On this episode of the Life in the Carolinas podcast, singer-songwriter Nikki Morgan talks about what led her down her musical path. Her father being a pastor, Nikki grew up in a church and was exposed almost daily to Christian and gospel music. However, while she appreciated how moving music can be, she never really created any music of her own during her formative years.
From grade school to college, Nikki was more or less set on being an engineer. However, she can remember daydreaming occasionally about being an entertainer since the age of 10. She casually, yet gradually took on bigger and bigger opportunities to sing in front of groups. At 18, she began to explore different types of secular music. A series of events led her to take theatre in community college, allowing her creativity to express itself greater than ever before.
However, even as an actress, Nikki felt unfulfilled. It was the book The Artist’s Way that led to an epiphany, causing her to realize that her true passion is music. She sang a tan open mic to great reception. A little bit of confidence was built, and from there she continued to look for more opportunities to perform her songs, which were characterized by her diverse life experiences.
Nikki’s mother, while initially resistant to her decision to switch from engineering to songwriting, eventually turned out to be her biggest fan. Nikki found that walking down this path also “opened the floodgates” of creativity in her family: Many of her cousins decided to get into music as well.
Nikki believes that no matter where life takes you, you can’t escape your roots. Nikki ventured out on her own to find herself, and this really was the spark that opened her up to the wider world of music—her true passion. At the same time, she realized she couldn’t shake off the North Carolina in her, nor her gospel roots. Nikki came full circle, fully embracing her musical background while taking that inspiration and forging her own path.
Connect with Nikki:
Website: www.nikkimorganmusic.com
Instagram: @heynikkimorgan
Connect with us:
http://www.lifeinthecarolinas.com/
https://www.lifeinthecarolinaspodcast.com/
Carl@lifeinthecarolinas.com
