Aaron Rizzo - Balancing the Music and Mind

The 27-year-old from Rochester, NY found that music always seemed to live in his bones. Aaron Rizzo is a class-act — talented, determined, pushing boundaries — but there is so much more to his love for music. He’s not just an artist. He is paving his own way as a producer, innovator, and encourager of others in the industry.

There was never a specific moment where Aaron became aware of his passion for music, but as he got older, it was one of the few things in life that continued to make sense. He picked up a guitar at nine years old and already found himself experimenting with songwriting.

“The way I viewed it when I was younger was that the guitar was my vehicle, and lyric was premium gas in the tank,” Aaron states. “Not necessarily essential for me at first, but certainly a bonus.”

As he continued through his teenage years, he was drawn to completing songs, not just the writing but guitar, bass, drums, and anything else that it would need to feel whole. Aaron says he “stumbled through some sub-par songs” in his teens, but he got to a confident place where he could call himself a songwriter.

When Aaron was young, he never really considered himself a “singer.” Guitar was the first step into a whole world of instruments he would learn over time. He obsessed over the mechanics of those instruments which would support his vocal abilities. Aaron started producing in his first band when he was only fifteen, shaping his decisions around arrangement, instrumentation, and lyric, which are very similar to how he brings songs together today. This was his foundation — learning how to be the “architect of a song.”

“My instrumental journey was head first, and the lyrical journey was feet first,” Aaron explains. “I looked at my work from a birds-eye view, placing a drum part here, a bass part there, and slowly finding out how all the pieces worked together.”

Music became a full-time career for Aaron in the fall of 2020. He relocated to Syracuse, NY and joined the staff of More Sound Recording Studio. He says this was a “terrifying decision,” but he realized this leap into his calling was the only option if he wanted to truly give it his all. The music came easy, but balance was the struggle — getting tunnel vision, hyper-focusing on things, losing sight of the bigger picture. Through musical & spiritual practice, he was able to break this cycle.

“These days, I balance my time with rock climbing, camping, and exploring the city that I’m lucky enough to call home now — Atlanta,” Aaron says. “I needed to feed the part of my life that was simple — nights in, alone time, family meals, and enjoying nature. This balance is now critical in my life.”

He explains that in order to keep things fresh, he stopped searching. The burnout would always come when Aaron refused to lift his foot off the gas. Now, he has times of work, and times of rest — he goes on to explain that “the rest is far more important than the work.”

“I’ve learned that the harder you grip things, the faster they slip away,” Aaron states. “Since I calibrated my sights on rest and a ‘sabbath-mindset,’ things tend to come more easily and naturally, and I’m thrilled with the pace of life that accompanies that.”

He continues to release music under his name, Aaron Rizzo, with his most recent single being Mouth Breather. He describes that writing and releasing songs feels “like a drug.” The more he participates in the music community, the more excited he becomes for the next project — only expanding his love of creating and his appreciation for all of the people he knows that are doing the exact same thing.

“There is so much about music that inspires me, but one thing in particular sticks out — its ability to connect us to a divine place,” Aaron says. “It doesn’t take a Masters degree in classical study to know that music has a power of biblical proportion… I firmly believe that in our human bodies we are merely messengers of a greater entity… It has a power to simultaneously celebrate and abolish us from individualism. To me, these are of equal beauty.”

Aaron just recently found his way to the national television stage, as he was a part of Team Bublé on this season (27) of The Voice. This was not necessarily run-of-the-mill for the path he has taken as an artist. When he originally started pursuing music, he never even considered the idea that he would someday be a singer. While guitar was his voice in his world, he reluctantly stepped in as frontman of his band when their original singer left. Fast forward to the summer of 2024, he was singing Drops of Jupiter in front of four of the most talented vocalists in today’s music industry (Adam Levine, Kelsea Ballerini, Michael Bublé, and John Legend).

“My experience on The Voice was about so much more than singing,” he states. “My biggest takeaway from the show was that no matter who you are or what you think you’re capable of, there is a stage out there for you… This was to push myself so beyond my comfort zone that I didn’t even know who or where I was at times… It kicked me into unexplored territory, and I grew more than I ever knew I could. I want everyone out there that had the same doubts as me to know that NOTHING is off-limits. Don’t ever shy away from things for fear that you’ll be thought of poorly, and certainly don’t ever beat yourself up for having tried it. That’s what this whole thing is about — love, community and growing as one. You really can go from a shy guitar player to a member of *ahem* Team Bublé.”

While Aaron isn’t at the Universal sound stages of Burbank, California, he resides in Atlanta where he continues to create. He moved from New York to the peach state because he wanted to live in a city that he loved outside of its music scene. He didn’t care if one city afforded him different opportunities than another, so Aaron “dug his roots” into ATL.

“I saw it as a city that I could grow, exist, and thrive in as not a musician, but as a human being,” he explains. “I knew if I took care of that, the music would come. Atlanta has so much character that bleeds into the art created here. I’m profoundly honored to be a part of that.”

To close out my interview with Aaron, I asked him what he strives to accomplish with his music… this is what he said.

“My musical mission statement is simple — to bring as many people together over their common love of community through music. Whether that brings me to stadiums or dive bars, I don’t care. When I look back on the amazing things I’ve been blessed with in this career, the times I remember most are when we were all packed in together screaming the lyrics of songs we love. I would be lying if I said I didn’t want to bring my music to bigger crowds, but it is a non-negotiable for me to keep my intentions intact. It’s not about me, it’s about the village I am a part of. We come up together. Period.”

Aaron Rizzo is a force in this industry that everyone should be looking out for. As he continues his journey, keep up with him on his socials and listen to his new song Mouth Breather available on all streaming platforms. Also, if you are curious to see where the future takes Aaron and his art, you can help fund his next album here.

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*From the Writer’s Table:

Hi — Tori here — Aaron became a dear friend of mine on the show. We spent many plane rides together from Atlanta to LA, and when I first met him, I could just see the passion in his eyes. He doesn’t strive for the fame (although it’s a nice bonus). He longs to make a difference in this industry. Aaron has an eagerness and grit to him unlike anything I’ve ever witnessed before. He is one of the main reasons I am where I am now. He inspires and encourages every person he encounters, and I am grateful to know him as an artist and a friend. He’s also producing my next project which I’m really excited about so shoutout Aaron fr. Be a fan of his, I sure am! <3

Olivia Hagar - Riding the Photo Rock & Rollercoaster

At just 21 years old, Olivia Hagar has stepped into one of the most competitive spaces in the music industry — concert photography. From the small town of Clarkston, Michigan, Olivia is finding her balance as she pursues a B.F.A. at Michigan State along with her photo dreams.

Her passion started out with a deep love of live music. She realized the high energy created in a performance space was addicting to her. Olivia was intrigued by the idea of bringing that energy back to life through the art of photography. She dreamt of helping people relive the moments they got to experience with their favorite songs as the soundtrack. It wasn’t until May of 2024 that Olivia found herself in a mental funk — having just moved across the country and working for a company where she didn’t feel valued.

“I was feeling lost and without purpose, away from my home and my family and friends,” she explains. “I decided to pick up a new hobby and bought myself a cheap camera on Amazon in an effort to find some purpose in my season of worthlessness.”

Not long after this, Olivia saw that one of her favorite music artists was playing a concert at a venue close by. While she wasn’t making much at her day-to-day job, she said she “had to go.” Being bold in her pursuit, Olivia reached out to the artist’s management, and after a lot of convincing, she was able to attend the show as a photographer. Little did she know, it would end up being “one of the greatest experiences” of her life.

“I wish I could describe the feeling of being down in the photo pit at a concert for the first time,” Olivia states. “It’s like the adrenaline rush you feel in your chest as you ride a rollercoaster. It’s so loud, bright, and busy — getting to take pictures at the show got me out of my head and into my heart, and led me to the realization that there are things in this life I might not know I love if I don’t try.”

That feeling is the whole reason that Olivia continues to pursue her love of photography. The music evokes emotion while a photo can do just the same. She finds that photography offers limitless possibilities for creative expression, and it can be a powerful tool of storytelling.

As a full-time college student, it’s difficult to find time for photography, but it has become her escape. She has learned to mesh her passion with her personal life — creating impromptu photoshoots with her friends in the halls of her apartment, brainstorming ideas while listening to a math lecture, etc. Olivia has been able to see the overlap in her social life and professional life as she’s had opportunities to bring friends and family to shows. She “loves getting to share that excitement with them.”

Olivia’s heart for creativity knows no bounds. She once read that anybody is capable of creating art, because essentially art is just bringing something into the world that hasn’t been created. While she originally struggled with comparison and doubt, this helped her accept that she, too, was an artist, and her art had just as much value to the world as everyone else’s.

“Art is limitless,” Olivia proclaims. “It knows no boundaries and holds beautiful truths. As an artist, we are able to tell the most profound stories through our work, and getting to share that with the world is a blessing in and of itself.”

Aside from her incredible photography skill, Olivia also is pushing for more professional female representation in the music industry — I will let her words speak for themselves here, and I hope you hear her loud and clear.

“When I go to shoot a show, at this point it is almost guaranteed I’ll be surrounded by men in the photo pit. Because of that, I am often having to prove myself. Prove to security I’m not a groupie, prove to my fellow photographers I know how basic camera settings work, and prove to myself that I’m good enough to earn my spot there. Women are vastly outnumbered in this industry, especially young women. As sad as it is, I feel I am treated differently in the professional setting because of this. I have been physically grabbed by security, yelled at and hit on by men in the crowd, and constantly am having to defend myself as men try to explain to me how my own camera works. This is me desperately calling out to all fellow female creatives, please, don’t be afraid to work in this industry. Please don’t let the current lack of women representation turn you away, because the more women that step up, the more change we’ll see! The music industry so desperately needs female representation, now more than ever. If you have any interest at all in concert photography, I say go for it! Women are deserving of equal opportunity, and are worthy of respect, especially in the creative industry. It’s time we get treated as equals in this line of work.”

While her biggest goal is to go on tour with an artist or band someday, Olivia is simply focusing on graduating with her B.F.A. and freelancing for various publications and magazines. Her dreams and aspirations are taking her places, and it is inspiring.

“Photography has shown me that creativity is limitless, and there are no boundaries in that act of true self-expression.”

Keep up with Olivia on her Instagram, and you can find her work at oliviahagarphotography.myportfolio.com

Paige Pivovar - Where the Wind Takes Her

Music was always in the background of Paige Pivovar’s life, and it’s starting to come forward as she navigates her late 20s and finds her authentic voice through songwriting.

From the small town of Kiowa, Kansas, she grew up with an interest and love for music. She even wrote in her 3rd grade journal that she wanted to be a singer when she grew up. Paige did choir throughout her childhood but found it to be a bit of a yawn, so she quit in high school and ended up picking up a guitar around that time. There were not any options for her to take lessons, so she has always been completely self-taught and learned how to noodle around on the piano as well.

“Both instruments feel mostly like tools for writing and singing to me rather than being really proficient at playing an instrument,” Paige explains.

When she began following the Lord at the age of 20, Paige immediately felt deeply connected to God through worship. A few years later, she auditioned to serve on the worship team at her church even though she says she “felt super inexperienced.” She realized that this is when her love for music really took off. Her desire for songwriting started to grow, and around the same time, she met her husband who is in a band called Joy Camp.

“They write their own music and play shows locally,” Paige states. “This was my first time meeting people who pursued music in this way, and it made my dream of writing feel a little more attainable.”

She says she didn’t exactly know where to start, but in her mid-20s, she experienced a lot of transition and hard change. Her brother passed away, and the pandemic hit a few months later. She graduated college and moved cities. Paige’s friendships shifted and changed as they all moved on and entered different life stages. She fell in love and got married. All of these experiences brought her to a point — getting well acquainted with her emotions that she used to avoid.

“Songwriting became a place to express and process these emotions,” Paige says. “Truly, one day I sat down with a guitar, started singing, and an entire song came out. I’ve been writing ever since.”

The process of bringing a song together is exciting and satisfying to Paige. Her favorite piece of the puzzle is her writing. She explains that she “feels less experienced on the production side of things but loves collaborating.” Her producer is Logan Murphy, and he brings everything together beautifully, as she draws inspiration from artists like Brook & The Bluff, Maggie Rogers, Kacey Musgraves, and Abby Holiday.

While music is a passion of hers, she has spent the last few years as a graduate student getting her doctorate in Occupational Therapy. She finished school in May of 2024 and works at a non-profit that provides services to people with Down Syndrome.

“It’s honestly so fun and life-giving,” Paige explains. “Currently music is something I pursue mostly as a side project… Sometimes the hardest part is balancing music with other creative pursuits. Whatever I’m feeling most inspired by in the moment is usually what wins out in what I give my free time to.”

As she finds her footing, Paige is slowly rolling out her next EP, and it surrounds the story of Louisa May Alcott’s Little Women. The plot started hitting home in her mid-20s with all the change and transition, and, while it can be exciting, coming to terms with the fact that you can’t slow it all down is hard. Paige pulled a lot of inspiration from the imagery of the 2019 movie, especially the hillside scene where Laurie confesses his love to Jo. Her next single from the EP is called Wistful Thinking, and it’s written from Laurie’s perspective — capturing the experience of unrequited love.

“I just could not shake this scene and their love story, and I knew I wanted to write a song about it,” she states. “It honestly makes me so sad every time I listen to it but I kind of love it.”

Her husband, Blase, plays drums on all of her songs and assists with direction for each one as well. He also helps add visual components to every song whether it be album artwork, promotional videos, or music videos.

“We love coming up with ideas together and finding ways to carry them out,” Paige says. “He’s also just genuinely my biggest supporter when it comes to music. He's the one I shared all of my initial songs with and encouraged me to start recording and releasing them.”

Music continues to be a driving force in Paige’s life, but she is going wherever the wind takes her. She will always want it to be a part of her life in some form and hopes to play more local shows in Kansas City this year. Honing in on her songwriting craft is something she’s most passionate about including co-writing with other artists, learning from others, and helping bring new ideas to life.

“I hope to write songs that people feel are authentic and relatable as they navigate the wide range of human emotions whether it’s falling in love or navigating some kind of loss,” Paige proclaims. “I think it’s so important to learn how to grieve well since we all will experience it in some way whether it’s the loss of a person, a dream, or a relationship we really cared about.”

You can find Paige Pivovar on all streaming platforms and keep up with her on Instagram & TikTok

(She is seriously SO underrated. Go listen to her stuff, you will not regret it - xoxo, Tori)

Ava Crossan - A Moment to Capture

The 22-year-old from San Clemente, California has found herself behind the camera — capturing love and life. Ava Crossan is a photographer, aspiring to pave her own path for her dreams and ambitions in the industry.

She first learned how to take photos at a summer camp in Texas in 2022. The summer before her junior year of college, Ava decided to work on the camp’s media team. She “doesn’t know why they hired her with zero photography experience,” but she says that it ended up being a huge blessing, as she had the urge to keep learning and taking photos. She began organizing her own photoshoots and fell in love with this new-found passion of hers. During the spring of her senior year, Ava had multiple graduation shoots a week. This is when she realized she could truly make a career out of this hobby.

“I still am not working full-time in photography, but I hope to get there one day,” Ava states. “I'm slowly starting to take on more weddings as the lead photographer and jumping all-in to what the industry has to offer.”

Ava says she “looooves love.” Documenting stories and authentic emotion of each unique couple and wedding day is what makes her heart sing. From the grandparents to the curious flower girls to the unique community that’s brought together on the special day, the use of her creative eye to capture each moment and how it feels excites her and is a driving factor for her to keep going.

“I believe I was created to create,” Ava remarks. “All creation sings of God’s worthiness, and I was born with the gift of creativity and the ability to document how truly beautiful all of creation is — and I can’t even begin to do it justice.”

And while living in the Orange County/Los Angeles area can be a fairly saturated place for creatives, Ava reminds herself that, as easy as it is to shrink back, everyone has their own story.

“They, too, were in my position and only got to where they are because they weren’t afraid to jump,” she states. “So that’s me, jumping, even though I have no clue where I’ll end up.”

As Ava pursues her photography career, she works at her home church in communication and photography where she gets to do a lot of what she’s passionate about. She explains that this has helped her work her “documentary, fly-on-the-wall, event photography muscles.” Outside of her 9-to-5, she takes on photoshoots to help keep things fresh and push herself creatively.

Ava Crossan is only just getting started on her journey to pursuing this passion full-time, and she’s on a roll.

“A camera in my hand and all the time in the world is my dream… It’s so exciting and such a mystery at the same time,” she exclaims. “I’m eager to see what the Lord has in store for my future career.”

You can find Ava’s work and keep up with her on Instagram! (Also she did all my artist photos for my new “era” and they are FIRE.)

From the Writer's Table - Vol. 1

Hi friends — Tori here!

I had a bit of a gap in responses to submissions, so I didn’t have anyone to feature today. I thought I’d test out this series called From the Writer’s Table where I chat about personal experiences or trends going on in the creative industry.

I am genuinely so grateful (and a little overwhelmed tbh) for all of the love you all have been giving ListenSmall and the amount of submissions I have received. My heart is so full, and the inspiration is FLOWING. We love to see it.

As I have started publishing my first few articles on here, the feedback I’ve been getting is along the lines of “I haven’t seen anybody doing what you’re doing.” And that’s exactly why I created this little platform. Yes, there are different communities for the musicians, the photographers, the graphic designers, for the business owners... but what about the people that do a little bit of everything? I am a creative. Simple as that. I write, I sing, I design, I create content. I do SO MUCH in this space. And I wanted to bring together a community for people like me and also for people that hone in on one thing, so we can find each other and connect. And work together, create together. (The discord is coming, don’t worry.)

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Let’s talk about the in-betweens — the treacherous writer’s block, living with your parents because it’s the best financial decision, being #unemployed…

I am personally in such an in-between season of my life. I could up & move anywhere at any time. I could get a new job like that (*snap*). My silly little blind audition on The Voice could help me gain exposure, and my music career could flourish (please Lord). I have NO idea what tomorrow looks like, let alone what the rest of the year holds. (“Elmo doesn’t know what he’s doing in the next 5 hours”)

But over the many years I’ve experienced this “in-between”, I’ve started to realize that it’s these seasons that feel empty and transitional where the magic happens. You don’t see it until you’re on the other side — when you’re finally doing that thing you were dreaming of or pursuing that job you got or you’re all settled into that new apartment. These moments where you feel like the purpose is lacking is when you truly are building and growing. If you have the time (be so for real, you have the time), sit down and grab coffee with another person in your field. And be honest with yourself with the questions you ask. If you are putting up a front, it’s not going to get you anywhere! These conversations will widen your perspective and also CONNECTIONS. We love to network, don’t we?

But seriously, the more I have sat down with people and talked about my vision for my future and what I want to pursue, the clearer it has made the path of finding out how to get there. I encourage you to go grab coffee or hop on a Zoom call with that person you see on your feed and think “man I wonder how they got to where they are… I want to do that.” And if they’re a real one, they will be SO open to sitting down with you.

I also have found that journaling has helped me so much, (said everyone ever), but it’s so true. No one is going to be reading what you’re writing. And you can be honest with yourself in your words there as well. It’s been really eye-opening to see the common themes that I continue to talk about over time. I’m like “OHHH so THIS is what I’m passionate bout.”

Also — I have all the time in the world right now. I would be overjoyed to chat with any of you about your dreams and passions. I am here to remind you that YOU are capable of accomplishing your dreams. That’s what this whole ListenSmall thing is for. I want you all to see that there is room for all of us to create what we love in this silly little world and that your work is worth being shared.

If you never feel like you have anyone in your corner, just know that I am. You may be a stranger to me, but I am always cheering on all the passionate “small-guys” in this industry… and I am so proud of you for going against the grain and being your own person.

Want to chat more and have those cool conversations? Email me at toritempletmusic@gmail.com <3

xoxo,

Tori from the Writer’s Table

(wait that’s so Taylor Swift Tortured Poets Department coded)

Brittany Merrill - Threading the Needle

Born into a crafting family, Brittany Merrill has always had a passion for creating, but now she finds herself honing in on her skills with textiles. The 25-year-old from Winder, Georgia now resides in Marietta and aspires to become many things in her life, but her biggest dream is to have a curated online vintage shop. 

Brittany is a multi-generational artist – Her family tree consists of a stain-glass artist, a florist, an oil painter, and her father is a carpenter. You could say that making things with her hands is in her blood – specifically her maternal grandmother was a sewist, focusing on hand-sewing with plastic canvas. 

“When I think of her, I can still see the image of her sewing those silly plastic grids in my mind,” Brittany says. “All of this to say, I was born into a family with a lot of crafty women.”

Though the genealogy explains how it came so naturally to her, Brittany never learned any of her skills from the women in her life. They had all passed away before she was old enough to figure out her passions. She adds that her mother is probably the “least crafty woman on the planet,” so she did not really have much contribution other than encouragement and love.

Brittany has been creative ever since she was a child. She’d be outside collecting ingredients for “paint”, building fairy houses, or drawing in coloring books. When she got to high school, she built a pen pal group which helped her build her community all across the country.

It wasn’t until she wanted to learn how to make her own clothes that Brittany decided to try sewing. Completely self-taught, she researched and studied the art of clothing design from YouTube and online blogs, and ultimately, her parents gifted her a sewing machine on her 21st birthday.

“I love the art of deconstructing a garment idea and then bringing it to life,” Brittany states. “Sewing is seeing a large flat sheet of fabric and then creating it into something three-dimensional. I never get tired of it – even if my project doesn’t turn out like I’d hope, I never feel like quitting.”

In her day-to-day life, Brittany has worked many jobs that inspire her creativity – a florist, a nanny, a wedding gown designer, an influencer – the list goes on and on. She currently works at a specialty home store in Vinings, GA that sells anything you can think of that could go in your home.

“I am genuinely inspired by being around pretty things,” she says. “I love seeing the trends and seeing all of the new products we carry in stores. Those items, color palettes, textures, and designs really transfer into my creative life as well… I truly believe all the jobs I have had will at some point give me every single that I have ever needed to build my own brand.”

Utilizing social media as a tool, Brittany has built a community that has been supportive of her goals and dreams. They help her think outside the box and come up with new ideas. She says that “once inspiration hits and the item has been created, sharing it is just the icing on the cake.”

Although her dreams are constantly evolving, Brittany’s current goal is to create a curated online vintage shop while growing her own platform to encourage women just like her. Her love for teaching would seep into her own personal platform, selling her own digital sewing patterns and filming detailed instructional videos. The online vintage store would have capsule home collections curated around a theme, and it would also carry one-of-a-kind items that you would never find anywhere else.

“I spend hours sourcing for the perfect items for my personal home, and I want to share that with others,” Brittany explains. “I also love timeless, feminine, delicate lace, and silk items, and having a continuous variety of those types of clothing items is a must!”

She is in constant communication with her ideas, journaling and curating the right formula to achieve her goals. Brittany is currently learning the art of Sewing Pattern Design and just recently got her certificate in Surface Pattern Design. This ultimately means she can make her own repeating patterns for fabric. She is striving to have both of these classes be “like second nature.” 

“I think it’s important to set dates for yourself because then you can work backwards to make them happen,” she states.

Brittany is eager to see where her passion takes her. She strives to utilize her skills to further her career and build her platform to also encourage others in their craft.

Keep up with Brittany and follow along her journey on TikTok and Instagram!

Carly Adair - She Can Do it All

Carly Adair is the pinnacle of “if you can dream it, you can do it.” This 25-year-old from Meadville, Pennsylvania does it all. While she works full-time for a San Francisco-based tech startup, Carly also aspires to be a pop star. But it has been a journey to get to this place in her life.

She knew she had a passion for music ever since she was running away from her dad, singing in the aisles of the grocery store for anyone who would listen. Carly’s earliest memories with music go all the way back to elementary school while she was in piano lessons, singing for school performances, and admiring her first music teacher, Mrs. Burnside. 

“I got the gift of a Hannah Montana guitar for Christmas one year, and I remember starting lessons in the basement of an old bank,” she says. “It didn’t last long.”

Learning guitar was the first thing in music that didn’t necessarily come with ease for Carly with her small hands. Trying to navigate the instrument was too difficult, and she ultimately gave up. She then moved schools and didn’t make the honors chorus or receive any solos. Carly explains that this “kind of knocked music out of the picture” into her high school years.

“I’ve been slowly discovering this piece of myself over the last ten years… that I believe singing with people you love is the most exciting thing on this Earth,” she states.

Carly finds that collaboration is the main thing that excites her the most in making music. She works closely with her friends, Jaydon and Jacob, and they find themselves in the studio weekly, writing and producing. Her most recent single, Why Won’t You Love Me, was released at the end of 2024. 

“I give the credit to my collaborator, Jacob Strom,” Carly explains. “He really made nothing into something with that one… it’s about such a relatable feeling when it comes to dating and love. Not many people are writing about being friend-zoned and choosing the high road.

Residing in Los Angeles, Carly finds that the city inspires her. Because everyone is busy pursuing their own ambitions, she realizes that no one really has the time to judge others – she has only felt encouraged while living in LA. 

“I didn’t grow up in that kind of environment, and it’s quite nice and very inspiring,” she says.

Although Carly daydreams of being a full-time pop star, she’s got a pretty cool 9-to-5 as well working as the Community Manager for an early-stage startup where community & brands combine with tech. In her free-time, Carly also freelances in the creative space – designing, video editing, producing for podcasts, creating content, and more.

“It’s been very fun and honestly sets me up with just the right amount of connections and marketing brains to become a pop star,” she states. “I’m ready. 

Carly is still rediscovering her passion for music, and it is constantly being redefined. The existential questions raddle through her head just as much as the next 20-something. She says her wildest dream would simply be to “fuel her creative expression daily.”

“The accolades will come if I take the risk in allowing myself the space to create with good people,” Carly explains. “I’m so grateful I almost don’t want to lose where I am at right now, and the goal is to pump out an EP or something to see what happens. No kidding, I want to sing all day every day.”

Stream Why Won’t You Love Me, available on all music platforms, and keep up with Carly’s adventures on her Instagram and at CarlyAdair.com

Mezttly - Breaking Ground in Music

A new music artist has stepped on the scene, and her name is Mezttly Garcia, but on stage, we simply call her — Mezttly.

The 20-year-old from Phoenix, Arizona is a student at Berklee College of Music. She has just released her debut single, Meeting People, and it is nothing short of magical. Drawing inspiration from Madison Cunningham, Lizzy McAlpine, and Andy Shauf, Mezttly finds joy in the process of creating.

“I like to see what kinds of chord progressions and melodies I come up with,” she says. “I mostly focus on what sounds to include in the music and adding layers with instruments to make my songs sound more interesting rather than relying on crazy vocals with crazy runs.”

Meeting People is based on a true story, Mezttly tells us. “It’s about going through the motions of going to a party when you’re not great at socializing and ultimately feeling isolated in a packed room." The song takes the listener through how the night went, and she found that the lyrics poured out easily, as this is such a shared experience through navigating young adulthood.

Although she says she was nervous to release anything at all, this song stood out as a debut with its upbeat tempo yet contradicting lyrics. She originally recorded a different kind of song that was initially going to be the debut, but shortly after recording, she wrote Meeting People and her producer (Asher DeVerna) encouraged her to record it “right away.”

“The production turned out so good that we were convinced it had to be the first to be released,” Mezttly emphasizes.

She found that she loved to sing since she was little but started getting creative when she was around 9. Mezttly began writing her own original songs and posting videos on YouTube. She got a small keyboard at a garage sale and taught herself how to play piano when she was 12 which turned into getting lessons during high school. After starting to learn guitar in her first year of college, she writes a good amount on both instruments. She says that “it’s mostly just playing around and hearing what sounds good rather than actually knowing what I’m playing.”

Mezttly is a Pro Music major at Berklee with tracks in songwriting, music business, and media scoring. In her free time away from school, she takes advantage of the practice rooms to play around on piano and write her songs. She loves going to local shows and discovering new music.

Since she attends a music school, she says “drawing the line separating schoolwork from her own music is a little difficult to do.”

“I think the number one thing keeping them separate is how I write my lyrics,” Mezttly states. “I think that when it’s my own authentic song, I can tell by what I say in my songs and what I sing about — which are more personal and real-life experiences.”

From the outside perspective, Berklee can seem like an intimidating place to attend — “It felt like everyone had an entire discography out, and I had nothing out at all,” she says. But she found that she loved listening to everyone’s music, and it inspired her to release something of her own.

“I don’t think I would’ve done it if everybody around me wasn’t doing it since I get so self-conscious, but I’m glad I’m starting,” she added.

Moving forward, Mezttly hopes to simply continue sharing her music with the world. She says the ultimate dream for her, and almost everyone else at Berklee, is “to make a career out of something you love to do.” Her passion resides in the intricate details of creating something that matters.

“There’s no harm in making music I like and releasing it, so why not?,” she emphasizes. “As long as I’m enjoying what I’m doing, I’ll keep going.”

Meeting People is available on all music streaming platforms, and keep up with Mezttly’s journey on her socials.

WELCOME TO LISTEN SMALL <3

Hi. I’m so glad you’re here. If we haven’t met, my name is Tori Templet. I am an independent music artist, a writer, and a former corporate girly — but simply put, I am a creative. And I welcome you with open arms into my brand new, minimalistic, online space called “listensmall.”

Listensmall is “where creatives receive the recognition they deserve,” and it will be exactly that. After about eight years of being in the music & creative industries, I have found that 1. there is a LOT of talent that goes unnoticed or not noticed enough, and then… 2. there’s the people behind the scenes — the ones who live in the shadows of what’s been created that don’t necessarily get the praise for being a pivotal piece of what you hear, see, etc. I decided to create my own online publication for you all to learn more about them.

I recently embarked on a beautiful journey as a contestant on The Voice (watch the season premiere on Feb 3 on NBC <3), and this experience is what opened my eyes to the fact that there are truly so many incredibly talented people that do not get the standing ovation they should. From the artists I was meeting, to the production assistant helping us all get to the right place at the right time, to the audio guy helping me get mic’d up for an interview — there are SO MANY kind, passionate human beings that genuinely just love to create or assist in creating something that is bigger than themselves. And that’s when I realized, as much as I love making my own music, I love to celebrate other people’s wins as well. I enjoy being behind the scenes and helping someone else accomplish their dreams. So here I am, hoping to do just that.

This online publication will feature anyone who has a passion for creativity and art — smaller music artists, the photographer who does it as a side hustle, a screenwriter trying to find their way, and many more people like this. If you live in a constant pursuit of creation, authenticity, and intentionality, I WANT TO WRITE ABOUT YOU!

This space is going to be simple — not a lot of fluff. Just words of encouragement and endearment for those who are in the midst of becoming. I have a lot of dreams for this passion project of mine, and I hope I can make it all happen. But for now, let this be a place of rest and a testament — for you to realize that you are so much more than capable of accomplishing the things of your heart.

Here’s to the fools who dream, crazy as we may seem <3

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If you are interested in being featured on listensmall, please fill out the submission form below for consideration!