Today we’d like to introduce you to Myah.
Alright, so thank you so much for sharing your story and insight with our readers. To kick things off, can you tell us a bit about how you got started?
When I was a kid, my favorite form of visual storytelling was always coupled with music – music videos, musical theatre, TV specials where the episodes were also a musical, and my favorite parts of films were often the montages with a soundtrack underneath.
I was raised by my single mom in South Florida, and I didn’t have access to much in terms of vocal lessons or lessons to learn how to play an instrument. I tried to be self-taught and watch videos, but I’m more of a hands-on, need-to-be-in-a-classroom type of person when it comes to learning, so my adolescence wasn’t filled with making music, but I loved listening to it and exposing myself to a wide variety of genres.
I graduated from film school in 2018 and moved to LA. My day job is working in the film industry and when I was able to make a little bit of money, I decided to start pursuing music on the side to see if I actually could. I started taking vocal lessons in 2019 and it took me a long time to figure out how to sing better, how to be a songwriter, and how to write melodies. Once I understood those three things, I knew I couldn’t be a bedroom producer, but I knew I could hire someone if I paid them, so I built my network to find producers who would want to collaborate with me. The hard truth is that pursuing music is expensive, and you do need money to be able to make waves or even in a ripple in it.
With my job, I was put in a unique position because I’ve produced dozens of music videos and also directed a good amount, so I was able to learn what label artists do behind the scenes and apply it to my own pursuit of being an artist.
I released my first single, “hide”, in August of 2023 and I think that was the moment where I realized music was the path I really loved. Filmmaking is my job, and I’m so grateful for it, but music in a lot of ways is who I am. It’s probably the purest way I’m able to express my emotions and what I’m feeling.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
It’s definitely been far from smooth, but I don’t think anything in life is smooth. I think a lot of people assume that if you’re talented and work hard, things will just fall into place—but that’s not always true, especially in creative industries. Talent and hard work are only a small part of it. You have to be able to listen to people tell you all the reasons you won’t amount to anything and choose to get up anyways.
I’ve dealt with financial setbacks, broken trust, rejection, burnout, and moments where I genuinely questioned if I should keep going. Most weeks are small wins combined with heavy hits. It’s like climbing up a mountain barefoot, your feet hurt, you step on a rock, you’re tired, you’re dehydrated, it kind of sucks. But then you turn and you see a flower, or the sun starts to come through, and you know that you have to keep going because the top of the mountain does exist and you can get there.
I’ve always done everything—producing other people’s projects to survive, then coming home and trying to be an artist on top of that. One of the hardest things was feeling like I had to prove myself constantly. I’ve had to fight for respect in rooms where people didn’t take me seriously, even with years of experience behind me. On top of that, I’ve faced massive personal grief—losing my brother Hunter in 2024—and a lot of heartbreak that bled into my work. Sometimes life feels so hard you question if any of this even matters – but those are the things that have shaped my voice the most, because all the songs I write are from my own life experiences, and I think in turning these experiences into art, it will help other people who are going through similar things, or have gone through similar things, feel less alone. I think that’s what art is all about – showing that we’re all connected and there can be a light at the end of it all.
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
I’m a filmmaker and an indie musician—two art forms that feel separate for most people, but to me, they’re intertwined. I never understood why people are surprised I’m a filmmaker AND a musician, like I couldn’t be both.
I specialize in telling emotional, cinematic stories – both visually and through my music. I like drama, I like romance, I like making life feel more colorful. I love making music videos because I get to build a whole world that’s essentially a heightened version of my life, my dreams, my crazy thoughts. It’s actually so cool haha. I don’t know why people think music videos aren’t valuable. My sound lives in that space between alternative rock, pop, and midwest emo. I like things that feel nostalgic and familiar and I like writing lyrics that are very personal to me but are also relatable.
As a filmmaker, I’ve directed everything from narrative shorts to music videos to feature-length films. I started my own production company in 2020 to create a safer, more intentional creative space for myself and others. As a musician, I self-funded and released my debut EP, IS THIS WHAT I SEE?, and I’m about to release my first full-length album, i don’t know what i’m feeling—a project that means everything to me. My full-length album is a love letter to my 20s, and it explores all the feelings I’ve gone through in trying to find love, experiencing love, and ultimately, losing love.
I’m most proud of that I’ve built all of this independently. I’ve never waited for permission to make something because I’ve been told so many times by the industry that I wasn’t pretty enough or talented enough or good enough to have a seat at the table. I got so exhausted by this rhetoric and then it dawned on me that I don’t need a seat at their table, I can just build my own.
I’ve used what I had—my voice, my heartbreak, my hope, my life—and turned it into something people connect with. That’s the most exciting thing about being artist, and it’s my favorite part about it. I hope that in the coming years it reaches more people, but we’ll see, I’m still in the middle of this journey so we don’t know how it ends yet.
So, before we go, how can our readers or others connect or collaborate with you? How can they support you?
You can reach me at [email protected]! The best way to support me is to follow me on Spotify — if you search my name, “myah” and click the follow button it helps me A LOT as an indie artist and they won’t bother you or spam you. Otherwise, listening to my music and following me on socials is definitely huge. My band and I are playing LAMV Awards on May 15th at AcademyLA. If you go to my Instagram (@myahmakesmusic), tickets are in the bio. It’s going to be an awesome day so people should definitely come through if they can!
Outside of that, you can buy my EP, “IS THIS WHAT I SEE?” on Bandcamp which helps supports me financially since music is quite expensive to make and I self-fund everything. The cool thing about buying on Bandcamp is you get an exclusive lyric book I made that explains all the lore behind the songs.
🙂
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.myahmakesmusic.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/myahmakesmusic/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/p/Myahmakesmusic-100095650447114/
- Twitter: https://x.com/myahmakesmusic
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@myahmakesmusic
- Yelp: https://www.tiktok.com/@myahmakesmusic_
- Soundcloud: https://soundcloud.com/myahmakesmusic
- Other: https://open.spotify.com/artist/4PD369gUFfciBCvsqZ3aUk?si=lTh3XHtvQvCYnPlMbDko1A
