By Teino Evans, Staff Reporter
McLean
MANY YOUNGSTERS' teenage years are heavily based on building friendships and relationships so that they can feel a sense of security and belonging.
By age 16 Marsha McLean had all that and more, until one day her friends broke the bond and betrayed everything that the relationship was built on. She could no longer trust the opinion and judgement of her friends, as they had become jealous of her achievements and sought to hurt her.
According to Marsha, it was as a result of this hurt and betrayal that she was inspired to write songs from the heart and share her experience and testimony with the world.
"My so-called friends brought me much disappointment... I began to write about my own personal experiences, expressing them in song," she said.
Despite eventually dropping these 'friends' Marsha has not forgotten her past, but has managed to move on in a step of faith. Since overcoming the trials of her earlier years, Marsha has now completed her debut gospel album entitled Miracle.
Thirteen of the songs on the 15-track album were written by Marsha. There are two covers in Amazing Grace and Praise Medley (which is a combination of praise and worship songs).
Marsha, who was born in Clarendon, Jamaica, says she has been living in the Cayman Islands for five years now, where she has been doing much of her album promotion.
COMMENDED
"A lot of people have commended me on the album and they say the songs have been an inspiration to them," Marsha said. As a matter of fact, Marsha says that persons have even approached her, singing their favourite songs from the album, such as Devil Haffi Run, Miracle and Mi Nah Worry.
Even though Marsha has only performed on minor stages in Jamaica and the Cayman Islands (largely church-settings and small concerts), she remains optimistic that she will one day make it big on the international stage.
"That's my dream. I just love music and I want to master the art of doing it full-time," Marsha said. She says it is fulfilling, as she has touched the lives of people through her singing and testimony.
Not only has Marsha touched the lives of persons through her musical ministry, but she has also played the role of counsellor to many of her peers. "My best experience is when I can sit down and encourage people and share my testimony with others who may feel down and depressed. A lot of my friends always call me for advice and this makes me feel appreciated," Marsha explained.
Though Marsha may feel good whenever she is able to encourage and assist others, there are still personal obstacles that she has to deal with on her own.
"Sometimes when I come up with a good idea or suggestion pertaining to my music career there are always persons who are always coming with some negative vibes as if to say I will not be able to achieve what I set out to achieve," she says. This, however, only strengthens her.
Marsha says she also takes comfort in writing songs and most of the times when she is not in studio recording, she is thinking of or writing a new song.
"I write in different places and situations, whether I'm in a bus or car. Sometimes I hear people's conversations and I'm motivated to write a song," she explained.
SELF PROMOTION
Marsha says Miracle has been doing very well so far and even though she has had to do much of the promotions on her own she has still managed to sell more than 500 copies in less than a year (in Cayman).
Right now, Marsha says she is back in Jamaica for a while doing some further promotions on her album and hopes to get started soon on her second full-length effort.
"I'm planning to do a video shoot in a couple months time for the album's title track and launch my album officially in Jamaica some time in October of this year," she said. In the meanwhile, Marsha is hoping to establish some crucial links in the music industry and extend her chances of one day attaining her dreams of performing on an international stage.
