Raised on the music of Antonio Carlos Jobim and B.B. King and educated at the Berklee College of Music, Elbert’s style is bright, breezy and soulful.
The 20-year-old Coppell native will be in performance at Crossroads Music in Winnsboro on Saturday, June 26.
Elbert took time from her busy touring schedule to talk about her background in music, her college experience and what the future holds.
News-Telegram: Your musical influences come from a lot of genres, including the bossa nova of Antonio Carlos Jobim and the blues of B.B. King. How do you use them when you perform?
Emily Elbert: I grew up with a pretty eclectic mixture of sounds.
My dad, Roland, is a pianist in the Dallas/Fort Worth area, and I've been listening to him play and practice for as long as I can remember. He's also interested in a bunch of different styles, so that comes out beautifully in his playing. He also introduced me to a lot of jazz, classical, and Brazilian music. I've also always had a great passion for pop music, like doo-wop, James Taylor, and Stevie Wonder.
When I started playing guitar, I feel in love with 60s rockers like Jimi Hendrix, and through the cultural social mix at Berklee, delved a lot deeper into soul and music from around the world.
Basically, I guess I just love any music that feels honest and passionate. That's what I want for my music (and life) to be.
N-T: Talk a little bit about your experiences at Berklee College of Music.
EE: Berklee has been a wonderful, transformative experience for me. The environment is like none other in the world...one of the best things about it to me is that it's actually the school in the U.S. with the highest percentage of international students.
Sometimes I'll find myself at a party, in a room full of 20 friends, and realize I'm the only American in the room. This brings a really unique mix to the musical scene. We can go see a hip-hop show on Friday, blues on Saturday, the symphony on Sunday, jazz on Monday, a West-African dance troupe on Tuesday ... it's been an absolute blessing. And I've been able to take some really cool classes, from Legal Aspects of the Music Industry to Middle Eastern Vocal Styles and Afro-Cuban Percussion. Berklee changed my life.
N-T: What's next for you? Do you have a CD coming out? Touring?
EE: I do have a new CD coming out! And I'm so thrilled to say that. I'll be co-producing it with a guy named Stephen Webber in Massachusetts, with a bunch of my favorite Berklee players.
My dad will also come up to record piano on a couple of tracks, which I'm really excited about.
Right now I've got about 20 original tunes I'm starting with, trying to narrow them down, but when I get back to Boston and begin rehearsals I'll be able to see what flows.
I'm also headed out to Scotland on July 1st, to play the Independence Day party for the U.S. Consulate in Edinburgh. Then some more Boston shows, and performing on the island of St. Barthélemy in August. Then I’ll be touring behind the CD release in the fall, and moving to New York City in January.
Doors open at 7 p.m. Elbert will take the stage at 8 p.m. Tickets are $15 in advance and $20 at the door.
Call 903-342-1854 or 888-342-1854 for more information.
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