Taylor Morgan Has Her Finger (and a Spotlight) on the Pulse of Dallas Music

Though Taylor Morgan is a prominent force on the Dallas music scene through her numerous series and showcases, she never likes to stick to a routine. Often called “the A&R of Dallas,” Morgan makes it her mission to find the city's freshest sounds.

At the Dallas Entertainment Awards in January, Morgan and I are set to present the award for Dallas Album of the Year. Though we were told to meet on the right side of backstage, I learn she is on the opposite side, just seconds before we are expected to present. She texts me from across the room, letting me know her plan: to walk in from opposite ends and meet at the podium in pure, cinematic fashion.

“We’re gonna have fun with it,” she said.

Months later, Morgan has not taken her foot off the gas. On Saturday, June 22, she's set to perform at The Munchies Pregame Live Brunch series at The Echo Lounge and Music Hall. She's also been hard at work curating performance rosters for her live music series, Taylor Made Tuesdays.

Morgan’s love of music began at a young age. A self-identified “church kid,” she loved performing in choirs and school talent shows.

“Performing is my favorite thing to do,” she says. “It’s within my comfort zone and it makes me feel comfortable to be able to express myself.”

Morgan is known for her gospel-influenced R&B sound and for delivering sharp, fresh vocals. One of her favorite things about Dallas’ music scene is the number of diverse acts across the city’s many venues.

“We have a different sound in Dallas,” says Morgan. “The musicians are incredible. They bring so much life to the music. The singers are all different in their own way. It’s not just one category, it's something special for different venues and different people to hear. I know with some events, we can have gospel to rap and R&B real quick, then pop and rock. I love that. There’s so much love and so much passion in the scene. New York and LA are incredible, too, don't get me wrong, but Dallas is different. The city makes you feel good.”

When looking for acts to book for her Taylor Made Tuesday series, which takes place Tuesday nights at The Free Man, Morgan vets bands and artists using a thorough research process. She often goes to the artists’ shows ahead of time and peruses their pages on Instagram, TikTok and digital streaming platforms as a way to assess the energy they put into their craft.

As a curator, Morgan’s mission is to spotlight acts who consistently maintain a strong output of work, even though they may not always get the attention they deserve.

"I just want people to be genuine,” she says. “I want people to be themselves. Some of the people that we know and love, we always see them in the background, but we never see them in the front. And there's a lot of underground artists that never really had the opportunity to perform.

"When I hear someone is hungry and someone is ready to work and just express how they feel to music, I'm like, 'Let's go.’ I look for that realness, genuineness and the hunger in these artists.”

Earlier this year, Morgan partnered with Joshua Love, the Atlanta-based founder of the Black Girl Art Show and Black Boy Art Show to select artists to perform and sell their artwork during the Dallas stop of the tour.

She is also taking her fine-tuned ear for sounds nationwide, by performing at SoFar Shows in Washington, D.C., Chicago and Los Angeles.

Morgan has been enjoying her time with SoFar, as it allows her and other artists to share their craft in the most organic, intimate settings.

“SoFar shows are always a good time,” says Morgan. “You can hear original music that sometimes the artists never put out before; they just probably wrote it in the week before, or did it last night, and they just feel comfortable expressing themselves because they're in the intimate space, having a good time with the crowd. Last night, I did a whole new set and it went over amazing. I was comfortable to debut different songs that I've always wanted to do.”

For years, Morgan has been intimately involved with the Dallas music scene. Whether she’s hosting a show, curating a killer roster or even performing, fans know that when Morgan is involved, they are in for a hell of a time.

In addition to a packed schedule, Morgan is finding time to work on music of her own. While she’s debuted some of her new material at music showcases, she is taking her time to give her music a proper release on streaming platforms.

She keeps the details of her upcoming music under wraps, but says fans can expect “a lot of storytelling from what I've been through, with relationships, friendships and with myself.”