Music is the soundtrack to Hailey Hudson's Life

Hailey Hudson, 24, is the type of person that you just want to know, find a comfortable chair, sit down and talk to for a while.She has a passion for creating: Writing, performing music even making beautiful envelopes and sending handwritten letters to pen pals she has met over the years.

And she has loved music for as long as she can remember and was very excited to join the Music Authority community last year. She is taking voice lessons at Music Authority. She’s also learning more about writing and recording music, enjoying performance opportunities and exploring the creative process.She says the MusicAuthority staff – including Gabrielle, Karinia, and Andrew– have been amazing.“The teachers are all, by far, the most accomplished, and I learn so much from them every week,” Hailey said.

Hailey plays the piano and sings. She also has a guitar and can play 4 or 5 chords on it, which she says is “just enough” to play whatever she wants. “I love the performance opportunities, and I also love to watch people playing. Even though I’m a little more introverted, I still love to be on stage performing,” Hailey said. “I appreciate the community aspect of being involved with Music Authority. Something that was really missing from my life was being part of a community of musicians that get it. That’s been good to have,” Hailey added. “I love being there. After my lessons, I just hang out, and love being surrounded by music and people.” Hailey, who adores folk pop and indie music, said some of her favorite artists include Maisie Peters, Abigail Barlow, and Lizzy McAlpine.

She started music lessons at 6 years old, and the first song she learned to play was Primer Penguin.Then, her dad taught her for a few years before she started working with private music teachers.

Because she has a genetic disease, she wasn’t able to go to college. Her health condition prohibits her from eating and, instead, she has a feeding tube.She’s an outspoken medical advocate, working to raise awareness of her condition. Additionally, she participates in a lot of medical studies, which she likes.She has built a career writing blog posts and managing content marketing for healthcare companies. She’s also an aspiring novelist, who was always writing stories growing up. Now she writes full-length novels, including historical fiction, which she submits to professional agents.

Music runs in Hailey’s family, as her grandmother was a professional pianist, and her father was a music major. Her earliest memory is when she was 4 or 5 years old, when she sat down at the piano and picked out “I Surrender All” from church in the key of A flat. Growing up, her love of music came from church. She previously served as a church pianist, playing songs of

contemporary worship at weddings, funerals, and for other occasions. She also took ballet

lessons as a child, participating in dance for 7 or 8 years in her youth. Then got back into it when she was 18, tap dancing in local musicals.

On when she first knew she was a writer:

“I remember one time, when I was around 7 or 8, my mom, brother and I were riding bikes. I stopped, got off my bike, and wrote down a story,” Hailey explained. “As a child, I’d be outside playing, and something would spark. I’d get inspiration to go inside to write it all down.”

“Any time I experience something new, like traveling, meeting someone, or trying a new activity, I notice that I come away with ideas and inspiration,” Hailey said. “I get inspiration from books, reading, and music. I push myself to be out in the world, to go out and do things, so I can come away with new ideas.”

Lately, she’s been working on a few songs related to the ocean and the water. She wants to combine the cool direction of being under water, the sea, and the horizon, and hopes to put some of her original music on Spotify. “I’m not sure what I would be doing right now without music. It has helped me cope with difficult times and is a great outlet. It makes me feel

connected to my dad,” Hailey explained. “Music helps me process what I’m feeling. Whether it’s playing the guitar, drums, singing, writing a song or listening to music – any of these can help

you feel better.” In fact, she was thrilled to be chosen to sing the National Anthem at an upcoming Atlanta Braves minor league baseball game this summer.

She loves that music provides the soundtrack to her life. She sings in the car. She plays piano at her church. She takes lessons at Music Authority. She makes playlists for each novel that she

writes, to fit the mood or genre of the story, so she can “get in the zone” for that project. She’s writing a special song for her 17-year-old brother, who is about to graduate from high school.

“Life would be bleak without music. I enjoy writing and singing – it’s fulfilling,” Hailey explained. “There’s a quote by Eric Liddell where he said, ‘I feel God’s pleasure when I run,’ but I feel that when I write. I don’t want to imagine a life without music – there would be so much beauty sucked out of life without it.”

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