How I started writing and recording music

Hi, I'm Elizabeth South!
       I have had the great fortune to share my music with many of you that I have never even met through Facebook, Youtube, Twitter, and Myspace, etc.  And this is all because I decided to record a albums that many of you seem to enjoy!  For this I am more grateful than you could ever imagine.
      Okay, so here's my story for those who want to read:  I have been singing since I was little.  I found a tape of me singing the Star Wars theme when I was only four.  It was so cute.  I still love the movie to this day.  :-)  But it wasn't until I was in second grade that I had a profound experience that changed my life forever.  We were singing one of my favorite Christmas songs, "Silent Night," in music class and my music teacher heard me singing and said, "What a beautiful voice!"  After that, I sang everywhere and I've loved singing ever since.
      I then developed a love for theater at the age of 12 when I auditioned for the role of "Dorothy" in a local Wizard of Oz production and got the role.  It was an amazing experience.  I went on to be in many more productions throughout grammar school and high school.  I knew at that point that I would be a performer when I grew up.
      But I found that my performing career became sidetracked after I attended NYU for my first two years of college.  I discovered at this time that I had other answers to life's questions that needed to be answered.  Even while being offered a vocal scholarship and studying drama, I found myself to be restless with questions.  My journey of questions led me to a fantastic journey of faith that I could not ignore.  I soon returned to NC to finish my degree while pursuing my love of music and theater.
      After finishing my degree in theater, I moved back to NYC for about a year.  Again, I tried my hand at getting on Broadway.  I even auditioned for Sandy in Grease and made a call back with only ten girls out of thousands lined up.  I didn't get the role, but that was an honor for me.  But still, I felt restless like I wasn't where I was supposed to be.  At that time I thought about Nashville and being a singer.  But I soon dismissed the idea because I knew that I needed to be a songwriter and thought I was not, even though I had never really tried.
       So, I moved back home once again.  At that point, I had a heart for counseling.  So, I went and got another degree in Music Therapy.  It was an incredible experience and still something I love, but there aren't many jobs available in it unfortunately.  After finishing that degree, I got my one year MAT Master of Arts in Teaching degree at UNC-Chapel Hill.  It was just as I was finishing up with that I landed my job private school teaching both preschool music and elementary drama!  I realized at that point even though it seemed as though I was all over the place with my multiple degrees, that I could have never landed this job without both the music and drama degrees.  So truly all things can work for good!
      But even through all of this over the years, I kept feeling this nagging feeling that I wanted to be a singer.  I loved leading worship at my church more than anything in the world.  It was my favorite thing to do and the place where I felt the most joy.  But I still didn't know how to go about doing it.  And I was afraid to move somewhere like Nashville after having already made big moves to New York that didn't work out.  I also had this belief that if it was meant to happen, it would just happen.  But I realized later this is not the case.
       After starting my teaching job, I was required to do something I had never tried before.  I had to write a fourth grade play for 75 students!!  I was then stretched to new heights.  I started a band with my brother who plays electric.  We started writing songs for fun.  At this point I was no longer thinking about being a singer.  I just wanted to have fun.  And it was a lot of fun writing songs and singing them.  But then my brother got very busy and was unable to be in the band anymore.  I still wanted to keep writing.  I was addicted to it at this point.  However, my confidence was low in my own abilities to do it by myself.  But my brother was a great encourager to me.  He told me that I could do it and to keep trying.  It was soon after that I wrote my first song that I liked by myself called "Surrender" (which is currently on my "Do It Afraid" album).
      And during the time that I wrote this first song and sang it in my own church with great and positive response, I went through something that would again change my life. . . . a very difficult and short marriage that ended in an annulment that I won't go into detail here. . . but songs like "Have Faith" were songs I wrote to deal with this trial.  Anyway, it was through that difficult period in my life that I turned to songwriting as an outlet and as a sort of journaling.  "Have Faith" during that time gave me courage.  You can watch the Music Video here:  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rK0kiWxEScM
        At that time, I had a friend who heard some of my songs and told me that I should record them and post them on Myspace.  I didn't even have a Myspace page.  But I took the advice and posted a garageband recording of "Have Faith." 
       Eventually, grammy-nominated producer Billy Smiley found my myspace page and heard the song, "Have Faith."  He knew immediately that he wanted to record with me.  I was already a huge White Heart fan and Billy Smiley was the founder, musician, and song writer for White Heart.  I was so excited that he wanted to record with me in Nashville, TN!  It was a dream come true for me to be able to work with some of my favorite musicians!  You can read more about this part of the story in my Bio on my website at www.elizabethsouth.com
        So that is how I started writing and recording music. And I came to realize that other truth - the one about the parable of the talents (Matthew 25:13-40).  We are to not merely just sit by and wait for things to happen as I had sort of thought I should when it came to doing music all these years.  We are supposed to use our gifts and multiply them instead of burying them!!  And I discovered also that it is never too late to do what you love to do and are called to do.  We have to do our part in the dreams we pursue.
       I have come through some real profound life experiences and I know that my voice is being used to encourage others!!    And it truly has for so many people around the world!  So many people tell me every day how much my music speaks to them and encourages them.  That is so wonderful and amazing to me. 
         But people keep asking me, "why are you not touring or on a record label?"  Well, it has a lot to do with the fact that I am a full time very busy music/drama teacher with an incredible job!  I love this job and the children.  So, I am not currently "touring" or pursuing a label because of that.  However, if I am called to do that some day, then I will!  
         But I have found what I have done so far to be one of the most exciting and rewarding things I have ever done!  How amazing that I got to record with some of my favorite musicians like Vince Gill, Billy Smiley, Rick Florian, George Cocchini, Christine and Scott Dente!  I have even broken through the barriers of being an independent artist and had two of my songs on the Radio and charted on the Billboards in spite of that!!   That tells me something:  no one but God knows the future of what will be with my music and that I don't need to be caught up on labels or fame or what the world thinks is considered successful in this business. Here is my video called "Superstar" which touches upon the issue of not needing to be famous to be important. I wrote this song for the students I teach as well as a reminder to myself! Here it is: 
           
And while it is true that I find it sometimes difficult to have to pay for the music and videos myself myself as well as finding ways to get my music out there since I am an independent artist, I do not let that stop me from writing, recording, and putting my albums out there!  There are actually some great advantages to doing it myself.   God has a plan, gave me a voice, and I am open to whatever comes.  So, we will see what will come of it all.  I hope this message encourages others that it is never too late to do what you want to do in life.  

~Elizabeth South

www.elizabethsouth.com