifteen.

At age eighteen, I made the leap of faith to study music at post-secondary. Since graduating from the Contemporary Music & Technology program at Selkirk College in 2015, where I majored in vocal performance, I have worked in the music industry as a touring musician, session vocalist, composer, and festival organizer.

My original music pairs soulful vocals with acoustic guitar, piano, and oud, crafting a unique blend of Western and Eastern folk music, reflective of my own mixed European and Assyrian heritage.

A storyteller and traveller at heart, I am inspired by adventure and connection. My songs are heavy with nostalgic and romanticized depictions of people and places.

In addition to my work as a solo artist, I sing alto in the Assyrian Arts Institute’s Assyrian Women choir. My work with the Assyrian Arts Institute has been instrumental on my journey to discover and reclaim my Assyrian identity, and has led me to perform in their concerts in California and Florida.

My voice can also be heard on a variety of session work including as a focal point on the title track of Folk/ Electronica band Moontricks’ debut album Currents.

I am currently recording my newest album, which includes a collection of songs written for my Research & Creation songwriting project with the Canada Council for the Arts, inspired by my experience travelling to the Assyrian homeland in Northern Iraq with GISHRU: Bridge to Assyria.

Is there a particular goal or mission driving your creative journey?

In general, I have always turned to creativity in an effort to make sense of the world. I don’t really write songs to be understood; I write them so I can understand.

I have written about unrequited love, romance, heartbreak, self-doubt, and self-growth.

More recently, some of my songwriting content has shifted. I still want to share who I am, but I also want to be a voice for people who don’t have one. I have begun using music to tell stories of oppression, to draw awareness to issues that require attention, and to express myself about things that matter to me. Lately, my creativity has focused on themes of survival, resilience, and the concepts of home and belonging.

Now, I take a more holistic approach to my songwriting and performances. It’s humbling to share the different sides of myself. I want to honour my own humanity, as I want to honour humanity as a whole.

What do you find most rewarding about being a creative?

For me, it has been both connecting with audiences and collaborating/ sharing performances with other musicians.

To feel seen and understood by an audience member or a fellow musician…it’s just an incredible gift.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.tenisemariemusic.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/tenise.marie/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/tenisemariemusic/
• Twitter: https://x.com/tenisemarie
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/c/tenisemarie
• Soundcloud: https://soundcloud.com/tenisemarie

Image Credits

First page (main photo):

1.) Louis Bockner

Second page:

1.) Shimun Shamass

2.) Emily Smith

3.) Sarah Beauchamp

4.) Murray Hayward

5.) Anna Katarina

6.) Emily Smith

7.) Tammy White