Album Notes

Born and raised in North Miami Beach, Stephanie Taylor grew up surrounded by the ocean and heavily influenced by her father's love of music. Without any musical training, her father filled Steph's childhood with his creative songs and inspired her in many ways. Steph's first "music lesson" was at 4 years old when she explored the piano, figuring out how to play "When You Wish Upon a Star" by ear. She hasn't left the keys since. At age 9, her dad challenged her to learn as many Beatles songs as she could. That challenge planted a deep appreciation of their music, which remains a source of inspiration to her.
Although Steph did not seek out musical training, playing music was as much a hobby as it was a natural part of life. At 14, she was awestruck when her friend played her one of his original songs. In that moment, she developed a new respect for creative expression and her passion for songwriting was immediate. While Steph's first love is the piano, she is a talented guitar player as well, choosing between instruments to compose her songs.
"Each instrument has a way of expressing different emotions. While playing the piano, I feel more vulnerable. I'm pouring my heart out through its music. It's closer to my truth than words could ever be...when I'm playing the guitar, I feel more in control. I'm conveying my empowerment-I often write my songs for guitar, where as the piano writes my songs itself."
Although Steph has been performing for years, she became serious about her music when she began playing the scene in Gainesville, while attending the University of Florida. Genuinely surprised and excited by the reaction of her audiences, her musical "hobby" grew into a love for performing live. Steph quickly moved from playing local open mics to packing venues throughout Florida.
"There are so many things I love about performing. I love the feeling of connecting to a room full of people. It amazes me to relate on such a simple and emotional level. Playing to an audience is incredibly fulfilling and incredibly challenging at the same time. There is a moment at almost every show when I think what am I doing? Is that really my voice filling up the room? So it can become a journey in and out of my experience (my little box)...it can be nerve wrecking, but it's one of the things that makes performing so rewarding. I hope it never changes."
After selling out of all of her five-song demo CD's, Stephanie decided that it was time for a full length. She went right into the studio and emerged with her debut release, "For Me" and a handful of lessons about the recording process.
"I improvise often within my songs, so I found it difficult to commit to a version to be recorded. I had to strip my "musical" tangents and go back to the core of the song, or at least settle in a place that lends itself to more structure throughout. Aside from some minor technical stuff, I'm really happy with the outcome."
Shortly after completing "For Me," Steph packed up and moved to Boston, where she is currently studying at Berklee College of Music. Being a self taught, she is both nervous and intrigued to discover more about her craft and excited by what Berklee and Boston have to offer.