Meet Allie Moss

We recently connected with Allie Moss and have shared our conversation below.

Allie, so excited to have you with us today. So much we can chat about, but one of the questions we are most interested in is how you have managed to keep your creativity alive.

Three things come to mind for me.

1. I stay curious! I love learning, and as an artist and songwriter, I make it a point to fill my creative well. Often, that means consuming other art, such as books, movies, and music (listening actively versus passively). But a song could come from anywhere: a YouTube video or a conversation. I try to keep my ear open for song ideas. I also explore my creativity in other ways, like cooking. I love trying new recipes.

2. I don’t wait for inspiration to come. If I did, honestly, I might hardly ever write anything, and then when I had an idea, I’d be so rusty at my craft that it’d be very challenging and frustrating. Instead, I start making stuff and figure out what it’s becoming as I do. I aim to be consistently writing. Sometimes that means I write songs I think kinda suck or feel ‘like an exercise.’ The difference is that when I’m writing regularly, I can hush my inner critic easily because I know I will write another song soon. But when I was only writing a few songs a year, I’d judge the bad song harder because it would carry more weight.

3. I exercise. There’s probably a scientist who could tell you why, but for me, exercise and creativity are strongly linked. Exercise improves my mental health and mindset. I often get ideas when I’m moving my body, so if I’m stuck on a song, I’ll often break for a short walk.

Thanks, so before we move on maybe you can share a bit more about yourself?

I’m a singer-songwriter, musician, vocal coach, and co-leader of a songwriting community called Thinking Outside the Blocks.

It’d be fair to say that I’m pretty obsessed with harmony vocals. I’ve been singing backgrounds and playing guitar in Ingrid Michaelson’s band since 2006, and I’ve also toured backing Joshua Radin, William Fitzsimmons, and Rosi Golan. I’m excited about a workshop I’m developing called Unlocking Harmony, to be released in early 2025.

Thinking Outside the Blocks (TOTB for short) is a membership community hub for songwriters who want to make creativity a priority in their lives. Our workshops and resources are designed to help writers break away from unhelpful mindsets and patterns and get them into a place where their creativity flows and evolves.

I’ve been a vocal coach for nearly 20 years. I specialize in helping singers, artists, and professionals develop a healthy, sustainable vocal technique that supports their unique sound. Whether in a 1-1 voice lesson or a songwriting workshop, I’m passionate about helping other artists discover and develop their voices.

I’m an aspiring producer, learning to record and produce in my home studio. My last release is a song called “Lotta Good,” which celebrates loving the non-aesthetic things about our bodies. My friend Sam Kassirer produced it, and I’m proud to say I engineered my vocals. I plan to release more music in 2025. If someone is curious about my process, they can find me on Patreon, where I share a song a month.

If you had to pick three qualities that are most important to develop, which three would you say matter most?

One quality that’s positively impacted my career is having a growth mindset. I believe I can improve if I put in the effort and time. I say yes to things that are slightly outside of my comfort zone. I’m not delusional about it, but it’s often enough gentle pressure for me to step up to whatever that task or skill is.

Something I believe makes me hireable is that I’m reliable. I show up, on time, knowing my parts.

Being disciplined is a skill that’s helped me in all areas of my career. I spent my youth as a competitive athlete, so I learned to show up for practice even when I’m not in the mood. I learned how to set myself up to be consistent and spot the things that might be deterrents or distractions.

My advice for folks who struggle with mindset or discipline is to start small. In “Atomic Habits,” author James Clear says that “intensity makes a good story while consistency makes progress.” Make the goal small enough that it feels like a no-brainer to you. Meditate for 1 minute. Pick up your guitar for 5 minutes. Walk around the block. And then do it again the next day.

Who is your ideal client or what sort of characteristics would make someone an ideal client for you?

My ideal client has two things: desire and 10 minutes a day to practice.

I can help someone understand their voice, connect to their emotions in song, overcome stage fright, set achievable goals. I can create a bespoke vocal warmup, help arrange harmonies, or edit songs.

But I can’t make someone want to sing, and I can’t make them carve out the time to build muscle memory.

Contact Info:

Image Credits

Angelo Joseph Photography (photo w guitar outside, on piano bench, against teal wall)
Grace Brown Photography (live photo w Ingrid Michaelson)
Joshua Radin (photo w orange guitar)

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