Meet MOR

Today we’d like to introduce you to MOR.

Thanks for sharing your story with us MOR. So, let’s start at the beginning, and we can move on from there.
Music has been a part of my life since I can remember. Singing everywhere and anywhere I could. Mostly for family and friends in our living room. I didn’t have a musical family, so my parents didn’t know what to do with me, but they loved music and always had it playing – music videos and records, initially, were my teachers.

I went to a performing arts high school in Vegas, and after I graduated, I moved to Southern California. Within a couple of months, I started working with a music manager, recording in the studio and doing co-writes for the first time. This was a huge learning lesson. I didn’t know what my sound was and hadn’t honed my voice or songwriting style so I had a difficult time knowing what I wanted – my sound was very different then it is now.

In exploring other styles, and frustrated in waiting for male producers to give me music tracks to write to, I started picking up the guitar creating music and writing songs that really felt true to me. Shortly thereafter, I got another manager and started performing live, acoustically and in bands. I quickly realized that I had been relying on others, producers, my managers, to really “make my career happen,” I worked hard on my craft but didn’t really get involved in the business of music.

The music business is a male-dominated field and trying to navigate as a young woman can be treacherous – at least it was for me. I had to learn to trust my gut instinct, speak up even when I felt intimidated, and this led me to go off on my own, without a manager. Learning not only to cultivate my musicality but also to learn more about the music business – specifically my music business.

When I made this leap, I finished and released an independent acoustic album and landed a mini-college tour, mostly on the east coast, the south, and mid-western states – performing my original music. This happened around the economy crash so the following year I needed to change course, also after this tour and performing a lot around LA I hit a rut.

When I saw that my dream school, USC, started a popular music program, I knew this needed to be my next step, so I went back to school. There I performed at iconic venues like the Troubadour and The Grammy Museum. Studied and learned more about music that humbled and inspired me. The music business is constantly changing, and I had a lot to learn and relearn.

After graduating in 2014, I had written a lot of new music, and I couldn’t wait to share. Placing my music on a couple of tv shows and singing on a major movie trailer has finally led me to this year, February 2019, independently releasing my new ep.

Has it been a smooth road?
No way! Creative endeavors are already unconventional paths. It’s up, it’s down, you move forward a step to then go back three steps, etc. There is no clear direction, but for me, that is also what makes it beautiful. It’s difficult, it’s humbling, but it also can take you to some incredible places.

So let’s switch gears a bit and go into the MOR story. Tell us more about the business.
I am a singer/songwriter/producer. My artist name is MOR (a play off my last name). I am most proud of not only creating music but also moving forward in sharing my music – two completely different things.

I think the music itself is what sets me apart. I once had a mentor at USC tell me that “no one else can write, sing, or perform the music the way that I do.” When it comes to creating art, it’s like that, where you create something out of nothing. Just as unique as we are as individuals so is the art.

How do you think the industry will change over the next decade?
The internet: social media, music streaming – will continue to be a major way to market and share music. It has already changed the music industry, and I think it will continue to do so.

We’ll see more individuals cultivating their own record labels – having more of a say in the direction of their careers and the music they create.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://linktr.ee/she_is_mor
• Instagram: https://instagram.com/she_is_mor
• Facebook: https://facebook.com/sheismor
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/sheismor

Image Credit:
Photography: Patrick McPheron – https://interiorstate.com and Chrissy Photography

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