Today we’d like to introduce you to Marissa McRoberts
Hi Marissa, thanks for joining us today. We’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
Music has been an integral part of my life ever since I can remember. I grew up in a very musical household, and I remember always being fascinated and entertained particularly by movie musicals very early on in my life, from Grease to Hairspray to Phantom of the Opera. My parents enrolled me in piano lessons around age 4, which then led to singing lessons and later on ukulele and guitar lessons. By age 11, I was writing my own songs and really trying to hone in on playing and singing simultaneously. Shortly thereafter, I started to perform all around my hometown of San Diego and further develop my stage presence and artistry.
I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
I love performing and writing songs, but it’s a hustle. It’s a passion that requires mental and emotional endurance, long hours and patience, and most of all a belief in yourself, which can be really challenging for me to grasp onto. I’ve been performing professionally since I was 13 years old, which has inevitably caused me to feel a burnout at times. Particularly in the past few years, especially with starting college, I came to the realization that music should never feel like work, but should always be the outlet in my life. So, I would say that finding that balance between work and play within music has been my biggest obstacle so far.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
I love to write songs and share them with people who resonate with what I may be going through at a certain point in my life. Something unique about the songs that I make is that they can never be forced out of me. I’ve tried to co-write with other musicians or schedule a time to sit down and write a song, but it feels unnatural. Most of the time, I’ll write songs independently with a guitar, especially in places where I find comfort, like my bed or in my backyard with my dogs. I am also somewhat at this never-ending crossroads of figuring out what genre suits me. I love country music, pop, soul—the list goes on, and my love for all of these diverse genres of music is reflective in my own music. The two songs I have released could not sound more different from each other, but I’d like to think that’s what sets me apart from other artists right now, and I’m having a lot of fun with experimenting and learning more about myself and my sound.
Are there any books, apps, podcasts or blogs that help you do your best?
My work is inspired by a number of resources. I find myself tuning into many Apple Music interviews with Zane Lowe and gaining so much inspiration from them. Listening to other artists unpack and dissect their own work and their motives behind that work is something I really appreciate and will always take the time to do. As funny as it sounds, I also draw a lot of inspiration from artists and musicians on TikTok. There’s something really special and creative about the art that is being made on the platform, but also the community. I find artists coming together and supporting each other to be very encouraging, and I think that helped me to finally find the confidence to start sharing my work on the app more.
Contact Info:
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/marissamcroberts/
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@marissamcroberts
- Other: https://open.spotify.com/artist/3iYfXrMUorSeawznfIS3xh?si=ZwqzCQKIR7KMaBdEj5xosg
Image Credits
Diana Sciacca
