Carly Ann Taylor (24) never expected to attend Point Loma Nazarene University, let alone become one of Christian music’s most sought-after vocalists. The beginning of her story couldn’t have been more different: a living situation marked by abuse and constant instability.
During her freshman year of high school, Taylor hit rock bottom. She was battling suicidal thoughts and living in a dysfunctional household until an unexpected phone call changed everything for her.
Taylor’s half-brother, Randy, invited her to spend a week with him and his wife, Tassia, in Southern California. When she arrived, she received an outpouring of love and kindness. And when they learned about the abusive household she was in, they took her in as their own daughter and finished raising her.
That’s when her entire life began to change.
You have saved my soul / I don’t need to hold on to anything broken like before, Taylor sings in her song “Saved My Soul.”
Taylor’s new family brought her to church, and she quickly became a follower of Jesus. With a gift for music, she came to PLNU with the intention of using her music to share how God changed her life.
Taylor was initially set on going to a different college. But after sharing her testimony at a youth group, someone who went to PLNU said she should check out the campus.
“I went with [Randy’s wife] on a campus tour, and I was like, ‘Oh my gosh, I’m going here,’” Taylor said. “It felt like God overwhelmed me with peace to go there, and it was definitely not part of my plan … the trajectory of my life would have been very different if I went to a different school, and I would have had completely different experiences. But I am so grateful I went to Point Loma.”
Chaz Celaya, associate professor of music at PLNU, was one of Taylor’s professors. He said there are two things that he thinks contributed to her quick success after college.
“One is that she has a very clear understanding of what God has called her to do,” Celaya said. “There was never a sense of confusion as to what God was calling her to do from my perspective. … Second, she has a huge voice. Packed into this tiny structure is this massive powerhouse of a vocalist.”
“One is that she has a very clear understanding of what God has called her to do, There was never a sense of confusion as to what God was calling her to do from my perspective.”
Taking inspiration from R&B artists like Alicia Keys and Tori Kelly, Taylor’s soaring vocals are what make her stand out as an artist. Paired with powerful lyrics about how God has changed her life, she’s putting a creative spin on contemporary Christian music. Her songs are filled with raw honesty about mental health and what a relationship with Jesus looks like.
You make my striving cease / You lift my burdens off of me / You calm the raging sea / My anxieties / ‘Cause that’s just who You are / You make me whole again / Your love is constant, there’s no end, Taylor sings in her song “Why Should I Worry.”
Some of her lyrics encourage people who went through traumas like hers that there are good things ahead.
In the end, you’ll understand / Why the rain poured / So just hang on a little longer, Taylor sings in her song “Drift Away.”
Graduating with a bachelor’s degree in commercial music production, it wasn’t long after college that Taylor spontaneously received a life-changing opportunity to sing with singer/songwriter David Leonard at Alive Music Festival in Mineral City, Ohio, where she was supporting Randy’s band, Hopeful.
“That was kind of [my] first time being exposed to the industry,” Taylor said.
Following the concert, Leonard followed Taylor and Hopeful. on Instagram. This caught the eye of another band, We Are Messengers. Their lead singer, Darren, introduced Randy to their label, Curb Records. Randy suggested they give Taylor’s music a listen.
Not long after, Randy offered Taylor a chance to open for Hopeful. in Sacramento, and found out that Artists and Repertoire (A&R) representatives from Curb would be in the audience to scout new talent. Despite her trepidation, she agreed to open for the band and met with Curb’s A&R team after the show. Within a week, they offered her a record deal.
“Everything was very, very unexpected,” Taylor said. “You can’t make this stuff up. It’s God-orchestrated.”
Celaya said that although label negotiations happened quickly, it wasn’t a surprise to him.
“It wasn’t a shock,” Celaya said. “That’s what God’s called [her] to do, that’s what [she’s] been preparing for. [She] put the work in, so for it to happen wasn’t a surprise.”
Taylor said that it was her time at PLNU that shaped her into the musician she is today. Through classes with Celaya, she learned everything from producing music to communicating with mix engineers. She said that Celaya’s classes gave her a chance to give her practice for the “real world” of the music industry.
“Chaz gave us an opportunity to figure things out and kind of work out all of the beginner kinks, which I am so grateful for,” Taylor said. “Now I already worked through all of the little processes of learning how I like to walk in and record my vocals, like with no reverb or with reverb … that’s because I had the opportunity to try all of those things out in class, and be able to ask questions.”
Taylor has already had the chance to collaborate with musicians like Steven Malcolm and Lloyd Nicks, and is currently working on her debut full-length album. To keep up with Carly Ann Taylor, follow her on @carlyismusic.
