Today we’d like to introduce you to Molly Morgan.
Hi Molly, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, you could tell our readers some of your backstories.
I’ve always loved performing for others. I went to a performing arts school for musical theatre from 5th to 12th grade. In late high school, I realized I was falling out of love with theatre and falling in love with jazz music and being a solo artist. I applied to jazz and musical theatre programs for college and let fate decide what I should do. Webster University had a jazz program that interested me and was my cheapest option, so I went for it and am so glad I did. I had zero training in jazz before I went to Webster; I gained a lot of knowledge and confidence there. COVID-19 hit my junior year. I had plans to begin gigging more regularly, but the world was in lockdown. So for a couple of years, I didn’t perform and missed it terribly. I am so grateful that the world is open again and I can perform. I am now polishing up some original music that I sprinkle into my gigs. I have plans to record them eventually. I have something in me that loves performing live. My focus right now is to get as many performance opportunities as possible.
Please talk to us about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned. Looking back, has it been easy or smooth in retrospect?
I love performing live, so COVID-19 was a big bummer. I could have done live streams, but it is different and didn’t interest me. I spent about a year and a half just listening and engaging with other people’s music. It felt like a bump in the road at the time, but looking back, it was just a time to recharge and evaluate what I wanted.
Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
I am a singer/songwriter who also performs the music of others, which inspires me. If you come to one of my gigs, you will hear jazz standards primarily, but I will also throw in pop, country, or folk. My original work is inspired by those genres as well. I am a natural ham, so I am known for commanding a stage. I think I am the only one in this city which performs John Denver, Amy Winehouse, and Antônio Carlos Jobim in the same set. I am proud of myself for performing my originals. I have never performed them for a long time because they were so personal.
In terms of your work and the industry, what are some changes you expect to see over the next five to ten years?
I work with young people as voice teachers, and their preferences are everywhere. I would contribute that to the internet, but primarily TikTok. There has been a decline in interest in jazz for decades now. But, I have had several students who have heard jazz songs and artists from TikTok. The interest in jazz may rise due to social media. However, genres have been dissolving for many years, and those lines will continue to blur.
Contact Info:
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100076866888987
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCwmg2SddSModdv_Mub4-hkw
Image Credits:
Principle Photography and Editing by Jerry Hill A.K.A. DJUptown from NPR Tiny Desk Contest Submission 2022- Eldraco+FreeNation “The Taste Of Your Love (Rain Down)”
