Many people complain about the youth of today. They are often described as having a sense of entitlement that can lead to disappointment when they get to the real world. How refreshing it is to see what S.A.C. Member Michala Todd is doing in her teenage years. She is working hard, growing her craft, and finding ways to make contributions towards society. She’s only 18 and already has a Nashville album behind her! We celebrate her dedication and how her music and the very course of her youth is serving as a positive example. We can’t wait to see what unfolds before her!
In Michala’s words…
At a very young age, I have always been drawn to music. I felt it was a way of overcoming my shyness, and I could really relate to others that had the same interest and passion as I do. I’ve been singing and performing, and building on my music career for over 8 years, and my dream is to be able to share my music for the world to hear, and to have them feel connected to my songs.
With the release of my EP “Millions of Pieces”, I took the first step forward to making this dream a reality. I had the opportunity to be involved in the writing process for the first time when I began working on this project at the age of 15, . This being a completely new experience for me, I wasn’t too sure what to expect, but I was very excited to be working with two amazing songwriters/producers; Don Somerville and Michael Lee in Nashville. Although I didn’t have much input the first time we met, learning how a song comes together was an interesting process. In total, I was involved in 5 of the 6 songs on “Millions of Pieces”. Most of my inspiration came from things that were happening around me in school. Having my voice heard and translated into a song was very rewarding.
The song, “The Dare” off of the EP, was inspired by D.A.R.E, the drug abuse resistance education program that I am involved in. For the past 6 years, I have been a “champion” for this program. I am given the opportunity to travel around to numerous elementary schools and speak to students on the importance of staying on the right path and following their dreams. I feel that this program is extremely important, especially with the peer pressures that the young kids today have to deal with. Even if I can inspire just one student, it is already truly rewarding. This song speaks about following your dreams, no matter what obstacles you may be faced with; take the risk!
Now, at the age of 18, I am continuing to work with other co writers, as well as working on songs of my own, in preparation for a full length album. To all of the songwriters and aspiring songwriters out there, some advice I could offer would be to just write as much as possible, and to put any ideas or words down on paper. It’s a great way to learn and develop your skills, and who knows, maybe a great song will come out of it!
Visit Michala’s Songwriters Profile.
Songwriters Association of Canada 