We had the good fortune of connecting with Malesha Taylor and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Malesha, can you share the most important lesson you’ve learned over the course of your career?
Live in Plan A, but always cultivate your Plan B and C to feed into Plan A.  While I was in school studying music, I knew that being a singer would come with a cost and also NOT guarantee me work.  I made sure that while I was studying to be a musical artist, I was also developing a professional resume in arts administration, production and music education. Now I have multiple streams of income that all feed into my Plan A and I know holistically what a career in the Arts involves. I also feel like a well-rounded human being, not just an artist or a business woman or a teacher functioning in a Silo.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
I am a classically-trained vocal artist, professor and the Founder of museSalon Collaborative, a 501c3 nonprofit arts services organization.  museSalon is growing this year with two major projects in motion, first, we are thrilled to be the Curator-in_Residence with Art on the Atlanta BeltLine. We are curating a music series and outdoor festival on Juneteenth Weekend!  As a Black, Woman and Artist-Led organization, we work at the intersection of Transformation, Equity and Impact. Another major project we support is Diversify the Stage, a network of music industry leaders working together to bring Historically Marginalized folx into top paying jobs in the music industry.
As a vocal artist, I have done a lot of interesting work throughout my career spanning from singing in the greatest opera and symphony stages in the US to collaborating with hip-hop poets, dancers, activists, yoga instructors and civic leaders.  I have also had the pleasure of collaborating with many great Atlanta artists like DJ Salah Ananse, founder of HOUSE in the PARK and Charmaine Minniefield who commissioned Salah and I to score the music in the PRAISE HOUSE PROJECT which is in residence with Emory University.

What sets me apart?
What sets me apart is my willingness to do things outside-of-the-box. Nothing I do is ordinary, simple or expected!

What have I learned along the way?
Be flexible and maintain a Growth Mindset.  Always envision More and flow in Possibility.  To me, that means being willing to listen to your environment and be present to respond to what is relevant in your community.

What I want the world to know!
I want the world to know that the greatest social movements in history would not have had lasting impact without Artists. Artists are major Agents of Change in our village-communities and strengthen the fabric of our politics.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
I would certainly take my friends to Historic Ebenezer Baptist Church and the Martin Luther King Center if they haven’t been there before and a stroll through our historic HBCUs.  I am also a nature lover, so if the weather is nice,
I take folks to the Roswell Mill Waterfall or to kayak the Chattahoochee River. For dinner, I enjoy having tapas, fine wines and craft cocktails at Barcelona Wine Bar. For a late night or after dinner spot, I enjoy Parlor Cocktail Den in Castleberry Hill.
Ladies spa day, I would take my girlfriends to Iwi Fresh Farm Oasis!

Website: www.musesalon.org

Instagram: @MaleshaTaylor

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/malesha-jessie-taylor-m-m-9a2844a/

Image Credits
Image Credit: Nick Nelson/ BRANDPRENEUR

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