It's not everyday you encounter an artist with such honesty, modesty, and pureness of heart.. but Rebekah White is that girl. She plays piano, guitar, and… drumroll… writes her own songs. The days of a true artist are NOT lost.
White grew up with music. Her father was a musical director in several churches. She began singing and playing the piano at age seven. She often got in trouble with her teachers for improvising over existing songs, saying, “I think it sounds better like this...”. She always begged her Dad for the main solo. Naturally, he didn’t just give it to her, she had to earn it… and she always did. She wrote her first song at age 15, about her bird that died. She would constantly write and practice while her Dad was holding rehearsal. One night she recalls singing her heart out, as she thought she was alone. When she played her last note, applause erupted, and the unannounced crowd was in tears. That’s when she realized it was time to venture out and begin playing at coffee houses around the area. “All of my songs are like pieces of my diary.” White says. While most teenagers got into mischief after school, White wrote songs. “I didn’t begin writing just to write. I began writing as therapy.”
At 21, with over 300 songs written, White felt the need to really begin chasing this dream she had encompassed since childhood. Influenced by her favorite artists, Tori Amos, Alanis Morisette, and Natasha Bedingfield, she says the things every girl wants to, but can’t sometimes. Rebekah wants to help people in their struggles, through her music and lyrics. White has encountered many hardships, of which, losing her brother to suicide was the biggest. She wrote ‘Jonathan’s song’ to help herself through it. The first lyric is -“Did you think we could wake up tomorrow, and not even notice you were gone...” White said, “I hope this song can keep someone else from taking their life. I want to make a difference in the world, and music is my vessel.”
She has toured with well known artists, working for their sponsors, in order to learn that aspect of the music business. On one of those tours, Mike Dirnt (Green Day’s bass player) taught her how to play her 1st power chord. Since she couldn’t take a piano on the road , she figured why not learn guitar. White met accomplished producer/songwriter Printz Board (Black Eyed Peas) on one of those tours, as well. “Rebekah walked right up to me, and said she wanted to sing me a couple of her songs. I was moved by her passion, and enthusiasm, so I decided to give her a listen.” Not expecting much, Printz took her inside, where he had seen a piano. She sat down, and took him through a journey of angelic melodies and emotions. “I was so moved,” stated Board, “I knew I had to work with her from that moment... the tour was over, Rebekah packed her bags and moved out to LA, to begin working with Board. “He really gets me, gets my music, and knows what I’m thinking in my head. Until that moment, I had never experienced that kind of dynamic with a producer.” White states. “We make a great team.”
Rebekah White is thankful for all her experiences, good and bad, because she always gets a great song out of it. ‘Almost Doesn’t Count’ is a true story, of her broken engagement. She wore the actual dress in the video, saying that it was "nonrefundable, but too pretty to go to waste!"
