Meet MarDe Brooks

We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful MarDe Brooks. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with MarDe below.

Hi MarDe, really happy you were able to join us today and we’re looking forward to sharing your story and insights with our readers. Let’s start with the heart of it all – purpose. How did you find your purpose?
I believe that we all are born with a special purpose in life. Unfortunately, not everyone finds it or sometimes they know what it is and are afraid to take the chances necessary to fulfill it. I knew from a very young age that I wanted to perform in front of people. I strted my first band round the age of 17. After a couple years of rehearsing in a bedroom we performed around the southeast for about 12 years. During this time we were a cover band with no original music and I was in the process of working full time “career” jobs and raising a family. We got to play a lot of cool events but never caught that “Big Break”. I let the outside noise consume me and figured that I was never going to make it in the music industry. So I put down my guitar and focused on my family for the next 4 to 5 years. That didn’t go as planned either. I ended up getting divorced and was in my 30s and alone. I became very depressed and found that writing was a way for me to vent and a coping mechanism for what I was feeling and living through. Once I had a few songs of my own I started booking shows again but was maintaining my job at the same time. This is where I finally decided it was time to take the leap and follow my dreams. While sitting at my desk in my office staring out the window I became really sad. I was consumed by fear and the thought that I would reach the end of my life someday feeling completely incomplete, knowing that I never really took the chance to do what truly made me happy. I pushed back from my desk, closed my laptop, and drove 30 minutes to my director’s office to put in my notice. I left my hometown and went to Charleston WV to record my first record. Here we are 4 years later and I’m still touring the country and playing my songs for people all over the United States.

As song writers, we have stories to share but human nature often makes us think, “does anyone care about my lysircs”, “has anyone else felt or experienced these same feelings and emotions”. I got my answer one night in a small town in the middle of Missouri. I played my song “We Used To” about my best childhood friend that passed away from an overdose. I play this song almost every night and it never really gets easier to do. After my show I received a private message on one of my social media accounts from a patron at my show that night. Her son had been in and out of rehab the past couple years and she was afraid that she would get that terrible call at anytime. A week or so prior to coming to my show, she had to pick him up from one of the facilities he was in. When he got in the car she asked him if he would please listen to a song that a guy she knew had written and recorded. He agreed and she played it (We Used To) for him. He broke down during the song and she said that for the first time in his life he looked at her, both with tear filled eyes, and expressed that he wanted help and that he didn’t want to end up like my friend in the song. She said this was a huge breakthrough and that she just wanted to share the story to let me know that what I was doing mattered and to never stop.

As far as purpose goes, I found mine. If I was able to save one person’s life through a song that I wrote, then everything I had done and sacrificed up to that point was absolutely more than worth it.

Thanks, so before we move on maybe you can share a bit more about yourself?
I am a singer/songwriter from a small old milltown in Alabama and I have the best job in the world. I get to travel all over the country meeting new people and singing my songs for them. The adventure of every week is what makes it such an exciting career. I have found that we’re all not so different regardless of who we are and where we come from. I’ve also learned on this journey that money isn’t happiness, at least not for me. It’s the adventure of chasing a dream that ignites my soul.

Hopefully I’ll be coming to a city near you soon. Be on the lookout for my upcoming live album- Live at Steelhouse Vol 2 that will be releasing a little later this year. I also released my first bluegrass record this past fall- “MarDe Grass”. Check it out if you haven’t already. My music can be found on all platforms.

If you had to pick three qualities that are most important to develop, which three would you say matter most?
Drive Vocal ability
People Skills

Drive- This can’t be taught in most cases. It is something that you either have inside you or don’t. If you don’t feel like you have the drive to take control of your own path and create it, then maybe it’s time to do some self reflection and searching within yourself to find what truly makes you happy.
Vocal Ability- Like drive this is something that you are usually born with but anyone can be taught to sing if they work at it hard enough (some will still be better than others)
People Skills- This is one of the biggest pieces of the puzzle. Being able to identify the types of personalities of the people you are dealing with in any business and being able to navigate those is crucial. People have to like you and believe in you in order to support you. I’m not saying to be fake or change who you are, just figure out exactly who you are and find people that are like minded to help build your support system. This is a tough world to navigate alone regardless of your profession.

Before we go, maybe you can tell us a bit about your parents and what you feel was the most impactful thing they did for you?
My parents played a tremendous role in my life growing up. The most impactful thing they taught me was to be a good human being and treat others well. They instilled core values in me and taught me that doing things the right way will always pay off in the end.

Contact Info:

Image Credits
1.Peace One Love Photography 2.Todd Dean

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