Meet Miriam Benjamin

Today we’d like to introduce you to Miriam Benjamin.

Miriam, we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin?
I have been singing since I could talk and have been doing music and art in some way from a very young age. I started off playing the violin at 6 years old and it was not for me but I am so thankful for it because it lead me to the cello-my first love. I remember watching so many musicals growing up-old musicals and the music would make me feel like I could fly. I started writing songs very young as well and have always been a free spirit so to speak, so I wasn’t thinking anything of my songwriting really at that time but I so enjoyed it. My family would always go to nursing homes to sing and play instruments but I didn’t start performing as a singer until I was around 15 years old.

My sisters and I started a singing group when we lived in California and while that was not our dream and did not last long, I do believe that it started a fire in me to really do this for myself. When I later moved to Houston I really started getting opportunities to sing and perform and finally found the beginning of my voice. I worked at a recording studio in the Houston area before moving to Nashville and I am so thankful for that experience but I was lacking opportunity and challenge and just felt in my gut that I needed to go for this music thing and move! I grew up with a lot of abuse and a lot of others having control over my decisions for my life. Being able to go for my own dream has been a huge part of my liberation and healing. Music saved my life. Since moving to Nashville I have written, directed, and produced my own music video and have released 3 songs far!

I have some very exciting projects in the works right now actually and cannot wait for you to hear!

Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall, and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
Nothing about this road has been smooth but that’s not what I signed up for. Some of the biggest struggles have honestly been financial. I grew up financially supporting my family from a very young age and wasn’t able to keep my own money that I earned until I was 22 so in many ways, I felt like I was behind in that area. And every part of music production, songwriting…It takes time and it takes money. Then you’ve got to keep a roof over your head while going full force after your dream and the mental battle at that point is hard!

I am so thankful though for the abilities that I have. Just the gift of health, of movement, I am so thankful that I have the opportunity in life to give it all I’ve got and go for what I want. I didn’t have an easy childhood or teenage years into my early twenties, there was a lot of abuse. I was used to struggling but getting to struggle for what I love is actually one of the best feelings. And that goes for so many areas in my life. I am building my own business, am about to begin real estate investment, and more! I have my hands in a lot of creative areas and that’s how I like it!

Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
I am a songwriter, producer, and singer but day and a Trader Joe’s crew member by night. I am currently working for Songfinch where I create custom songs for special occasions and I love it! It is really special to first get to hear people’s stories and then get to put music to their words about their loved ones so special. I am also at the moment working on an album and have a ton of singles in the works as well! I specialize in being able to cross genres both in writing and performance! I have written and performed pop, rock, R&B, country, and classical genres and I truly enjoy all of them! I get inspired by the simplest things like the sound of the wind from a car zooming by, or just a phrase that passes through my mind might have great energy and then I chase it! And it could turn out to be in any one of those genres! I would say I am known for my big energy, my raspy voice, and my free spirit. I am most proud of my project for “save me”. Me, my boyfriend and a couple of his best friends-all extremely talented-came together to create something meaningful and put every ounce of our heart and soul into it.

It was such a cool process because you see, we wrote the music video first and then I wrote a song to go with the story. Everyone on our team had lived through/lived with depression and I myself have been suicidal before. We wrote this song for those struggling with depression, anxiety, and suicide and dedicated it to someone very special who lost his life to suicide. The whole project from beginning to end had so much heart and I almost cry every time I think about it. Music is magic. Art is magic. This music video was about the inner struggle of saving yourself-choosing yourself when a huge part of you wants to give up. “Save me” is what I am most proud of so far. What sets me apart from others…I think the fact that I don’t care much about typical branding. I am here to live life and enjoy and succeed and be at peace and be happy. I made the decision very early on that I will not be anyone but myself and I know that I will continue to evolve and grow and change and that is a good thing. I am a diverse human with many expressions and I am not afraid to show all of them.

How do you define success?
Success is staying true to myself every day and in every moment, believing that I CAN. Success is every moment that you choose to not give up. It is knowing that you create your own happiness and then taking that power and creating it! Success is not the “peak” or the “end goal” that is achieved. I have many goals in life and I am in the midst of them right now! I am currently succeeding and will keep succeeding. A couple of months ago I was preparing for a big pitch and I was beginning to doubt myself and woke up one morning feeling very down and depressed and didn’t even know why really. So I asked myself, “ok Miriam, what would make you happy at this moment? What is something that would instantly lift your spirits?” and my answer was “I really want that good news…I really want that “yes”. I then said, “are you ready to receive that success?

Because it will come, but you have to be ready to receive it”. So I got out of bed, meditated, and decided that I would be ready for the “yes” that I wanted so badly. That I would spend my time preparing for a yes and not a no. I believe opportunities always will come and go and that it is my responsibility to be ready and to invite them when they come! I am happy. I am so thankful for all I have in my life and how far I’ve come so far. As Naruto says “If you don’t like the hand that fate’s dealt you, fight for a new one.” I believe there will be much more beauty and success to come because I will never give up.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.songfinch.com/artists/83305
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/miriam_musiccc/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/miriam.benjamin.73
• Other: https://open.spotify.com/artist/2jTCCV567idMatBJXVHFe2?si=bWjq8RqeRHu1VyarzD_FFA

Image Credits
Tony Liam