With an upbringing that involved being immersed in the musical culture of Baton Rouge, La., Aries Marquis was destined to be a performer.

He comes from gospel roots, performing in his mother’s choir at just 5 years old. Singing was always an encouraged activity and even made its way onto his recorded voicemail. It got to the point where wrong numbers would call back, admitting that they were so impressed with what they heard that they needed to hear it again or share it with someone else.

Believe it or not, it was his first real taste of feedback. He had been performing in some capacity for nearly 15 years at that point, and after his father heard the voicemail, he encouraged him to pursue music.

“What he told me was that in order to make it as a professional music artist independently, learn how to write and definitely learn how to perform,” Marquis said. “The first thing that I worked on was my writing, so before I even got on stage with anybody I was writing different songs.”

He turned to legendary songwriters - Marvin Gaye, Michael Jackson, Paul McCartney, Elton John - to better understand why they are considered among the greatest songwriters of all time. He focused on the delivery of the lyrics and discovered that it is the timelessness that makes them great. They didn’t write songs based on current trends or what would make the most money. They took their passions and life experiences and gave their audience something to relate to.

“I’m taking this approach to say ‘I get it - we should have fun, we should live life, but I want you to listen, I want you to learn, I want you to feel,’” he said. “I want [songs] that stand the test of time; that 20 years from now people still listen to it.”

His first performances were alongside a band he formed called J2, with successful appearances on local television stations and at clubs and malls. During one of these shows, he received an important piece of feedback that still resonates with him today: stage performance is equally important as vocal performance.

Marquis remembers their next showcase involving a lot of sweat, but it was exactly the push they needed. As he transitioned from a band member to a solo act, he knew that he would need to hold onto that piece of advice and work twice as hard.

This year, he set a goal to write about things he loved. He was hearing too many songs doubting love and he wanted to take the time to fight for it instead. A writing session got onto the topic of encouragement, ultimately forming his latest single, “Motivation”.

“I want to let women know that in the midst of this battle of the sexes that’s going on right now, some of us really do love and care about you,” he said. “This song is saying that throughout the years women have motivated me. They’re the ones who definitely helped me with my music career that I’ve poured myself out to and then they come back and pour themselves out to me. I love women and this song is an appreciation of all the women that have helped me out throughout the years.”

He cites his strong relationships with his grandmother, mother and four daughters as another influence for the song. He recognizes the importance of a powerful female presence and wants the women in his life to understand just how much they mean to him.

He might not have always recognized his potential, but Aries Marquis has embraced music as his journey. This year is all about love, and he plans to share his love with anyone willing to receive it.