The 21-year-old singer and actress MAYR, has overcome many obstacles due to her learning disability, leading her to dedicate her life to being an anti-bullying advocate. In addition, the feeling of being invisible and alone led her to a solid commitment to her passion for songwriting.
As a junior majoring in the Honors College at FGCU, MAYR is committed to creating a society where every child has the opportunity to thrive without fear, violence, and limitation. Encouraging others to just keep swimming like Dory from Finding Nemo, she sends out a message that you should never give up on your dreams.
Through a euphoric soundscape that illuminates your speakers with potent messaging, “Who You Are” is the most recent single to grace the music catalog of emerging artist MAYR. In contrast, the embodiment of her liberating vocals showcases the dazzling quintessence of her being.
Cascading over top of buoyant instrumentation that showcases glimmers of ambient house music, all while remaining on the spectrum of alluringly catchy pop hits. Immersing us in the complexity that’s woven into each complementary sound heard in the musical foundation, we feel the ebb and flow which effortlessly has us swaying through the breezy effects of “Who You Are.”
As we delve deeper into the narrative that MAYR’s protruding croons graciously reiterate, we hear a tale about people masking their true identities depending on who they’re surrounding themselves with within that moment. Highly relatable with the content lusciously performed, MAYR’s vocal harmonies seamlessly fuse into this composition as they chime into a chorus-like effect during the earworm hook professed. Using minimal lyrics to get her point across, we seek to memorize the impactful wording so we can belt out “Who You Are” at the top of our lungs.
Continuously touring us through her mission, we admire the excellent heart of MAYR as she fills up our soundwaves.
This song holds such an essential message in a realm familiar to many of us out there. Was there a particular moment or story that inspired this creation?
I have a learning disability and that was where my bullying started. Thanks to my music interests, it has helped me academically and socially. I am in the Honors College at FGCU and have straight A’s. Without songwriting in my life, I would have given up. Lunchtime was particularly hard for me in middle school. I would try to join others and people wouldn’t let me sit with them. I was terrified of areas without teachers because of the cruel comments and hurtful interactions. At the same time, these same people were nice to me in front of adults making me confused. What is real? A perfect society would be one where we all wear masks, getting to know each other before showing “who you are”. I believe it captures the zeitgeist of today. I long for genuine connections but many conceal themselves from others. I’m not sure what is real. My hope is to inspire others to break away from their “mask” and be vulnerable.
Being a voice for anti-bullying, when did you know that this is the route you would take with your music as well? Has being vocal about the trials and tribulations you’ve faced in your life always come naturally to you?
When faced with long and lonely days at school, I would come home to my dog Freckles and talk to her about my days. This turned into writing music with my “biggest furry fan”. She would always wag to the music inspiring me to never give up on my dreams of songwriting. Being vocal was very hard until my late teens where I realized there was a reason for my suffering. I wanted to help others and to let them know they weren’t alone.
Compared to the release of your first single, how does “Who You Are” share similarities with the process embarked on? What are some differences you’ve noticed?
My first release was called Never Run Away. It was a trailer for an anti-bullying short film called AMRAK which is Karma spelled backward. It was promoted in film festivals and live performances at Universal Studios in Orlando. The biggest difference is relying on myself and using social media to promote the song. Thanks to my incredible collaboration with Indasoul, Who You Are is being promoted on Spotify and other platforms promoting my songwriting and singing ability. I’ve found Social Media to be challenging because it does go hand in hand with marketing. Creating content on a daily basis to interact with my fan base is my goal to inspire others to never give up and to reach out for help. The quote I live by is “Just Keep Swimming” thanks to Dory.
What has been the best piece of advice you’ve received throughout your career thus far?
The best piece of advice I’ve received is very relatable to me as a person majoring in Education in college. My songs are like building blocks. Each one is creating a foundation that will make my music strong and powerful to my listeners. Also, to have patience for this process, continue with my strong work ethic, and most importantly never give up.
Comments