Rising Stars: Meet Stefani Morton of Nashville

Today we’d like to introduce you to Stefani Morton

Hi Stefani, we’re thrilled to have a chance to learn your story today. So, before we get into specifics, maybe you can briefly walk us through how you got to where you are today?
I am a Nashville-based singer-songwriter, visual artist, retired art educator, and actor from South Carolina. Raised in a musically inclined family, I inherited a rich lineage, with my great grandfather having played the fiddle in the Buffalo Bill Cody Show and a distant cousin being none other than the remarkable Patsy Cline. My parents were involved in choirs and musicals in some capacity throughout their lives. During my younger years, I was deeply involved in community theatre, clogging groups, tap, ballet, and band.
I play various instruments, including flute, guitar, manditar, spoons, harmonica, and more. My primary genre of music is bluegrass and country. My art and music reflect the essence and charm of growing up in a small southern town. I have also delved into commercial acting. I have been in front of the camera from local to national ads with a couple of studios here in Nashville. My introduction to Music City happened when I won a songwriting contest in Charleston, SC, leading to a performance on stage with renowned Nashville songwriter Danny Wells, known for his work with George Strait and Rascal Flatts.

In August of 2023, I had an accident working on my townhome on Lake Murray in SC. It was a bizarre incident, and sepsis overtook my body. I almost lost my leg & my life that summer. I decided to move to Nashville after praying to God if He let me continue, I would work for Him through my music. And I do just that. I am not a worship music or CCM type writer, but some of my music is in the crossover category. Now, I have gotten into such rounds as ‘Jesus in A Bar, gigs at ‘Room in the Inn’ and local children’s ministries, and more. I still walk with a cane or a crutch. It does not stop me from being whole on stage or on paper. It has redefined me physically, not mentally. If anything, it has made me stronger. My doctors in SC have now sent me to Vanderbilt. They are fantastic to work with to find options to help me hopefully walk properly again.

I don’t think I would have gotten here either without my work with senior rescue dogs. I met my producer, Bob McGilpin, through Toby & Anna’s Guardian Angel Rescue in SC. It is a long and heartwarming story, but had I not gotten my first senior dog from there, Nashville would not have been an option.

So, calling Nashville home to pursue my career goals is exciting. I am an active member of ASCAP, NSAI, and ISSA. I possess an M.A.T. in Art Education and a National Board Certification. Teaching an award-winning art program in SC during my tenure really helped prepare me for the triumphs and challenges that await a songwriter here in Nashville. I am grateful for these experiences.

In addition, Nashville Ghost Tours via Amerighost has hired me to work with them. I drive a hearse downtown and give ghost tours about Music Row, Belmont Mansion, and Broadway through the paranormal activity of Nashville’s most haunting historical figures. It’s the most fantastic gig ever!

Since moving to Nashville, I have been fortunate to write with talented writers in town, play rounds at pretty unique venues, and work with local charities. I have had two releases featured in Lazie Indie Magazine and have been on a few podcasts. It is fun sharing my story. My story is unique, for I am starting this journey in retirement, not in my youth, but age is just a number. And the fact that I almost passed away makes it even more unique, I guess.

Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
When I lived in Charleston,SC and was still teaching school. I teamed up with another art teacher from another school district and we started to play music out. We were a tiny bluegrass duo. We had had a label from music row approach us back then. But we felt like it wasn’t in our best interest to move forward with that because we were dedicated to our careers. covid happened and our band dissolved. And I then decided to make a move to Columbia, South Carolina nearer to my maternal/paternal family. Once I got to Columbia I did not really pursue music. I was more into survival mode working as many jobs as possible to help me buy a new home. But I did have moments where I went and had a few shows at the VFW in Lexington which was awesome and I would play music at open mics. In South Carolina, I feel like cover music is a big part of the industry. And I am not a cover girl. Although there are many people that appreciate original music. I felt like I needed to make a change for my artistry after almost dying back in August 2023. I had been thinking about moving to Nashville back in the spring of 2023. I was working with a group out of Nashville online to learn about writing better songs. Full Circle music. I am grateful to them. And always will be. I came for a songwriting Boot Camp and almost gave up until I attended that Boot Camp and they brought a whole new perspective for me. My first song I ever recorded in Nashville in the fall of October 2023 was ‘Hey Boy’ which I wrote after that Boot Camp with Full Circle. It’s one of my most played songs. having almost died and my injury to my leg has been a challenge with moving here, but it hasn’t stopped me. I keep pushing forward with my music. And most people know when I come to their venue and I may need some help getting on and off the stage. I work several jobs here does not stop me even though it’s really hard sometimes to get out of bed in the morning to get things done. But I have God with me every step of the way he is with me through this whole journey through this fire and I somehow see that one day I’ll come out the other side winner. But I am a winner. That’s not to brag that’s just being honest. I drive a hearse for fun telling ghost stories downtown for Nashville ghost tours. I often joke that it’s better to be driving the hearse than being in the hearse although my clients are in the hearse but they know what I mean when I talk about that and they giggle. So I must keep shining on. No matter what. I’ve had moments where I didn’t know I would be able to survive here in Nashville and still juggle responsibilities that I have in South Carolina. But it has happened. i’ve experience highs and lows with songwriting and I still haven’t I don’t think experienced enough yet but it makes me become a better writer. I write with a lot of people but my consistent right partner is Gino Burgio. We write over zoom and then we meet about once a month in person. We meet a lot down at NSAI and pitch our music which is a lot of fun. It takes a lot of guts to get up here and do what anybody in Nashville is doing to make music work for them and to make people aware of what they’re trying to express. I’ve been in Nashville now for about almost 9 months. And I’m just scratching surface. hopefully soon I’ll be having surgery at Vanderbilt to repair my leg problem. But I will always remember how tough I had to be to get here to survive and to thrive on. Nashville has been very good to me everybody is so kind and I do mean that everyone from my Uber drivers to my doctors to the host of the shows that I play and to all my songwriting friends, fellow musicians and my development coach Chelsea Smith. Everyone here is just been very supportive and I’m so grateful to be in this environment. I think I finally found my vibe tribe

Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
I am a retired visual arts teacher starting a new life and career in Nashville as a songwriter. I am known for creating lyrics from vivid memories of living in the South. What makes me unique from other people starting in the songwriting business is that I do this in my 50s instead of my 20s. I’ve always loved the process of writing. I hold a MAT in art education and a national board certification that will run out in November 2024. I’ve held that certification for 20 years. Writing is in my blood. I enjoy a good challenge as well. And finding the right words to put into a song to paint the perfect picture is almost like solving a puzzle. I’m also a visual artist. And I love to paint. But since I’ve moved to Nashville, I’ve put that aside to paint my ideas into a different type of painting, the painting of stories into
song. One of my co-writers says that I am a spaghetti writer, and I throw many ideas out there and see if they stick. I guess it’s like throwing spaghetti against the wall to see if it sticks. People like to write with me because I come up with very catchy creative titles and creative ideas for hooks and chorus. I’ve been writing songs for about 12 years now. I am known in SC for my teaching, and I used to teach art to all grade levels in Charleston, South Carolina. I used to teach songwriting after school in the afterschool program at one of my schools in that district. It was gratifying. I work with Chelsea Smith from NashBash Collective here in Nashville. She helps me develop as an artist. She teaches me how to organize my catalog, send efficient pitch emails, and more. I already have people requesting to see my work & pitch them my songs. I am a member of ASCAP and the National Songwriters Association International. I am an active member of an NSAI, and I go down in pitch often. I love making connections with other songwriters in rounds. I often play music on my side gig as a tour guide for Nashville Ghost Tours through playlists. I do some acting on the side, and that’s how I wound up with Nashville Ghost Tours. I have appeared in several commercials and will soon be in a first feature film, which will premiere on Amazon. I’ve worked with two film studios out of Nashville. Music City has opened up a world of opportunity.
Since dropping my first singles into Spotify and about 20 other platforms, I’ve had the privilege of having two of my songs featured in Lazie Indie magazine thanks to award winning artist and GRAMMY Voter Lyia Meta. Have been on, I believe, four podcasts. My music was also featured on the WDVX Blue Plate Special by my cowriter, David Easterling, and I’ve been lucky enough to play in many venues, such as The Commodore, Bad Axe Throwing, Dive Hotel, Sweet Cee Cee’s Yougart, Aloft Hotel, Bobby Idle Hour, Alley Taps, and Copper Branch Vegan.
I also play charitable causes such as Room At The Inn at Clancy’s Cafe and the songwriter series for Jesus in a Bar. I am returning to the festival scene on Labor Day weekend at the Cumberland Mountain Songwriters Festival, and I couldn’t be more pleased. Nashville Has welcomed me with open arms since the day I got here. And even though I have my challenges with my leg and overcoming my sepsis, I am still out there doing what I love to do, even though it takes a little bit more time. But this is a 10-year town, right? So I’ve got plenty of time, but there is no time to waste, so I will continue to spread sunshine and southern charm throughout this town. Yes, I aim to get a cut eventually and will be happy with that. I know it’s a long and hard road, but I taught for 28 years, so this next journey shouldn’t be too much of a problem. Here’s the part, and don’t get me wrong, I loved being an art teacher, but here’s the part where I get to enjoy doing what I set out to do, working as a songwriter and enjoying this songwriting journey.

How do you define success?
It’s tough for an artist to define what true success means. For instance, in my earlier days moving here to Nashville, I thought playing music and performing was the epitome of success. But as I go through my journey purely as a songwriter here in this town, success has become redefined. It is about the sheer enjoyment of pursuing the dream. The fact that I survived a near-death experience last summer in 2023 and moved here is successful enough for me. Seeing smiles on people’s faces from my music, the energy I bring on stage, and through my lyrics make me feel successful, just as much as being able to help others in need through my music. Being in the chase is successful. Chasing this dream of songwriting is an unending journey; there’s always a better song to write, and there’s always a better way to present your lyrical branding. That is what I love about the challenges in this industry. The day I feel very successful, I suppose, is when I walk into a store and hear a song I wrote or co-wrote playing on the sound system, and I don’t know a soul in that store. Those souls don’t know I wrote that song, and I’m in my loungewear, picking milk and bread to come back home & write more hit songs with my cat and dog in tow. That, I guess, is what I call succeeding. Having it all in simplicity is not only essential but successful.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.stefanimorton.com
• Instagram: @STEFANI_MORTON_MUSIC
• Facebook: @Stefani Morton Music
• Youtube: @StefaniMortonMusic
• Soundcloud: https://on.soundcloud.com/2QgXpBK3JcVhGZXXA
• Other: https://open.spotify.com/artist/4fWdc2zqYSlcK5bugW0HCL?si=8UnDIqQITUSZgj0qnMnXfQ