Delaware native Mariano Mallia just released his debut single. However, the road that got him here has been anything but easy.  His debut single titled “Don’t Change” comes at the culmination of a long and grueling 4-year recovery process from a life-altering diagnosis of vocal paresis; a type of vocal paralysis that seriously impacts a persons ability to speak and sing. 

Mariano Mallia, who spent childhood summers visiting family members in Italy says that it was in Italy that his passion for music was first born. His first musical memories come from Monacilioni, Italy, where the singer’s uncle was a local orchestra conductor and music teacher. At just 6 years old, Mallia remembers his uncle playing piano for him and owning just about every instrument under the sun. From those times, Mallia developed a deep appreciation for music, and ultimately decided to devote his life to music. However, the young singer’s pursuit was suddenly put to a halt in December of 2018 when he suddenly lost his voice.

“In 2018, I went from being a full-time singer to being an Uber driver in the span of just a few weeks”, says Mariano. “It was extremely devastating. I had lost my job and my biggest passion all at once.” He remembers those initial months as being some of the darkest of his life, and not being sure if he’d ever be able to sing or speak normally again. “There was a period of time where I could barely communicate to a person sitting right next to me. We went to a few doctors that didn’t know how to help me, and that was scary”, Mallia described.

The artist says that he fell into a wave of despair that would have kept him down had he not changed his mindset. “What I learned in that dark period is that sometimes it takes hitting a low to regain your faith, get back up on your feet, and not take the miracle of life for granted.” He attributes the depths of that situation to why he was able to change and ultimately recover. “Something told me that I had come too far to give up and that I was put on this earth for a reason, whether that meant being a singer or not”, said Mallia. 

Despite the challenges, Mariano Mallia refused to give up on his dream of pursuing music. Over the course of four years, the singer continued to write songs, strengthen his voice with vocal therapy, and ultimately undergo vocal surgery in 2019. Two years post-surgery, the singer’s voice slowly started to come back. Fast forward to today, and his debut single is now out on all major listening platforms.

The single, titled “Don’t Change”, is an emotive, three-and-a-half minute piano ballad that  alludes to the struggles of chasing a dream, the pressures to conform to societal norms, and overcoming the seemingly impassable challenges that life has to throw at us. Mariano tells us that he wrote this song during a time when he was struggling to sing and to hold on to his dream of being a singer/songwriter. The singer says he hopes that the song inspires others to have faith and never quit in the face of adversity.

Upon looking back, Mallia says, “Sometimes the obstacle that doesn’t make any sense is exactly what you need to gain the strength to go further.”

Mariano Mallia will be releasing a new song on the first Friday of each month. In describing his music, he says, “I believe in the power of love, faith, humanity, and self belief, and these are the core values that I write music about.” We will certainly be continuing to follow Mariano Mallia’s journey, and you can too by searching “Mariano Mallia” on any social media or music streaming platform or by clicking the links below.