Bess Rogers: The Songbird

As her sweetly bold and outwardly brazen melodies glaze over charmed audiences, enthusiastically clapping and moving to the cheerful beat, it’s hard to imagine that Bess Rogers grew up shy and timid, fearful to take the stage and dazzle people with her powerful talent. “I remember doing open mic nights as a 16-year-old and you could barely hear my voice,” Bess confides. “I didn’t think I could be a singer, but I really wanted to be… It turned out I just needed the confidence.”

Clearly that confidence was found, as this now seasoned performer has established a career envious to many NYC Artists, playing live venues throughout the city and touring with fellow artists and friends. Born into a melodic world by a mother who played harpsichord with a Baroque-Renaissance style group, Bess was raised with constant music around the house; learning the flute in fourth grade and eventually moving on to add guitar, piano, and ukulele to her instrument repertoire. Rogers is currently studying the trumpet, keeping her mind, music, and talent fresh with new sounds and influences.

Earning a Master’s Degree in Studio Composition from SUNY Purchase, the Long Island native first hit the New York scene while still in college, playing out once or twice a month, before finally falling into the Lower East Side circle upon moving permanently to the city four years ago. Rogers has come a long way from her first gig at The Lion’s Den (now known as Sullivan Hall), laughing as she recalls the experience as “a bunch of frat guys talking.” Bess adds, “And no one would come.”

Now Bess packs the crowds at LES institutions such as Rockwood Music Hall and The Living Room, finding the intimacy and attentiveness of these venues extremely nurturing for independent artists. “One of the great things [about NYC] is that there’s such a strong and supportive community for independent artists. I’ve met so many people who are doing the same thing and we all help each other in some sense. I’ve found that support system is really important… I couldn’t imagine doing this out in North Dakota on my own,” she confesses with a light laugh. Meeting fellow artists at shows facilitates that environment, particularly as the talent pool expands and fellow singer-songwriters sit in on each other’s sets. “That’s one of the things I love about Rockwood,” admits Rogers. “There’s something about the atmosphere there… I think every city has that one spot where the people are like-minded, open and friendly.”

In addition to circulating the LES, Bess engaged in several tours in the past few years, playing alongside Allie Moss, Ian Axel, and Ingrid Michaelson, including opening for the Dave Matthews Band with Michaelson. Next on the agenda is the upcoming Quest for Glory Tour, which kicks off this Friday, July 31 at The Living Room in NYC. The “theme” tour consists of three very different yet complimentary singer/songwriters- Rogers, Allison Weiss, and Leila Broussard, and will include daily video blogs and spirited stage acts to add a dash of spunk to the savvy musical flair.

The tour follows the release of Rogers’ latest EP “Travel Back” a brilliantly colorful expression of sound that leaves it’s listeners smiling, moving, and compelled to sing along to the irresistible and beautifully executed lyrics. Recorded at friend and colleague Dan Romer’s studio and released in April, the EP is seasoned with the perfect blend of organic, natural sound and creative experimentation, with a variety in tracks from “Yellow Bird” that sweetly lulls to “I Don’t Worry” that speeds up the heartbeat and gets the toes tapping excitedly. “I don't really make music with other people's reactions in mind,” Bess reveals about her songwriting process. “I make the music that's inside of me and that makes me feel, and if it makes other people feel something well that's great but I have no expectations for how it will emotionally affect other people. It's different for everybody.”

The once-reluctant singer has definitely traveled forward from the days of writing theme songs for her group of friends and forcing herself to perform open mics every night of high school to overcome a fear of performing. With a blossoming livelihood and an abundance of opportunities unfolding each day, Bess plans to keep touring and building her career from all angles, particularly the writing and recording aspect. “There’s something about creating in the studio or sitting in my room and writing that’s the most emotionally fulfilling thing that I do,” she confesses. “And I think if I can sustain this life- have a great music career and still continue to make creative, unique, music… that’s what it’s all about.”

A long career is certainly in store for this lovely, engaging songbird, whose melodies enliven and restore faith in the simple, real beauty of music for music’s sake.

To listen to Bess’ music and check out tour dates please visit http://bessrogers.com, http://myspace.com/bessrogers, or become a fan at www.facebook.com.

To check out the Quest For Glory tour please visit http://questforglorytour.com.

Emily Hope Price: Letting Go

The warmth that radiates from Emily Hope Price fills the room with a sense of calm and comfort. A genuine smile welcomes, lively eyes sparkle, and a breath of fresh air swirls around as the talent of this classically trained cellist grabs your attention. Observing the variety of ways Price uses the cello to make original sound, it's easy to forget there is a soothing yet powerful voice to match the music.

First starting cello lessons in fourth grade, Price trained for over 12 years, receiving a M.A. in Cello Performance from Carnegie Mellon, and an Artists Certificate from SUNY Purchase. This impressive education fine-tuned her exquisite mastering of the cello, but left Price wanting more. Moving back to Utah upon the Artist Certificate completion, Emily toyed more with the idea of songwriting and improvising. "I had a secret desire to sing," she said slyly, but found it difficult to break out of the "classical" stereotype. "When people know you as one thing you have to talk them into believing you can do something else."

Price first began to explore songwriting while in the Masters program at Carnegie Mellon. Despite spending most of her teenage years pouring out thoughts and feelings into a journal, Emily did not transcribe them into a musical outlet until collaborating with friend and opera student Anna Vogelzang, composing and performing a song called "At Last," in which Anna sang and Emily played cello. During her post-graduation period in Utah, Price continued to play with sounds and songs, using previously composed music to create experimental tracks. Having spent years being classically educated, Emily struggled with the question, "What do you do with your life when you're a trained cellist?"

The answer came upon moving to New York City and finding her niche in the ever-growing music scene. Playing out as both a solo artist and a member of "Pearl and the Beard," Emily has flawlessly crossed the line from the classical audience to the indie/rock/pop crowd. As a classical cellist, "You have to practice hours to get nearer to perfection. I move my hand millimeters and it changes the sound. You have to do it all from muscle memory, intonation must be spot on... if I move my finger it will create a different note, or a different color of the same note," Price explained. The subtle intensity of this training made the transition into the singer/songwriter scene slightly easier, with the rock/indie audience less attentive to the perfect details and more interested in the overall quality and pleasure of the music. "I want to be a better musician. I want to play better and be more proficient on my instrument then I am. That's why I came here," claims Emily, who has called New York home for the past two years.

Still, being a "singing cellist" is rare to find in a scene inundated with piano players and guitarists belting their music at the hottest venues. Emily continues to push through with her music, believing in the expanding scene and performing solo and accompanying sets with fellow colleagues. "Things are starting to break through where you wouldn't normally expect it... little niches are starting to come into play," Price believes. "I hope some of the things I'm doing will change the expectation about what a cello can do."

Citing early Barbra Streisand as a guilty pleasure and Radiohead and Bjork as two favorite artists, Emily keeps as much of an assortment as possible in her music collection. An artist who enjoys soundtracks for their variety, loves watching movies, and whose instrument repertoire is expanding to learn accordion, Price is one of the most down-to-earth, humble, and genuine people to represent the scene.

While still feeling the struggles of the dampening economy and dealing with financial stress, as most artists do, Emily is able to truly treasure the small moments that have added to her blossoming career. A few years ago while living in Salt Lake City, Utah, Emily was approached by a friend who was working as a music therapist who asked her to play for a patient at a hospice. This particular patient had a career as a professional cellist prior to falling ill, and had not touched a cello in close to 25 years. After she played for him and was packing up to leave he asked her, "Can I play that?"

"He played my cello for the first time in years and was so happy," Emily revealed with joy. "I ran into the girl about a year later and when I asked how he was doing found out he passed away two weeks after I played for him." Knowing that the music and time with this former artist had filled one of his dying wishes, she described the experience as "one of the coolest things that has ever happened to me."

There is a quality about Emily Hope Price that reaches out and soothes your aura. Creating sound that is "sensual, warm, and thick" it is not difficult to understand why her presence is so easily accepted and appreciated in a diverse city like New York. Pearl and the Beard, the band that Price plays in, began from simply showing up at an open mic and connecting with Jocelyn Mackenzie and Jeremy Styles. My personal connection to Emily came from seeing her performance at Rockwood Music Hall a few weeks ago with Dan Torres, another featured artist. Everyone has a chance to intertwine, mingle, feed off of and inspire one another. These chance encounters have made the New York scene a place that continuously amazes Price. "I could not have had the experiences I have had here anywhere else. You can be drenched in music here. It's unbelievable," Emily stated emphatically. "It's amazing the way music can bring people together."

It has not always been an easy road though, as any fellow artist will concur. Shifting gears from one style of training to another is difficult, and causes more of an internal struggle than anything else. Emily's best advice? "Just love what you do. I love classical music. I would feel so intensely about the pieces I would play because I thought they were so beautiful," Price declares. "At the same time I felt it wasn't me. I didn't trust myself enough to let go. It's hard to let go. Change is really hard. I'm still in that transition."

Even though Price's laid back, carefree attitude can be infectious at times, it would be impossible to say this musician is anything but motivated. With numerous goals and plans for the future, it's important for Emily to open up her ability to communicate, because "the more you communicate the more you can move people." A person who truly speaks from the heart, Price enthusiastically described another secret goal: "My dad has been watching David Letterman for the past twenty-seven years. Anytime a musical guest would come on if there was a cellist he would yell downstairs for me to come and see it. I just want to perform on David Letterman and wear a t-shirt that says 'Hi Dad.'"

So David Letterman, if you're reading, please contact Emily Hope Price. It's for her dad.

For more information and tour dates for Emily Hope Price check out www.myspace.com/emilyhopeprice.