Taylor
Mallory is making a name for himself in the Chicago area with his
soulful vocals. A native of Decatur, Illinois, Mallory started
singing professionally at the age of five. Mallory traveled with a
contemporary gospel boy-band performing locally and around the
country for eight years. At age 13, Mallory began writing and composing
his own music. However, it wasn’t until Mallory turned 18 that he
moved to Chicago and decided to pursue an education in music business
at Columbia University. Now Mallory is signed with Level Next
recording label and making his music known. He states that he is
“living the passion.” Some of his accomplishments are penning
hits with the production team Dupée Productions and having them
placed in shows, like the Style Network’s “How Do I Look”. He
has also been featured in several commercials. Mallory shared with SKP his thoughts on music today and what we can expect from him in the
future.
What is it about music in general that appeals to you?
Music
is a coping mechanism for me. I could have a very bad day and listen
to a great melody or instrumentation and suddenly I’ll forget what
was bothering me. I love that it has the power to not only create
change in a person, but also unite people as a whole.
What
are your thoughts about popular music today?
I
like most of the soulful popular music today. I find some of the
concepts to be more conceptually creative than the regular bubblegum
popular music. I appreciate artists like Kanye West, Bruno Mars,
Cee-Lo Green, Jessie J, and Adele for pushing the limits on their
music and making a popular sound unique.
Lots
of people get into music because of the fame/fortune. What are your
reasons for getting into this field and if you never made it big
would you still keep performing?
I
would like to provide for a family someday, I would like to have a
comfortable lifestyle, I would like to be known for my craft, and
however, there is a bigger picture for me. My reason for pursuing a
career in music is because I feel that I have a responsibility as an
artist to touch lives and make music that moves people. To be honest
with you, my level is next so all I do is think BIG. Therefore,
aiming for the top is my only option.
What
and who inspires your music?
The
majority of my music is inspired from my day-to-day life situations,
past experiences, other recording artists, and family. I have a great
support system from not only my parents, but my team Level Next as
well. I am inspired daily because we are in the trenches together
fighting for what we believe to make difference in our lives and the
lives around us. I also am inspired by other artists around me.
When they work hard and achieve great things it inspires me want to
do the same, but even better.
Did
you always know that this is what you wanted to do or did it come to
you as an epiphany of sort?
From
the day I started singing I knew that this is what I wanted to do. I
never second-guessed it! I couldn’t see myself doing anything else.
What
is the message that you want to portray through your music?
Each
song that I write has its own message, however the overall message I
want to convey as an artist is that being different is okay and that
you have the power to purposely live your life through passion. I
wear shoe strings around my wrist to remind myself as an artist that
there are people out there who don't feel that way and live in
unfortunate situations. Little do they know
what they love and what they want to do is who they are - We all have
the power to be different and make a difference.
What
sets you apart from other artists of today?
I
believe there are 5
things that set me
apart from other artists today. First
and foremost, I am not a one-dimensional artist.
I am a singer, composer, entertainer, and actor. Currently, I am a
recording artist and writer under Level Next Records, I have my own
music cooking show called Music Burger, and I am the VJ for the music
television show, AKOO.
Secondly,
I am a businessman. I
never put it in my head that being successful will just come to me
solely based on my talents. I am working on a day-to-day basis with
my team finding new outlets for our music to be placed in TV, Film,
commercials, and other multimedia formats.
Thirdly,
I incorporate performance art in my live performances.
When I perform live I always incorporate a little spoken word and
visuals to concretely get my message across - You will find me
holding up signs that say "I refuse to work a dead-end job"
or "My passion is my profession."
Fourthly,
every one of my
songs stems from honesty and the truth. I
like to touch on my past experiences with not only love, but
unfortunate situations.
Lastly,
my last name Mallory means "warrior" in German - POW!
What
artists do you have on your iPod and why?
You
know this is going to be a long list right? At the top of my list I
have Kanye West, Janelle Monae, Mayer Hawthorne, Stevie Wonder, Hall
& Oates, Cee-Lo Green, Bruno Mars, Beyoncé,
Outkast, and Skrillex - there music makes me jump out of my skin. I
love how all these artists have the ability to paint a picture,
musically.
What
advice would you give to someone who would like to pursue a music
career?
Never
make money the focal point of your career. When you focus
on materialistic and self-indulged things like fame and fortune you
dilute the gift that God has given you and you lose sight of what's
really important. Most importantly, I would encourage upcoming
musicians to constantly work on being the best in their craft and
stay true to their vision and who they are. All these tools, will
give you staying power in the game.
What
goals are you working towards and what should we be looking forward
to from you in the future?
Currently,
my main goal is to get more placements in TV and Film and elevating
my live performance game. In the near future, my team Level Next will
be putting out a compilation in early 2012 that will feature our
other artists ENDISKIZE, Willow Wells, Jami Singer, and Paris.
However, I am working on a personal EP titled "Tie Your Shoes"
that will be an eclectic
pop-soul EP.
How
can people find you online and listen to your music?
They
can find my current single "Sunni's Outside" on iTunes and
levelnextmusic.com. I am also available on all social networks. They
are as follows:
Label:
www.levelnextmusic.com
Facebook:
facebook.com/TaylorMalloryFanPage
Twitter:
twitter.com/taylormallory
YouTube:
youtube.com/taylormallory
youtube.com/levelnexttv
Saturday, March 3rd was the second performance for the John Ruffin Production of Dream Girls at the Harold Washington Cultural Center, located at 4701 Martin Luther King Dr. The theater was filled to the balcony while stragglers walked in as Ruffin addressed the crowd. I have seen the film and theater adaptation of this classic musical, but my expectations for this production were neutral. However, this was a well done presentation. There was perfect casting for the lead players consisting of Opal Nesbitt as "Deena Jones," China Stewart as "Effie White," KC Lee as "Curtis Taylor Jr.," and Mark Smith as "James Thunder Early" (Jimmy). Each one carried their own. Of course there were definitely the stand out characters such as "Jimmy," and "Effie White." Smith was a great Jimmy and gave Eddie Murphy a run for his money. Some highlights of the musical were a tap dance routine that was added to the "Stepping To The Bad Side" number. Also there was a modern dance routine added to the song "I Am Changing." Of course the show stopper of Effie singing, "I Am Telling You" is always a crowd pleaser. Stewart's performance was very emotional and left many people standing on their feet in applause at the end. The only cons about the performance were the microphones. Through the entire performance there were late cues on the mics, as if someone wasn't paying attention to their job. It was very distracting, needless to say. Also the microphones weren't of the highest quality. There was a lot of distortion when Stewart and others in the cast hit high notes. However, the show is in the beginning performances so hopefully any glitches can be fixed by the end of it's stint. If you are a lover of Dream Girls you will surely appreciate this Southside showing of a Broadway Musical. Dream Girls is running every Friday-Sunday until March 31st.
