Today we’d like to introduce you to Molly Pease.
Thanks for sharing your story with us Molly. So, let’s start at the beginning and we can move on from there.
Even as a child I used music and art to express myself. In fact, my Mom tells me that I was singing before I could talk. I appeared in my first musical theater production at five and joined a touring children’s choir at seven. I was at home in these spaces as a child who loved to play make-believe and create art. For as long as I can remember, I was writing poetry, drawing, painting, and making up melodies in my head, but it took a long time to realize I could also be an artist who created original work.
I began writing music at the insistence of a teacher I studied with while attending The New School for Jazz and Contemporary Music. I was sure at one point that my professional focus would be on singing jazz, but my songwriting adventures unleashed other influences – folk, rock, soul, and more experimental music. In graduate school at CalArts, I began to explore who I am and what I want to express through music. I collaborated with artists from different disciplines, and this has become a passion for me as a composer and performer.
After graduating from CalArts, I started working as a freelance vocalist in the LA area, singing with professional vocal ensembles such as C3LA, Tonality, Laude, and HEX, and as a member of the art-pop band Hello Forever. I also got back into very fulfilling theatrical work, starring in productions with The Industry, theatre dybbuk, Overtone Industries and Opera Povera. As a songwriter and composer, I released a full album of original music under the name ACKLAND in 2018, I’ve written new choral pieces that have been premiered around LA, and I’ve collaborated with various artists including sculptor Jimena Sarno.
The pandemic and resulting quarantine, while challenging, has proven to be a fruitful creative period for me. My project, which I call “Musical Trades”, combines individual musical expressions from two artists to create two new compositions, all done through remote collaboration. My most recent project is “Inner Astronomy”, a multi-disciplinary project born of a series of poems written by my father, Randall Pease, some years ago before he passed. The poems tap into his struggles with depression and addiction. I set some of those poems to women’s voices and strings and created a cantata of music that will be released as an album on Dec. 6, 2020. The musical score has been published by See-a-dot Music Publishing. The project also includes the release of a book of my father’s poems and collages designed by Laura Sofía Pérez using the crayon drawings he made to go with the poems. The release event will feature a performance of some of the music, with costuming by designer Camilla Carper. The whole project has been very heavy emotionally but also incredibly healing. I’m so excited to finally put it out into the world.
Has it been a smooth road?
Because I’ve known that I wanted to pursue music since I was very young, I feel like I’ve prepared myself mentally somewhat for the struggles of a career in music. That being said, I suffer from anxiety that gets amplified by the stress that comes from juggling multiple creative and professional projects at the same time, as well as by my desire to make everything I put out into the world as “good” as possible. I don’t think I’m alone in this struggle among other creatives. What helps me the most is to be surrounded by supportive friends who are also artists and can relate to my experience. Throughout quarantine, I have been relying on weekly Zoom meetings with friends to get that feeling of support, and it’s one of the main things keeping me sane. If I ever took my friends for granted before, I definitely don’t now!
Can you give our readers some background on your music?
As a composer, I specialize in creating works that sprout organically from my personal experiences, dreams and influences. I believe I’m known for my unconventional writing style – though I have spent years studying music theory, when I actually sit down to write I operate very much by feel and use my ear to guide me. This results in raw, emotional music. I like to experiment with sound, looking for ways to convey stories I’m telling using extended vocal and instrumental techniques.
As a vocal artist, I am known for my versatility, but I think also for my individuality that comes through in each of the many genres I sing. I get a thrill out of adapting vocally to any musical situation, whether it’s a freely improvised Avantgarde jazz performance, an experimental opera, a massive choir, or tightly harmonized pop vocals.
I’m proud that as both a composer and performer, I always try my best to be authentic, making my number one focus the genuine expression of the music’s meaning and story.
Let’s touch on your thoughts about our city – what do you like the most and least?
I love that Los Angeles is such a hub for new and adventurous artwork. It seems like the entire city embraces artists who are explorers, rather than running from what’s daring and different. There are a lot of great galleries and performance spaces that seek out new art, and there are a lot of ways to get funding to create that art here in LA! I think the thing I like least about LA is what most people like least – the driving. I have gotten used to it somewhat, but I definitely miss the freedom I felt in New York because I was on foot. Of course the train delays weren’t my favorite, but at least I could sit and read a book or doodle while I was waiting to get where I was going!
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.mollypeasemusic.com
- Instagram: @mollybutterfly
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/mollypmusic
- Other: https://soundcloud.com/mollypmusic
Image Credit:
Pete Agraan, Sera Lindsey, Megan Lee Miller
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