MusicalWriters.com is thrilled to bring songwriter Alyssa Payne to Dallas this summer for the 2025 Musical Writers Festival. (Click HERE for details.)
We checked in with Alyssa to chat about her current and recent projects, her philosophy towards collaboration, and what she’s looking forward to in Texas. (Spoiler alert – the list includes meeting new people and BBQ)
Alyssa Payne Origin Story
MusicalWriters: What do you remember about the first song you ever wrote?
Alyssa Payne: It was a jingle for the Mexican restaurant I went to every year for my birthday – La Parilla.
MW: What are your biggest non-theatre musical influences?
AP: Gospel Music (and the band Lawrence)
MW: What writing achievement are you most proud of so far?
AP: My one-woman show Extra Crispy at Joe’s Pub!
Watch the final number from Extra Crispy in the video below.
Alyssa Payne: Works in Progress
MW: How does writing standalone music differ for you from writing a musical?
AP: Writing standalone music – like Patiently Waiting – feels like catching a feeling in real time. It’s usually me, a piano, and some kind of emotional chaos I’m trying to make sense of. The song has to live on its own, so every lyric has to hit right away. It’s my therapy.
Writing for a musical is way more collaborative and structured. It’s not just, “what do I feel?” It’s, “what does this character need to discover right now?” I’m thinking about pacing, stakes, how the song moves the plot or shifts the energy of the scene.
It’s like building a little emotional machine that has to run smoothly with everything around it.
But honestly, both processes talk to each other. The standalone songs keep me emotionally honest, and the musical theater writing keeps me disciplined and story-focused. When they overlap – when I write something that’s both super personal and moves a story forward – that’s magic.
Listen to all of Patiently Waiting on Spotify or wherever you stream music!
MW: What can you tell us about the project you’re currently working on?
AP: F-Word is a coming-of-age story straight from the sardonic mind of a teenager. On the brink of her eighteenth birthday, Tessa faces the reality of aging out of the foster care system and starting a life of her own. Her one birthday wish is to find her brother before it’s too late. Since entering the system twelve years ago, the siblings were separated and haven’t since. It is a story of rising above hardships, facing the future, and finding family where you least expect.
Click HERE to follow ‘F Word’ on Instagram.
MW: How do you typically collaborate with other writing and production partners?
AP: I approach collaboration as a mix of deep listening, shared laughter, and mutual accountability. I try to create a space where everyone feels safe to pitch the messy version first – because that’s usually where the gold is. Oh, and a lot of snacks!
Alyssa Payne at the Musical Writers Festival
MW: What are you most looking forward to about the Musical Writers Festival?
AP: I CAN’T WAIT TO MEET EVERYONE!!!!!
MW: What can attendees at the Musical Writers Festival expect to learn from your sessions and feedback?
AP: We’ll talk about how to use storytelling, humor, and authenticity to build an audience that truly gets your work, whether you’re a writer, composer, or performer. I’ll share specific strategies that helped me grow a following of over 180K while still focusing on my art, including:
- What kinds of content resonate most with theater lovers online
- How to talk about your show without sounding like a walking promo
- How to balance vulnerability, comedy, and professionalism
- Why going viral isn’t the goal – and what is
And during feedback sessions, I’ll help participants identify their unique voice, clarify what makes their work scroll-stopping, and brainstorm content ideas that don’t feel forced or cringe.
MW: What advice would you give to aspiring musical theatre writers who are just starting out in the industry?
AP: EVERYONE HAS IMPOSTER SYNDROME! Keep writing, you can’t get to your SECOND DRAFT until you write your first. Seasons of input and output. Work on the song and let the song work on you!
MW: Are you planning on doing anything else in Texas during your Festival visit?
AP: Absolutely anything and everything! Definitely BBQ 😛
Just for Fun
MW: What is your guilty pleasure musical cast album and why?
JC: SMASH BOMBSHELL
Alyssa Payne is a multi-hyphenate artist best known for her viral TikTok videos and EP, Patiently Waiting. Alyssa graduated from the Boston Conservatory at Berklee in 2022, earning her BFA in Musical Theatre with an Emphasis in Songwriting. She was a University Scholar, receiving the American Theater Wing’s Andrew Lloyd Webber Foundation Scholarship for all four years of her studies. In the past year, Alyssa has been a Write Out Loud Competition finalist, a 2024 Johnny Mercer Foundation Songwriting Intensive participant, and a lyricist for the BMI Lehman Engel Musical Theatre Workshop. She is mentored by Shaina Taub and recently worked as her assistant on the Broadway production of Suffs. In her spare time, Alyssa works at Hope Church Jersey City, serving as their Worship Leader.
Inspired by her experiences volunteering with foster care organizations, Alyssa embarked on a mission to create a new musical which not only entertains but raises awareness and sparks action amongst audience members. F Word (music and lyrics by Alyssa Payne, book by Sara Matin) aims to support and uplift non-profit organizations dedicated to helping those in the American foster care system. Alyssa is most passionate about initiating positive change and bettering the world around her through her artistry. She is also passionate about finding the best smashburger in New York.
The Musical Writers Festival, featuring Alyssa Payne, takes place in the Dallas Fort Worth area every summer. In addition to featured guests from the theatre industry, the festival features informative sessions, opportunities for writers to submit and receive critiques on their own songs, a New Works Cabaret, networking opportunities, and more. Registration is currently open; click HERE for more information.
