About Me - Carly Z
Evening view from my apartment in Dubai South, UAE
In early 2022, I found myself living alone in a Middle Eastern desert, surrounded by camels.
About as far from my hometown of Mesquite, Texas as I could possibly be, and six months into the events job that took me to the region, I wondered,
"What on earth am I doing here?"
Don't get me wrong - I loved living in the Middle East, and in Ireland for the five years before that. In fact, world travel has been, and always will be, a huge part of my life. But there was something else I needed to do, something I'd been putting off for years, and I knew it was finally time.
You see, music has always been my true home. From the time my mother caught me in my plastic toddler's chair, wide-eyed, with my face two inches from the opera on TV, to graduating with my bachelor's degree in music from LSU (geaux Tigers), I was immersed in it.
About as far from my hometown of Mesquite, Texas as I could possibly be, and six months into the events job that took me to the region, I wondered,
"What on earth am I doing here?"
Don't get me wrong - I loved living in the Middle East, and in Ireland for the five years before that. In fact, world travel has been, and always will be, a huge part of my life. But there was something else I needed to do, something I'd been putting off for years, and I knew it was finally time.
You see, music has always been my true home. From the time my mother caught me in my plastic toddler's chair, wide-eyed, with my face two inches from the opera on TV, to graduating with my bachelor's degree in music from LSU (geaux Tigers), I was immersed in it.
My freshman year at LSU - we won the National Championship!
I still remember writing my first song as a child with my sister and cousins - a rousing rendition of Alan Jackson's 'Mercury Blues' but from the perspective of my stuffed mouse Puffy - and the next one with my friend Rebecca - a surefire hit about lemon poppy seed muffins that we recorded onto a cassette tape.
But something unexpected happened at the age of 22.
I quit music.
It had become clear, in my mind, that the world of professional music was not for me. My friends were becoming full-time classical vocalists and hard-gigging jazz saxophonists, high school music teachers and church choir conductors. And none of those felt like me.
Unfortunately, I thought that meant I wasn't good at music. Like many people, I didn't know that songwriting could be a career, or that I could forge my own musical path in ways that, in the dawn of the digital era, hadn't been invented yet. So after a stint in the New Orleans service industry, I packed up and headed abroad.
After six years, I found myself in that desert in Dubai, yearning to get back to my musical home. And even though my travels could be seen as a detour, they've taught me something invaluable - they've taught me about people. And how, ultimately, we are all the same. We all want love, and we want to know we're loved.
That's where Carly Z Creative comes in.
After settling in Nashville, I found out I was actually good at music. Songwriting came naturally to me, and I loved it. Eventually I realized that songs could be gifts, and that I could use my talents to help people express and feel love in ways they never could before.
I still remember writing my first song as a child with my sister and cousins - a rousing rendition of Alan Jackson's 'Mercury Blues' but from the perspective of my stuffed mouse Puffy - and the next one with my friend Rebecca - a surefire hit about lemon poppy seed muffins that we recorded onto a cassette tape.
But something unexpected happened at the age of 22.
I quit music.
It had become clear, in my mind, that the world of professional music was not for me. My friends were becoming full-time classical vocalists and hard-gigging jazz saxophonists, high school music teachers and church choir conductors. And none of those felt like me.
Unfortunately, I thought that meant I wasn't good at music. Like many people, I didn't know that songwriting could be a career, or that I could forge my own musical path in ways that, in the dawn of the digital era, hadn't been invented yet. So after a stint in the New Orleans service industry, I packed up and headed abroad.
After six years, I found myself in that desert in Dubai, yearning to get back to my musical home. And even though my travels could be seen as a detour, they've taught me something invaluable - they've taught me about people. And how, ultimately, we are all the same. We all want love, and we want to know we're loved.
That's where Carly Z Creative comes in.
After settling in Nashville, I found out I was actually good at music. Songwriting came naturally to me, and I loved it. Eventually I realized that songs could be gifts, and that I could use my talents to help people express and feel love in ways they never could before.
Aligning with my purpose and performing songs I wrote in Springfield, TN
Now, I'm honored to write custom songs for people of so many ages, backgrounds, and life stages. My favorite part is knowing that a song has helped strengthen a relationship, encourage a downhearted friend, celebrate an extraordinary achievement, or simply made someone smile.
I love this work, and I know you'll love your custom song. Order yours today, and give that special person a gift as unique as they are.