If I could, I would climb to the tallest point in Seattle and just scream “Sound Off!”ť That’s how excited I am for this year’s series of shows.

Semifinals start on February 9, and we want you to get to know the artists who are about to blow your mind all month long.

To experience Maiah Wynne is to follow a wandering butterfly as it leads you away to a land of delicate melodies, mid-tempo folk rhythms, and perfectly tailored instrumentation. Haunting vocal tones, like a misty purple sunset filled with cool desert air, combine with an impressive array of instruments—including the mountain dulcimer, thumb piano, and the electric ukulele. The beauty of Ms. Wynne’s tracks is heightened further by her emotional and empathetic storytelling. Follow the butterfly, you won’t be disappointed.

Check out this clip, and then read the full interview below.

What does being part of Sound Off! mean to you?

Being part of Sound Off, to me, means being part of a community. I think that Sound Off! provides a unique opportunity to be mentored by really amazing people and also to learn from people my own age who are doing similar things. And that’s really exciting to me. To know that there are so many incredibly talented musicians that are in the same area that I didn’t know before I think is just really awesome to be a part of and to be included in that.

Why do you make music? How does creating make you feel?

Creating music has always been kind of a safe space for me. I think that growing up we all have our different challenges that we’re faced with. I think music was a [way] for me to express my emotions in a safe place. Since then it’s evolved into kind of a therapy for me, but also a way for me to express emotion to other people.

I think that it’s also a place of empathy for me. I write from different perspectives. I think that it’s really good for me to be able to step into another person’s shoes, and think, “how would it feel if I were that person”ť and write a song from that perspective.

It’s been a really beautiful journey for me to be able to express those things in a musical way and share that with other people and connect with people. That connection—when I’m up on the stage and I’m singing to somebody and we’re really connecting—it’s magical, you know? You can feel that energy, feel that emotion, and it’s really beautiful. That is something that I would never want to be taken away from me. It’s very valuable to me, and uniquely beautiful.

What do you hope to achieve through your music?

I want to help people.

At the root of all my songs I try to write with intention. I just want to reach people and help people. I have songs about PTSD or depression, and I have songs that I can relate to, but I think that other people could relate to as well. I think that it’s a message to people of hope and of light but also of struggle and connection—relating to people through our deepest struggles and finding hope within that.

I think that that is my intention with my music: to help people and to write songs that mean something to somebody.

Describe your music using only emojis.

I would do the twinkly star emoji, because I like magical things. The butterfly emoji, because I really like butterflies and the symbolic natures of butterflies. I wear butterfly wings when I perform. So, it would definitely be sparkly emoji, butterfly emoji, and then a smiley face.

Maiah Wynne performs at Sound Off! Semifinals #1 on February 9. Get your tickets right here.