Let’s go back in time to the date December 22, 1993. I have to admit it would take a lot of research and speculation to try to figure out what I was doing on that date. Possibly nothing noteworthy because the date would stand out in my memory if a major event marked the time. However, that date stands out for the parents of Meghan Elizabeth Trainor. On that date the young singer/songwriter/record producer came into the world. It’s hard to say if Kelli Jekanowski and Gary Trainor thought at that time their baby girl would become a major international star. Although, their musical family provided a few musical clues throughout her childhood. Meghan’s parents might also mark her birth date because of how inspirational she has become to many worldwide. Yes, she inspires her large fan base called Megatronz. First, we should discuss her rise to success.
Meghan Trainor was born in Nantucket, Massachusetts and began singing at age six, initially singing with her father at church. At age 11, Trainor told her father that she wanted to become a recording artist and began writing songs, recording them using GarageBand from her MacBook. GarageBand is a line of digital audio workstations for OS X and iOS that allows users to create music or podcasts. GarageBand is developed and sold by Apple Inc. for OS X, and was formerly part of the iLife software suite. Its music and podcast creation system enables users to create multiple tracks with pre-made MIDI keyboards, pre-made loops, an array of various instrumental effects, and voice recordings.
At age 12, Trainor began performing as part of Island Fusion, an “all-purpose party band” which performed covers, soca music, and Trainor’s compositions. The band included her aunt, her younger brother, and her father. Trainor played piano, guitar, and bongo drum, and sang with the band for four years. When she was in the eighth grade, the family left Nantucket. They temporarily relocated to Orléans, Massachusetts before moving to North Eastham, Massachusetts, where the children attended Nauset Regional High School. At Nauset Regional High, Trainor studied guitar and was a substitute cheerleader. Additionally, Trainor sang and played trumpet in a jazz band for three years.
Meghan’s parents continued to offer a lot of support musically. While she was still a teenager, Trainor’s parents encouraged her to attend songwriting conventions, and they took her to venues where production companies were searching for new artists and songwriters. During this time, Trainor used Logic Studio to record and produce her compositions, and later worked independently from a home studio that her parents constructed for her. Logic Studio was a music production suite by Apple Inc. It claims to be the largest collection of modeled instruments, sampler instruments, effect plug-ins, and audio loops ever put in a single application.
At a music conference in Colorado, Trainor was introduced to publisher, Carla Wallace at Big Yellow Dog Music. At this time, Trainor was offered a full scholarship to the Berklee College of Music; however, Trainor decided to forego college to pursue a career in songwriting instead. Wallace offered Trainor a publishing deal with Nashville-based Big Yellow Dog Music, which Trainor signed at age 17. She began her career as a songwriter-for-hire in part due to her ability to write in a number of genre styles. Meghan gravitated to song publishing, unsure of herself as a recording artist. “She thought she was one of the chubby girls who would never be an artist,” her father recalls.
Throughout 2013, Trainor traveled to Nashville, New York City and Los Angeles, where she would write and help produce country and pop music. She would also sing lead and background vocals for demos of other artists, with her vocals occasionally making the final cut. In June 2013, Trainor met producer Kevin Kadish in Nashville through a referral from Wallace and a mutual friend. Kadish and Trainor shared a love for retro style music and began recording together that month. This introduction would be the start of a big event in modern music.
Trainor and Kadish co-wrote the song “All About That Bass”. After various record labels declined to have their artists record the song, Trainor recorded the song herself, and performed it on the ukulele for Epic Records chairman L.A. Reid. “All About That Bass” was released on June 30, 2014, and its music video became a viral hit. “All About That Bass” reached number one in 58 countries and became one of the best-selling singles of all time.
The song would become memorable for more than the beat. Lyrically, it discusses positive body image which is so important in our time. The Guardian journalist Caroline Sullivan stated that the song was significant on combating “the media-propagated notion” that only small buttocks are sexy and said the track had the “aura of a hard-won victory against self-doubt”. At the time not everyone thought the song would effectively promote positive body image. The Independent writer Yomi Adegoke said that the song’s replacement of one ideal with another was a poor representation of body positivity, and felt that its enforcement that “real men love curves” was insulting. Trainor responded, “I didn’t work this hard to hate on skinny people, I wrote the song to help my body confidence—and to help others.”
Now that Meghan Trainor followed her début album with her second, Thank You, she continues to write songs that promote positive body image and self-worth. She also continues to showcase the array of musical influences through her music. “I wanted to go big, I wanted to get all my influences in there and show everything from my Caribbean side to my love for Bruno Mars and Aretha Franklin and even some Elvis vibes, anyone I grew up listening to.” “It’s definitely a Meghan Trainor album, but it’s a more grown up, matured, intense Meghan Trainor,” she said in an interview with Los Angeles Times.
As for her fans, Meghan Trainor continues to give a positive message for young folks through her music and in interviews. She should prove to be a parent favorite as she continues her musical journey. Meghan Trainor definitely appreciates the support from her fans, Megatronz. She tweeted, ” I can’t say it enough.. #THANKYOU all so much for supporting me and my music!!