A Moment with Mya

Hidden Beats

We Are Story Tellers

Singer. Songwriter. Dancer. Actor. Model. Entrepreneur. Philanthropist. These are just a few of the words that can be used to describe the legendary performer Mya. Celebrating twenty-five years in the entertainment industry, Mya is an incredibly successful person who took a moment to chat with Hidden Beats, and shared some of successes, struggles, and an amazing amount of tips and advice on how to live your best life, be successful, as well as how to navigate the entertainment industry.

Respect For The Basics… And Yourself

Even today, with all of her success and a busy schedule, Mya recognizes and understand the importance of staying grounded. “Each waking day, I start with gratitude, just for existence, and life, and breath in my body… We’re here. We’re breathing. We have life in our bodies and another day to look forward to.” Recognizing the pull of technology, Mya knows how easy it is to wake up “and go straight to the cell phone, and the to-do list, and be stressed out and not want to get out of bed.” Doing your best to cut out the excess noise and distractions. One of Mya’s goals to empower others is to encourage people to “Unlearn, unplug, and start at the basics.” To avoid the distractions of ‘What do you want to be? What are you wearing? WHO are you wearing?’, and instead to govern our own lives, influenced by nature, and recognize that we are all a work in progress.

The Importance Of Giving Back

Even though many will see Mya, and her success, and think everything must be all sunshine and roses, Mya shared how some of her early struggles have had an influence on her life. Asked about the importance of her philanthropy, Mya shared her story, “Early in my childhood, and throughout high school, I faced a lot of bullying, for so many different reasons. So I understood how it felt to be beat down verbally. When you’re young and taking things to heart, processing things in a negative way and seeking validation, even though your parents are telling you ‘You’re just fine the way you are!’.

The only world you know is the one you’re exposed to. Having to return to that world every day, humiliated or in ‘fight or flight mode’. If you hold on and get through that process, it shapes great character, but it also shapes the very sensitive, empathetic spot for you to relate to people and the human experience. And I hold on to those moments where I know there is a reaching out, there is a longing to be accepted, and being very compassionate with people and what they’re going through, but also being aware of how that feels, and the dangerous places in our minds people can go to.”

Helping Others

Opening up even further on the impact those thoughts and feelings had on herself, Mya shared, “I have experienced that as a child. It has also prepared me to be strong, and have thick skin which is necessary for any public position, in any industry. So I am thankful for those experiences, but a lot of people don’t make it. And I think it is important that I share my experiences, and how I was insulated or protected. I think art saves lives, and being an executive director at my foundation, and knowing how far that can go, I can communicate with people without shame or guilt or judgement.” Looking forward, Mya shared how she wants to use her lived experiences, and the resources available to her now, to help others: “I know that wellness is a big part of my future, and one of my upcoming albums is engulfed in that space, which is ‘Masterpiece’, because of the human experience.

The times we are living in, all ages, we feel it. So philanthropy is part of me because of how I view the world, and how I didn’t fit in as a kid. Sometimes as adults we feel that way. Often times! I’m one of those people. Even through the glitz and the glam and the wardrobes, costumes, and make up… great! I’m still a human. I relate to many of us. I know that this is in my future, because I offer this today to my friends and family, and even analyzing myself. Furthering my education in that area is something I will be doing for the rest of my life so I can help others.”

The Early Days

From the days of making her first recordings as a sixteen-year-old and getting her first opportunities to record professionally “After years of flipping two karaoke cassette tapes to create harmonies”, she finally had the chance to record at an actual studio and be produced professionally. Those first studio recordings would actually result in four tracks that appeared on her debut album, Mya. The tracks “Don’t Be Afraid”, “If You Were Mine” -which is Mya’s favourite track from her debut album, “Anytime You Want Me”, and “Baby It’s Yours”, were tracks that made it out of her demo recordings in Philadelphia, before she moved to Atlanta to really blossom as a singer-songwriter.

Into The Future

Never one to rest, Mya has several projects on the go! With a plethora of material spanning a variety of genres and flavours, Mya is excited for the world to receive her projects. Mya has taken all of her experiences over her twenty-five years in the music business and has focused on being the best artist she can be. With her years of experience and knowledge gained from her trials and tribulations, Mya is proud of her body of work and the legacy she is leaving behind. That joyful excitement over creating art and music has never waned, and her success has allowed her to control her own destiny and ensure the true image of what she envisions is what the world will receive.

What’s Coming Next

The deluxe re-release of her debut album Mya contains some bonus tracks that Mya teased are a glimpse of what to expect next! The only hint she shared is related to dance, and that the fans will have to be patient for what is coming very soon. Mya wants to build a sense of excitement, so she remained tight-lipped and is practicing patience when it comes to future material, but stay tuned! “Mya”, the deluxe re-release of her debut album is available on all major streaming platforms, and stay tuned for her future releases!

A Moment with Mya means a moment to get to know an amazing and talented artist. Big thanks to 1824 for having us out

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