www.marissamusic.com
Playing Since: 2009
Experience Level: Just Startin'

Interests:
[Jamming] [Socializing] [Helping]

Occupation: employment assessor

Gender: Female
Age: 45

My Instruments:
I don't have a banjo yet, but I want to play a Deering Good TIme Open Back

Favorite Bands/Musicians:
Alison Krauss and Union Station, Rhonda Vincent, Sam Bush, SHawn Colvin, Joni Mitchell, Sarah McLachlan, Alice Peacock, Allison Crowe.

Classified Rating: not rated
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Profile Info:
Visible to: Public
Created 3/2/2009
Last Visit 7/1/2009

Marissa - Singer, Songwriter, Guitarist! Born in May 1981, I grew up in a small town with a loving family and a multitude of pets. From an early age, music has always been a big part of my life. My parents always had an eclectic mix of music playing albeit from archaic devices such as eight track tapes and even vinyl! I enjoyed singing to songs on the radio. After I had expressed a genuine interest in music, my parents enrolled me in the Westchester Conservatory of Music. This was an incredibly exciting time for me, as I received vocal training and met some very talented musicians. Additionally, I immersed myself in music in the Yonkers Public Schools where I was always involved in music programs and was fortunate enough to be a featured soloist with the Yonkers All City Choir. I am proud to say that I graduated from Gorton High School in 1999. While this is a mundane accomplishment for many, it was significant for me. You see, I am totally blind in both eyes and was the first student in New York State in over twenty-four years to earn the coveted Regents Diploma without the benefit of eyesight. The tenacity that my loving parents instilled in me helped me to earn a scholarship to Marymount Women’s College at Fordham University in Tarrytown, N.Y. There, I majored in psychology with a minor concentration in music. After hearing singer/songwriter Sarah McLachlan, I thought that maybe I could be a songwriter too. In emulating Sarah’s melodic musical style, I enrolled in piano and guitar lessons at college, while continuing to train with other accomplished teachers on the weekends. After taking guitar for a year, I composed my first song “Rest” and performed it at our college talent show. The enthusiastic response from the audience gave me confidence. I went on to write 23 more original songs. After hearing several of my compositions, my family suggested I make a CD. In January of 2002, I went into the studio and put eight of my hand-crafted songs onto disc. It was one of the most rewarding experiences I’ve ever had. The eight songs on this CD entitled “The Acoustic Experience,” are deeply personal and speak of comfort, loss, and wisdom we all experience as we journey through life. The response from family, friends, and my old choral director has filled me with joy, and I hope that everyone who listens to my music finds solace and peace. In the spring of 2006, I earned my MSW Master of Social Work diploma from the Fordham Graduate School of Social Service. This was a proud moment for both myself and my family. I hope to pursue a career either working with children or the elderly. There would be no greater reward than to use my social work training and my music as a tool of healing and to give back to society