Today we’d like to introduce you to Eliza Budiman
Hi Eliza, we’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
Howdy, I’m Eliza Budiman, a songwriter and piano-singer here in Houston Texas. I’ll be releasing my debut album in the next few months, which will be a mix of my originals along with French and American jazz standards.
It feels a bit surreal to be putting out my first original music soon- I began writing some of these songs more than twenty years ago. To say my life has had some unexpected twists and turns would really be an understatement. And after not finding the time for music for the last 20 years, it feels really miraculous to have so many opportunities in this wonderful town, especially since my three kids – ages 16, 9, and 4- keep me and my husband pretty busy. Plus we homeschool!
My first “real” gig doing what I do now was in 2023, so this is all new to me – very new. I’ve never really had any formal training in jazz piano or French. I’m basically playing by ear 100% of the time. And though I had some piano lessons and a bit of theory training in my youth, much of what I do now – both playing jazz and singing in French – has been self-taught. I guess that’s what makes me extra motivated and enthusiastic to be performing and recording – it’s all new to me.
I started out learning music by listening – as the youngest in a big, noisy, musical family, sometimes all you can do is listen (with three older brothers, it can be hard to get a word in edgewise)! Hearing my brothers and father play, I would march to the piano after their sessions and attempt to mimic whatever they had just been working on, whether it was Chopin or Mozart or Prince or hymns, originals, Bach, whatever.
It would drive my piano teacher crazy – I just couldn’t make sense of the little black dots on the page, but if I can hear something, I’m good. It felt like a useless party trick for awhile, but now I understand why I’m wired this way. I started to get pretty good at mimicking and even to this day, after taking a three decade time-out from musical pursuits, I’m still just playing by ear.
I put myself aside for a long time, like a lot of moms tend to do. Swamped with three little kids and diapers and nursing and kids activities and other work, like so many moms, it can be tempting to forget who you are – your real self. Even listening to music was actually painful at times – it just made me ache and feel lonely and hopeless not to be making music, which feels like the deepest part of who I am. So I’m really thankful that even at the times I felt like nothing was happening inside me – times when I wasn’t writing or practicing – there was still work and inspiration and seeds being planted that I am beginning to tend and harvest. And I can see that those years actually have a lot of value and wisdom they’ve brought. Along with plenty of grey hairs!
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
We all have plenty of bumps, and I definitely wasted time feeling sorry for myself about mine. Some bumps take longer to heal from than we expect. My life changed dramatically when I realized that fear had been lying to me for years, and I had lazily believed those lies that were really just excuses. Some were valid, but they were still excuses I was giving myself.
Most of my time is preoccupied by the three little humans whom I have the honor and privilege of mothering; the concept of “spare time” has, for the last 16 years, been something of a distant memory for me – not uncommon for most moms or dads.
But for years I would chastise myself and tsk-tsk about how busy I was with family life, and genuinely believed I did not have time for myself – reading, working out, solitude, making music – anything.
Sometimes I would even feel sorry for myself, which would then make me feel resentful, which then made me feel guilty. But I simply couldn’t imagine where I would find the time for any of those necessities.
One afternoon, I shared with a wise and beloved mentor my frustrations about not making time for music, and he encouraged me with the remark that one day I would see ‘the beauty of the discipline’. Something about that resonated deeply and rang in my head nonstop for months. Soon I realized, I could wake up early each day with the sunrise, and I would find that time that I needed for solitude, for music, for working out. That single decision, to wake up early, had a profound effect upon my body, my brain, and my soul – I learned how to take care of myself and shift my dependence from my own limited thinking to a greater Source.
Every road is steep and bumpy and rocky and terrifying if you allow fear to guide your steps. There is no such a thing as a smooth road, for anyone, and that’s good – challenges are lessons that teach us courage and resilience. But fear is what makes the bumps feel unbearable, and keeps us stuck. Fear tells us we are unlovable and leads us to anger, resentment, stagnation. We can kick fear’s butt is by proceeding with joy and gratitude and freedom and love, which smooths and soothes everything. The road is still bumpy and crazy, but way more fun and magical this way.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
Here in Houston, until recently, most of my performing has been as background music at lounges and upscale restaurants – lots of jazz standards and familiar faves; however, my specialty that I’m most known for currently is my French repertoire, which I have been developing over the past year. My husband is French, and for the past 10 years our household has been bilingual.
Sometimes I forget that I didn’t used to speak French; it feels so familiar and deep since I am usually only speaking French to my children or husband. And I believe this is why I love to sing in French – not only does the voice sound different in French vs English, but it feels very intimate to sing in words that I normally would only say aloud to my husband or children.
So this has become a new fascination and source of inspiration to me – the world of French jazz, chanson, and jazz manouche, which has further inspired my songwriting and performances. I am proud of learning by listening, and now it applies not only to my music but French as well.
Previously, I viewed my musical style for gigs much differently than my songwriting style; however, as I have been exposed to and fallen in love with so much Francophone music, I sense my songwriting beginning to reflect the many diverse influences of my unique story.
In my opinion, I consider my primary flex not as a singer or pianist, but as a songwriter and arranger. My original music tends toward comparisons to Michael McDonald, Hall & Oates (high praise if not entirely accurate!) I have previously described it as funky yacht rock, but it’s hard to be objective about your own sound. I look forward (or maybe I don’t!?) to hearing more descriptors when I start releasing music next year.
We’d be interested to hear your thoughts on luck and what role, if any, you feel it’s played for you?
I no longer believe in luck! My life and every single thing about it is a gift, not a random chance. This is the perspective shift I referred to earlier – pursuing joy and freedom instead of fear.
When our radio tuners are tuned into the creative Source, we are able to access the still small voice that guides our steps. Whether it’s music, starting your own business, being a better parent, or forgiving that person you don’t want to forgive, the path to freedom begins with stepping away from the mentality that there is no purpose or meaning, that we are all just randomly floating along. I can’t accept that as true anymore.
For me, music sweeps me out of myself into contact with that divine Source. That’s what I’m after. And I can’t hear that still quiet guiding voice if I’m talking or complaining too much. I am learning to listen more, learning by listening, and still playing it by ear.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.elizapianosinger.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/elizapianosinger/
Image Credits
ashkan image all photos
