Meet Michael Peloso

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

Michael, so happy to have you with us today. You are such a creative person, but have you ever head any sort of creativity block along the way? If so, can you talk to us about how you overcame or beat it?
As a creative, all of us have crossed paths with the dreaded “block”. Speaking from a songwriter’s perspective, we have faced our adversary many times. Are these lyrics “cliche”? Didn’t I write something similar the last three times? Why can’t I say or play something new? Self-doubt always creeps in. And it’s ok. It’s all part of the process.

For me personally, I attack it from both sides. I either keep writing & try & plow my way through it, or I simply walk away from it for a while. It’s ok to go and do something else when nothing’s there. Go play with your kids. Ride a bike. Take a vacation or go mow the lawn. It doesn’t matter. You may actually find inspiration when you step away from it & look at it with a different mindset.
If you do decide to keep plowing through it, my suggestion is to never throw anything away. No matter how bad you think it may be. You never know when or where you may use it.

Great, so let’s take a few minutes and cover your story. What should folks know about you and what you do?
For me, the original center of his immediate world was Newark, NJ, the only son of Italian immigrants. My parents came to America in search of a better life for my sister & me, and they succeeded. “I was a well-rounded child and involved in both the arts and sports. My father has a wonderful voice and loves to sing; music was always playing in my home, in the car, on a record player. One of my earliest memories is being down in my basement listening to AM radio.”

When I was 8 years old, I heard a song that would change the way I listened to music forever: REO Speedwagon’s “Keep on Loving You.” “I remember running out immediately and buying their album, Hi-Fidelity, with my own money. I played that record until it turned to dust.” I discovered the liner notes and studied them as if it was a school test. I’ve always felt at home surrounded by music, and I had a still have a real passion for it. I was in awe of the music and knew I wanted to write songs that touched people like that album touched me.

Around the age of 14, I took a stab at writing my first song. In retrospect, I will not play it for anyone today, but it did help me realize I had a talent. Words are my strong suit. I’ve really had to work on developing my melody writing over the years, and that’s helped me with my lyrics, but I knew I could write a song. I have a strong ear and can get a feeling for what works and what doesn’t very quickly.

I’m very content to stay behind-the-scenes, I’ve never wanted to be in a band, but I do want my songs to be heard. I prefer to write a song, send it off to a solo artist or band & let them take it and make it a part of them. Music, to me, is about touching as many lives as possible. If my music can help someone forget about their problems and give them an escape, then I have succeeded in doing what I meant to do. Bringing someone joy, or love, or comfort through one of my songs is the most rewarding feeling. It means I’ve accomplished my mission.

Looking back, what do you think were the three qualities, skills, or areas of knowledge that were most impactful in your journey? What advice do you have for folks who are early in their journey in terms of how they can best develop or improve on these?
Life has been the greatest teacher of all for me. I’ve learned more through my experiences than anything I learned through my school (grammar, high school & college) years. That’s just for me. Everyone is different.

With that said, I’m giving you four qualities that have helped me are:

1. Forgiving but not forgetting
2. Compassion
3. Good listening skills
4. Patience

I think it’s important to forgive not only others, but yourself as well. It’s important because it will help you move on & let go. It also doesn’t mean you should forget though. Take those lessons and learn from them and apply them in other situations in your life.

Having compassion for others is very important because it helps mend fences as well as helping you develop emotional intelligence and well-being.

It is important to be a good listener. Listen to your surroundings. Listen to what’s happening. Take it all in. Life is always speaking to us. That’s a fact. The question is, are you listening to what it’s saying?

And finally, have patience. In a world filled with instant gratification, it can be hard to be patient. Anything that is meaningful in life, love, relationships, a career takes time. Nothing comes easy in life. There’s no such thing as an “overnight success”. Stay the course & be patient with life.

What was the most impactful thing your parents did for you?
They gave me the gift of life! That’s the greatest gift of all!

Contact Info:

Image Credits
Field shot by: Laurie Ziel File Names: Pic, Sitting, Wall all by Erin McGuirk Life’s Little Accidents cover art by: Max Holsbeke Here From There cover by: Laurie Ziel

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