The Winged Post recently spoke to Caitlyn Smith, a Nashville-based songwriter and musical artist who has written hits for the likes of Meghan Trainor, Cassadee Pope, Dolly Parton, Garth Brooks and Lady Antebellum, among others. Since moving to Nashville from Minnesota to pursue a career in music, Smith already has three independent records under her belt and is currently in the studio recording her fourth.

Among Smith’s recent hits is “Like I’m Gonna Lose You,” which she co-wrote with Justin Weaver and Megan Trainor, who recently won the Grammy for Best New Artist. The track debuted on the Billboard Hot 100 at number 95 and peaked at number one on the Adult Top 40 chart.

Winged Post: When did you decide to seriously commit to songwriting? What were you feeling leaving high school to move to Nashville instead of taking a more traditional path?

Caitlyn Smith: My path in my mind was already set in high school that this is what I wanted to do. I started off loving it and it was just something I kept doing because it made me really happy and I loved it and I felt like I was good at it.

WP: What keeps you going as a songwriter and artist?

CS: The most important piece that keeps me going? I have so many things that keep me going. If I wake up, and I’m excited about the day, I consider that a win. If I wake up, and I’m not excited, you have a very limited number of days. I remember Steve Jobs talking about this. If you’re waking up a few days in a row that you’re hating, waking up and going to do what you do, don’t do that thing. And so I very often keep in check if I’m loving this or not, and I’m still loving this.

WP: What one thing would you urge students pursuing a career in music to do? And to not do?

CS: I would say whatever it is, your passion is, say writing songs, then I would say do that, a hundred times, do that a thousand times. Do that until you turn blue in the face, because practice really does make perfect. If you want to be a performer, then get out there, play shows, play for your grandma, play for your dog, play for anybody walking by on the street, you have to practice performing. And so I would say whatever you want to do, don’t let anyone get in your way of you just doing that thing. Also I would also tell my seventeen-year-old self to try to not care about what other people say. It’s your life that you’re living, after all.

This piece was originally published in the pages of the Winged Post on March 2, 2016