Meet Bella Garland

Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Bella Garland. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Bella , we’re so excited for our community to get to know you and learn from your journey and the wisdom you’ve acquired over time. Let’s kick things off with a discussion on self-confidence and self-esteem. How did you develop yours?
Growing up, I dealt with a lot of mean girls at school. For a while, I was very insecure and quiet. However, all of that changed once I started writing music. I was around 13 when I started seriously writing songs, and it changed my life. Suddenly, I had an outlet for my emotions, and I was able to reach people in a more personal way. It became my self-expression, and I gained confidence through performing my own music.

Thanks, so before we move on maybe you can share a bit more about yourself?
I’ve been writing songs since I was 13 years old, and singing since I could talk. I moved to Nashville, TN in 2020 to pursue my music and study songwriting and voice at Belmont University. I use my music as a way to express myself and connect with others. I love storytelling and helping people feel less alone, and there is nothing more important to me than the way my music comforts and joins people together. In addition to singing and writing, I play piano, guitar, and the ukulele. I have several self-written songs out on Spotify and other platforms, as well as over 12K Instagram followers that are growing more and more every day. One of my proudest moments was being asked to write two songs inspired by and for Hollywood Actress Jane Seymour and civil rights legend Xernona Clayton at the 2022 Celebrity Care Fest, where I got to perform the two original songs for Jane Seymour, Xernona Clayton, The Jacksons, The Temptations, Lou Gramm from Foreigner, and even athletes from the NFL Steelers. Another one of my proudest moments was winning the Bluebird Cafe Golden Pick Contest in July 2021. The Bluebird Cafe is an iconic venue in Nashville, TN where artists such as Taylor Swift and Garth Brooks have gotten their start. Many of my artist influences play there regularly, and it was an honor to be recognized by the Bluebird! I now have played the Bluebird 4 times, and I am playing my fifth time in October. The most exciting part of being a singer/songwriter is getting to hear and watch how my music has affected someone. Whether they were moved to tears in the audience, or send me a message detailing how one of my songs helped them realize their worth, it is all special to me.

If you had to pick three qualities that are most important to develop, which three would you say matter most?
The first quality is determination. There has never been a moment where I have wanted to give up on my dream. Has there been times where I get discouraged? Of course. But I know in my heart that this is what I am meant to do, and I don’t care how long it takes me. One of my skills is my ability to put complex feelings into words. I think the best artists and songwriters are the ones who are able to express what most of us feel but don’t quite know how to say ourselves. An area of knowledge is my knowledge of branding and promotion. Being an artist is a lot more than just talent. I work hard to understand the music business and learn about areas such as social media, merch, booking, etc. My advice for folks early in their journey is to prioritize connections. Go out and meet everyone you can. Pitch your music to everyone you can. The worst they can say is no.

Alright, so before we go we want to ask you to take a moment to reflect and share what you think you would do if you somehow knew you only had a decade of life left?
Right now I am in the process of meeting and working with different producers in Nashville. I also am working on trying to increase my stream numbers. I am very motivated to increase my numbers organically through being placed on editorial playlists and increasing both my live and online fanbase.

Contact Info:

Image Credits
First image – AmyJoy James 4 images on next slide – Erin McCaffrey

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