Meet Nolia Joy

We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Nolia Joy a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Hi Nolia, we’re so appreciative of you taking the time to share your nuggets of wisdom with our community. One of the topics we think is most important for folks looking to level up their lives is building up their self-confidence and self-esteem. Can you share how you developed your confidence?

Confidence is a funny thing. For me, it hasn’t been something steady or linear. As a young woman in my 20s, there are days when I feel like I am on top the world, and others when I want to disappear under the covers. Being in college and pursuing music has been exciting and fulfilling, but also exhausting and full of self-doubt. I often caught myself replaying interactions in my head, wondering if I came across strong enough, or worrying too much about how others perceived me.
As a musician, I am constantly meeting new people and other artists. I couldn’t help but compare myself. Especially to other women who seemed so composed, magnetic, and effortlessly confident. I wanted to be like them, forgetting that I had my own kind of energy: lively, warm, and vibrant. I didn’t recognize it at the time, but I was taking my own light for granted while wishing for someone else’s.
My confidence really started to grow when I shifted perspective. Instead of only admiring others, I tried to understand what it might feel like to be in their shoes and then applied those lessons to my own life. More importantly, I started putting as much effort into myself as I was pouring into others. Making time for myself; whether to rest, move my body, create, or just breathe. It taught me that taking care of myself wasn’t selfish, it was essential.
I’ve learned that confidence isn’t about being flawless or magnetic all the time. it’s about recognizing and nurturing your own energy first. When you lift yourself up, you naturally have more to give to others. That’s been the foundation of how I’ve developed both my confidence and my self-esteem.

Let’s take a small detour – maybe you can share a bit about yourself before we dive back into some of the other questions we had for you?

I’m currently a student at Rollins College studying music and communication, and my focus is on pursuing my career as a musician and performer. I’m the frontwoman for my band, Nolia Joy & The Ramblers, and together we’ve built a sound that’s hard to pin down but lives somewhere in the world of Alt-country, Americana, and Roots-rock. What makes our shows special is that we weave my original songs together with reinvented covers: everything from Ramblin’ Man by The Allman Brothers, to a jazz-inspired take on Britney Spears’ Toxic, to The Grateful Dead’s Fire on the Mountain.

For us, it’s not just about the music, it’s about the connection. We love engaging with our audiences, both during the show and afterwards at the merch table. Those conversations and connections are what fuel us as a band.

We’ve got some exciting gigs coming up in the Central Florida area, including:
09.12 Stardust, Winter Park
10.31 The Imperial at Washburn Imports, Orlando
11.07 Tom Petty Weekend at Heartwood Studios, Gainesville
12.05 The Imperial at Washburn Imports, Orlando

Another milestone I’m thrilled to share is that we’re currently working on our very first album project, which will be released next year. It’s a collection of all my originals that I’ve been writing since my freshman year of college; Songs about growing, hurting, and achieving my dreams. This project feels like the truest reflection yet of who I am as a songwriter and performer, and I can’t wait to share it with our listeners.

Music has been part of my life for as long as I can remember. I wrote my very first song with my dad when I was four years old, called“Baby Drives A Car.” Growing up surrounded by bluegrass and Gainesville’s strong local music scene, I developed a love for harmony, for live performance, and for the community that music builds. I’ve been gigging with my dad’s bluegrass band since I was five, and I started performing under my own name, Nolia Joy, when I was 15. My first regular gig was a three-hour set at Satchel’s Pizza in Gainesville, and by 17 I had formed an all-girl band, Breakfast 4 Dinner, with my friends; we quickly grew a local following and packed out restaurants and bars.

Since starting college, my writing has really evolved—becoming more personal, emotionally resonant, and musically mature. Songwriting has always been my foundation, and now I feel like I’m writing from a deeper place while still holding onto the joy and energy that have always been at the heart of my music.
I think what makes my band and me unique is how much we value authenticity and connection. Our audiences often say it best:
“Nolia Joy & the Ramblers have awesome energy and they’re all great musicians! Their songs are so unique. There’s really nothing like them right now.”
“Nolia is such an incredibly talented singer and songwriter. She’s really found her niche of music, and she thrives in it. Her voice shines in everything she writes.”
“Captivating original music. Nolia Joy and the Ramblers are the real deal!”
“Nolia Joy & the Ramblers truly know how to make anyone feel moved by music—their energy is infectious!”

At the end of the day, that’s what it’s all about for me: making music that moves people, brings them together, and leaves them feeling connected.

There is so much advice out there about all the different skills and qualities folks need to develop in order to succeed in today’s highly competitive environment and often it can feel overwhelming. So, if we had to break it down to just the three that matter most, which three skills or qualities would you focus on?

Optimism: Believing that good things are possible has carried me through both exciting opportunities and hard moments. In music, there are plenty of ups and downs, but keeping a hopeful outlook has helped me stay motivated and enjoy the ride. It’s kept me going and believing that if I keep putting my best foot forward, I am capable of most anything. My advice: nurture optimism by celebrating small wins—they keep you moving forward.

Resilience: Every artist faces rejection, challenges, and moments of doubt. Resilience is what has allowed me to bounce back, keep writing, and keep performing even when things felt uncertain. My advice: don’t see setbacks as failures; see them as lessons that make you stronger.

Authenticity: For a long time, I compared myself to others. But the more I leaned into my own voice and energy, the more confident I became as a performer and songwriter. My advice: the most powerful thing you can do is be yourself: your story, your style, and your sound are what people connect with.

Connection: Music is about people. Some of my favorite moments come not just from the songs themselves, but from talking with fans after shows, sharing stories, and feeling that sense of community. My advice: invest in relationships. Invest in those of your audience, your collaborators, and yourself. The connections you build will carry you further than talent alone.

Okay, so before we go we always love to ask if you are looking for folks to partner or collaborate with?

Yes! Right now, Nolia Joy & The Ramblers are looking for a fiddler/mandolin/banjo musician who can also sing harmonies and bring strong musical intuition to the band. Since losing our last fiddler, we’ve really missed that bluegrass element, it’s such a big part of my writing and the sound I want to cultivate. I love blending acoustic roots with electric energy, and we’d love to find someone who shares that vision and can connect with us onstage through both the music and the communication.

As an individual songwriter, I’m also excited to make more connections with other writers. I’d love to do more co-writing and collaborative sessions, especially ones we can share on socials to give people a behind-the-scenes look at the creative process.

The band is also on the lookout for more gig opportunities—festivals, farmers markets, and community events where live music helps bring people together. If you’re a local vendor or organizer looking for entertainment, we’d love to connect.

You can reach me at:
📧 email: [email protected]
📱 Instagram: @noliajoymusic

Contact Info:

• Website: https://linktr.ee/noliajoy
• Instagram: noliajoymusic
• Facebook: Magnolia Demers
• Youtube: Nolia Joy & The Ramblers
• Other: TikTok: noliajoymusic