Meet Megan Leigh | Singer-songwriter | Performance and Recording Artist

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

Hi Megan, do you have a favorite quote or affirmation?
One of my favorites is, to me, both a quote and an affirmation, the Swedish proverb, “Those who wish to sing always find a song.” This message has always resonated with me ever since I first heard it when I was younger, though the meaning of it has changed and evolved right along with my music career.

Before I began songwriting, when I was singing worship songs in church and with choral groups, it felt more simply like it was telling me that I should continue singing because it makes me feel good and makes others happy as well.

Now that I have started my own business and career as a full-time performing and recording musician (which I never thought I would do!) it takes on a whole new meaning. Now it is as though it’s meant to encourage me to continue writing original songs that are within me and are uniquely mine, and songs with vibrations and messages that the world really needs.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
My art is my music! My primary instrument is my voice; I sing lead, perform and harmonize as a background vocalist, and record my own songs and sing on other artists’ tracks as a session singer in the studio. I never considered myself a songwriter until I wrote my first original song in 2019 called “In This Space”, which turned out to be very jazzy and blues-based and won a Finalist award in that category of the 2020 Mid-Atlantic Song Contest.

I have since written quite a few more original songs, and have become a percussionist, playing auxiliary percussion such as shaker, cabasa and tambourine as well as a tom drum as a main part in my duo project with Eli Lev called Wild Whispers. My newest adventure is learning to play, sing and write original songs with a steel handpan, which is both a melodic and percussive instrument.

There are a couple of things that I feel set me apart from other artists, one being my vocal versatility and willingness to try different genres. My two original songs that are out now are very mellow, bluesy, adult contemporary; the new songs I am working on range from EDM (electronic dance music) to neo-soul to 80s-inspired country rock, and I am going to release them all under my solo project, because they are all me! I am making music that excites me and that I love listening to, regardless of genre.

Another skill that has really helped me stand out is my ability to hear intricate parts and harmonize with other vocalists, which has been put to good use and fine-tuned my whole life through singing in choral groups both big and small, and singing a range of different parts from lower alto all the way up to high soprano. This skill, along with my ability to blend with and support pretty much any type of voice, brought me most of the opportunities that really propelled my music career forward right from the very start.

I wouldn’t say it’s been easy to get where I am now, though it has been incredibly fun and rewarding. It takes a lot of continuous and intentional envisioning and planning – you really have to want it. You also have to be willing to put in the work on the business side (or hire people to help you with that part!) to move forward in today’s music industry.

The biggest thing for me is that before a couple of years ago, I never had any intention of pursuing music as a career.
It was always something I figured would just be a hobby for me. Then, I began hanging out in the local music scenes, started meeting so many amazing musicpreneurs, and soon I had opened myself up to the idea that just maybe it truly was my destiny to pursue a career in making music. At that point, the universe basically took it from there, showing me more and more possibilities, which eventually lead me to take the leap into full-time music when the time was right.

My advice for any aspiring creatives out there: Trust your intuition! 🙂

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
Being from a small town in Maryland, city life has always intrigued me and I love to go out and explore any chance I get! If I was hosting a friend for a week, first I would want to show them all that we have to offer here on our farm, like horseback riding, hay rides and hiking.

I would most definitely host a concert here in our event barn so they could experience some of the incredible local talent here in the DMV (DC/Maryland/Virginia) area.

I love going to the Inner Harbor and attending rock concerts in Baltimore, and hanging out in Washington D.C. visiting museums, gardens, and smaller more intimate venues hosting live music.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
I would love to dedicate my shoutout to my family, my parents Cindy and John, and my partner Eli Lev. Without their support, love, patience, sacrifice, and mentorship, there is no way I could do what I am doing – following a dream that they all helped me realize and put into motion!

Music has been a huge part of my life for my entire life, and thanks to the influence and encouragement of my parents during my upbringing, as well as my partnership with Eli over the past several years, I have been able to focus my whole career and business on music and truly create a new life for myself around that. It is beautiful and rewarding, and I couldn’t ask for better people by my side through it all.

Website: https://meganleighmusic.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/meganleighmusic/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/meganleighmusic

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/meganleighmusic

Other: Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/02tRQGoSfFuPA0m2FEeMcd?si=ektsy8OlRqy53CaM5yv9UA Bandsintown: https://www.bandsintown.com/a/10617127-megan-leigh-music

Image Credits
Erin McCaffrey Photography