We had the good fortune of connecting with Robin Fay Massie and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi ROBIN FAY, why did you decide to pursue a creative path?
In an attempt to get to know someone, one of the most commonly-asked questions is: “What do you do for a living?” Perhaps we ought to ask: “what gives you life?” Inspiration drives us to seek and discover purpose and invites others to do the same.

As a shy child, I loved to sing, dance, draw, and I desired to take care of people. At age four, I announced that I wanted to be a nurse. At five years old, while visiting a family friend, I wandered over to her old Wurlitzer upright piano. While tinkering on its aged ivory keys, I was entranced by the colorful soundscapes that I painted in those moments of exploration. My parents witnessed my fascination with the instrument. Taking the very little financial nest egg they had, my parents soon enrolled me in piano lessons. That very same Wurlitzer piano would later become my first instrument – again, a sacrificial act of love. In the following years, continuing with piano, I started violin and viola lessons in and outside school.

That once shy little girl was told that “there is room for [all of us] at the table in music and life.” I dreamed of being an artist who could mend broken spirits: a muse. What liberated me to explore my frailties, fragility, idiosyncrasies, unique interests and abilities would allow me to promote healing in myself and others. This led me to pursue musical performance as a vehicle for finding joy in Purpose. It also forced me to look beyond the avenues of performance and education toward building community.

Following a catastrophic earthquake in Haiti, driven by images of displaced families and devastation, I founded Musicians of Mercy (MOM) in January 2010 – a collective of musicians and artists, producing benefit concerts to raise funds for humanitarian causes. A very raw and grassroots effort, I knew my friends and I could use our time and talents to improve life for others in need. In so doing, we all fulfilled an incredible sense of belonging.

Just a few years later, I was brought to my knees, finding myself in the process of a turbulent marriage and rocky divorce. Brokenhearted and feeling defeated, I needed a shift. I pondered so many existential questions… What areas of untapped potential have I not explored within myself? What qualities and experiences do we all have in common? How might I serve my family and others? How can I turn my pain into purpose? I remembered that small child who wanted to be a nurturer, a healer. Once again, encouraged by my family, I stepped outside my comfort zone and returned to school, having already completed graduate studies in viola performance. In 2018, I would take the graduation stage; this time, as a nurse. Throughout that process, I began to understand that nursing and music were not separate entities: rather, part of the same spectrum of compassionate artistry.

In 2020, time stood still as the Covid-19 pandemic threatened everyday life as we knew it. Departing from familiar routines and structures, we donned masks and armed ourselves with hand sanitizer. Some worked remotely, homeschooled their children, sought new career paths, and even abandoned physical stores for online food and goods delivery. As a performing artist and registered nurse, I realized how much of my livelihood was centered on personal interactions. During that time, I worked nights in a bustling Baltimore hospital emergency room. Daytime hours were spent practicing and recording from home, even teaching virtual lessons, meanwhile, tending to my and my daughter’s bruised hearts. As the world sheltered in place, I released myself from the burden of a title. Today, I enjoy serving as a school nurse by day, and a neonatal ICU nurse by night, all the while, performing and teaching viola. Therefore, I give glory to God for the relationships and many experiences of this life. No, I am not what I do. Yet, I am blessed to do what I love!

As we invest time in developing our innate gifts, we are called to share what we learn as we go. Sowing and watering seeds of experience into the next generation’s soil ensures that future generations will eat choice fruit. Like the human body, a community is only as healthy as the sum of its parts. My ability to translate joy through music and the power of human connection will assist others in their personal and creative journeys.

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
I am a natural encourager and have always believed that my voice – written, spoken, or musically-rendered – can uplift those around me. My sense of responsibility comes from an understanding that pain builds character and growth requires perseverance – essential elements for human survival. As an artist and nurse, I have learned to grapple with pain to find beauty in the healing process. In pursuit of self-mastery, whether through music or any other medium, we realize that we are all more similar than different.

Caring … is hard. Pain … is heavy. Self-care … is vital. As I continue to learn from my past mistakes and missteps, I realize more and more that every day is a fresh opportunity to embrace Purpose and Possibility! Leading is serving.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
I truly love connecting with people! (I also love dark chocolate and fabulously-brewed coffee, haha!) My ideal day with my bestie would certainly include a run to a local coffee shop where we would sit, sip, laugh, and muse! Enjoying local museums, going on joy-rides around the city, and spending time in the sunshine are at the top of my list — simplicity and good conversation are ingredients for intimacy.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
I thank God for unmerited grace to develop and share the gifts I have been given… and to make a life of doing so! I wish to express my deepest gratitude to my parents for their unending sacrifices; infusing my childhood with a love for God, old-school values, appreciation, and curiosity for all things beautiful.

I am grateful to those in my inner circle who encourage me, pray with and for me, and those who challenge my doubts and perspectives. My village has hemmed me in with unconditional support. My fiancé, Bryan, reminds me to slow down and savor the little things. My daughter, Samara, is one of my greatest teachers. Special thanks to my dear sister and esteemed colleague, Dr. Tia Roper, for recommending me for this feature! Sis, you have all my admiration and I am grateful to work with you as a member of Rhapsody in Ebony!

Instagram: @MercyMusicians

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/public/robin-fay-massie/

Image Credits
Dominique Vien 360 Photography

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