A creative music licensing agency, Marmoset works with storytellers of all backgrounds and through all mediums. Music for filmmakers and other content creators, song licensing isn’t a one way road — the artists on the other side are the unseen creators. Without them, so many projects would be creatively lacking in soundtrack and ultimately, incomplete.
Because of the multifaceted nature of the music licensing world, we’re slowing things down to catch up with our artists, to witness and share their origin stories. Acknowledging our unique backgrounds is what brings us together as a community — especially during a hazardous climate where it’s all too easy to feel divided and removed from one another.
Through sharing our artists stories, we hope you’ll join us in celebrating artists who come from all walks of life. Our first singer-songwriter and Marmoset artist Blossom kicks off our series, hailing from Trinidad & Tobago. Read on to learn about her transitioning experience moving to the United States, who encouraged her to follow her calling into music and what the definition of community means to her.
Marmoset:When did you move to Portland, Oregon?
Blossom: I moved in 1994 from Trinidad & Tobago and I lived there on and off again between spending the school season here.
M: What are some of your favorite summer memories you have of being back home?
Blossom: Going to the beach with my cousin. The freedom I had in Trinidad was fun. You know, they just let us kids run around because everyone knew each other. I really liked that sense of community and the safety I felt — also just simply being around my culture.
M: What did that transition look like when you were moving here to the states?
Blossom: There was definitely some confusion as a kid. I moved to Tigard and I was the only black kid in school for a few years. It was a cultural transition that kind of slapped me in the face but also showed me how adaptable I really am as a person. It was like stepping into a whole new world.
M: Looking back on your childhood was there someone who inspired you to create music?
Blossom: My uncle. He and my dad were in a band before we moved to America. In the summer, I would spend time with my uncle and aunt in Gig Harbor, Washington, he taught me how to play the steel drums and how to really listen to my musical ear — it inspired me to stay close to music.
M: How do your origins tie into culture for you? How do you think these things shape who you are as both an artist and person in general?
Blossom: Growing up, the door was always open — family, friends, community, the door was always open. I’ve enjoyed this kind of community lifestyle, to have that kind of helping hand. We can’t do everything by ourselves — it was a hard lesson for me to learn because I’m a very independent person.
In a way, having community means having someone who supports you, someone who catches you when you fall — because you can’t catch yourself every time. This really has shaped the way I’ve built my community now; it’s affected how I go about being an artist today, how I create music with others and how I work with other musicians.
Thanks to Blossom for taking us through parts of her origin story. Hit play below to discover more about her journey as an artist.