AV Alumni Lauryn Marie (’20) released her first song when she was just 15 years old. That song is called The Romantic, which now has over 2.7 million streams on Spotify. Today, Marie has taken the statement, “follow your dreams,” to a whole new level, pursuing her dream as a singer-songwriter in Nashville, Tennessee.

“I’ve always loved music, even from early childhood. As I got into middle school, I started getting my own music taste and I was watching a lot of young singer-songwriters on Youtube like Dodie. That was what really inspired me to start making Youtube videos and putting my music out that way,” said Marie. 

Growing up, Marie and her family moved through five different states before coming to California. She finished her high school education at Amador with her parents and brothers supporting her every step of the way. 

“My family has always been incredibly supportive. I’m so grateful they have always believed in me. My little brothers, Zach and Luke, also love music, so it’s fun to get to share that with them,” said Marie. 

Chasing a Dream

Marie first started writing songs at just 11 years old. By telling stories about the smallest details in the world around her, Marie realized that songwriting was something she was passionate about and wanted to pursue as a career. 

“The [first] song was just about laying on my bed, looking at the glow-in-the-dark star stickers on my ceiling. When I wrote that song, that is when I realized that I could sit at the piano and play what I was hearing in my head,” said Marie. 

From then on, music was always at the forefront of her mind. Being a part of different projects and classes at Amador helped set Marie up for college, where she planned to study music. 

“When I was in high school, I was very involved at the FireHouse Arts center. I was in the high school music collaborative there, where I got to learn how to make music with my friends. I was also in the choir and mixed vocal ensemble,” said Marie.

Upon graduation, Marie chose to attend Belmont University, a school known for its music program and the alma mater of famous stars such as Brad Paisley. Marie moved to Nashville, pursuing a major in songwriting and a minor in music business. 

A Star in the Making

One of Marie’s most notable opportunities was playing at the world-renowned BlueBird Cafe in Nashville, Tennessee. This is where pop star Taylor Swift was first discovered, and what ultimately started her extremely successful career. 

“One of my professors from Belmont reached out to me the week of the performance, asking if I could play one of the songs that I had written in his class. That was just one of the most amazing, surreal experiences of my life,” said Marie. 

Currently, Marie is performing a hometown show at The FireHouse Arts Center on March 10th at 8 pm, as well as a showcase in London. In the future, Marie hopes to release a full-length debut album, then go on tour. 

“I want to make a full-length debut album, which has yet to happen. I want to make something that’s big and that has a unifying theme to it — something that sums up what I’ve done so far, I think would be really cool,” said Marie. 

Marie’s music is available on Apple Music and Spotify, as well as Youtube. She also has an Instagram account (@laurynmmusic) where she posts covers, along with performances of her own music. 

“I want to be able to show people that they are not alone in their feelings and their experiences; There is hope. I want to be able to share those kinds of messages with the world with something that connects people as much as music does,” said Marie.