Thomas Marra is a music producer, songwriter, and entrepreneur based between Brightwaters, NY and St. Croix in the U.S. Virgin Islands. He has built a successful career by combining creativity with discipline, business sense, and a strong commitment to personal growth.
Born in Levittown, New York, Thomas grew up in a hard-working family. He played multiple sports as a kid and was even scouted by Division I baseball teams. But his true passion was music. After earning a Bachelor of Science from John Jay College of Criminal Justice and graduating Magna Cum Laude, he followed that passion into a full-time creative career.
Today, Thomas runs his own music business where he writes and produces songs for country artists and licenses his music for TV and film. His work has been featured on Netflix’s Love Is Blind and MLB Network broadcasts. He focuses on sync licensing—creating music that fits perfectly into scenes for shows, sports, and commercials.
He’s also a builder at heart. Alongside his wife Colleen, Thomas is opening a functional medicine practice in St. Croix. The clinic will offer services like pain management, hormone therapy, and holistic wellness treatments.
Thomas believes in giving back, too. He donates annually to Big Brothers Big Sisters and has worked with at-risk youth to promote education and community safety.
His journey proves that success doesn’t have to follow one path. With curiosity, consistency, and purpose, Thomas Marra is carving his own.
You’ve worn a lot of hats—athlete, federal officer, music producer, entrepreneur. How do you define success now?
Success used to be about titles or goals—“get that job,” “make that placement,” “hit that milestone.” Now, it’s more about alignment. Am I building a life that fits who I am? Am I showing up for my work, my marriage, my health, and my creativity in a way that feels true? That’s success to me now. Being consistent with my values, not just busy.
You’re living and working between Brightwaters and St. Croix now. Has that environment shift changed your approach to life or work?
Definitely. In the Virgin Islands, there’s a different pace. Things move slower—but more intentionally. There’s less noise, more space to think. I’m more protective of my time now. I still keep a strong routine, but I’ve learned to respect stillness. Whether I’m writing a track or helping get our functional medicine clinic off the ground, I’m more focused.
When I lived full-time in New York, I used to wear urgency like a badge. Here, I’ve realized you can be productive without being frantic.
Your first Netflix placement happened quietly—no label, no connections. What did you learn from that moment?
That preparation matters more than hype. I’d been organizing my music library for months—labeling, editing, uploading clean instrumentals. One day, I get an email that my track was used on Love Is Blind. I didn’t even pitch it directly.
That taught me that luck is just preparation meeting timing. The people who win are the ones who are ready when the door cracks open.
You studied criminal justice, got a software engineering degree, and still chose music. Was that a hard pivot?
On paper, it sounds chaotic. But each piece taught me something useful. Criminal justice gave me discipline. Software engineering taught me systems thinking. That mindset helped me build my music catalog with structure—BPM tags, mood filters, metadata.
It wasn’t wasted time. I just took the scenic route.
You’ve talked about giving back—donations to Big Brothers Big Sisters, teaching kids in tough neighborhoods. Why is that important to you?
I had a stable home. Not everyone does. Some kids grow up thinking they have no options. I used to visit schools in high-crime areas and talk about community policing, but also music, education, self-worth. I still donate to youth programs every year.
Look, success means nothing if you’re the only one eating. I want to build a career that adds value outside of my own income.
What’s one success habit you swear by that most people overlook?
Finishing. It sounds simple, but most people don’t finish things. They chase new ideas, tweak forever, or wait for the “perfect moment.” Whether I’m producing a track, writing a blog post, or mapping out services for our clinic in St. Croix—I finish.
Even if it’s not perfect, I ship it. Then I improve on the next one.
“Success isn’t flashy. It’s boring stuff done well, over and over. It’s waking up, putting in the work, and aligning your life with your purpose—quietly, consistently. That’s what I’m trying to do every day.”