Written by Matt Emma
Charles Moret may stand at 6’7”, but he spent years trying to make himself small.
In high school and college, he was known for his presence on the basketball court, not for the songs he wrote alone at night. For a long time, he kept that part of himself tucked away, hidden behind GPA scores and athletic achievements. Music was his first language, but it was one he didn’t know how to speak publicly.
“This 6’7” Gen-Z songwriter went from hiding his music to quitting basketball for it,”Moret says now. And if it sounds dramatic, that’s because it was.
A Quiet Start, A Loud Calling
Moret’s journey with music started early. At just two years old, a music teacher pulled his mom aside and told her that he had something special. By the time he was three, he was learning the piano. By four, he was writing. Even then, the idea of composition, of building a piece from the inside out, felt more natural than speaking.But Venice, LA, is a place of extremes. Growing up in a neighborhood where wealth and poverty coexisted, Moret learned to adapt, to shift, and to observe. He was neither poor nor rich. That middle space, full of noise and nuance, became the foundation of his artistry.
Living Between Identities
The tug-of-war between athlete and artist reached its peak at Oberlin College, where Moret earned a basketball scholarship. To his teammates, he was a forward with potential. To himself, he was a musician who felt out of place.“The hardest part was not the fear of failure,” he says. “It was the fear of being seen.”
College brought challenges, including depression, doubt, and the pressure to find a career path. But it also brought clarity. After transferring to USC, the pandemic hit. With the world on pause, Charles began to write again—publicly, this time.
Dreammaker: A Debut Without Apology
His first album, Dreammaker, dropped last year with zero expectations and all the weight of a decade’s worth of songs behind it. It was not designed for playlists, but for listeners.The album caught attention not with flash but with feeling. Small Los Angeles shows followed, packed with people who felt something real in what they heard. It was a release not just of music but also of identity.
“Powder” and the Art of Letting Goz
Now, Moret is preparing for his second project. The lead single, “Powder,” is already out. It is a slow-burn ballad that peels back layers of production, revealing something deeper. It is vulnerable, lived-in, and unmistakably his.He writes for people who don’t want polish, who crave resonance, and who believe music can still mean something.
Redefining What a Composer Looks Like
Moret doesn’t care about fitting the mold of a pop star. He is not chasing fame, but connection. For him, making music is a form of service, both to his own healing and, hopefully, to yours.His vision of success is not about numbers. It is about telling the truth. And if that truth helps you feel less alone, then it has done its job.
Explore Dreammaker and stream the new single “Powder” on his website. Follow Moret on TikTok and Instagram for more.
