Today we’d like to introduce you to Morgan Thomas.
Hi Morgan, thanks for joining us today. We’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
I have been captivated by music for as long as I can remember. When I was about 12 years old, I picked up the guitar and instantly fell in love with the instrument. I spent more time practicing than doing anything else. I loved to play most styles of music but was particularly fond of classic rock and blues. As I grew, I became more and more interested in composition and began writing my own music. I discovered at a fairly young age that creativity is what gave my life meaning and purpose, whether it was music, art, poetry, or literature.
When I was 18 years old, I got my first job in music as a guitar teacher at a small art academy in Ogden. Although teaching was foreign and difficult for me at first, I grew to love being around kids and quickly became passionate about giving instruction on the guitar. After about 6 years of teaching at the academy, I moved to Morgan, Utah, and started teaching on my own. I have been teaching in the Morgan Valley now for 5 years and absolutely love my job.
I am looking forward to expanding and starting my own small academy in the near future. I have also been regularly gigging musicians for many years, and love to play every weekend at venues, restaurants, and pubs. My performance style ranges from folk singer/songwriter to live-looping, jazz, classical, and rock. I perform as a solo act as well as in several other groups of various styles.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way? Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
Although the road is never smooth, I consider myself extremely fortunate to be able to do what I love for a living. It is a constant challenge to keep up in a rapidly changing industry. Many times, it feels as if music is no longer relevant in our culture of immediate gratification and constant entertainment.
There have been many times where the work didn’t feel worth the effort, but pushing through those times to keep creating has given my life meaning. I have found that nothing truly worth doing is ever easy, and even though we think we don’t want challenges, those challenges are actually what makes our work in life meaningful.
I am extremely grateful to have a steady income in music, and I get to consider myself one of the few who gets to do something I truly love to make a living.
Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
As a musician, I specialize in teaching, composition, and performance; these three branches sum up my work pretty well. I think at my core, my creativity is what fuels everything I do.
I love to constantly learn and try new things in all areas, I think that’s what keeps the work interesting. I think of teaching as my “day job”, and composing and performing as my “side gigs”, although many times the three areas blend together quite nicely. I would say, I’m most proud of my teaching because I love to impact kids’ lives through music and show them the benefits of practice and creativity.
It makes me really happy to think that some of my students may someday grow up to be full-time musicians themselves. I think what sets me apart from other musicians is just my diversity and experience in many areas of the industry.
Who else deserves credit in your story?
My partner Mckenna has been a great support for me for the past 6 years. We are both artists and our support for each other is very important to me. It’s so great to have a partner who supports what you do and wants you to succeed. Without that support, the road would be much more difficult and lonely.
There is also a great community of musicians here in Ogden that support each other. I have met so many people, young and old, who have supported my journey through the years. One of the things I love most about being a musician is meeting a large diversity of people – whether it’s at a school, studio, public event, restaurant, bar, or anywhere else.
All of those countless people I’ve met through the years have helped me along in my journey, and I certainly wouldn’t be where I am today without them. I also have to thank my parents for supporting me and encouraging me to learn an instrument at a young age.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.morganthomasmusic.com
- Instagram: www.instagram.com/morganthomasmusic
- Facebook: www.facebook.com/morganthomasmusic
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCX_397CD9YgjU4mRNvzaSPA
Image Credits
Jonathan Ramanujam and Robin Pendergast
