To purchase the Lauren Gifford CD "Sitting Pretty" go to: CD Baby
Influences
I spent the greater part of my adolescence listening to Billie Holliday, Etta James, Ella Fitzgerald and Nina Simone. My instrumental compositions were heavily influenced by incredible film score composers such as John Williams, Hans Zimmer, Dave Brubeck, Aaron Copland, David Foster, Dave Grusin and so on. I had originally dreamed of becoming a film score composer and orchestral director. After high school, I began to incorporate lyrics into my work and found my true Love and great passion for live performance. I started listening to amazing folk artists like James Taylor, Paul Simon, Tom Petty, Joni Mitchell, Carol King and many more of their kind. Their gentle and clever writing style moved me to begin the process of combining all of my influences into the individual style that I have today. I Love every single genre that exists. Some more than others of course, but I appreciate the many different ways we communicate in Love and celebrate that creativity through Music.
Music is never a competition. It is meerly the expression of our soul.
The girl next door, a celebrated Jazz Diva, an insightful poetic singer/songwriter or the occasional rock 'n roll brat - Lauren Gifford does not have to play any of these roles, she IS all of that and more at all times.
Her father's great love for Jazz legends like Billie Holiday or Dave Brubeck provided a musical atmosphere that fostered the development of Gifford's wonderfully independent talent. Later, endless hours of James Taylor and David Foster helped to round out and widen her musical scope.
Though often compared to Sarah McLachlan or Natalie Merchant, Lauren Gifford developed her very own unique style of singing with a voice that's "captivating and pure" (fan comment). Her reckless and extravagant piano playing leaves the most demanding critics breathless.
"Sitting Pretty", Lauren Gifford's debut release, was her first bold step into the limelight of musical fame. After a record breaking on-air visit with Dallas' very own superstar schock-jock Russ Martin her website was stormed by more than 11,000 visitors registering more than 20,000 song downloads within the following weeks. The CD release was celebrated with a sensational concert at the legendary Gypsy Tea Room in Dallas drawing visitors form around the country, all the way to LA and the revealing of a 16 ft. Billboard that graced a major Dallas freeway for the better part of the year.
More than 500 live performances later (Dallas, Boston and Florida), Gifford has her sights on bigger and bolder goals. With her production/artist development team Edith Letz and Oliver Letz and with voice coach Tom McKinney (Destiny's Child, Beyonce) she is preparing new material for the recording of her sophmore album in late 2006. Growing interest by major record companies as well as TV and radio stations suggest the dawn of another very exciting year for Lauren Gifford.
2006 Highlights:
Visit www.laurengifford.com and check out the News section.
2005 in numbers at www.laurengifford.com:
* 18,291 visitors (12,942 unique visitors)
* 140,174 pages viewed
* 8,482 song downloads
* 26.45 gigabytes of data transferred
Highlights and milestones in 2004:
** Lauren Gifford's song "Never Look Back" is included in the "Don't Mess With Texas Music Vol.2" sampler next to contributions by The Crusaders, Pat Green, Los Lonely Boys, Clint Black, The Vaughan Brothers, Beyonce, Steve Miller, Bonnie Raitt, George Strait, Eric Clapton and more benefitting music education in Texas schools.
** Lauren Gifford's song "Sleepwalker" is featured as a download for donation on Clear Channel's HelpCureBreastCancer website
** Lauren Gifford opened the Mix102.9 radio station's Christmas at the Hard Rock featuring Tears For Fears.
Quote Curt Smith (Tears For Fears) when being introduced to Lauren at the after show party: "Oh yeah, you are the girl with the Voice!"
** Lauren Gifford was invited to perform a concert at Bose® Corporation headquarters in Boston which was video taped in HDTV for a client demonstration DVD.
Hello Lauren, My name is Ottvor S. Jacquett and I manage a couture fashion boutique in the tri-state New York area. I also design dresses and I would be honored to make a dress for you to wear at one of thier performances and return the photos or video to us to post on our fashion boutiques website. Our site is visited by shoppers internationally and I would be delighted to introduce your music to them with you wearing one of my designs. Our company web address is www.ShirleyLoraine.com.
Thank You, Ottvor S. Jacquett Dynamic Fashions Boutique 973.778.3981 www.ShirleyLoraine.com
Though often compared to Sarah McLachlan or Natalie Merchant, Lauren Gifford developed her very own unique style of singing with a voice that's "captivating and pure" (fan comment). Her reckless and extravagant piano playing leaves the most demanding critics breathless.
2005 in numbers at www.laurengifford.com:
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