Today we’d like to introduce you to Morgan Wright.
Hi Morgan, we’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
I began teaching myself guitar at the age of 7. I attended my first open mic in a coffee shop in Denton, Texas at age 16 and have been performing ever since. When I was in my early 20s for about 4 years, I traveled the United States in my Astro van with my dog, Yuki. We busked the streets of places like Boulder, Eureka Springs, Moab, Jackson Hole, and Portland for gas money, met and caravanned with a lot of interesting people, and made the kind of music that will forever live in my heart, all while having the experience of a lifetime. I acquired skills for stringed instruments while traveling. In addition to guitar, I began to play fiddle, upright bass, and mandolin while in various bluegrass and folk groups. I miss the freedom of the road. Staying sedentary still feels strange 10 years later. I’m currently working on my Music Therapy degree, and when I’m done with that, my partner and I plan to get a camper van and live on the road part-time. DFW will always be our home-base, though. My dad, Rex Wright, is a staple blues musician in Fort Worth and I really looked up to him as a young musician. I now enjoy playing with him more than anything. Our home bar, Redd Dawg Saloon off East Lancaster, is where I get to be a part of a community like I was on the road. We play lots of blues music, share songs we’ve written, hone our skills, and encourage one another. I’m thankful for where life has taken me and for all of the different avenues I get to express myself musically through gigging in DFW venues, teaching private music lessons, playing with musicians in my community, and working towards being a music therapist. I can’t wait to share with the world the songs I’ve been writing, many of which I sing while playing piano, and are all about encouraging the love and positivity that lives within us all.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
Creatives struggle with self-worth at some point in their career, and it often comes from let- down after not getting the response we were hoping for from our creation. This can be the biggest creativity killer. What keeps this demon away for me is understanding my purpose as a musician. I believe my path as a musician is to encourage love, positivity, hope, and to emphasize the beauty of life. People resist this, as they always have, but the key is knowing their option has nothing to do with me and my purpose. If I’ve encouraged a single person to love theirself or the world a little more, then my purpose has been served. I know I have accomplished that at least once, and I let that grow within me and radiate from me, best I can. Know your purpose and wear it like armor if you must.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
As a working musician, I am most proud of the children I am able to influence. I always smile when children approach at a show, start dancing, and bring their pure energy to the experience. Music is play and children help us live in that carefree space. When I teach children music in private or group settings, I feel as if I am giving the world a gift. A wise man once told me, “Music is the healing of the heavens!”, and I always remember that as I am able to share the healing love music gives us. I very much look forward to working with children on the spectrum when I become a licensed music therapist.
Risk taking is a topic that people have widely differing views on – we’d love to hear your thoughts.
To take a risk is to choose vulnerability. Music is the most vulnerable thing I engage in. Playing original songs for a crowd of strangers is a deeply exposing feeling. Spiritual growth requires a willingness to be vulnerable with ourselves and with the world around us. I believe the more we practice vulnerability, the more grounded we become in who we are. It’s something I struggle with, but I’m thankful that music has helped me dig deeper into who I am and who I’m becoming.
Contact Info:
- Instagram: @morganwrightmusic
- Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/musicbymorganwright
Image Credits
Bobbie Johnson
