#earyummy

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Interviewer: Who and what are you influenced by, both musical and non-musical?

Mackenzie Scott: I have a lot of musical influences. Brandi Carlile, Ryan Adams, Fleetwood Mac. It’s a pretty wide array. Non-musically? Sylvia Plath, who’s my favorite author. I was really inspired by musical theater and Broadway which has definitely inspired at least my performing style. I tend to perform pretty dramatically and I think that stems directly from my experience with musical theater.

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“From the time I started writing songs, I yearned to be a daring, dynamic musician. My roots are in musical theatre, for crying out loud!”

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Interviewer: Who are your biggest influences?

Mackenzie Scott: I’ve said it a lot but I’ll say it again: Brandi Carlile first and foremost. And then, this isn’t really a who. . . maybe more of a what. I was involved in theater, especially a lot of musical theater in high school. I pretty much only listened to show tunes and was in those shows in high school, did local theater in my hometown and took acting classes. A lot of my musical influence came from things like Phantom of the Opera, Les Mis., and Wicked. . . Broadway shows in general.

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“Singing was never on her radar, but when fourteen-year-old Mackenzie saw the Phantom of the Opera film in 2004, she had a lightbulb moment. She told herself that she needed to sing, imagining herself in a sequined gown glittering like a chandelier under the Broadway spotlight. She began prancing around the house singing ‘Angel of Music’ and ‘Music of the Night’ in a feigned falsetto while listening to the tracks on her Walkman she carried with care.”

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Interviewer: Who or what inspired you to become a musician?

Mackenzie Scott: It was a combination of a lot of influences along the way, but I would say seeing the Phantom of the Opera when I was fourteen. I was obsessed with the movie. It is still my favorite musical. It was my introduction into the world of singing.