Today we’d like to introduce you to Mary Scholz.
Hi Mary, we’re thrilled to have a chance to learn your story today. So, before we get into specifics, maybe you can briefly walk us through how you got to where you are today?
I could talk my way around my childhood, etc., but what really got me here was getting scammed when I was 22. I had grown up completely in love with the arts. Expression from within that moved outwards – I was fascinated by mediums that seemed to reach people emotionally. Dance, painting, theatre….but music was always my top priority, my deepest love, from my earliest memories. Singing, to be the most specific, but music as a whole. I think I was always teeing myself up to be a singer/songwriter, from my obsession with song lyrics to the poetry I would write and the songs I would make up before ever learning an instrument that I could accompany myself with. But I loved so many other methods of performance, so I pursued those, too.
Though performing my own songs was my main goal, I studied Musical Theatre at the University of the Arts in Philadelphia. That’s where I honed my skills as a vocalist, musician, and storyteller, and eventually my first “Mary Scholz Music” show. But by the time I had earned my BFA, I felt very dedicated to the idea of also pursuing a career in theatre – after all, I had trained so hard, I ought to be doing it professionally! My senior year, I started taking the train to New York at 4am for early morning cattle calls before returning to class in Philly for the afternoon. After graduation, I filled up my date book (yes, we still used date books) with audition after audition after audition, exhausting myself for a career that wasn’t truly what lit me up. One day, I was scouted by an agency just outside of NYC. They were legit and represented so many actors, of stage and screen alike (another thing I loved – acting on camera…). So I went to this meeting, they loved me, they were so nice, they wanted to move forward right away, I needed new headshots, they had a photographer I needed to use….
I left that meeting knowing immediately that I had been scammed out of photo shoot money. I was just too relieved in the moment to recognize it in front of them.
As it turned out, this company was using almost the identical logo as said the legit agency and had photos on their walls of “clients” that belonged to the other folks, too. A full scam operation – I couldn’t ever get anyone on the phone after that or get back into the building.
That’s when I realized I was killing myself for something that wasn’t where my heart truly was. “I just want to make a record and go on the road,” I said to myself. And to my parents, probably, in a very defeated voice.
So that’s what I did. I made my first EPs in Philly and New Jersey and New York with friends, and I toured as much as possible, playing shows up and down the east coast, cold calling venues to line up the dates, singing to empty rooms and full houses. I loved every minute of it. It was hard work, but the path felt like mine, and I felt alive. Eventually, I made my way out to Los Angeles on tour in 2010 – that really changed my life. There was just a feeling, a knowing, that I wanted to wake up here, to make art here, to build my life alongside my career.
So in 2011, I became a full-time resident of LA, a move that would uproot my life in many, many ways. I was still acting on camera, getting to do a few indie films and even a Hallmark Christmas movie. All the while, I was writing for my first full-length record. The Girl You Thought You Knew was a bit hellish to make, but it was worth fighting for. I’m really proud of what we were able to create and for the opportunities it opened up to me then. From there, I did multiple US tours, my first international tour, and recorded various follow-up singles and another full-length, California, that came out in 2017. When the pandemic hit, I had an offer on the table from Blue Élan Records, but the whole world and all of our lives were put on pause – that included. BE founder Kirk Pasich ended up starting an imprint as we were all in lockdown called KZZ Music, where I would eventually sign and make the Lonesome EP (which spent months on the Americana radio charts), recorded a song for the Rusty Young tribute record (which debuted at #9 on the Billboard compilation charts), and my newest LP, Begin Again.
I am so proud of Begin Again and the journey we created with this record. I worked with some of my favorite musicians and producers, Jonathan Wilson (Father John Misty, Margo Price, Connor Oberst, Benmont Tench, Angel Olsen). It’s a ten-song Americana journey that paints a panoramic, starry landscape, addressing how we process life internally, to how we respond as a community.
I still use those great acting and MT skills, too. Making music videos (like the recently released “Talk to Me”) is such a satisfying combination of loves, and I have spent the last 15 years teaching voice and songwriting to performers of all ages. I take those hard-earned skills onto the stage every night and am grateful that it helped me learn my voice and find my path.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
Oh, there have been plenty of bumps – even moments where the road seemed to disappear from underneath me completely!
I’ve made records where I’ve flown in a musician only to have the producer and studio ghost me on what would have been day one. I’ve had venues take all of the ticket sales and call it promotional money but never see a promotion for said show. I’ve had my tip jar swiped and more than my share of creepy exchanges with people after shows or online.
I’ve had flat tires on the road and major car repairs while in random towns and seen the bottom of my bank account more times than I care to admit as a grown adult.
But amidst all of those chaotic moments, there were always extremely kind, helpful people. Sometimes strangers, sometimes close family or friends. There has been generosity and gratitude and successes that keep me pushing forward.
Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
I have a theory that each show I perform is for one particular person. Sure, it’s for everyone in attendance, but there is always one person who really, really needs to receive something that I have to offer. Be it in the lyrics, the stories I tell, or the music itself. They often reveal themselves at the end of the show, wanting to tell me how they ended up in the audience or what moment really moved them, but sometimes they don’t, and I have to trust that whatever was needed, was received.
I write and perform folk and Americana music, but what I’m really doing is providing a space for healing. For communication. An outlet for relief, perhaps. Using my voice has always felt like the most important thing I can do, and it’s my job to put myself in spaces where it can reach whoever needs it most.
Do you have any advice for those looking to network or find a mentor?
What has worked best for me when it comes to networking is really being myself and approaching conversations from a point of curiosity in the other person – not it’s what they have to offer. There is a lot of “what can you do for me” energy out there, but meeting people from a place of genuine interest will always be a better place to start. I can guarantee that the kinds of connections you make will be long-lasting because of it.
If you’re new to the music scene in LA, or anywhere for that matter, get yourself out to other people’s shows. Support the scene and don’t be afraid to introduce yourself. Everyone was new at this (or new to town) once, too, and anyone who treats you as less-than isn’t someone you want to give your energy to, anyway.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.maryscholz.com
- Instagram: www.instagram.com/maryscholz
- Facebook: www.facebook.com/maryscholzmusic
- Twitter: www.twitter.com/maryscholz
- Youtube: www.youtube.com/maryscholzmusic
- Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/scholz-studio-of-voice-and-acting-los-angeles?osq=scholz+studio
- SoundCloud: www.soundcloud.com/maryscholz
Image Credits
Scott Chernis, Piper Ferguson, Justin Higuchi, Eva Gala
