Most girls when they are young play with Barbie dolls are have tea parties. That sounds pretty typical of most young ladies, wouldn't you say. How many start writing their own musical compositions before turning 10 years old? Well, you usually don't unless you're 20 year old Eva Kathryn. You see, Eva was obsessed with music scores at a very early age. She would go to Saturday matinees and then come back some and sit at the piano and and try to recreate the amazing music that she had just heard mere hours before. She could, after a little persistence, play by ear what she had just experienced in the theatre. Not bad for such a young person.
Her obsession slowly began to get noticed. She actually had a connection with another musician who had seen some pretty big hits during his career with his group Kansas. You remember them from the 70s with such hits as "Dust In The Wind" and "Carry On Our Wayward Son"? Seems that both Eva and Kerry Livgren go to the same church in Kansas...no pun intended there. "I approached Kerry one day and told him that I wanted him to record the most amazing songs ever and I told him that they were mine. I told him that I wanted to record in his studio and he said that we would see. My mom actually told me to keep bugging him until he said yes. Kerry and I have been friends for a while and he has been like a mentor to me both musically and spiritually. He even referred me to my acting manager, Bill Evans, about 3 years ago," said Eva.
How does such a young person approach songwriting when they should be watching cartoons? "I usually write when I am pissed off. When you're numb, the emotions that come out are pretty intense. I just tinker around with a melody and the words just start to come out. I just love Celine Dion and her arrangements. My mom actually bought me a karaoke CD of hers when I was real little and I loved to put on concerts to it. Today my tastes are little more diverse. I love progressive rock with groups like Underoath and Dream Theater. I would love to work with David Foster someday. He is such an amazing person."
Eva's music will draw comparisons to many of today's women in music, but after listening closely you see that this young talent is very diverse and how so much to offer. She is reminiscent of Alicia Keyes on her song "Somebody" yet her song "It Was You" has almost an operatic or show tune feel similar to Phantom Of The Opera. Where does she see herself 5 years down the road? "I want to be doing what I am doing for the right reasons. It's not about the money. I have always wanted to be a songwriter for Disney movies. I would also love to compose scores with some of the greats. You have to stay humble and remember why you are doing this. Too many people tend to lose focus on that in their careers."
Of course, my last question was the one where you are stranded on a desert island with only one CD, what would you want to have with you? "Wow, tough one to call. It would have to be that makes me feel alive. Probably anything by a band called Emery. They have great songwriting and the music gets you pumped up and screaming."
Eva told me that her CD should hopefully be ready sometime in 2009. She currently has a 5 song demo that is available. She is an amazing talent and a truly gifted songwriter and vocalist. Check her out on MySpace or her website. With her hard work and persistency, hopefully she will not get lost in the shuffle in the turbulent music industry that is upon us.
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