Virtuoso Pianist Micah McLaurin on New Album, Self-Discovery, and More

Virtuoso pianist, composer, and avant-garde artist Micah McLaurin is quickly earning his place in the pop scene, thanks to his unparalleled skills, talents, flair for fashion, and out-and-proud sensibility.

Growing up queer in a conservative, Catholic household in Charleston, South Carolina, McLaurin is on a journey of rediscovery as a person and artist. Performing for live audiences by the age of 9 and attending prestigious institutions like the Curtis Institute and Juilliard to further focus his craft, McLaurin was left little room for his own voice to flourish. Now, after finding respite in queer culture after moving to New York, he is unlearning many of the lessons that taught him to suppress who he really was and harnessing the gifts that make him unique.

In continuing his mission of creative self-discovery, McLaurin will be releasing a forthcoming album titled Diamonds, which features a collection of songs with deep personal meaning including “Shallow” from A Star Is Born, “Can’t Help Falling In Love,” “Over The Rainbow,” and more. With visuals created by renowned fashion designer Zaldy, this stunning instrumental body of work revels in high drama and embodies McLaurin’s musical journey from beginner to master.

McLaurin took some time to talk more about the album with OFM, as well as his recent instrumental covers of “Diamonds Are a Girl’s Best Friend” and “Moon River,” how he discovered his love and passion for music, working with world-class industry leaders like Grammy-winning composers and the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, and the mark he hopes to make in the fashion world.

Let me begin by asking, who is Micah McLaurin, and what is he all about?

Oh, good question. That’s a loaded question (laughs). Micah McLaurin is an artist, a musician, and a pianist. He is all about moving people through music and art.

How did your journey with music begin?

When I was 8 years old, my grandmother bought a new piano. She gave us the old piano, an upright piano, and I’m one of seven children, so my mom wanted to see if any of the kids were interested in it. She got a book called Teach Yourself to Play Piano, and then she tried to introduce each of us to the book. At first, I wasn’t having it because I was annoyed that I had to sit down and read a book. I hate reading, but when she stopped trying to get me to do it, I came around on my own, and I would try to figure out songs and play things. I was very passionate about learning, and then she got me a teacher pretty soon after that.

What was it about the piano specifically that you learned to love about it?

For me, the sound of the piano was always the first thing. People usually say, “Oh, the sound of the piano is not that interesting. You should think of other instruments or think that you’re a vocalist when you play the piano,” but I was always taken by the sound, power, beauty, and majesty of it. Whenever I heard it on recordings, I would just light up inside.

So, that was really the first thing that drew me to it, but also the music itself. The music that’s written for the piano, I think it’s the best instrumental music. You also get to play the whole song. You don’t just play the melody or accompaniment; you play the whole thing. It’s like everything is under your hands, and it feels very powerful and inspiring.

You’ve said in other interviews that you consider the piano to be a lifeline for you. Can you talk more about that?

When I was growing up in Charleston, South Carolina, it was very conservative, and there were challenges growing up there. Fortunately, the piano kind of gave me solace and an area to express myself when it felt like I didn’t have words or any other way to communicate with people. I was able to communicate my deepest feelings and emotions when I played piano, and that’s how I was able to connect with people. When I would perform, and whether I was inspiring audiences or not, I could feel this type of energy in the air, and that was very special and moving for me. So, that’s what drove me to perform and keep going.

What do you always hope audiences take away from your music?

Music is very emotional for me. It gives me chills; it makes me cry; it gives me butterflies, so I always want the audience to feel how I feel about the music, and I want them to take away some kind of emotional reaction that takes them away from their everyday life or feelings. I want them to get so emotional that something happens in their body, whether it’s butterflies, chills, or tears. I want them to be in the moment and feel something.

One of your most recent projects is an instrumental cover of Marilyn Monroe’s “Diamonds Are a Girl’s Best Friend.” How has that been received?

It’s been going great! I’ve always wanted to do that song because it was different from anything I’ve ever done before. It’s jazz and big band, but it’s also virtuosic and pianistic. In the classical repertoire, there’s not anything like that, so I had to transcribe it by ear, from the original recording, and then I added my own stuff to truly make it my own. recorded it with the Royal Philharmonic in London at Abbey Road Studios, and it was a fun project.

Can you talk more about how this song is the first step in your journey of rediscovery?

It’s part of the album that I’m coming out with, and all the songs on the album have some kind of connection to my musical story and development. “Diamonds Are a Girl’s Best Friend,” in particular, when I first started arranging music a few years ago during the pandemic, it was one of the first songs I tried to play by ear, figure out, and arrange. It was kind of at the top of my list for non-classical things that I wanted to perform and make part of my repertoire.

The forthcoming album is titled, Diamonds?

That is correct.

How excited are you to release this full-length project out into the world?

I’m very excited! It’s my first project with my own arrangements, so because they’re all new arrangements, they’ve never been heard before. It’s exciting because when I play classical, I’m playing the same notes as everyone else. It’s just a different interpretation. But with this album and these songs, it really is my own take on them. I had the freedom to re-harmonize and reimagine them in a way that moved me. I feel like this is something new to offer, instead of playing the same thing as everyone else. This was very special because I could create in it.

The other week, you released the album’s latest single, “Moon River.” What can you tell us about that?

I chose “Moon River” because my first piano teacher, Marsha Gerber, introduced me to Henry Mansi’s music with the theme of Romeo and Juliet. So, at an early age, I became fond of his music and played through his songs from sheet music I had when I first started playing piano. “Moon River” became a jazz standard, and while I was exploring jazz and harmony, it was one of the songs I gravitated towards because it is so simple and intimate, and it communicates with everyone. I wanted to keep it direct without unnecessary embellishments, but harmonically making it my own and giving it a longing and melancholic feel.

Since moving to New York and being embraced by the queer community, how would you say your art has evolved?

It’s evolved in a way I never imagined. When I attended the Curtis Institute, where I did my undergrad, it’s one of the most prestigious conservatories of the world, so the whole focus was performance, concerts, and becoming a concert pianist and interpreter. So, following that path of legends like Yuja Wang and Leonard Bernstein, my entire focus was on performance.

Then I moved to New York for Juilliard, and I was very hungry for experiencing life, experiencing other sides of music, and meeting people outside of music. That shaped the next part of my musical journey because I started to discover dance music and clubs, and I saw a different side of music. I saw how people were so moved by it, and I really became curious and kind of driven to incorporate that into my musical life.

You have been described as the Liberace of the millennial generation. How does that make you feel?

Well, I love being compared to Liberace! He’s an icon, and what he did was actually phenomenal. Nobody’s ever been able to replicate what he’s done, and he’s still talked about today. He’s been dead for decades, but he’s still referenced in pop culture, and I think what he did was ahead of his time. It was legendary. People kind of laugh at him, especially other musicians, but he was very talented, and he followed his own path. He stayed true to his intentions and instincts, and I think that’s why he was so successful.

Can you talk more about how you infuse high fashion into your performances and why that is an important aspect of your artistry?

That started when I was maybe 13. I saw a pianist who wore a sparkly jacket, and I was always taken by sparkly things. Even when I was 3, I remember loving rings and jewelry. This pianist with the sparkly jacket, I asked my mom, “Where can I get something like that?” She said, “Oh, you have to go to New York and get designer stuff. So, I started Googling where to find it. It’s so standard in classical music to wear black suits or something like funeral attire. Nothing flashy, nothing that would draw attention to yourself.

I wanted to break free from that and really express myself visually because I felt stifled. I started to embrace fashion and use that as part of the performance because I think when you go to a performance, you don’t want it to feel like it’s something you see every day. You want to elevate it and give people an experience that takes them away from anything that they’re troubled by, or just give them a fantasy. I feel that fashion and costumes really take my performance to the next level.

Zaldy is your primary costume designer. What is it about his work that you enjoy the most?

I started collaborating with him during the pandemic, and we really connected. I didn’t even have to say much. He would just make things I’d be so in love with. We just kept working together and did projects, like the music video for “Rhapsody in Gaga,” and it just kept going from there. We did the visuals for this instrumental album, and they’re very exciting. The looks were created with each song in mind. They’re very colorful, a lot of jewels, a lot of sparkles—everything I could dream of (laughs).

What are some future goals you hope to accomplish with your career?

There’s too many to name, but of course, I would love to win a Grammy, play big venues, and tour. I love performing live. You get an energy that you don’t get in the studio, which is a different and valuable experience. I look forward to touring, bringing new original music, and just keeping my creative juices going. I want to make the best music I can.

Before we wrap up, are there any other upcoming projects or anything else you’d like to mention or plug?

Well, I’m learning a new instrument, so I have some exciting stuff coming in the fall after the piano album.

Stay up-to-date and connect with McLaurin by following him on Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok @pianomicah, or visit micahmclaurin.com.

Photos courtesy of Miguel Villalobos