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In this time of Book of Revelation-like world events, Paris got a real breath of fresh air last week with the arrival and performance of Lauren Brombert.
has command of a broad range of music. She can really rock with a band - her new album “Closer than Skin” on Teresa Records proves the point. Her solo acoustic performance really shined. She started the evening with “Make It Last” and ended with “Just A Lie”. Songs such as “Like An Angel” that rock hard on the CD work beautifully when done on her own. And she can really cross over moving into the country sound with “Say Goodbye” (also on “Closer Than Skin”).
Classical music was the soundtrack of Lauren’s upbringing. Born in New Haven, CT, as thedaughter of a Parisian and a New Yorker, she was raised on two continents. Though her father was an opera singer and her mother a classical pianist, it was the Beatles’ “Dizzy Miss Lizzy” that ignited the musical passion of a five-year-old. After studying classical piano for eight years, she switched to guitar.
In a garage outside of Paris when she was fourteen, Lauren sat in as a singer for the French band, Duty Free, and was hooked. But instead of pursuing music, she wound up taking a long academic detour. After a B.A. in Classics at Haverford College, an M.A. in Russian Studies at Yale University, more graduate work in linguistics, and a couple of teaching jobs, she was about to start a career abroad as a field linguist and realized it was a now-or-never proposition. She settled in Chicago and finally abandoned herself to songwriting.
Adopting the moniker Urban Nomad, Lauren started performing and recording with her band. A few years later, she began a collaboration with guitarist/arranger David Chelimsky and recorded an acoustic EP produced by guitarist extraordinaire, Fareed Haque. Their acoustic duo eventually attracted renowned Chicago bassist Bob Lizik (Brian Wilson) and drummer Ed Breckenfeld (the Insiders, CathyRichardson Band). Together they recorded “From These Stones” (Tessera Records), which received critical acclaim and was chosen by “The Performing Songwriter” as a Top 12 DIY.
Lauren moved to Denver in 2003 with three songs for a new album having already been produced by Bob Lizik and engineer Jon Smith. With new Denver band mates Greg Blankenship on bass and David Harms on drums, the rest of the album was finally recorded by Brian and Greg McRae (Wrecking Room, Coupe Studios) and released in early 2008.
The good news is that Lauren will be back sooner than later and we’ll be waiting!!!
HorizonVU Music celebrates the independent music community by supporting emerging musicians’ efforts to achieve a key business objective - recognition.http://www.horizonvumusic.com
Well, once again, I’m loose on the Blog. Recently, I had the good fortune to be introduced Stephanie Griffin. She’s an eighteen year old musician singer/songwriter from the U.S. (Connecticut). A student at Quinnipiac University pursuing a major in Communications & Media Studies and minor in music, she’s been playing piano since she was eight and guitar since since was thirteen. She started writing songs at the age of twelve.
It’s clear that her true passion is music and a music industry career. Over and above Stephanie’s talent as folk, folk-rock artist, she’s sends of the off the kind of electricity you like to feel from young artists with talent, head on shoulders and energy to deliver.
Hi Stephanie! Thanks for taking time out to talk with us. We’ve given you a bit of an introduction. Is there anything I missed?
SG: No problem, Phil. I think you picked up on the main points. I am orginally from Hamden, Connecticut. I moved to Wallingford, Connecticut [about twenty minutes away] when I was ten. I seem to have always had an interest for music since I could talk. I remember singing all the time and even dancing to Motown music around my house. Whenever my teachers from elementary school would ask what I wanted to be when I grew up, I always responded with the clever response: a singer. Yet, once I started songwriting, I thought I would like to song-write as a career as well.
From Motown to acoustic - that’s a journey! Tell us a bit about your musical development. Formal training, your current view toward your development and what you really would like to do in music.
SG: The only real formal training I had with voice was through middle school and high school in my chorus classes. I regret not being able tohave formal lessons with my voice, yet, I’ve learned many important skills singing through school. For example, I have learned the importance of diaphragmatic breathing, pronunciation, and singing in a higher voice. When it came to guitar, I took lessons over a summer learning the basics of a guitar, like how to hold it, strum, finger-pick, etc. As for the future, I would like to go into the music industry as a music journalist or find a career in radio or music production. I would like to song-write as a career as well.
Tell us about your major influences…where did your interest in music start and what made you Stephanie?
SG: My first major influence when it came to my passion for music was my mother. I remember her always playing the piano, guitar, and singingto me. In a way, she was a big inspiration for my musical traits. Other influences include Taylor Swift, Hayley Williams, Christina Aguilera, and Mariah Carey. All of whom have unique voices and styles that I have tried to incorporate into my own musical style.
We’ve all had our good days and bad days in the music business…putting the tough days aside, what do you consider to be the high point along your career path?
SG: The best moment in my musical path so far has been picking up the guitar and starting to write music. Whenever I’m going through something in my life, I could most likely get a song out of it. Song writing has been my way to express myself and my emotions. I know it will be something I don’t give up as a musician.
You have performed many songs…your favorite? Which video do you consider to be your best so far – the one you most want our readers to hear and see.
SG: I have performed many covers and originally pieces. My favorites include anything by Taylor Swift or Sugarland. I suggest the readers to check out my YouTube page:http://www.youtube.com/stephii17xo to view videos from when I was at least fifteen to now. The video I recorded recently is just a rough recording of my original song “Erased”. The song is about a break up, where one person pretty much erases every memory of the other person. Towards the end of the song, the other person pretty much redeems themselves and learns to be okay after the separation. “Erased” is also one of my favorite original songs to date.
Very cool! Let’s take a time out to watch the video…”Erased”
Great! thanks for sharing your work work with us. Before we let you go, I want to back up and “return to the future”. We covered off on your interests in being a singer/songwriter, but we know you azre culivating other interests as well such as being in the industry in the industry as a music journalist or even finding a career in radio or music production. Sum it all up for us. What’s ahead for Stephanie?
SG: My dream has always been to perform. Yet, being realistic, I believe I can find as much success being behind the scenes of future music. I’m very interested in working in the music and focusing on production and songwriting. In the career of music journalism, I could also focus on promoting future musicians and writing about them. I am confident though that my major and minor will prepare me well enough for a career in the music industry. I always want to keep music in my life and want to follow a career that I will enjoy every day.
Stephanie Griffin, thank you again. We wish you the best of luck going forward and hope you’ll keep us in mind here at HorizonVU Music!!!
HorizonVU Music celebrates the independent music community by supporting emerging musicians’ efforts to achieve a key business objective - recognition.www.horizonvumusic.com.
have formal lessons with my voice, yet, I’ve learned many important skills singing through school. For example, I have learned the importance of diaphragmatic breathing, pronunciation, and singing in a higher voice. When it came to guitar, I took lessons over a summer learning the basics of a guitar, like how to hold it, strum, finger-pick, etc. As for the future, I would like to go into the music industry as a music journalist or find a career in radio or music production. I would like to song-write as a career as well.