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

Zaymahlee, appreciate you joining us today. We’d love to hear about a project that you’ve worked on that’s meant a lot to you.

My first EP under my legal name Brooke Thompson. The title was “Cotton Candy Dream”. It was 6 songs I released as a project in 2019. This project was special to me personally because it was a huge part of my personal growth. It was part of my healing process coming into adulthood. There were a lot of things in that project that I was afraid of saying out loud to other people and also to myself. Not only did the project help me heal personally, it also helped me realize my passions and see that I can do anything I put my mind to. It was my first professional project and I am deeply proud of it to this day. The love I received upon its release only inspired me more and made me realize how powerful music and art can be. Once you realize that, you really begin thinking about what it is you truly want to say to the world. I am excited to explore that in all my albums to come!

Zaymahlee, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?

I got interested in music at a young age. I began taking piano lessons at 10 and began writing my own music at 13. I honestly don’t remember a time music hasn’t affected me deeply. Even before I started learning music, I have vivid memories of being inspired by albums my mom had bought me. I studied music through high school and went to college at Appalachian State in North Carolina, where I studied a Music Industry Degree with a Concentration in Recording and Production. I didn’t Finnish my degree due to financial struggles and personal reasons, but I figured if I was gonna be successful in the industry, a degree wouldn’t matter. I started playing cover music and gigging in NC for a year after I left school. During that time I also interned at a Live Music Venue called Ziggy’s By The Sea in Wilmington, NC. That’s where I ignited my passion for live sound. At the end of 2016 I moved to Nashville to pursue a career in music. During the first two years I struggled to find opportunities, but I eventually landed in the live sound engineer club scene. Turns out I’m pretty good at it, and I also love it! I’ve been able to use my passion for live sound to support my dreams as a songwriter and artist. I can perform part time and work on my music at my own pace. I quickly realized that performing cover music for money was not going to work for me long term because it was killing my creativity. Being a live sound engineer wasn’t something I dreamed of doing, but when life gives you opportunities, don’t be afraid to try something unexpected. It might just be one of the biggest blessings of your life.

Learning and unlearning are both critical parts of growth – can you share a story of a time when you had to unlearn a lesson?

The lesson I had to learn the hard way was that just because people have “connections or influence” in the music industry, doesn’t mean you should work with them or try to maintain a working relationship with them. I have tolerated a lot of people over the years in this industry who I didn’t like, was sexually harassed by, disrespected by and much more, just to keep a job or potentially gain a connect. In the end, those people never helped me or my career. The most successful people I know also happens to be the people I chose as my soul family who I genuinely love and trust. Those are the people who stick around in the long run and make like special anyway. So my advice to my younger self or a younger person would be, trust your gut and focus on connecting with people you truly love. That will lead you exactly where you need to be.

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

Just being who you are is inspirational. When you embrace your creativity whether it is in conversation, what you wear, the way you love or the way you sing, you inspire and create magic that connects people and inspires them to dream everywhere you go.

Contact Info:

• Website: Zaymahlee.com
• Instagram: Instagram.com/zaymahlee
• Facebook: Facebook.com/zaymahlee
• Twitter: Twitter.com/zaymahlee
• Youtube: https://youtube.com/user/brookelikeaboss

Image Credits
Images 1, 2, 3 & 6 taken by Kenneth Bean Image 4 by Hayley Beals Milligan