Meet Dylan Marra
Dylan Marra is an American musician and songwriter hailing from New York State. As a solo artist and a member of many diverse musical projects, he has developed a versatile style of writing that often spans rock, pop, and blues genres.
He can be found covering rock and pop classics from the 60s, 70s, 90s and beyond and is greatly inspired by the emotion behind the simple lyrics and melodies of The Beatles’ “Let It Be” album. He also enjoys alternative 90s rock and contemporary indie bands like Waxahatchee. He’s also a songwriter and has composed a number of tracks that he pulls out when playing live.
Humble beginnings that kept him going
Although Dylan was always interested in music, when he was a pre-teen, his sister was gifted Nirvana Unplugged. The album inspired him to start learning to play. He started with piano lessons and classical music, but quickly shifted to guitar when he was 14. Shortly after that, he moved to Woodstock, NY where he not only had exposure to other professional musicians, but went to a school where he had the opportunity to play music every day. Although he only stayed in Woodstock for two years, when he left he brought the love of playing with him.
Today, after a short time in a band in Boulder CO, Dylan is back on the east coast, and continues to write and play music on his own. He’ll always take the opportunity to play with others when it arises, though: whether at an open mic, or convincing his friends to create or jam with him. He mentioned being inspired by a friend that plays the trumpet, and hopes they’ll collaborate to create something together soon.
The best and the worst of songwriting
Dylan is continually inspired by everything from other musicians to life experiences, but taking a song from 80% complete to finished is a complex process that requires more than just inspiration and grit. The creative part, on the other hand, comes easy for him. It could be a melody that came from nowhere, or it could be the process of pulling together lyrics to create a verse, chorus and bridge. All of that makes the complexity of a song, and the emotion of the music is a motivating factor for Dylan.
Pulling all those complex layers together into something that sounds great and delivers an emotional punch, on the other hand, requires a little something more. For Dylan, the hardest part of composing is actually finishing the song, although he enjoys the challenge it presents. In fact, surviving that difficult polishing period, and walking away with something he is excited to share with others might be his favorite part of composing.
“Some things just flow, but the polishing is not creative,” Dylan said. “You actually have to do something with it that may not be pleasing at first. But it has to be emotionally pleasing all the way through.”
What to expect at market
Dylan’s favorite part of playing is the emotion of the live experience. As a natural-born performer, he loves having the opportunity to bring that emotion to others in a way music has always done for him.
“It’s a very emotional thing for me in a positive way,” he said.
Expect to hear acoustic guitar and singing from Dylan at market this week. He often pulls out covers such as The Beatles’ “I’ve Got a Feeling” and “Give Back,” all the way to 90s favorites from Blind Melon and the Pixies, and beyond. He’ll also pepper in some originals. He hinted at the possibility of playing his bass guitar or ukelele… but no promises!
If you like what you hear, visit Dylan’s website for a chance to listen and download all of his originals completely for free. Knowing that people have heard and shared his music means more to him than offering downloads from behind a paywall. If you like his music, please share, too!
Visit Dylan’s website www.dylanmarra.com to learn more and to listen to his music for free.