As long as she can remember, Faith Morgan has written music. She used to sit down at the piano after dinner and experiment with musical hooks and transform her thoughts into lyrics.
While she was a Missouri State University student, she published three of her choral compositions. Her band at the time, the Faith Morgan Band, also produced an album.
“I am passionate about writing songs I truly feel to the core of my being. Feelings I couldn’t explain without poetry and melody,” Morgan said. “I feel that is what I am called to do, to create moments so beautiful it’s like heaven meeting earth.”
Now, the choral composer and singer/songwriter is leaving the comforts of family and the familiarity of her hometown of Springfield to begin anew in New York City.
Mentorship
When Morgan first heard the Missouri State Chorale perform, she was in high school intending to enroll in another university. But the Chorale’s performance, and later getting to meet director Dr. Cameron LaBarr and his wife, composer Susan LaBarr, steered her to MSU.
As a Chorale member, Morgan traveled to nine countries. From this experience, she saw how music could build bridges between cultures and “create safe space for hurting people,” she said.
Another pivotal moment was studying composition with world-renowned composer Alice Parker. The time with her inspired two of Morgan’s published choral pieces.
“She showed me that I can rely on my ear and sense of melody,” Morgan said. “That knowledge helped me find freedom in my writing. It doesn’t have to be based on a theoretical math problem or calculation, but you can actually base it on beauty and simplicity.”
Grounding herself
After graduating in May 2019 with a degree in music composition, Morgan spent six months with Youth with a Mission (YWAM) in South Africa, splitting her time between Cape Town, India and Namibia. She served as a missionary to the people but she learned about herself as well.
“I was able to find my identity, not based on my talents or anything,” she said. “I feel that I can perform and compose again in a much healthier and holistic state of mind.”
Growing her career
A career as an artist is less-certain than others, notes Morgan, but she’s excited about the possibilities that lay ahead of her.
She’s currently pursuing multiple career pathways, including singer/songwriter, choral composer, worship leader and visual artist.
“I might never have a five-year or 10-year plan,” she said. “But I’ll simply go to the next thing I am called to do.”