Daily Inspiration: Meet Abby Dixon

Today we’d like to introduce you to Abby Dixon.

Alright, so thank you so much for sharing your story and insight with our readers. To kick things off, can you tell us a bit about how you got started?
For me, the journey of becoming a musician began before I could even talk. I learned to sing verses and choruses from some combination of children’s shows and Sunday school songs before I was able to form my own sentences. To this day, my Papa still calls me “Sunshine” because I began to sing his favorite tune, “You are my Sunshine” at the age of 3 when I visited my grandparents’ home. I have foggy memories of sitting at my grandparents’ piano in the dining room, trying to play using the dusty piano lesson books I discovered inside the bench. The room didn’t have any ceiling lights, so I would only play during the day.

I learned to read the notes while they were lit by the sunlight peeking through the windows. During the holidays, though, I wasn’t hindered by the sunset because I could read the sheet music illuminated by my grandmother’s Christmas tree and village decor. I remember these were the nights I played and sang until my parents made me go to sleep. They have always been incredible supporters of my music, but it wasn’t uncommon as I was growing up for my parents to have to tell me to stop playing to go to bed. According to my mother, I was born with a “song in my heart.”

This fact is peculiar, however, because no one in my immediate family was a musician by any means. The only person in my extended family who sang at all was my grandmother on my dad’s side. No one knew how to play any of the instruments in the house. So, it was through what I can only believe to be divine providence that my mom signed me up for vocal lessons at the age of seven. I joined a choir and began to fall in love with the idea of studying music.

The patterns, theory, and overall fun drew me in. My vocal teacher saw potential and gifts in me and cultivated them.

This instilled more confidence in me as well. I’m forever grateful for it. This is partially why I picked up a guitar and began to teach myself how to play at the start of my seventh-grade year. I believe that’s what truly began to unlock something inside of me. My love of music had been growing since the day I was born, but something was different about this. When I strummed a guitar, I gained the ability to create something new. Melodies I had only heard in my head now existed concretely in the world. I could create music that had never been sung. The concept was intoxicating. This is when I began to be a songwriter.

As it is for many musicians, writing songs became a personal, therapeutic tool for me. I was able to communicate my emotions in a well-rounded way that was clearly communicative. I learned a lot about myself during this time. But it wasn’t until the fall semester of my sophomore year of high school I learned I could write songs that breached the parameters of my own life. I learned how I could step into someone else’s shoes through melody and lyrics.

I remember leaving my school building with my best friend and heading to the parking lot one day after chemistry class. As we approached her hand-me-down golden Toyota Tacoma, dented on all sides and practically older than both of us combined, we noticed her mom’s Honda Pilot parked nearby. The car was running while her mom sat in the front seat. This was curious, but not completely out of the realm of possibility since her mom taught at our school. My best friend’s mom waved her over to the car, so she tossed me the keys and went to see what was going on. I watched from the passenger seat of the Tacoma as my friend’s mom said something, hugged her, and they both began to cry.

I eventually learned a fellow high schooler in our community took his life that morning. I had never met him and had no idea how to comfort my friend, who knew him personally. What do you do? At 15 years old I could barely comprehend the gravity of the situation, much less the weight it had on those around me who knew him well. That night I turned to the only way I knew how to process. Music. I wrote a song entitled, “Save You.” A song from the perspective of my best friend, wishing she could go back and do something different. I remember being so afraid of playing it for anyone. When I bravely played it for my friend, I watched her brown eyes flood with tears. Not tears of confusion, anger, or hurt, but of an overwhelming feeling of being understood. Being understood? I could give a voice to people hurting? My mind raced to try and comprehend what this meant. Though I didn’t know what it meant for me, I knew at that moment I would be writing songs for other people for the rest of my life. I wanted to get better and make those around me feel seen and heard. I was hooked.

The next summer, I went to a songwriting camp in Nashville. As a junior in high school, I had never done anything like this before. I wrote songs in my room and played them for my friends and family. So, to step into a room of other fifty other high schoolers pursuing songwriting was overwhelming. We were crammed into a classroom space at Trevecca University with a small stage when the lead instructor introduced the open mic section of the day. To this day I can’t fully explain why, but I went up and sang, “Save You.” I’m also not sure why I chose to sing that song specifically, but I will never forget the responses. After I got off the stage, many people approached me. One lady, in particular, stood out.

“Thank you so much for singing that song.” She said

“Thank you for listening,” I replied, “I’m really excited to be here!” But as I said this, I noticed her demeanor began to shift.

“I lost a dear friend to a long battle with cancer last year, this song felt like it was written for me. Genuinely, thank you for putting it into words. I would love to have a recording of it.”

I barely knew what to say. She was moved by my music? Someone could take a song I wrote about something specific and apply it to something completely different in their own life. My head began to spin. What seemed like such a simple concept became revolutionary to me at that moment. I could write about what I and those around me were experiencing, but it could mean more to people from completely different walks of life than I could’ve fathomed. I knew songwriting was a gift to help me process my personal life. I learned through “Save You” that it could help those close to me process emotions too. But this is when I learned how my songs could affect people I had never met.

My songs and stories could go into the world and have an impact on people I would never know. This series of discoveries continued to pile on top of each other, leaving a mountain to climb in front of me. That mountain became the music industry. A couple of years later I was accepted into Belmont’s songwriting program. To be accepted into such a prestigious music school for my biggest passion was hugely affirming. And while being at a competitive university always has its ups and downs, something in me knew this was where I was meant to be. It began to open more doors for me in parts of the music industry I never meant to step into. One of those, in particular, is the Christian Contemporary Music industry.

I was given an opportunity to lead worship for a conference in Indiana over New Year in 2021. I sang in front of three-thousand people over a span of eight sets and five days. The moment I stepped onto the stage for the last set, I realized that I belonged there. That stage felt like home. I watched through purple and blue lights illuminated by a fog machine as a group of thousands of unique individuals unite to a single focus. I was sharing music, moments, and emotions with people I would never have a one-on-one conversation with. This came with a feeling I will never forget. And I have continued to chase after that feeling and pursue worship leading since that day.

Do I know what exactly my future career will look like? It would be silly to assume so. The music industry is ever-changing and volatile. I don’t know if I will be working at a publishing company as a writer, or an artist, or if I’ll be leading worship at a church somewhere. At the end of the day, what I do know for sure is I will be writing songs for the rest of my life. I hope to write with other creatives as passionate as I am. I want to encourage people by sharing stories through music that makes people feel understood, heard, and seen.

This goal has never changed. From when I sang my Papa his favorite tune to when I realized I could write songs for others, I learned that I wanted to share my love of music with those around me. In some way, shape, or form, I will be sharing testimonies to a tune as long as I have a voice. And I hope to continue discovering new, exciting things about music for the rest of my life.

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?
Not necessarily! Moving to Nashville when you’re 18 is guaranteed to be scary. It’s nerve-wracking to move to a town with so many talented people!

Being surrounded by such exceptional levels of talent and experience was really intimidating and my first couple of “no’s” put doubts in my head. When I started to plug into a community, I was able to recognize that everyone benefits from collaboration and not competition.

As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about what you do?
I am a singer/songwriter worship leader. I’ve been writing music since I was 13 but didn’t want to work in the Christian industry until college. I think I was afraid of what would happen if the fears I had about pursuing a career in music affected my faith.

But what I’ve learned along the way is that the closer I grow in my relationship with Christ & the stronger my faith grows, that will naturally overflow into my music and what I write. I love writing in essentially all genres, but there’s something really special about writing corporate worship. Music always unites people, but in worship, it unites people toward one ultimate goal: to glorify God.

I’ve also been blessed with incredible developmental worship-leading opportunities since starting college. Now I travel somewhere pretty much every month to lead worship!

Alongside being a singer/songwriter worship leader, I also am about to complete a minor in Design Communication at Belmont! I love creating art and particularly love illustration & branding. I had the opportunity to do an internship in social media for a publishing company. Through that internship, I learned a lot about how I can integrate my love of art in the visual realm into my love of music!

Before we go, is there anything else you can share with us?
I am so grateful for this opportunity!

Last fall I was chosen to be a showcase artist for Belmont’s Christian Showcase. I wanted to write a new song to debut at that showcase. So! I sat down at my piano to write a song and asked myself a question: What is God teaching me right now that He wants me to share with my peers at Belmont? The result was a song called “Understand.” It’s about trusting that God is kind & on my side even when everything else seems to be falling apart. It’s a song about hope in a good God in a broken world. That song is now out on all streaming platforms!

You can also keep an eye out for more songs to come out this spring – I have some fun songs in the works that I can’t wait for you to hear!

Contact Info:

• Instagram: @__abbydixon
• Other: https://open.spotify.com/artist/2YK2AhNl93XR7L0ONYZVh2?si=kYyXJBGtQoyuUpbueJ3fxw 

Image Credits
Miranda Musgrave and Danya Parvin Cru