A lot of the music that we listen to often comes from the singer/songwriter’s personal life story in hopes that we are able to relate to what they are trying to convey. A common theme in a lot of this type of music is pain from an experience or experiences they have dealt with in the past and are now using that in a musical way for many to hear. This is exactly what Sammi Rae Murciano has done with her song “Reflection” and new EP that will be out this fall.
Sammi Rae went through an immense amount of bullying growing up that she has packaged what she dealt with into this beautiful song that should be on a much larger magnitude than it is right now. In due time is the hope. The talented songstress recorded the track with recording artist and winner of MTV’s “Making The Band 4” Donnie Klang and Artist/Engineer Matthew LaPorte at the Loft Sound Studio in Long Island.
She sat down with me at Manhattan Digest to discuss how the song “Reflection” came together, her new EP and thoughts on global domination in music. Take a look.
First off, you have a great name. Have you ever thought about just being Sammi Rae or do you prefer the first, middle and last?
Thank you. My real name is Samantha Rachel Murciano, but I’ve just always gone by Sammi Rae Murciano as my stage name.
The inspiration for your music comes from you being bullied, which isn’t usually what people think of when it comes to this sort of field. Can you go a little more into that?
Having gone through personal experiences with bullying, I turned my hardship into “Reflection”, an empowering track that looks back at my own experiences. “The line in the song ‘living everyday not knowing what was going to happen or be’ shows everything I’ve gone through getting up each and every day.” But having been bullied has given me the inspiration to help others that are going through the same thing.
Where are you today with what you went through?
Even though everything I have gone through with bullying was very painful, I have become stronger from it. I’ve learned that no matter what anyone says or does never let that stop you from following your dreams. I turned a negative situation into something positive. I want my personal experiences to inspire others. My song “Reflection” came from my experiences with bullying and I want people that are going through the same thing to feel that they can come out of all of this a stronger person. No matter what always believe in yourself and anything you put your mind to you can achieve.
I saw you worked with Donnie Klang on the record. What was that process like?
Working with Donnie Klang and Matt Laporte from The Loft Sound Studio is amazing. We first come up with the music for the song. During this time, I think of a concept and idea for what I want the song to be about. Then I am able to go into my journal and turn my feelings into a song that will tell a story.
Will you do songs similar to “Reflection” for future work or will your art going another direction?
I have an EP coming out this fall which is a continuation of my personal experiences. People will be able to see everything that I have gone through in my songs and how I overcame all of these hardships and became stronger from it all. I want my songs to inspire others to do what they love.
Who would you love to work with one day in the music industry and why?
There are many talented artists, producers, and labels that I would love to work with. Some artists that are a huge inspiration to me would be Celine Dion, Beyoncé, Demi Lovato, Ariana Grande, James Arthur, Shawn Mendes, and Justin Bieber. This is just to list a few, but of course there are many other amazing artists.
Finally, what are you most hopeful for in your career?
I am looking forward to continuing to write and release new music. My dream is to tour all around the world and perform at Madison Square Garden. Something that is very important for me, is that I would love to inspire others while I’m on my journey following my dreams.
For more information on Sammi Rae Murciano, please check out her official website.