MuzicNotez: First off, it’s an honor to be doing this interview with you Torrey, thanks for taking the time to sit down with us.
What motivated you to start creating music? What age did you begin?
Torrey Mercer: Well, I did musical theater for about eight years before I started creating music and working on music seriously, and during that time I was in a variety of singing competitions, and did some antibullying work on a National Antibullying Tour. Based on the feedback and response of all of these factors, I knew that this was what I wanted to do.
MuzicNotez: Who were your musical influences, idols, or bands growing up that have helped mold you into the musician you are today? Or helped mold the music that you create?
Torrey Mercer: There are so many! I have a lot of influences for different reasons, because I believe that there is so much that goes into being successful in this industry, and in many ways I admire some artists for their business smarts, some for their talent, and some for the kinds of people that they are. From a young age I was always inspired by Lady Gaga. I loved that she was a humanitarian and fought for LGBT rights, but was also a successful musician. I love her for the person she is, and for what she gives back to the world. Demi Lovato and Kelly Clarkson are also huge influences, for their songwriting abilities and their “storytelling” kind of writing. I strive to be a story teller in a lot of ways with my music too, and to tell my story of struggling with self esteem and body image as a younger girl in hopes of inspiring or touching other younger teenagers who might be going through the same thing. A couple of other influences include Katy Perry for her image, Beyonce for her business smarts, Imagine Dragons for their inventive pop sound.
MuzicNotez: What’s the greatest concert you’ve ever been to or performed?
Hmm, this is a tricky one! I would say my favorite places to perform are definitely my antibullying assemblies. The most recent one I did was for over one thousand kids, and after I finished the assembly I got a huge mixture of sobbing teenagers coming up to hug me, and kids swarming me asking for my autograph. It was surreal! Working with those kids is so fulfilling, and it really does allow them to connect to my music, which I absolutely love!
MuzicNotez: What’s the ultimate goal you want your music to achieve, or for you to achieve in your career as a musician? Any particular message you wish to send?
Torrey Mercer: I most definitely want my antibullying and kindness messages to come through in my music, and I really do strive to make a difference with my music and my influence just as much as I want to release music and be a part of the music business. I have become somewhat of a motivational speaker for K-8 schools, middle schools especially, and I really have discovered a passion for it and think that it’s such an important message to leave. I speak about a variety of topics regarding bullying, but also I speak quite a bit about life, and how our lives all are determined by our choices and actions. It’s a message I want to continue to push with my music as I continue, and I definitely want to give other kids strength to change their ways and to be the best possible individuals they can be. VIEW THE COMPLETE INTERVIEW WITH TORREY >>
Artist Interviews
