Mia Morris
Interview conducted on September 21, 2022
By Dan Locke
Mia Morris started uploading videos as a way to motivate her to keep learning new songs and improve as a drummer when she was younger. Over the last 6 years, she has learned several other instruments and now spend the bulk of her time writing and recording original music. She plays various instruments with over 170 different artists in multiple genres along with doing her own shows. She continued to make video content throughout covering most aspects of the music business. She currently a junior in high school.
You are a multi-instrumentist, rock songwriter, singer and producer. What was your up bring like?
As you might guess, music was a big deal around my house growing up but always from an appreciation standpoint. My brother & I had some piano lessons early on and we had a uke & acoustic guitar laying around all the time but my Dad was always very specific that music was strictly for enjoyment and never for employment. I almost always follow my Dad’s advice but—on that one thing about not making music my career—I ignored him.
How did you discover music?
I was fortunately always surrounded by music. We had music in the house, on car rides, and even on bike rides. We had music to dance to, bang our heads to, chill to, and to sing or play along with. I learned very early on that music could enhance or even create just about any mood.
How did you start to write music?
When I was learning drums, I was drawn to playing covers of my favorite songs but when I started picking up guitar & bass, I found myself noodling around more and finding chords that felt like specific emotions. Once I was feeling that, songwriting seemed like the obvious next step to explore those emotions.
You have been recording on YouTube since you were 9 years old. Who do you feel is your audience?
Early in my drumming, I posted mostly classic rock & grunge covers. I didn’t give any thought to who might like that sort of music, all I knew was that it was music I loved and that I loved bashing the drums to. The audience that found their way to me from those videos either loved the drums or loved those songs. It turned out that was primarily men that were young when those songs came out. I had no idea some of the songs I was playing were popular as far back as the 70’s. However, after moving to Nashville and fully embracing the idea of a full-time music career, my focus shifted entirely. I figured out that songwriting is the obvious source of what I love about music and musicianship is how you get opportunities to be around as much music and music creators as possible. The people that find me now are either people interested in the music business in general or people that are interested in my music & music career.
Describe your music.
I call my style of music, bubble grunge and most of the time, my writing leans towards fun and upbeat vibes with just the occasional slow song. I say most of the time because I also try not to steer my writing, recording, or production anywhere except what I think best fits the writing. I believe the days of bands & artists staying in a very specific genre are over and that idea was always driven entirely by record labels, not musicians. People are always changing, and creativity is just an extension of who the creators are at the time so it should change as well.
Royalties never appear like magic. Royalties are only sent to you through work undertaken by a PRO to ensure that their members are getting paid. If you’re not yet signed up to a Performing Right Organization like ASCAP, BMI or SESAC, you may not be receiving all the royalties you deserve.
Do you belong to any to songwriters’ organizations like the International singer-songwriter association, SESAC, BMI or ASCAP ?
I joined BMI right after I moved to Nashville.
What makes a good songwriter?
I do think there is a baseline when you’ve done enough songwriting and developed enough expertise to have a chance to write a good song but there’s a big catch to that answer. Creating art isn’t a consistent process and artistic taste is completely subjective. If you want proof, all you have to do is listen to any successful writer’s full catalog. I’ve written many times with songwriters that have already written great songs and several that have had #1 hit songs. They say you’ve gotta write the bad songs to get the good songs. The best you can do to improve your chances of being a good songwriter once in awhile by loving to do it and doing it often.
What was the title of your first original song? Did you record it?
There were lots of earlier ideas that probably shouldn’t qualify as finished songs but one of my first songs was called Reach It and I did record and release it. As of now, it’s still out in the world to be heard and even has a music video on my YouTube channel.
What is the process of writing your music?
I’ve started songs many different ways and tried many different processes. I’ve started with grooves, riffs, melodies, chord progressions, lyrics, song titles, and even used an existing song as inspiration. The best way to write a song is whatever way inspires you the most that day.
How does it feel to produce other artist while still in your teens?
I love doing it but it can be very time consuming. I won’t be surprised if there is a time in my life when producing and writing for other people might be something I spend a lot more time doing.
Tell me about the album?
My latest single is called Meet Ya. It’s a fun song based around it’s opening riff and it reminds me a little bit of The B52’s or Cake if I were beat boxing with them. It’s got cowbell in it so you can’t ask for much more.
What are you’re feeling about streaming music?
Streaming has made it possible for anyone to make music that can be heard all over the world but it’s also made everyone expect music to be entirely free. I definitely prefer the current model vs. the old one where record companies controlled what people could buy with record stores and what they listened to with radio stations. I think the biggest difference may end up that the world will never agree on huge stars anymore because so many people discover music themselves instead of being told what is “cool”. There will be thousands of bands that smaller groups of people will love and follow and no more mega-stars.
The symbol # is known as the number sign, hash, pound sign and a sharp sign in music. The symbol has historically been used for a wide range of purposes Since 2007, widespread usage of the symbol to introduce metadata tags on social media platforms has led to such tags being known as “hashtags”, and from that, the symbol itself is sometimes called a hashtag. Are people forgetting that the # is a part of music?
Definitely. Playing an actual instrument is becoming more of a novelty let alone reading musical notation.
Digital vs. vinyl?
I’ve never released vinyl and will probably never be patient enough to wait the 6 month to a year to get anything pressed.
What song from the past is in your mind right now? Moreover, what is the meaning that song means to you?
My favorite song of all time is Yesterday by the Beatles. The emotion that is conveyed in not only the lyric but in the melody & progression will always be incredibly meaningful. Yesterday displays that love and regret can coexist.
If “Video Killed the Radio Star” do you think that the Covid-19 virus has killed live music? Do you feel the Covid-19 virus going to affect the music business in the future?
I don’t think so but I live in a town that maybe only lost 6 weeks worth of live music during all of the pandemic. I obviously don’t make policy but music city resisted most of what I saw happening in other parts of the country. The touring all dried up for 18 months but that’s back in full swing as far as I can tell.
Do you think that Covid-19 has been a plus to an artist career?
It certainly forced me to take a lot less work as a side musician, so I wrote songs every week for about a year. However, I also know touring musicians that had to get other jobs.
How do you stay healthy during the lockdown?
I was young enough that the main thing I lost was time at school. I can’t say that bothered me.
Have you discovered or rediscovered any new hobbies?
I play a lot of Ultimate Frisbee for a summer league and high school team. For me, it’s the perfect distraction.
How can bands keep their fans if they cannot play live in front of the fans and sell merchandise to them at the show?
They have to make recordings, videos, and everything else that has become the way people consume their entertainment. Nothing replaces the live music experience but not being able to do that isn’t a death sentence unless you refuse to adapt.
Pay to play has been a thing since the 1950s. It was called Payola. It was the illegal practice of paying a commercial radio stations to play a song. This has been stopped. But in the during the same time music venues took it to the next level. Many venuse started to ask bands to pay for a spot on a bill and this is still going today with large tours having a unknown band paying money to open up for the tour in exchange for the band to get a bigger audience for their music. Is pay to play still a thing?
It’s still a thing but it doesn’t work anymore. Fake it, has been a part of entertainment from the beginning but now anyone with some money can, “fake it” so many have tried. I think people have seen so much of it by now that they are getting very good at spotting it no matter who does it. Authenticity is the trait everyone is drawn to even if they don’t realize it.
What about Holographic concerts in our living room?
I think web3 concerts will be here a lot sooner.
Tell me about how you got on Americas Got Talent?
I tried out for this season at the last minute after I started doing a lot more one-woman-band performances using a loop pedal. I felt like it was the first time my music/art was unique enough to be compelling on a reality TV show.
Why did you feel you were eliminated in the Semifinals.
Not many seemed to like my 2nd performance as much as the first. There were plenty of contributing factors but the obvious answer is that I didn’t pull it off. I was thrilled AGT was willing to let me play original songs in the first place, but I had no illusions about what Vegas and the show’s audience demographic would respond to. I just did it to last as long as I could and hopefully find some new fans along the way. 🙂
In the past if a musician stop doing music they find a new career. For example David Lee Roth from Van Halen became a licensed EMT in NY for 6 years, San Spitz (guitarist for Anthrax) became a master watchmaker, Dee Snider (Twister Sister) voice over work for SpongeBob SquarePants.. If you can’t do music, what would you like to be doing?
If I can’t pick any job in the music industry, I’d want to be a trail guide, preferably out West.
What is your happy place?
In the studio.
Red Hot Chili Peppers are about to sell their entire song catalog for $140 Million. In the past year a lot of musicians such as Stevie Nicks ($100 Million) , Bob Dylan (over $400 Million), Taylor Swift, Journey, Def Leppard, K.T. Tunstall, and Shakira have sold their catalog rights within the last year. Bob Dylan sold his entire catalog for a reported $300 million. Neil Young song 50 percent of his worldwide copyright and income interest in his 1,180-song catalogue to Hipnosis Songs Fund limited. Once you get to the age of about 70. Publishing is far more lucrative then the mechanical royalties paid to artist based on sales, airplay and streams. A good example of this is Michael Jackson brought the rights to the Beatles catalog in 1985. And in the late 80’s the Beatles Revolution appeared in a Nike commercial.
IT should be noted, that there is a huge differences between royalties for songwriting and performance. So if you made a deal to sell off your back catalog you can setup it so you can still perform your own songs. And that anything thing new you create you would still be yours.
The lump sums being offered by publishing firms are more tax friendly concerning estate planning.
Do you think you would be willing to sale your back catalog if someone like Universal is will to buy everything, such as all the rights to all your songs?
My answer might surprise people but, maybe. I make music all day most days and I feel like my songs are just moments in time from my life, sort of like a diary. I like looking back at them once in a while but I like adding new pages a lot more. I can write & make music anywhere and I don’t intend to stop.
What is your feeling about TikTok? With Sony Music and Warner Music strucking an “expanded” global licensing agreement with Universal Music Group. Now that TikTok is now fully licensed by all three major record companies, will you start using TikTok more?
Deals made for the labels don’t have any effect on how I make music or if I enjoy an app. When I begin to hate any of the socials, I stop using them until I don’t hate them anymore.
Also, TikTok has launching TikTok Radio (ch. 4), a full-time SiriusXM music channel. The station will be available is vehicles and as a streaming channel on the SiriusXM App, desktop, and all connected devices.
The station will be part of a new TikTok collaboration with SiriusXM and its subsidiary, Pandora, to jointly promote emerging talent. Do you think this platform could became a force in the future of streaming music?
It doesn’t surprise me when apps come or go and it wouldn’t surprise me if TikTok branches out. In the end, none of the socials exist without the content creators so I rather be a creator than a social network. It’s the same reason I rather be a songwriter than an artist. I like making art more than repeating it.
They say create content content content. How does pre-save help with content
I don’t use streaming pre-saves. I try not to even play a song live that a listener can’t turn around and listen to right after the show.
Anything you would like to say in closing.
Lots of good questions. Thank you! 🙂
