Meet Amelia Milo | Independent Artist & Singer-Songwriter

We had the good fortune of connecting with Amelia Milo and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Amelia, what led you to pursuing a creative path professionally?
A musical career path chose me! I was always so attracted to the arts. It was a very innate calling that began the day I was born. I think it is because I always felt so touched and moved by creative expression. I recognized music had this power to communicate human emotion in a very special way. I remember the feeling I would get when watching live musical performances for the first time; it felt magical and would often give me chills and bring me to tears. I knew in my heart that I wanted to move others in the same way. Singing and writing music just sort of happened. I’m not sure how to explain it, but I felt compelled to express myself in this way; regardless of making a career out of it or not. I started singing ever since I could talk, because it simply brought me so much joy. Music made me feel safe and warm inside, and it helped me to explore deeply what it meant to be human. As I grew up, I was fortunate to have many mentors along the way recognize my innate love for music and encourage me to hone my skills. One thing led to another, and soon I realized that this is what I wanted to pursue professionally: to make a career out of what I loved the most. Art is capable of reflecting all aspects of the human condition. As a young artist, it is a blessing to express this within my craft. Communicating on a deep level and sharing things often left unsaid excites me. Navigating the industry comes with many challenges, so what keeps me going is this passion and belief that the arts can heal and transform. There is a quote that I love by Jean-Michel Basquiat that says, “art is how we decorate space, music is how we decorate time.” I suppose my life’s passion is to decorate that time and space for those who listen to and watch my work. I’m very into the visual aspect that aligns with my music. My debut EP will be a trilogy of love songs with an animated video element that I hope will translate universally with others. If I could reach another within that time frame and space, then to me this is the best career I could ever imagine.Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
The most important thing to me is that I pour my empathy into my art and songwriting. I like to share my own experiences with those who listen to my music in hopes that they can relate and feel seen. My first release was a song called “Filter Free” that has a very strong meaning for me. It is a song about learning to love yourself despite societal pressures and beauty standards. Throughout my childhood, I had 13 surgeries on my arm to address the detrimental affects of a bone cyst. This experience always made me feel a bit different and out of place. When I hit middle school age, I remember feeling so insecure about my surgical scars and afraid of what others would think of me. As I grew up, I started to feel more comfortable in my skin and learned to love my scars and story. Ironically, these surgeries might look like a sad thing, but they actually helped me find courage at a young age. These experiences have given me a special kind of empathy and a sensitivity that I pour into my writing and singing. When I wrote “Filter Free,” I kept thinking of 13 year old me, and how lost I was at that age. I wrote that song for that version of myself, and for anyone else struggling with insecurity. I received many beautiful messages from fans telling me how much this song means to them. It touches me when someone tells me that and it keeps me going. The music industry for an independent artist (especially post-pandemic) can be a bit brutal at times, but when someone tells me that my truth spoke to them, I remember why I’m doing what I do. I feel my art is honest and empathic, and that’s what I’m the most proud of. I think this is because I write all of my own music, and strongly partake in the production process. Every single detail means so much to me. I’m still finding my voice and sound; but navigating these creative waters mostly on my own is helping me stay authentic. Having said that, I believe a lot of magic can happen when writing with the right team, and I’d love to do that one day.Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
I am a bit of an introvert and nerd, so my favorite thing to do with a friend would be to go to a local bookstore and coffeeshop to relax and learn something new! Bookstores bring me a strong sense of peace. I’m a recent graduate from Brown University, but the learning never stops. A bookstore I like a lot that’s in town is called Book Soup! It’s a cool spot, because there are a lot different staff picks and recommendations throughout the aisles. I think it’s fun to peruse all of these different thoughts that people have within novels. You can learn so much in just one day.Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
I’ve been so lucky to have many amazing musical mentors throughout my childhood. My mom loves to play the piano, and when I was a baby she would play music to me. Later, she told me that when she would stop playing I would start to cry. Clearly, I loved the music so much that I just wanted her to keep playing! Being exposed to music from an early age nurtured my inner singer-songwriter. So, shout out to my mom for inspiring me right from the start! When I was 10 years old, I auditioned for my local high school’s production of “Les Misérables” because they were looking for a Young Cosette. When I got the part, I was so excited, because I felt like this was my chance to finally share my singing with others. It was the first time I ever performed in front of anyone. The music director of the show, Mark Van Schenkoff, ended up being a huge mentor in my life. He heard something in my voice and told me I should develop it. I then started studying voice with his wife, Carol Dovan, who became my voice teacher for over 10 years. She helped me learn classical technique and how to take care of my voice. Studying with her was always my favorite part of the week growing up, and her presence in my life has meant the world to me. I also want to shout out Marc Tumminelli who is the founder of Broadway Workshop. When I was 14 years old, he cast me as Ariel in Disney’s pilot production of “The Little Mermaid Jr.” and changed my life. Although I’ve always loved singing “Part of Your World,” this experience had a much deeper meaning for me, because at the time I had just healed from a serious surgery. When we were in costume fittings, I started to freak out because I had to wear a tank top and my surgical scars would be exposed. I spent the entire time in rehearsals wearing long sleeves and hiding them, so I got very insecure and worried about it. I remember telling him with tears in my eyes that if he wanted to find someone else to play Ariel he could because I know “Disney princesses don’t have scars.” He told me that he believed in me and it didn’t matter if I had scars or not. He helped me face this insecurity I was having and turn it into a strength. I performed in a tank top for the first time, and learned that yes, Disney princesses can in fact have scars, even if we haven’t seen it before! All of these mentors have shaped me into the person I am today, and I am so grateful.

Website: www.ameliamilo.com

Instagram: www.instagram.com/amelia_milo

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ameliademilo/

Twitter: www.twitter.com/amelia___milo

Facebook: www.facebook.com/musicbyamelia

Youtube: www.youtube.com/ameliamilo

Other: TikTok: @amelia_milo

Image Credits
Emma-Lee Photography