Entertainment
In a nondescript building in the small town of Lititz, Pennsylvania, Maggie Rogers was meticulously preparing for her significant event. This place holds a special significance as arena acts often come here to rehearse before embarking on national tours, and every aspect matters. "Sunday Morning" had the opportunity to catch up with Rogers just a few weeks before her concerts at Madison Square Garden.
Career-Defining Moments and Homecoming
She achieved a career-defining feat by selling out New York City's Madison Square Garden, and she couldn't believe it herself. "Twice!" she exclaimed with a laugh. "It's hard to fathom in my mind. I just don't understand it fundamentally!"During her rehearsal and subsequent performance in front of a sold-out crowd at Madison Square Garden, Rogers was in her element. She studied music at New York University and considered this as a sort of homecoming. Walking through Washington Square Park near her former dorm room, she pointed out the benches where she used to write her songs. It was at NYU that she got a major break when superstar producer and musician Pharrell Williams visited her class. Rogers played him a song called "Alaska," and his response was profound. "Wow! Wow! I have zero, zero, zero notes for that, and here's why: you're doing your own thing. It's unique."The video clip of Williams' masterclass went viral, but Rogers, who initially studied music engineering, still had to learn the art of writing and performing. She has played in every bar and club on the Lower East Side and every DIY venue in Brooklyn during her time there.From College Demo to Viral Success
Remember that demo she played for Pharrell Williams as a college student? Well, the music video of the finished version of "Alaska" has been viewed over 23 million times. It's been an incredible journey for Rogers, considering she didn't play music publicly much as she grew up on Maryland's Eastern Shore. Her interest was more personal and quirky. "Basically, as soon as I could ask for music lessons, all I wanted to do was play the harp. My first CD purchase was a double-purchase of the orchestral score to 'Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone' and Britney's 'Baby One More Time.' That might tell you a lot about me!"And her songs reflect a pop sensibility with a great intellect behind it. Rogers enjoys the arena experience but truly hopes to form a deep, long-term connection with her listeners through themes of love, heartbreak, and the wonder of being alive. "I really prefer to work in long form. I'm grateful for listeners who are willing to have an active listening practice and have the patience to spend an hour listening to how I sequence the record. I've always loved art that takes time."Taking Time for Personal Growth
Something that sets Rogers apart from typical pop stars is that in 2021, she took a break from music to enroll in a graduate program at Harvard University focusing on religion and public life. "I really needed a break. I needed to reorient my life and start something new. I had been living in a world centered around me and my career for five years, and then applying that to music and concerts and these large public gatherings."These large public gatherings have become almost spiritual for both Rogers and her fans. "This couldn't have happened in any other way. When I step on that stage at Madison Square Garden and feel ready, it's a gift I try not to contextualize. As soon as you understand it, it changes. I'm always at the center of it all. And I'll never truly know what it looks like from the outside. But I do know when I've dedicated myself to my art and when I think I'm at my best. And I strive to do both as much as possible."You can stream Maggie Rogers' 2024 album "Don't Forget Me" by clicking on the embed below (Free Spotify registration required to hear the tracks in full):For more info:Story produced by Julie Kracov. Editor: Remington Korper.
