Today we’d like to introduce you to Micaela Skye.
Hi Micaela, can you start by introducing yourself? We’d love to learn more about how you got to where you are today?
I started writing music at the age of seven years old. At this time, I didn’t have experience structuring a song or writing hooks that would capture the audience’s attention. Taylor Swift was a huge inspiration for me when I was young, I’d replay her album over and over just listening to her lyrics and production.
I always had an ear for examining different kinds of music, and that’s how I learned how to properly write songs. I picked up guitar, ukulele, and piano when I was 12 years old and since then I’ve been writing most of my songs on guitar. In high school, I started to work with different producers, and that was around the same time my brother started learning music production too. Once I graduated high school my brother and I started releasing music together under the name “Zaela.” The name was a mixture of my brother’s name Zach and my name Micaela combined.
When we started putting out records many opportunities just started happening. Now I work with producers around the world and I’m able to visit different music studios and work with amazing people that share the same passion I do. Recently my brother and I decided we should grow an audience before releasing new music, so he started posting videos to his youtube channel in 2021 and grew his channel to almost 20k subscribers within a year. We soon realized that our creative direction was different, so we chose to work independently or with other musicians that could help express our maximum artistry.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
It’s been a difficult road. One of the struggles I had to deal with was managing full-time college classes, music, work, and a social life. Time management is something I’ve learned and I’m constantly improving.
Another struggle includes outside distractions and learning how to minimize them. There were times I had to say no to social activities because I had assignments or other deadlines I had to meet. Learning to adjust my priorities accordingly has really helped me stay focused and on task when it comes to finishing projects. When I’m working on music, I’ve learned to turn my notifications off so I can focus on writing and nothing else.
Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
I specialize in singing and songwriting. I’m currently working on my personal music brand while collaborating with other artists. I’m also a freelance musician that works among producers around the world. When I work with other producers, I vocal comp and quantize my own vocals. I would love to learn more about vocal production in the near future.
I’m proud of all the people that have helped me along the way because I couldn’t do this without them, and I’m proud of myself for making the jump into pursuing my goals in the music industry.
What sets me apart is my ability to communicate and really connect with people. I love asking questions, really listening to other artists’ stories, and helping musicians grow in the industry. Another thing that sets me apart is my ability to use social media to my advantage. I have experience with video editing using Final Cut Pro and some basic vocal production using Logic pro. I am also very good at keeping up with trends and using those to my advantage. I’m currently studying Digital Media Innovation at Texas State University which will further advance my music career through social media.
Can you talk to us a bit about happiness and what makes you happy?
What makes me happy is being able to express my emotions through words and melodies. Having a creative outlet through singing and songwriting will always be a part of my everyday routine. When you’re spending about an hour trying to find that right melody that fits, and then you finally find it, that excitement is what keeps me going and what fuels my joy for music.
Contact Info:
- Email: zaelamusic@gmail.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/micaelaskyee/?hl=en
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCY7qWDxrpxkPzcR9a6fsnaw
- SoundCloud: https://soundcloud.com/zaelamusic/popular-tracks
- Other: https://open.spotify.com/artist/58mdhEPk0Et0bH56mjAQ4a?si=dmFoHAWeRAeXF6fqLWWK_g
Image Credits
Zach Balles, Nic Howlett
