Today we’d like to introduce you to Meryahcology.
Hi Meryah, we’re thrilled to have a chance to learn your story today. So, before we get into specifics, maybe you can briefly walk us through how you got to where you are today.
Like most of us, I’ve been singing since I was kid. It has always been something I enjoyed, and I would practice at home by mimicking my favorite singers’ voices. I didn’t get serious with it until 2017 when I started writing my own music for the first time. I was in a very serious domestic violence situation, and my partner at the time basically said she wasn’t going to listen to me sing anymore until I stopped singing “white people music” at karaoke, then upped to not listening at all until I wrote it myself. A day later, I had my first song, and they just kept on coming after that. However, I couldn’t grow my network or enjoy what I was doing while I was with her. I almost entirely self-produced and self-published my first EP… and it sounds like it. The massive control and abuse I was enduring was not only killing me slowly but exhausting me in the process, making it that much harder to fight back. But the music kept coming… and it is truly what grounded me and gave me a space to begin silently healing enough to be capable of leaving. Since finally leaving in August 2021, I’ve grown so much as an artist (even expanding into painting and other artistic expressions) and as a person. My music is still very much so reflective of my healing process as well as a space for me to explore the depths of my creativity.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
I am a singer-songwriter specializing in new school neosoul, but really not afraid to explore a variety of genres and styles. I incorporate a lot of various genres into every song because I’ve been inspired by so much music over the years. Growing up with a white mom and white older sisters, then going to a mostly Black middle and high school, the range of what I was grooving to was definitely wide! I’m most known for my community-building Thrival Open Mics and my dynamic vocal range. I’m most proud of how I’ve continued to pursue music despite being now 35 and constantly getting messaging about ticking clocks and expirations. I didn’t have the opportunity to start this professionally when I was a teenager, at least not in any way that I was aware of. I wasn’t one of the lucky few who were randomly discovered and turned into superstars. I came from below nothing and am now rising above everything I ever imagined possible. I didn’t even imagine being alive today; I definitely didn’t imagine prepping for interviews like this and another paid show on Saturday while working on the end of my doctorate and hosting 2 open mics. Life is good! I think all of these things are what set me apart.
Can you talk to us about how you think about risk?
I am a HUGE risk taker!!! I literally released a diss track towards my university president in October because he disrespected me and has a nasty habit of disrespecting Black women and femmes otherwise. I wrote songs my ex never heard while we were together because she was so volatile, doing anything with her was a risk really… I took a LOT of them to survive. Now, doing music is a risk. Risk has such a negative connotation to it, but a risk is truly you saying, “What else is there for me?”. Risk analyses are really designed to minimize risk, but in doing that we may also be limiting potential and possibility. Any dream being followed is a risk being taken. If you’re not taking risks in any way, the question is, really… why are you settling for less than what’s actually possible? The kicker is… you won’t know what’s actually possible until you’ve taken enough risks to get there.
Pricing:
- Non-denominational Wedding Officiant – $300+
- Unique Wedding Song – $500+; 3 mins max; 20% royalty return!!!
- Guest [Host, Speaker, Educator] – $250+; Youth – Adults; Topics vary!
- Private Parties & Events – $300/hour+
- Live Art Add-On (partnership with N3rdShaman LLC, 20+ yrs experience) – $300/hour+ (usually $500+); various mediums available!
Contact Info:
- Website: linktr.ee/meryahcology
- Instagram: @meryahcology
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@meryahcology
- SoundCloud: soundcloud.com/meryahcology
- Other: patreon.com/Meryahcology
Image Credits
Kaylany Karina Resendiz
Kelvin Whitehurst
Yasmin Joyner
Meryahcology
Braden Hudak
