Marcus Amaker of Charleston is known for his skills on the page. There are two things he is passionate about above all else.
First, his family.
"I am the father of a beautiful daughter," he told me at the beginning of our conversation.
Second, his love for music.
"I started listening to music intentionally when I was 10," Amaker said. "It started with Prince. I idolized him. That awakened my awareness to wanting to be an artist."
His discovery of music as a child led to his journey into poetry. He elevated his pieces beyond pen and paper, sharing his creations to Youtube and other internet outlets.
It was through that medium he met American composer Shawn Okpebholo.
"He called me about writing some opera things for him. We ended up a few years later with me being on this project of his," Amaker said.
That project, which would eventually be nominated for Best Contemporary Classical Composition at this year’s Grammy’s awards, is called "Songs in Flight".
Amaker's poem, "An Echo, An Ending", was featured on the song cycle. It was performed by Rhiannon Giddens, a MacArthur Fellow and Pulitzer Prize winner.
The poem explores themes of death, Amaker explained, and holding it in a more gentle light.
"I wrote it in 2021 for another project with Shawn that was part of the 100th anniversary of the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier," Amaker said. "I wrote about what death would be like for a soldier who was fighting for his country."
It was a full circle moment for Amaker to learn his work was part of a Grammy-nominated project, he told me.
"To even be in the conversation feels really lovely," he said.
Even though "Songs In Flight" did not take home the trophy in its category, it did not shake Amaker's pride in his work.
"It helps me to realize that fame and getting accolades is not where happiness is," he said. "Nothing about me has changed."
When asked about his message to South Carolina artists who may feel inspired by him, Amaker reflected on lessons he learned.
"Be where your feet are," he said. "Enjoy the idea as much as you enjoy the creation of your idea. Own your work. It is important for what we do to be our business. We deserve to be paid for what we do."
