Liberty Alumna Harnesses Her Passions, Releases EP
One Liberty alumna’s passion for singing and writing music has always run deep, but her dream of officially releasing music became a reality when she transferred to Liberty and connected with a producer to release her EP “Evergreen.”
When she arrived at Liberty pursuing a bachelor of music in artist development, Madison Taylor soon ran into vocal problems. She developed vocal strain from singing several hours a day and knew she needed to take a break to rest her voice.
“It was hard because I basically wrapped my life around music, and then I started to struggle with my voice,” Madison Taylor said.
At the end of her junior year, she changed her major to interdisciplinary studies with concentrations in music and communications. Although this shift was a difficult change, Madison Taylor was ultimately thankful for this redirection because she developed a passion for communication.
“I believe that God was reminding me there is more he has gifted me with than just my voice,” Madison Taylor said. “Changing my major allowed me to further develop my artistic skill set through communication-based classes. It was a challenging but humbling experience.”
After changing her major, her musical journey took a turn for the better. A friend told her about a music production studio in Williamsburg, Virginia called Pipe Dream Studios. She was hesitant to reach out at first, but she decided to take a leap of faith and contact producer Corey Pavlosky. She was encouraged by his enthusiasm and willingness to take on her project.
“Working with Pipe Dream Studios felt like an open door that I didn’t have to force open,” Madison Taylor said. “I learned to keep trusting in God’s timing when it comes to the desires he places on my heart.”
Pavlosky connected Madison Taylor with guitarist Jared McLaughlin, then a freshman at Liberty studying aeronautics, and together they recorded her EP “Evergreen” which was released in 2020.
“The music itself is unique,” McLaughlin said. “It’s definitely super folk-pop, which I think is something we don’t hear a lot of today. It’s really cool vocal centered stuff, but at the same time there’s a substantial instrumental side to it.”
“Evergreen” features strong vocals with an enchanting soundtrack, which includes guitar, piano, violin and cello. Old country, indie folk, pop and Celtic music influenced her songwriting style. The imagery of her lyrics, many inspired by nostalgia and matters of the heart, move the listener to feel the emotion she seeks to convey in each note.
When Madison Taylor graduated from Liberty in the summer of 2020, she moved back to her hometown in New Jersey where she had the opportunity to film her first music video, She worked with Toby Moon Productions, a local video production company, to produce a video for her original song “Destined.”
“I personally know the producer and camera assistant on the team, Dan and Kyle Whitehead, because I grew up with them,” Madison Taylor said. “Their production team is very upbeat, so filming the video was a fun and rewarding experience.”
The music video was released in the beginning of January on Madison Taylor’s YouTube channel. Her “Evergreen” EP is available on all music streaming platforms. Her music website is www.madisontaylorsings.com and social media is @madisontaylorartist.
Ashleigh Brown is a Feature Reporter.