Emily Elbert’s music is jazz-infused folk with a lot of soul, and a fresh, hip perspective. The Coppell, Texas native has delighted listeners from coast to coast with her award-winning originals and her unique arrangements of classic favorites. At age 20, she has an in-depth knowledge of tunes most grandmothers would love.
Admiration for jazz, blues, reggae, folk, soul, and world music shape the styles she writes and performs. Emily says, “I love music from around the world and like to blend a variety of musical genres into a style that is all my own.”
A third-generation musician, Emily is a singer/songwriter with deep musical roots, who is driven by a passionate love for music and creative expression. She uses unique guitar riffs, chord voicings, and soulful singing to create distinctive vocal and guitar arrangements.
As a child, Emily studied classical music and competed in piano contests for seven years. She picked up guitar and began singing in eighth grade. In high school choir and summer programs at The University of North Texas and the prestigious Berklee College of Music in Boston, Emily sang a variety of styles, from Renaissance to show choir and jazz to reggae.
Emily began performing professionally in high school in order to earn her way to Berklee’s summer program in Boston. As a high school junior, she recorded eleven original songs on her debut CD, Bright Side, which she wrote, arranged, performed, and co-produced. Once she got to Berklee, she was selected as a winner of the Performing Songwriter’s Contest. By the end of 2006, after just seven months as a professional performer, music critics at The Dallas Morning News selected Emily as “Local Rookie of the Year” for 2006.
Her senior year in high school, Emily played over fifty gigs – at coffeehouses, festivals, benefits, guitar bars, resorts, and house concerts. Before graduation, the young musician won numerous awards, including being selected for the 2007 Gibson/Baldwin Grammy Jazz Ensemble. As an ensemble winner, she studied and performed for 10 days with legendary jazzers in Los Angeles during Grammy week.
On her 18th birthday, Emily licensed videos of two of her songs to Texas Instruments, to demonstrate their new video cell phones throughout the U. S., Europe, and Asia.
Later that year, Emily also won First Place at the Old Settlers Music Festival Youth Talent Competition in Dripping Springs, Texas and was Grand Prize Winner in Texas Music Project’s Texas 10 Under 20 Contest in Dallas. She was the musical guest on numerous television and radio shows, including repeat performances on WFAA-TV’s Good Morning Texas.
After graduating high school, Emily spent the summer performing in venues from Alaska to Houston to New York City. Last August, Emily jumped into the Boston music scene, where she attends Berklee College of Music as a professional music major. She sings with Berklee’s Bob Marley Ensemble and performs with a trio and as a solo artist. She also sings with the funk band, Captain Coconut, in New York City.
In 2008, Emily was a featured performer at the North American Folk Music Alliance conference in Memphis, toured with G Love & Special Sauce, the Wood Brothers, and Kaki King. She has opened for Patty Larkin, Sara Hickman, Ben Taylor, Ruthie Foster, Marcia Ball, Tracy Grammer, and Brooks Williams. She has co-billed with Anthony da Costa, Chris O’Brien, and the Powder Kegs. She was recently selected as a Kerrville New Folk Finalist for 2008.
This summer, Emily has been invited to play at Taste Addison, Old Settlers Music Festival, Kerrville Folk Festival, the Woody Guthrie Festival, and the Boston Folk Festival.
Visit www.emilyelbert.com for more information.
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