Today we’d like to introduce you to Maya Marchelle.
A native of Minneapolis, Minnesota, Maya Marchelle has been surrounded by artistry and creativity all her life. Born into a large family of singers, musicians, dancers, writers, and preachers she regularly experienced how God could use natural gifts in the most creative way. This exposure would lead her on a journey to her own artistic path.
Not only did her family occupy themselves with artistic abilities, but they also stressed the value of education. Some of those same talented individuals were doctors, educators, social workers, and business owners. This balanced picture allowed Maya to envision several possibilities. After graduating from Minneapolis North High School, she arrived at Xavier University in August 2005, only to be disrupted by Hurricane Katrina two weeks later, escaping with only the clothes on her back. She temporarily landed at Southwest University in Marshall, Minnesota and finally at the University of Minnesota where she earned a Bachelor of Science in Child Psychology in 2009 and a Master of Social Work with an emphasis in Families and Children in 2014.
Ever the trendsetter, having an entrepreneurial spirit, and embracing her artistic side, in 2015, Maya created her Maya Marchelle clothing line, which was quite popular with her peers and generated a large social media following. While employed as a middle school social worker, to make extra money she started twisting locs, advertising the service as Don’t Dread, and has become a premier loctician with clientele that includes several professional athletes. With a passion for music, a few years later she wondered what would happen if she tried to write a song. The inspiration was so palpable that the words began to flow. In 2016, with her musician brother as her producer, she released the single “On Instagram” on SoundCloud. It was an immediate success and inspired her to write more songs. On her birthday in September 2016 she released her first EP “29”, which featured lead vocals of some of her friends in the music industry.
As a social worker in a middle school with predominantly African American students, Maya noticed the low self-esteem of many of the girls, which reminded her of dark days she had experienced as a teen and young adult. When one girl expressed that a family member continually berated her, Maya decided she would greet the scholar each day with, “Hey, pretty,” a phrase her father would often say to her. She extended this greeting to all the female scholars, which inspired her to create an eponymous song with uplifting verses in 2017. She immediately paired the song with a coloring book. Both the “Hey, Pretty!” song and coloring book have become so successful that the brand created a movement for girls and women of all ages to embrace their love of self and to see themselves reflected in art. The “Hey, Pretty!” video shoot was held on Easter Sunday 2019, and the video can be viewed on YouTube. Other “Hey, Pretty!” merchandise is also occasionally available at www.mayamarchelle.com.
To house all her creative endeavors, in June 2017 Maya established The Maya Marchelle Company, an inspirational music, fashion, and publishing company that extends across all genres and styles in African American culture. She has launched three successful clothing lines with celebrity endorsements; is building her songwriting catalog and has written songs for several artists; released another EP “There Will Be Clouds” in 2018; and her latest book “Your Hue Looks Good on You” which aids to affirm black children of various hues to love the skin they’re in, was released in February 2020.
Maya hopes that her persistence and ingenuity will spark creativity and passion in all those with whom she comes in contact. Her sole purpose in life is to suffuse the world with her light and glorify God in the process.
We’re always bombarded by how great it is to pursue your passion, etc – but we’ve spoken with enough people to know that it’s not always easy. Overall, would you say things have been easy for you?
The biggest challenge would be breaking into an industry where it seems as though quantity is valued over quality.
So, what’s next? Any big plans?
Firm believer in “less talking, more results”. However, I am working on a project that will hopefully end up in households all over the country. Don’t want to talk to much on but set to release a preview at the top of 2021.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.mayamarchelle.com
- Instagram: maya.marchelle
- Facebook: Maya Marchelle
- Twitter: maya_marchelle
Image Credit:
All photos in orange can be credited to (Corey Byrd)
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