Maya Ixta Delgado is best known for her recurring role as Young Tess on the Apple TV+ series Ghostwriter alongside Kristin Kreuk and Brett Dalton. Other notable credits include guest starring roles on the Disney + series Diary of a Future President with Gina Rodriguez and All American with Taye Diggs. A multi-talented artist, Maya is also a songwriter and released her first EP, Shades of You, in 2017. Maya is currently in the studio recording new music to be released soon. Passionate about the importance of arts education she founded the non-profit organization HeARTs of Maya which awards educational scholarships to youth who have a passion for the arts. To date, she has awarded 50 scholarships to deserving youth in Dallas and Los Angeles and in 2019, she was awarded the SPARK! Award for her philanthropic contributions to the arts community. Maya is also the youngest member on the Emerging Leaders Advisory Board for the nonprofit, Imagine LA, an organization that is combatting family homelessness. When not working or giving back this bi-lingual actress enjoys listening to K-POP, playing the piano or ukulele, and screenwriting. Maya Ixta Delgado Instagram (15.2k followers) // Maya Delgado IMDb
Was there something (an experience) or someone in your life that was the "catalyst" for you to start writing or performing music? Tell us about it:
Ever since I was very little, I loved singing and putting on shows for my family and friends in my living room. When I was 7 years old, my grandma suggested my mom take me to vocal lessons because of how much I loved to sing. I fell in love with singing and performing after my very first lesson! More recently, the COVID lockdown really catapulted my desire and need for songwriting. I was constantly writing in my journal because I was going through so much, emotionally and mentally. My journal was like my best friend, so a lot of my songs came from my “conversations” with my journal lol!
Let's get this out of the way. What is the CRAZIEST thing that has ever happened to you in your music career?
Recently, I had the opportunity to sing at the Clive Davis Theater at the Grammy Museum and that was one of the best musical experiences I've ever had. I never imagined I would be performing my original songs on the same stage as many renowned artists have performed!
What has been the high point of your music path?
The highlight of my music career so far has been the response I have been getting to my new music. Recently, I performed at The Moroccan Lounge in L.A. and there was a girl who came out to see me perform. She drove all the way from San Diego to see me! She said she really connected with my music, and it meant so much to me. This is one of the reasons I write, so that people feel like they have someone who understands them. I'm so thankful for her and anybody else who listens and connects to my songs!
So, how do you approach songwriting or what is your creative process like? All of my songs come from things I experience. Sometimes I get inspiration from the most mundane things and turn it into a song. I need to catch my creative thoughts when they come to me, so I always use my Notes app on my phone. I also journal a lot and I definitely get lyrics or ideas from that as well.
If you could share the stage with one other artist or band, who would it be and why?
As a Latina artist, Kali Uchis and Rosalia are so inspirational to me. They have such a special way of conveying their message through music and also naturally incorporate their Latina culture into their songs. Performing a bilingual song with either of these amazing artists would be such a dream come true!
What is your greatest challenge when you are songwriting. Tell us about it! A lot of my songs just kind of spill out of me and when I'm on a roll, I just keep writing, then I'll go back and revise my lines. I would say the biggest challenge for me is writing as fast as my mind is thinking. When I lose my groove, I have to work to get back into it. I'll have periods of silence and then I wait for the right moment to present itself.
For fans who have never heard your music, can you pick three words to describe it?! If three words just aren't enough, then tell us more!! Alternative Pop
Bilingual (Spanish)
Empathetic
What is your favorite part about being an artist? Is it songwriting, performing, recording, something else? Tell us why:
I love being in the thick of the writing process. Something about it really captivates me. I love to present an idea and wonder how someone else might interpret it. I look forward to discovering how it makes people feel. During the writing process, I’m presenting my feelings and thoughts to the world through a melody, and I hope it resonates.
Okay, this a fun question. When you are not doing music, what else do you enjoy doing?
When I'm not creating music, I’m creating art in the form of glass making. It is so therapeutic for me! I enjoy cutting and piecing different shards of glass to make an abstract piece of art. It is really important to me that every piece I create has special meaning. I have createe a lot of pieces that touch on nature, the environment and climate change. I am also looking at how to express my Latino culture through glass and I'm really excited about that new project.
What's coming up in the future for you? I’m releasing my first bilingual Spanish song titled “Time” next month! I’m also working on various songs that will be a part of my upcoming E.P., “Diary Entries.” This E.P. is very special to me because every song is based on an entry from my diary. My diary is one of my “safe spaces” and it’s helped me so much to sort out life. I would love to share my experiences with others in the hopes that it can help them as well :)
Find Maya on Apple Music.
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