She’s persevered to become a successful self-made entertainer
Age: 33
Job Title: Entertainer, Contractor
Growing up in poverty in rural Alberta, Melody McArthur dreamed of the “fame and fortune” that could accompany a successful entertainment career. She started seriously pursuing her dream after visiting Calgary in 2016 to attend the Stampede.
“I walked by the National Music Centre and thought, ‘How do I get in there as an artist?’ It totally helped shift my thinking to try and make it happen.”
After developing her singing, song-writing and other talents, McArthur was invited to the NMC to participate in Canada’s Music Incubator’s Artist Entrepreneur West program, and subsequently for another incubator and finally a music showcase.
“When manifestations become reality, it helps solidify that I can and want to keep going because it’s validation that I’m doing something right.”
Now that McArthur has achieved several of her goals — including scoring a No. 1 song (“Unceded”) on the National Indigenous Music Countdown and being a full-time artist — her definition of success has shifted.
“I have come to understand that the talent I have is a gift from the Creator,” McArthur says “Eliciting emotion in another human being, and trying to make a difference in someone’s life, is what being a performer is about.”
This article appears in the Nov/Dec 2023 issue of Edify
