Album Notes

If the phrase “time flies when you're having fun” is true, then I've never had more fun in my life. In the making of this album, I know exactly why hours and even days disappeared in the blink of an eye; I was having an incredible amount of fun putting it all together.

Of course I realize that not much really comes of a homemade album like this. I realize this isn't the streamlined, fresh-pressed, shrink-wrapped demo that most people come to expect from an aspiring musician. Nope. Let me do a little explaining.

This album comes at the tail-end of my undergraduate career at Vanderbilt University studying Violin Performance at the Blair School of Music. When I moved to Nashville to pursue violin, I did so because I had dreams of becoming a respected classical violinist since the 8th grade. I had a solid classical background, with immense experience playing in orchestras and chamber groups, and I had grown up within a demanding world of practicing, auditions, competitions, summer music festivals and weekly violin lessons which my life revolved around. Part of the appeal of studying in Nashville was the diversity in the music community. I was excited to be a part of an incredible university as I continued to focus on violin, but there were so many other avenues in Nashville. It was easy for me to sign up to take lessons in things like fiddle, mandolin and jazz voice. It was like a moth to a flame. A dime to a magnet. A squirrel to an acorn. A college student to a bowl of easymac. Okay, you get the picture. Suddenly, I was no longer in the world I grew up in. I was soaking it all in and I was walking in a new world with new sounds, new people and new opportunities. The magic that happened in Nashville changed me forever and I couldn't be more thankful.

That being said, the true catalyst for this album did not occur in Nashville. I was at a summer music festival in NY state the summer before my senior year and I wasn't making friends very quickly, so I bought a ukulele online and spent my time learning chords and teaching myself to sing and play at the same time. Zoom forward a few months and I was beginning to write songs. Soon, I realized that I wanted to be able to record myself, so for Christmas I received a microphone and a music editing software and my technologically-challenged self ventured into recording.

The first track on the album is the first track I recorded at home just days after Christmas. The song actually details a vivid dream that I had. I wrote it one day and recorded it the next. You can't imagine how proud I was of that first recording. I paraded it around to my family members and friends. The encouragement I received from them helped give me the confidence to continue writing songs. I would write songs just for the fun of it, without any intention of performing them anywhere. It was almost as if I needed to get them out of my system. Soon, writing songs wasn't fulfilling as long as I wasn't able to record them. So, I began recording a little at a time, finally taking a few very intense days over my spring break to finish them all.

At this point, I have no idea what this means in my life plan- whether it'll be just a cute little project I undertook my senior year in college or whether this'll encourages me to pursue this more seriously and make it a central point of my life. I'm still pursuing violin performance as a career, but I do plan to include all the “other things” I've come to love over the last few years. All I know is that I love all kinds of music and performing music is the best way I communicate and interact with the world around me. I've never felt more hopeful about life because wherever I look, there are possibilities. Even on the worst days, there are possibilities- we just don't see them. Perhaps my head is in the clouds, but even though I try to keep in touch with reality, I've chosen a decidedly sunny perspective of the world and I hope that this shows in my music.

The last track on the album sums up the way I feel about this music and well, life in general. “I've Got a Smile” isn't supposed to be deep or musically brilliant. I've never been a fabulous pianist, but I've always enjoyed a good jam session with friends on the piano in the typical “Heart & Soul” fashion and that was definitely the idea I was going for. Although I was just jamming with myself on over-dubbed tracks, this was just an album of fun times where I jammed and followed my instincts and enjoyed where the music took me. This music is a part of me, something completely natural and I'm still puzzled as to how who I am as a person organized itself into songs and flowed out of me like I was simply saying my name. Music flows easily for me and while life isn't always the same, I try to make sure that I always appreciate and enjoy wherever my life goes. Just like in a jam session- who KNOWS what could happen?

So, this is it. This is fun, in musical form, put out for the enjoyment of others. From me to you!

Yours,
Eva

Thank you's:
All my family and friends and anyone who considers themselves a fan!
My professors at Vanderbilt for... well, changing my life (especially Cornelia Heard).
Liz Johnson for being my guru and helping me find my voice.
Matt Combs for showing me an entirely different world of music.
Billy Adair for your unfailing encouragement.
My roommates for putting up with hours upon hours of ukulele and singing and messing up. You two are incredible and patient. I'm forever grateful.
My siblings: Cora, Logan, and Kristen (I know we aren't blood, but you are my soul sister).
Rachel Baiman and John Saba for being my musical partners. You are two of the best friends I have ever had and making music with you two has changed me forever.
Mama and Dada for encouraging me to explore music to the fullest and supporting me no matter what.