Today we’d like to introduce you to Erin Ivey.
Erin, can you briefly walk us through your story – how you started and how you got to where you are today.
You know that feeling, maybe you had it as a kid, of total joy and abandonment doing something you love? For me, it started with music. 1970s rock and 1980s pop was what I heard around the house and on the radio. I sang and danced along, singing into my dad’s dry erase pens.
My folks put me in musical theater and I fell in love with the lights, the tights, the dancing and singing and slightly over-acting at all times. My grandmother was a voice teacher and I studied with her whenever she came to visit.
I always kept a journal and started playing guitar and writing songs in college. It helped me navigate. I studied business at the University of Texas at Austin, then transferred to Humanities. Looking back, that’s been the story of my life, I guess, trying to balance business and art.
After college, I worked in cubicles, playing music when I could. Working for Apple gave me access to great software and I started recording demos at home. Red Bull Music Labs accepted me into their Dallas session where I was immersed in music production for an entire week. It gave me another taste of what I really wanted, that same feeling I had as a kid.
Since then, I have floated in and out of corporate jobs and full-time music, playing gigs all over the country, making albums, and getting to work with some amazing artists along the way. Seems like I always follow the call back to singing, writing, and performing.
Has it been a smooth road?
Life is not a smooth road, but art and creativity give us constructive ways to explore and process whatever we’re going through. I go crazy if I don’t write and sing.
This verse from the Gospel of Thomas says it well, “If you bring forth what is within you, what you bring forth will save you. If you do not bring forth what is within you, what you do not bring forth will destroy you.”
We’d love to hear more about your work and what you are currently focused on. What else should we know?
When I write or sing, I feel like a prospector sifting for gold. I hope what I find helps others articulate a feeling they can’t quite name. My favorite places to sing have beautiful acoustics: old churches, grand halls, tunnels, any place with natural reverb – or small theaters where you can really listen. Know a place like that? Please tell me about it!
Balancing business and art is a wonderful challenge, because I find fulfillment in both realms. I hold a PMP certification, Six Sigma Green Belt, a certificate in the Project Success Method, and I am a voting member of the Recording Academy (GRAMMYs), currently serving on the Board of Governors for the Texas Chapter. I have performed hundreds of shows around the world in backyards, concert halls, and ships at sea, in a diverse arrangement of solo and band scenarios. I’m a multiple-year Critics’ Pick at SXSW and received a Black Fret artist grant to produce new work. Texas Music Magazine recently named my album Broken Gold one of the 20 albums that defined Texas music over the past 20 years.
I am passionate about sharing the healing power of music and songwriting. We are all creators, with infinite opportunities to express ourselves. I’m excited to have a new album coming out later this year and look forward to playing for you in Houston!
Is our city a good place to do what you do?
Houston has so many different neighborhoods and cultural districts, there’s always something new (or old!) to discover here.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.erinivey.com
- Email: erin@erinivey.com
- Instagram: www.instagram.com/erinivey/
- Facebook: www.facebook.com/ErinIveyMusicPage/
Image Credit:
Mathew Sturtevant, Nicola Gell, Spring Willow Lee, Rodney Bursiel, Mollie Burpo, Rita Marroquin
Suggest a story: VoyageHouston is built on recommendations from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you or someone you know deserves recognition please let us know here.
