Today we’d like to introduce you to Moxy Anne.
Hi Moxy, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstory.
A lot of people ask how I knew I wanted to be a singer. Well, it wasn’t so much that I decided I wanted to be a singer as it was something that just… happened to me. My parents put me in voice lessons at a very young age when a musician friend of theirs told them I was “very good” and that I had nearly perfect pitch-matching skills. From there, I stayed in voice lessons until the age of 13 (because that’s what you do when you’re a kid), and at 13, I discovered my first favorite rock band, Red. Many other rock bands followed after that, namely Evanescence – which made me have the realization “Hey, I sound almost exactly like her, AND I look like her. She does this for a living? Maybe I could do this for a living.” I started my own band, Moxy and The Influence, and together, we toured internationally and released several well-received EPs and music videos. At the same time, I was touring with several different choirs, performing in venues like Carnegie Hall and the Forum in Los Angeles, behind groups like Our Last Night and Aerosmith. I was also performing with several cover bands at this time. I decided to go to college to study music, and I ended up at Azusa Pacific University. That was where my love for music truly became real; my raw aptitude became a well-honed skill, and I mastered performance, theory training, and most importantly, sight reading. I learned that you don’t just have to “make it big” in order to “make it” in the music industry, and that many people manage to make a pretty decent living by gigging, both live and in studio. I decided that I wanted to do what I love – not just releasing original music but also performing however I could, whenever I could, and I haven’t stopped since!
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not, what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
It certainly has not been easy… I’ve definitely learned along the way that sometimes when a door closes, AND a window closes, that it’s not meant to be, and I need to just stop and refocus. I floundered musically for a while after my band broke up in 2016, right at the height of our success. Even though it was simply due to life taking us different directions, it felt like while everyone was heading off to get these amazing management deals or working with amazing companies, I was left holding the bag, with shows still on the docket to somehow play on my own. I was already recovering from a car crash, and losing my band broke me in more ways than one. But I learned from that experience and grew stronger for it. I began to lean more into my college education and relationships instead of thinking I was *literally* too cool for school, and my time there became so enriched. In fact, I may have grown to love it too much because my most recent major struggle came as a result of Covid-19. Like so many other performers in my field, I had absolutely no work for nearly 3 years. It was especially tough because after losing my band, I decided to buckle down and focus entirely on school for the remainder of my time there – focusing on NOTHING else. I figured as soon as I graduated, I would do “the whole LA musician thing” and throw myself into it as much as possible. Unfortunately, I got less than 9 months to actually do that, and then I ended up stagnating during the pandemic. I found myself feeling purposeless and wondering what the point of getting my degree even was if there were no opportunities to use it. Looking back on it now, I’m thankful because I was able to spend all that time getting to know the man I eventually married, and I think I would not have had as much time to spend with him if the entire world hadn’t literally been shut down. I’m thankful for that extra time I had, yet I still mourn the time I lost. I suppose that’s something I’ll struggle with for a while yet.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
I’m a professional vocalist, performing in both live and studio settings. I specialize in rock music – both classic and modern – which means I typically get hired on very eclectic gigs, from 80s and wedding bands to singing background vocals for members of Backstreet Boys and NSYNC, to recording heavy metal jazz arrangements, and everything in between. I absolutely love the range of work I get to do, and I’m so proud that I have managed to go from an uneducated rock singer in some random little band to someone who now gets hired (and paid!) because she can sight-sign music. I am now who a lot of people call if they want a rock or metal singer who also knows how to take directions and can speak/read music (because music IS its own language!) I can cover parts from tenor to soprano, and I can sing, belt, AND scream. In my spare time, I also write and record my own original metal and pop music under the name MXI. I try to treat each gig with the same level of professionalism and a spirit of thankfulness, no matter the scale of work – whether I’m singing in a bar or recording for a big-time vocal library in Hollywood. I love making new friends on the job and connecting with people; it’s probably my favorite part of working in music, besides the singing itself!
What matters most to you?
A few years ago, my answer to the question “What matters most to you?” would have sounded very different. I probably would’ve said something like “success” or “chasing my dream.” Now, a pandemic and a marriage and what feels like a lifetime later, my answer is much more meaningful. It doesn’t matter how successful I am or how much money I make. It doesn’t matter who knows my name as long as the people I care about most know how much they mean to me and I have time to show them. Pursuing what I love is so important to me, as it should be! But it is no longer more important than showing love to those around me. Learning this during Covid changed me from someone who only talked to people for networking purposes into someone who genuinely wants to connect with others, no matter their level of “importance.” Everyone is important, and every conversation has significance to me and enriches my time on this earth. You’ll find you can learn from most everything if you pay attention. Most important of all is following God and the ability to stay true to myself and to what I believe. At the end of the day, I just hope to live my life as a reflection of the love and grace that has been shown to me and give that back to the people I am blessed to work with.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.MoxyAnne.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/moxyannemusic/?hl=en
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MXIBAND/
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/MoxyAnneMusic
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@MusicandInfluence
- Other: https://www.tiktok.com/@moxyannemusic
Image Credits
Matthew Breiter Photography
Boogie Agenda
Chuck Barhydt
Ekl
