Country-soul music • Real stories • A purpose
My life brought me to these songs. Now I want them to help others feel heard. MyZ Backroads stands against bullying and abuse, for children and adults of every background.
You deserve to be safe. You deserve to belong.
Our purpose
Music started as a way to tell my own story. This campaign gives those songs a shared purpose: standing with people who are being hurt and helping them find appropriate support.
Children, teens, and adults deserve safety and dignity. This campaign includes bullying, abuse, and neglect at home, at school, at work, online, and in relationships.
Harm can come from parents, caregivers, peers, partners, or others. Nobody deserves mistreatment because of who they are, how they look, or what they have been through.
Listen without demanding a painful story. Take concerns seriously. Speak up when it is safe, and help someone connect with support that fits their situation.
If a child is being hurt by a parent or caregiver, help them reach a safe adult outside that situation. Support should never require forgiving or contacting the person who hurt them.
Find support resources →
Operation Covered Arena
Join me Saturday, March 13, 2027, from 5–9 p.m. at Bohemia Manor Farm in Chesapeake City, Maryland. This gala-style fundraiser benefits Reins of Honor and its mission of healing through horses.
Featured song
A soulful country ballad about waiting for the right man—not grand promises, just someone willing to stay, share the quiet moments, and take the place beside you.
Available now on Bandcamp • Streaming everywhere October 30, 2026.
U.S. Army Veteran
Singer • Songwriter • Storyteller
Real stories. Real struggles.
Real hope.
My Country Story
Michael Maraia is a United States Army veteran, singer, and songwriter behind MyZ Backroads. His music is rooted in lived experience—survival, recovery, faith, loneliness, courage, and the choice to keep going.
His experiences of bullying and abuse inform the campaign at the heart of MyZ Backroads. Through songs about survival, belonging, kindness, and hope, he wants people of every age to know they deserve safety and support.
“The backroads are where the noise fades, the truth gets louder, and the next chapter begins.”
Music
Country, gospel, soul, and Americana drawn from lived experience, with songs that connect the campaign to survival, belonging, kindness, and the people who show up.
A tribute to the people who answer the call when a hard moment needs courage, calm, and compassion.
\nStreaming everywhere October 9, 2026.
A true story of arriving with almost nothing and finding shelter, friendship, and six days of unexpected grace.
\nStreaming everywhere October 16, 2026.
An acoustic country-soul story about PTSD, the battles veterans carry quietly, and the healing found in standing together.
\nStreaming everywhere October 2, 2026.
A song of gratitude to Terry Fisher, who reached Michael during a childhood crisis and helped save his life. Part of the personal story behind the campaign.
Videos
Music videos, lyric videos, shorts, and behind-the-scenes moments.
Gallery
Scenes from the music journey: songwriting, horses, country roads, veteran stories, and the real history behind MyZ Backroads.
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Country Life
Country life is part of the sound: horse-country calm, coffee-shop workdays, road stories, and everyday moments that turn into MyZ Backroads songs.
“Some songs entertain you. Others remind you that you made it through.”
Find support
These United States resources offer different kinds of support. MyZ Backroads is a music and awareness campaign, not an emergency or abuse-reporting service. For immediate danger or a medical emergency, call 911.
Childhelp supports people concerned about or affected by child abuse, including survivors. Counselors can explain how to contact a child-protection reporting agency; Childhelp itself does not investigate reports.
Childhelp support and reporting guidance →
National Domestic Violence Hotline advocates offer relationship-abuse support, safety-planning guidance, and connections to local services.
If someone may monitor your device, consider using a safer device to seek help.
PACER National Bullying Prevention Center offers resources for young people, families, educators, and communities.
Tyler Clementi Foundation includes guidance for schools, workplaces, and communities.
988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline supports people experiencing suicidal thoughts or emotional distress in the United States. Call 988 or text 988.
You do not have to share your story publicly to deserve support.
Contact
For music, campaign collaborations, interviews, appearances, or booking inquiries, contact Michael directly. For personal support, use the resources above; this inbox is not monitored for emergencies.
Email Michael