American pianist and artist Micah McLaurin chatted about his new single “Diamonds Are a Girl’s Best Friend.”
Throughout his career, he has worked with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, as well as Grammy-winning composers and conductors.
‘Diamonds Are a Girl’s Best Friend’
On his inspiration to record this tune “Diamonds Are a Girl’s Best Friend,” he said, “There’s a great pianist, Alexis Weissenberg, who arranged songs of Charles Trenet in a crossover jazz/classical style, and I became obsessed with the arrangements.”
“In the classical repertoire there isn’t much written down in that style, so I had to create it. I started exploring jazz and pop and making my own arrangements, and this had been a song I really wanted to do on the piano, because I love Marilyn Monroe and the song is so fun, and the piano part in the Marilyn version, which mine is based off, always excited me,” he elaborated.
Music and songwriting inspirations
On his music and songwriting inspirations, he shared, “I usually draw from life experiences, the feelings I get from certain artists or songs… Music is my way of communicating what’s inside of me.”
The digital age
On being an artist in the digital age, now with streaming, technology and social media being so prevalent, he said, “It’s definitely a lot, with all the social media and endless posting and demand for content. But it does give you access to fans, opportunities to share in a way like never before, and flexibility in how you approach finding an audience.”
Future plans
Regarding his plans for the future, he remarked, “Keep playing all the music I love, while developing my own music. I’m adding to what I do, not getting rid of anything.”
On his proudest professional moments, he said, “There have been many proud moments at various stages, but recently I felt things come full circle when I performed the Grieg concerto at the Spoleto Festival in June. Since it’s a major arts festival and I grew up in Charleston, I felt honored to be a guest artist and perform to a sold out crowd.”
Dream duet choice in music: Lady Gaga
He listed Lady Gaga as his dream collaboration choice in music. “As far as living artists, I would love to do something with Lady Gaga,” he said.
Success
On his definition of the word success, he responded, “Does anyone ever feel “successful”? I think that it never stops, because when you feel you’ve arrived, you lose momentum and inspiration. So, I wouldn’t say there’s a concrete way to define success. I would say there are different stages of it depending on where you are in life.”
Closing thoughts on ‘Diamonds Are a Girl’s Best Friend’
He concluded, “I wanted to stay true to the original version from the Marilyn Monroe movie, Gentlemen Prefer Blondes, because that’s what inspired me to play it, but to give people a fiery piano version.”
“Diamonds Are a Girl’s Best Friend” is available on digital service providers by clicking here.
To learn more about American pianist Micah McLaurin, check out his official website, and follow him on Instagram.
