Emilee Smith: Press

And now for something completely different

By: Jeff Genung, Managing Editor
Published: March 13th, 2009

Having played the role of self-appointed high school theater critic around here for the better part of two decades, I can say with a fair amount of certainty that little surprises me in that arena.

Except, usually, for Sherburne-Earlville. Between directors Colleen Law-Tefft and Paul Zona, the troupes at S-E, whether they’re tackling dramas or musicals, rarely play it safe. I’ve been delighted with the chances I’ve seen taken on the Marauder stage over the years. From Oscar Wilde to Moss Hart to Studs Terkel, their source material always challenges their young thespians.

So when I heard this spring’s musical was “Cinderella,” I quickly began compiling excuses for why I wouldn’t be able to go review a dress rehearsal. I’ve got to wash my hair. American Idol. Still haven’t done my taxes. Anything that would get me out of seeing one of the most tired high school productions ever.

I should have known better. Mr. Zona wouldn’t trot out a tried-and-true “Cinderella” replete with fancy ball gowns and colored tights. No, far from it – inspired by a recent viewing of “Madame Butterfly,” he thought he’d stage our familiar “Cinderella” ... Kabuki style.

Cinderella, in Kabuki? I’m in.

For the unfamiliar, Kabuki is an ancient Japanese theater style known for its use of intricate ... ah, forget it. Look it up on Wikipedia. All you need to know, basically, is that they’re doing it all in Japanese costumes. Throw in minimal set pieces and stage hands in Ninja costumes, and you’ve got a “Cinderella” like you’ve never seen before.

Sound bizarre? It is. But that’s what makes it work over your run-of-the-mill production. There’s still a fairy godmother and wicked stepsisters and a charming prince, but they’re all presented in a way which I’m fairly certain you’ve never seen before. Inspired, Mr. Zona, truly inspired.

I’m just glad he didn’t go see “Oh! Calcutta!”

As usual, it’s not the costumes or the set design that command the S-E stage, it’s the student actors. Bekah Riley headlines as Cinderella, with a quiet charm and effortless grace. Eric Robertson can’t help but be charming as the sought-after prince – it’s pretty much his name, after all. Emilee Smith has plenty of choice moments as Cinderella’s beleaguered fairy godmother, and Jeff Taylor and Hannah Weinell enjoy a subtle chemistry as the prince’s watchful parents.

But the real stars of any production of “Cinderella,” Kabuki or not, are always the bad guys. Or in this case, girls. The best lines of the play go to the pretentious stepmother and sniveling stepsisters, played to perfection here by the trio of Stephanie Joyce, Brittany Clark and Kaitlyn Briggs. Maybe it’s just my tarnished soul, but I always route for the stepsisters to win.

So, if you’re looking for something different to do this weekend (and I mean completely different), you can’t go wrong with this Far East interpretation of “Cinderella.” Showtimes are 7:30 p.m. tonight and Saturday at the S-E auditorium. Tickets will be sold at the door.

Emilee Smith to open for Blue Oyster Cult

Published by foxydonna at 7:00 pm under CNY Music Scene, Syracuse entertainment, cny events, entertainment, music Edit This

Emilee Smith , an up-and-coming 15-year-old singer songerwriter from Smyrna, N.Y.emilee-promo-2-email-1.jpg will be one of the performers to open for legendary rock band Blue Oyster Cult at 96.9 WOUR’s Fireworks over Utica on August 22. Emilee is set to perform at 4:30 p.m. at Hanna Park in Utica.

Emilee recently released her first CD, Hall of Mirrors. Her voice has a maturity about it that belies her age and her original compositions have impressive depth. Emilee will also be performing at the Utica Music and Arts Festival (September 10-12).

Tickets for the event are $10. Children under five will be admitted free.

This young performer has a flair for songwriting, a good singing voice, and piano skills. All she needs is a little production assistence and experience to be up there with current stars like Regina Spektor.

Emilee Smith takes internal musings of the heart, and turns these feelings into piano-based songs. She gives you the impression of being a shy girl. But no truly shy girl would have the guts to sing her heart thoughts for the world like this.

She's either looking at another ("With You In Mind"), or examining herself ("Hall of Mirrors").

This is Jennifer with the Song of the Year songwriting competition.
We wanted to contact you and let you know that the Song of the Year song &
lyric writing contest has received the votes from the judges from May¹s
round. Though your material did not place in the top 5 within it¹s
respective category, your material was still quite impressive. You did make
our "Suggested Artist" placement as listed at:

Emilee Smith took her first piano lesson three years ago.

The Smyrna musician is a quick learner.

Now 15 years old, Smith already has put out a nine-song CD on which she's written every note and word, and played the notes on piano and sang the words.

Wow.

The motto she's put on her business card says: "A bit of soul in every note."

She could add: A lot of wisdom in every word.

Smith's writing is way beyond her years. Her strident sound smacks you upside the head, too.

Listen to "Slowly But Surely" and you'll think that song title describes what's to be her climb toward success.

On "Time Heals All," she proclaims "You can't take back what's already done with." Smart.

On "Sweet Memory" Smith sings, "Oh, sweet memory, cry out of misery." And, "Dreaming about the memory, dreaming about that sweet, sweet reverie." Poetic.

Catch a show: Smith is tentatively scheduled to play Sept. 26 at the Barge in Hamilton, the time to be determined.

Emilee is an amazing singer/songwriter at the ripe old age of 15! Haling from Smyrna NY. she began piano lessons merely 3 years ago and is quite composed and accomplished for her age, Her voice is strong, wise and way beyond her years with every note dripping with soul. She has opened for Blue Oyster Colt and her first CD, Hall Of Mirrors has received a fine review from Mark Bialczak of the Syracuse Post Standard. Wow!

HAMILTON —

Emilee Smith was about 4 years old when her father first handed her a microphone.

“Sing, honey,” he prodded.

She did. Her father was impressed.

“Look, our daughter can sing,” he said, calling his wife into the room.

Eleven years later, she’s still singing. Backed by piano and original songs, Smith performs at local coffeehouses, festivals and recently released a CD, “Hall of Mirrors.”

She’ll perform at 8 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 17, at The Barge, 37 Lebanon St.

“I don’t know anyone my age who has a CD,” said 15-year-old Smith, of Sherburne-Earlville. “I never see anyone as young as me out there performing.”

Her age, however, doesn’t sway her confidence, she said.

“I’m a really confident person, and I like being in front of people,” she said. “The worst thing that can happen is someone can say they don’t like my music.”

It’s unlikely someone would say that, however. |

Despite her age, Smith has the wisdom lyrically and vocally of a seasoned folk artist. Hints of Carole King and even Regina Spektor creep through the piano-backed and vocally wide-ranging pieces. Smith smoothly moves along various octaves, but is most impactful in her lower range where her confidence reigns. She’s especially effective in the single “Hall of Mirrors.”

It’s even more impressive to know Smith writes all of the music she sings and plays.
Smith, however, isn’t as impressed by herself.

“I didn’t start playing piano ‘til I was 12, and then I didn’t actually perform on stage until sixth grade, and people told me I was all right at it,” she said. “Now, I discovered it’s something I’m decent at, and I write my own stuff.”

The writing comes naturally, she added. Sometimes she’s influenced by artists such as Carly Simon and Elton John, although she tries to stand on her own.

“I try not to copy too much,” she said. “I try to find an emotion, and I try to work with it, and I try to find music to fit the emotion, and when I have the music, I think of the words. The words ... I want people to understand what I say, but I really want them to have to think about it.”

Smith also performs cover songs such as Etta James’ “At Last” and Elton John’s “Your Song.”
Visit www.emileejaysmithrocks.com for more information and music.

I’m embarrassed to say that I’ve never been to the Barge Canal Coffee Co. in Hamilton, so, when Emilee Smith’s father, AJ, asked me to drop in and hear Emilee perform there recently, I thought, why not? I’m not a music critic by any stretch of the imagination. But I know what I like and I own a diverse collection from many genres.

As I was grabbing a cup of coffee and a sweet, Emilee had begun. I had my back to her as I listened and to me she sounded a bit like Natalie Merchant with soul. But her voice is much bigger than that, a deep, sultry alto.

Just 15 years old, Emilee said she picked the guitar up last year. She started with three songs on guitar, one inspired by the Goo Goo Dolls. She played very well for someone who just began a year ago.

Emilee’s real love is the piano and when she started I could tell she felt at home at the keyboard. She told me later that she began playing piano four years ago and immediately started writing songs. I was shocked. I know people who have played piano for decades and do not play that well.

The first time Emilee got up in front of an audience she was in sixth grade. She began performing in front of crowds last year, when she was just 14, and this summer Emilee performed at Hamilton’s Skyway Fest, The Utica Boilermaker, the Utica Music and Arts Fest, and was the opening act for rock legends Blue Oyster Cult at Fireworks Over Utica.

Emilee writes her own music and lyrics and what I was most impressed by is that she has all of her own pieces memorized.

Although we are years apart, we share something in common. When she said her favorite artist was Gavin DeGraw and thought most of the audience wouldn’t know him, I chuckled because Gavin DeGraw is also my favorite artist. She played one of my favorite songs by him, “Reason” and I think even he would have been impressed.

Emilee performed one of the most amazing renditions of Sam Cook’s “Change is Gonna Come.” She belted it out with confidence and seemed to lose herself in the moment.

Emilee said she was a weird kid, a dreamer and always in a fairytale land. Many of her songs reflect her childhood. Aside from her family, Emilee’s friends seem to be her biggest supporters and she wrote a song that included snippets of each one. It was personal to them and funny and they all seemed to enjoy it. She already seemed to know how to work a crowd.

Emilee told me that she improvises a lot at the piano, often changing it up as she performs. When she announced she would perform the classic “Over the Rainbow” I sort of cringed. I think I’ve heard the song so much that I became to dislike it. I was expecting a traditional version and that is not what I heard. It was fresh and soulful. She made that song her own and I don’t know of anyone who has made it sound more original. I was completely surprised.

After hearing Emilee play and sing Billy Joel’s “New York State of Mind,” another of my favorites that she just learned, I was sold on her natural talent. Once the little girl with the big voice matures, watch out. It’s a voice to be reckoned with.

Emilee lives in Smyrna and attends Sherburne-Earlville High School. She enjoys art, swimming and drama, and is thinking about a career in art and of course, her music. Her dad, who also is her manager and operates the PA during performances, said Emilee would like to earn a spot on American Idol.

Emilee recently released an original CD with nine songs of piano and vocals. I bought her CD at the break, brought it home and listened to it then handed it over to my 21-year-old daughter. I haven’t seen it since.

For more information on Emilee’s music, call AJ Smith at (607) 627-6231.

 

SMYRNA – It is extremely difficult to categorize or define the music of Emilee Smith. At only 16 years of age, this talented singer/songwriter has accomplished more than many artists twice her age, having composed nearly 30 original songs and releasing her debut album.

A resident of the village of Smyrna, and Sherburne-Earlville junior, Smith began singing as a young child, and her powerful voice has only gotten better with age.

“I can remember her singing at the age of 5 or 6, already noticing how much louder and clearer her voice was when compared to the other children,” said A.J. Smith, Emilee’s father. “Everyone in the audience could hear her and it seemed like, even then, she had perfect pitch recognition.”

At the age of 12, Smith set about learning the piano, an ability she continues to refine, and one that she’s developed a truly unique style for. Listening to her debut album “Hall of Mirrors,” which features Smith performing nine original songs in a solo format, it’s easy to imagine that her songwriting style matured alongside her abilities on the piano.