Playful Child

Ten years ago, Alexandria native Elizabeth Eckert was an honor student at The Levine School of Music in Washington, D.C. “My first love was classical music,” says Eckert, “I never wanted to do anything else.” Her parents, both professional musicians bought a grand piano the year she was born. They couldn’t keep her off the bench, so at age two and a half they enrolled her in the Suzuki piano program. With her mother’s guidance, she began practicing daily; by elementary school, she was composing piano pieces and placed at the state level in the “reflections” arts competition. By her teenage years, with the “tough love” of her teacher, Anna Balakerskaia, formerly a professor at the Moscow and Leningrad Conservatories, Elizabeth won virtually every competition at the Levine School. “More importantly” she adds, “These two women made me fall in love with piano and music even more.”

Serious Student

As a scholarship student at the prestigious Indiana University Jacobs School of Music, Eckert was on the fast track to a classical career. She won many honors including the IU Concerto Competition and most impressively, The ALEX award for the Performing Arts from the National Alliance for Excellence. Her performances came to include The Kennedy Center, The Smithsonian and the famed Carnegie Hall.

Elizabeth was practicing piano up to 7 hours a day as well as taking jazz improvisation courses with the legendary David Baker. “I listened to Kind of Blue for hours on end,” says Elizabeth “in addition to Ella Fitzgerald, Billie Holiday, and Nina Simone.” She also took voice lessons, singing in both the classical choirs and the African American Choral Ensemble. It was all coming together for the gifted musician.

A Tragic Twist

Then a wrist injury altered Eckert’s course. She had to have extensive surgery on her left arm, and her hopes of a classical piano career were gone. “When I first hurt my wrist and couldn’t play, I was devastated and depressed.”, she remembers. “Having no emotional outlet as I’d been accustomed to, I began writing in a journal and before I knew it, the words were rhyming.... lyrics were coming out.” She sat down at the piano and plunked out some chords with her right hand alone - just enough to write melodies to go with the lyrics she’d written. “Once I started writing songs I couldn’t stop.” After graduating cum laude she moved to Nashville to pursue songwriting.

The Artist Emerges

She began playing writers nights and was soon booking co-writing sessions with prestigious songwriters like Marcus Hummon and Don Rollins (both Grammy Award Winners). After writing for the Nashville market for a few years Elizabeth began getting higher profile gigs including The Bluebird Cafe and the Tin Pan South Festival. “People were telling me that they loved my voice and style and that I should sing my own songs!” She did and it soon paid off.

In 2009 Elizabeth signed with SlugFest Records Nashville (ADA/Warner Music Group) then hit the road from Austin to New York City on her ‘2nd Hand Summer Tour’. The last few months she’s been busy writing and recording her upcoming EP. The first single “Bloomington (I Got Educated)” will be released early spring 2010. Producer Greg Bieck describes Eckert’s sound as a captivating blend of virtuosity and pop.

Words And Music

“I’m a romantic and a sucker for songs about love - happy and sad. Anything emotional gets me going. Some of my favorite artist / writers over the years have been Patty Griffin, Stevie Wonder, Sarah McLachlan, Ray LaMontagne, Amos Lee, Regina Spektor, Norah Jones, Alicia Keys, Ben Folds, Coldplay, Damien Rice and Death Cab for Cutie.”

As a piano instructor at Vanderbilt University’s Blair School of Music, Elizabeth passes on the lessons she was taught- that music is a part of life, that music makes the world a better place. “I have always believed that the love of music makes people better people.”

2.4.2010 — Kouri’s Pub (Peoria, IL)

2.20.2010 — Buffalo Wild Wings (Clarksville, IN)

2.27.2010 — Joe’s Bar (Chicago, IL)

2.28.2010 — Incredible Pizza Company (Indianapolis, IN)

3.24.2010, 9pm — Bear’s Place (Bloomington, IN)

4.2.2010, 11:30am – 1:00pm  — “Here’s How I Did It…” NSAI Spring Training Panel (Nashville, TN)

4.6.2010, 5:30pm  —SESAC Showcase (Nashville, TN)

4.18.2010, 7pm — Busboys & Poets (14th & K, Washington, DC)

4.20.2010 — Indiana University Alumni Reception (Washington, DC)

Indiana Daily Student: IU alumna goes from piano to microphone after wrist injury ends classical career

By Jake Wright | IDS | Jan. 26, 2010 — Elizabeth Eckert had her fingers glued to the keys of a piano from age two. On track to become a classical pianist, she was on her way to realizing her dream until her junior year of college, when the keys were ripped from beneath her hands. read more

Bloomington Herald-Times: Calendar Hotspot: 'Bloomington' song

By Kristina Wood | January 28, 2010 — TONIGHT: A wrist injury turned a performance career on its head for former IU Concerto Competition winner Elizabeth Eckert. Her path as a pianist began at age 2 and led all the way to Carnegie Hall. After extensive surgery, she started pouring out words and songs, as an emotional outlet. Now after much hard work and recovery, she's emerging as a recording artist.  Eckert sings "Bloomington (I Got Educated)," her new classical/pop EP from SlugFest Records Nashville (ADA/Warner Music Group), at 7 p.m. at Rachael's Cafe. Admission is free.

• IU Crowne Plaza announced as official sponsor of the Bloomington CD Release!  Make your reservations now for March 24 at (812) 334-3252 or www.bookbloomington.com
  
• Elizabeth will be featured on "Live from Studio CD" on Nashville's 90.3 WPLN Sunday (2/28) at 3:00 central and Tuesday (3/2) at 8:07pm central.  Not in Nashville?  Tune in online here
  
• Elizabeth Featured in Indiana Daily Student, Bloomington Herald-Times.
• Bloomington EP is ready! Buy yours on CDbaby or iTunes.
• Follow the lead of IU Alumni Chapters in Chicago and Washington, DC by booking Elizabeth for an Indiana Alumni gathering in your area!

Photos (Click to enlarge)

Bloomington: Making of the Song

Photo Shoot: Making of the Image

The Contest has ended!  Thank you for your interest!

Using the song "Bloomington" by Elizabeth Eckert, create a short-form video that captures what Bloomington means to you. The videos will be voted on by both users and a panel of judges. Submit your video for use in the official music video for Bloomington, a chance to win some cash money and some recognition at the CD release party!

To download the Bloomington single for free, click here

For details and to enter the Bloomington Music Video Project, click here