Today we’d like to introduce you to Caitlin Jade Morales.
Hi Caitlin Jade, it’s an honor to have you on the platform. Thanks for taking the time to share your story with us – to start maybe you can share some of your backstory with our readers?
So I’ve been singing for as long as I can remember. I was always that kid who sang along with random jingles on TV, bang on pots, all of that. Music was just always a part of my life. It wasn’t until 4th grade, at 9 years old, where I asked my parents to sign me up for my elementary school’s choir. I guess you can say the rest is history because from that point onward, my life has been filled with the arts.
In middle school, I was bullied mercilessly for a variety of reasons. But it’s where I discovered what the true impact music has on me, and that’s the feeling of safety. I was able to escape to the choir room, make music, and feel a sense of calm that school itself never gave to me. My teacher at the time, told me the old school quote that still resonates with me: “When words fail, music speaks.” Choir remained a constant as music continued to impact my wellbeing.
High school is where I discovered my outlet, it’s where I discovered theatre. I saw how music and acting can be used and means of escapism. Getting to step into a world that wasn’t mine felt like a huge release. I loved it. I was able to find pieces of myself in each character. I knew that I was meant to be a storyteller, so I went to college for it, in Jacksonville.
College is where I realized that I can be more than just a singer and an actor. I didn’t have to be one dimensional. I’m lucky to have had professors who believed that I can be multifaceted, and pushed me all four years to build the resumé to be such. Freshman year, I discovered the gift of poetry. I was hours away from home, and it helped me cope with being homesick and the immense anxiety that comes with that. I didn’t read any how-to-write poetry books, I didn’t take classes, I just listened to poetry on youtube and started writing. That was a different kind of release I never felt before. It gave me the power to express myself on my own terms, in my own way. I got published in my university’s literary magazine within my first year (ended up being in it all four years) and when the pandemic started, poetry became an outlet I never knew I needed. Having people resonate with my words and emotions felt so liberating. Some of my poetry even got turned to choral music with a friend of mine, Nick, through the university’s choral program. But songwriting, in terms of my own music, did not come until my last year at college. I cowrote my first song ‘Perceptions’ with one of my closest friends, James during a time where I felt alone, and we recorded it my last semester.
Now, post college, I’ve dived head first into spoken word and singing/songwriting, art forms that have allowed me to blossom into who I am today! Especially with singing/songwriting, I didn’t have enough time to explore it in school, so I am beyond thankful to have surrounded, and continue to surround myself with artists who wants to see me grow!
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
It has NOT been a smooth road, not one bit. During my early school years, I dealt with a lot of outside perspectives. Being bullied during those formative years does a lot to your self image and makes you wonder if there’s ever going to be a way out. I wanted to quit so badly just so it could stop. But music kept me going.
College is where I started to truly understand the concept of mental health and how it affected me. The burnout and stress were real. My senior year, I experienced anxiety and depression in ways I had never experienced before. I was functioning because, quite frankly, I had to. I still had to go to class and rehearsals. But in forcing myself to get up and do it, I found that once again, music kept me going. Music, poetry, and writing helped me find my way out of all of that, in combination with a very good therapist of course.
Now, even though I still very much battle with anxiety. That transition from an academic environment to real life was harder than I anticipated. All I knew of Orlando was basically where I went to school and where my friends and I went to see movies. I never really explored much outside of that. So moving back home with my family felt weird, I don’t know how else to describe it. I now had to create my own life. Of course I had an actual job to sustain myself. But ever since I entered the creative community here in Orlando, I found a new sense of belonging and discovered a richer culture and community than I ever knew!
I also have been learning how to balance real life responsibilities while building a career for myself. Working to save for studio time, entering showcases, and signing up for open mics. It’s an ongoing process, but I have an amazing support system in my family to help me along the way.
No matter what, I know I can draw back into my craft. It helps me find calm in the storm!
As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about what you do?
I’m a singer/songwriter, poet, spoken word artist, and actor. As stated before, I’ve been doing this basically my whole life. Apart from my artistic achievements such as releasing my debut EP ‘send off’ and having received a performer of the year nomination at the 2024 New Peace Mondays Awards, I’m the most proud of graduating college and earning my degree. As cliché as this’ll sound, I didn’t think that day would come. I didn’t even think I’d make it past 16. But despite all of the hurdles, I’m proud that I never gave up.
How do you define success?
This is a hard one, I’m still figuring it out. I want to end up in a place where I don’t listen to the things that once held me back. I want to walk peacefully and confidently.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://linktr.ee/caitlin.jade.morales
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/_moon.phases_?igsh=MTcwZWNla2JheWphdA==
- Youtube: https://youtube.com/@caitlinjademorales?si=v4oZwVrfWiOqcc-8
Image Credits
All photos taken by @orangeismedia, @kmosnaps, @dp_ot, @_mase23, and @jvkirkland83 respectively
