Rising Stars: Meet Maura Streppa

Today we’d like to introduce you to Maura Streppa.

Hi Maura, thanks for joining us today. We’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
I grew up in the suburbs of Chicago as the youngest of five. Our house was never silent – whether it was the dog barking, the kids bickering, or my Dad’s reel to reel blasting throughout the home speakers. My brothers and I were obsessed with my Dad’s record collection while my sisters loved my Mom’s seemingly endless closet. My brother would sit with me at the piano while we made up fun little melodies and it was clear then that I had a passion for music.

My mom put me in musical theater classes and everyone could tell my home was on stage. I grew up staring in our hometown musicals and knew my path was to move to New York and star on Broadway – however, that plan got interrupted when my parents sat me down and told me we were moving to North Carolina.

I tried to break into the musical theater scene in Charlotte, but it wasn’t as exciting as it was in Chicago. I was 12 when we moved and really started to go through your typical teenage drama. My only outlet was sitting at the piano and singing about it. After writing for about two years, my parents decided the songs weren’t too shabby and put me in a studio to record an EP.

I recorded my first EP and got a synch placement in a Michael Shannon movie. This project led me to an artist development deal with Mark Cunningham (Red Light Management). Mark sent me to Nashville to work on co-writing, something I had never done, and come back with three songs to release as singles. I met some of the most amazing people during my visit and knew I wanted to move to Nashville as soon as I graduated high school.

I went back to NC with a bunch of great songs and a whole new approach to writing. I released the three singles, graduated high school, opened for Jimmie Allen, played Carolina Country Music Festival, and moved to Nashville to pursue a degree in Songwriting and Music Business at Belmont University.

Since moving to Nashville, I’ve released two singles and plan to release an EP in April. I got my first radio placement and spend almost every night playing various writer’s rounds and showcases.

I’m sure you wouldn’t say it’s been obstacle free, but so far would you say the journey have been a fairly smooth road?
My biggest struggle since moving to Nashville and fully pursuing songwriting has been balancing school, work, and music. I tend to bite off more than I can chew and it forces me to pull back on my music. In addition to music, I am in school full-time, work three jobs, foster dogs (I’ve had over 30), and try to live life as a typical 21 years old. It’s difficult to balance everything while staying energized and inspired enough to write and perform.

Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
I am a singer and songwriter, however, this title is only an umbrella to all of the things this job entails. I am my own manager, booking agent, band coordinator, merchandise designer, storekeeper, website designer, social media manager, graphic art designer, tour manager, publisher, promoter, and more. I write primarily Americana/country music for my own artist music, but I am able to write all genres depending on the artist I’m writing for. I am most proud of my latest single, Line Dance because I worked my butt off to market that song and I am extremely proud of how well it’s done.

What I believe sets me apart from others is my work ethic. I am known to be a hustler when it comes to promoting my music and I have been able to make a lot of incredible connections from my work ethic which have opened many doors to incredible opportunities.

What do you like and dislike about the city?
My favorite thing about Nashville is the people. When I ask someone why they moved here, most people respond “just cause” or “to follow my dreams”. No one, to my knowledge, moves to Purdy, Missouri for “fun”. It is a city filled with passion, excitement, and eagerness.

My least favorite thing about Nashville is that we aren’t as close to a beach as I’d like to be! But hey, it’s worth it for all of the amazing things we have that the beach doesn’t.

Contact Info:

• Email: maurastreppamusic@gmail.com
• Website: www.maurastreppa.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/maurastreppamusic/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/maurastreppamusic1
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/c/MauraStreppa

Image Credits
Will Lipchik Andrew Gruber