MUSIC PROFILE sang a jazzed-up version of “ O Little Town of Bethlehem ” and fell in love with the way performing made me feel .
Who are your musical inspirations or influences ? I started out being inspired by my cousin Pete Winders who played electric guitar with musician and surfer Donavon Frankenreiter . They toured around the states and even opened up for the Dave Matthews Band a few times . I am obsessed with Adele and absolutely love The Beatles . Growing up in East Tennessee , I felt country music was in my blood and find I now draw more inspiration from Country and Bluegrass . Loretta Lynn has been a huge inspiration for me over the past few years as well as folk artist Gillian Welch . I continue to be inspired everyday by the many friends I have made who are singers , songwriters , and musicians as well .
Elizabeth Ward
Layla Brisbois
Success in the local music scene has come fast for
Tennessee native Elizabeth Ward . With a steady stream of gigs and her first EP due out in June , she ’ s a powerful woman to look out for . Her songwriting will leave you happy and nostalgic with words beautifully strung together to create an image that will stick with you . I had the pleasure of sitting down to chat with my fellow musician and friend .
How did you get started in music ? I ’ ve been invested in music since I was just a toddler , when my grandma used to play tapes like Britney Spears and Madonna when I would come over . I would perform to them in her kitchen with a wooden spoon as my microphone . Sounds a bit embarrassing when I say it now , but I guess it was cute for a six-year-old . I had my first singing solo when I was about 10 years old at church . I
What are your goals ? My ultimate goal is to inspire a spark in others . I want to connect to the souls around me and have them hear my stories in my songs , and to feel emotions . Whether the emotion behind my story or a remembrance of their own , I want others to feel connected and engulfed in what I do , even if just for a few minutes . I also want to inspire others to follow their dreams and be an encouragement for others . It ’ s so heartwarming to see a little girl come up , watch me sing and hug me because how awesome she thinks I am , or when someone watching me comes up with a tear in their eye because a song I sang reminded them of someone – this is why I do this . To inspire , to touch someone ’ s heart , to grow myself as a musician and as a human being , to be happy , and make others happy in the process .
What inspires you most ? Watching people follow their dreams and not let anything get in the way . And music – just listening to music helps take me to new worlds that inspire me .
What is your songwriting process ? I usually start with either an idea of what I want to write about in my head and the chordal structure to at least the verse of the song . I play around with the chords and the rhythm and figure out what would sound good lyrically . Sometimes I have no idea what I want to write about and just hear a cool rhythm in my head and try to pick out something similar to that and roll with it — which may take a day or other times , months . I ’ m currently working on three songs , but only have the verses down . If I ever get stuck it ’ s usually because I ’ m struggling to figure out something different to do with the chords in the song when I get to the chorus and bridge .
22 | WINTER GARDEN MAGAZINE | MAY 2018