The mulit-talented Mariah Dawne has been active in quite a few endeavors over the course of her life and has no plans of slowing down any time soon. Aside from music, the Shreveport, Louisiana native has participated in everything from theater, 4-H, praise team at church, Zeta Phi Beta Sorority, and more.
My grandmother got me involved in church activities early on and growing up as a military kid brought on activities like Elementary Book Clubs, Karate, Boys Scouts, etc. So, I see myself in her a little bit but on a bigger scale, a lot of the kids I grew up around. I support children being introduced to a wide range of knowledge and opportunity as they develop into adults as the introduction to different environments, knowledge, and experiences made me who I am today. I enjoyed her conversation and I hope you all feel the same.
Tell me about your latest single, “Won’t Let Go”.
“Won’t Let Go” is just an intimate moment that really speaks about a time had between two individuals that really love each other. It is not only the physicality of the moment, but the intimacy of the love and connection between two individuals and not wanting to let go of it.
You just released a music video for the record, correct?
I did! It is really a different aspect into what the MARIAH. brand is. I love to keep my listeners on their toes and I don’t like to subjugate myself into a box at all. I consider myself to be an eclectic soul, I love bringing new energies and new vibes, and this heightens the more grown and sexy aspect of who I am.
How did setting the mood for the new vibe go?
I usually like to write ballads but I love to write from the storytelling perspective as well and I think I definitely did that with this single. Telling stories will captivate the listener and give them an answer that they were probably searching for. I wanted to do a fun spin with this and invite new listeners that might be fans of a more “grown and sexy” type of music. I wanted to introduce that, especially with me almost turning over a new leaf in my life. I’ll be turning 30 years old this year. Lol, I know I still look like a baby, but I wanted to showcase a new grown side of who I am. So, I am really excited about that.
Let’s go back into your journey as a musician. How did you get your start?
I have been making music and pursuing this dream since I was 2 or 3 years old but I have been in the music industry in this capacity for almost 10 years now. I stand on some very broad and strong shoulders. My mother (Dr. Sonya D. Hester) is very heavy in the gospel sector and when I told her as a teenager that I wanted to go the secular route, she gave me her blessing and has been by my side ever since. I was a part of school plays, 4-H, talent shows, and was a part of the choirs and praise teams at my church. I am still doing that to this day. I knew music was my calling and I am thankful that God has been able to see me this far and continues seeing me through.
Awesome. So, you are from Louisiana, correct?
I am! Born and raised in Shreveport, Louisiana. Top of the boot.
I don’t have many personal ties to Louisiana for the most part and majority of the time that I hear about the state, it is either the cities of New Orleans or Baton Rouge since they have made a lot of noise on the music side and I am a big fan of artists from those areas. Coming from Shreveport, what can you tell us about that area and your upbringing in regard to the music as a whole and the city being the backdrop for that?
Oh, wow. I tell people everywhere that I go about Shreveport. Our area code is 318, but I consider us to be 31Great. There are so many different heavy hitters musically that are from there. We are a musical city like Nashville, Dallas, Los Angeles, California, etc. I am thankful to be one of the individuals that have come from Shreveport, Louisiana, and I continue to represent that part.
You said you were involved in quite a bit growing up. Let’s talk about “The Red Light” stage play.
I am so proud of that stage play and the individuals that were a part of it. Mr. Demario Tyson was very instrumental as the writer, producer, and actor in the play. It really opened the door for me to pursue creative and performing arts again as I was very heavy in theater in my middle and high school tenure and even going into college as well. I was a theater kid, through and through, and for me to actually have a full circle moment was simply amazing.
It was a gospel dramedy that focused on understanding what you may hear and feel when the Holy Spirit is trying to warn you not to go down a particular road because there are consequences with not following through with those nudges. So, she definitely went through some things in her life but at the end of the day, she was able to be triumphant and became stronger from that. I am so thankful that I was able to play that lead role of Ms. Shaina Delaney Tracey.
What was most memorable about that role?
The preparation phase of it was most memorable. A lot of people don’t realize that the actual show is maybe 2% of what happens. It is the 98% of what you don’t see leading up to the 2% of what the world sees. I have learned that how you prepare is how you will be displayed.
I learned I was getting the part around November (2025) and we rehearsed two days a week, every week from January up until this past weekend. So, that is three months of preparation that consisted of learning about 86 pages of lines, three songs from top to bottom, what a character is, what she looks like, how she carries herself, and resulted in me putting myself into something that nobody has ever seen before.
How can I portray a character to its fullest potential? The preparation phase had me really pushing myself and the boundaries of who Shaina was, blending myself and her was beautiful and amazing to see over time. The expectations of that role cannot be achieved over a couple of weeks alone. This entire play was streamed live and is going to be available on www.demariotysonexperience.com
Let’s discuss “Love Music Stop Cancer”.
Oh my goodness! On top of being a full-time recording artist, I am actually a NICU (Neonatal Intensive Care Unit) nurse full time as well. I deal with premature babies from 22 weeks all the way up to the chronic, unstable or stable type.
Children are very near and dear to my heart so it was a win-win situation for me to be able to be a part of the, “Love Music Stop Cancer” campaign with Saint Jude Children’s Research Hospital. It is a beautiful marriage of music and how that could assist with those that are fighting childhood cancer so I love incorporating my gifts of music and medicine to bring more awareness to the cause.
Nurses put in a lot of hours and you have a lot going on outside of that. How do you go about balancing everything? Honestly, God has given me the strength to be able to withstand two careers that are very demanding. I actually told my mother and my grandmother when I was a wee little girl (about 4 or 5 years old) that I was going to be a singing pediatrician. Well, you better be careful what you speak over yourself, because sometimes God will see that and it will turn into a prophetic moment. I have always had a love for helping people, whether that be musically or medicinally and God is really blessed and breathed on both of those.
You definitely have to have a finite sense of time management. I am old school when it comes to my books, I don’t really focus on phones, and I carry a physical binder with me at all times that outlines my day to day, my appearances, and when I am supposed to be at the hospital to work and take care of those babies. So, he has given me a fine motor mentality when it comes to my time and the ability to dive deep into both realms.
You have mentioned your faith in God, growing up in the church, and getting your mother’s blessing to pursue music in the secular world. A lot of times, when people in the church mention “secular music”, they are referring to the worst of it. How do you manage those worlds without offending one side?
God has called us to be the light of the world, especially in the music industry. We are called to be sheep amongst wolves. I think it is all about how you carry yourself and how you can use the light that God has given you to be able to shine a light to show others the way.
I believe that I have been called to be a change agent and to be a thermostat and not a thermometer, I believe that with my music that I can in some shape, form or fashion still tell a story that will open up the heart of someone that may be going through something by just meeting them where they are.
Sometimes, if you come at it from a different angle and make the people you are trying to reach feel comfortable, I believe that you can sow a seed. One cannot change a person immediately, but that person can be helped to change over time. If it is the will of the Lord, then it will create something that will bear good fruit.
Understandable. Random question: Lol, have you ever strolled through and interrupted a crowd at a college party?
Oh my goodness! Absolutely! I was the stepping stroll master (Zeta Phi Beta Sorority, Inc.) when I was going through college. So yeah, I was putting the stuff together and we were playing not a game! Spring 16’, Northwestern State University (Natchitoches,
Louisiana), Club 6. My name was “Maestro”. We strolled. We danced. We did all the things.
During your college experience, what did you learn about yourself while pledging and also as a student?
I was always very heavily involved in school. Thank God my mother never had that type of issue with me. I was always very self driven and even in college, I knew that I was there to get my degree. I actually finished my baccalaureate degree in nursing in less than four years.
When I came into college, I was already a sophomore because in high school, I took a lot of collegiate opportunities like Advanced Practice Courses, dual enrollment, etc. So, the mindset was get in and get out. I was also blessed with a full ride scholarship at Northwestern State University. So, I was not going to take that for granted.
What I learned about myself is that I can do anything that I set my mind to. Those that have gone through either trying to become a nurse, are currently going through it right now, or have completed nursing school know and understand how rigorous that is. Do I want to focus on my career and my life long term or do I just want to sit here and party and have fun?
Sometimes, a lot of people go to college to have that college experience. I went through my all of my prerequisites so quickly, I understood that it was about to get serious. God can put you in any ordinary situation and make it extraordinary for your preparation to your calling and him putting me in position to be a nurse has helped me so much. A lot of people think they have to be in their calling to gain lessons in that but that is simply not the case. Learning time management, keeping up with the long hours, and learning how to continue functioning without a lot of sleep while in college and nursing school has helped me with my music career today.
It sounds like your upbringing and all of the above has made you a pretty well-rounded individual and you have done some dope things so far and still have a lot of time, Lord willing. (Amen!) What is next?
Wow! I am doing so many appearances. This is really a season in my life where I am so thankful that I am able to go out, meet people, and be touchable. I am working on my EP, which is called “Love Phases” and I’m excited about that. I am also working on some more singles that are going to be released this year and some amazing collaborations that are forthcoming. I am in the passenger seat, I am letting God take total control, and I am thankful for what he is doing in his perfect timing.
Lastly, tell me something about yourself that most people don’t know.
Let’s see. I was a gymnastgrowing up and I was also in JROTC when I was in high school. So, I developed a lot of leadership skills during that time in my high school experience. With JROTC, there is a whole ranking system that mimics the military and by my senior year, I was actually one of the brigade commanders in charge of Caddo Parish in the state of Louisiana. They called me, “Cadet Colonel Mariah Hester” aka “Mighty Mouse”. That is who I was.
I was a 5’4” little thing barking orders at people, but having a fun time with it. Lol, I miss those high school days and those times where we were dressed all the way up from top to bottom in green. We called them, “Pickle Suites” and they had all of our different pins and things like that on them. I did unarmed drill team, I was the national colors for Color Guard, and I used to do all of those commands. Fun times.
To keep up with Mariah Dawne, visit her on Instagram @iammariah.official, on TikTok @mariahdawne, and on META/Facebook @mynameismariah (Mariah Dawne Hester).
Photo By: Tray Cooper
Words + Interview By: Tyrone Davis
