Andie Phillips is a singer-songwriter and ukulele player for Little City Sunshine, and a music teacher based in Cleveland, Tenn., whose desire to sing was an early calling. Operas and jazz standards are tender memories of then eight-year-old Andie, who had no idea her budding joy would become a full-time career in music.
“As I got older, I found such a love for it that it was the only thing I knew would really fulfill me and make me happy,” Andie says. “It’s such a huge part of my life.”
One of her favorite musical memories include singing and playing piano in harmony with her mother — a tradition that takes place to this day despite their distance.
“Even though I live two hours away now, we’ll often record ourselves singing and send it to the other so we can still sing with each other,” Andie says. “It’s a special time between the two of us and [it] was such a huge influence to me growing up.
Today, she plays with Little City Sunshine, an experience she says has been fun and confidence-boosting. The duo performs hymns, classical pieces, jazz and musical theatre, and are not too shy to try new genres.
“Performing other genres like folk and pop have definitely taken some getting used to, but I love doing it,” she says.
Between gigs, Andie does solo jazz performances while teaching music at the college level and at Graceful Melodies Music Studio — her Cleveland, Tenn.-based studio that teaches voice and piano lessons to people of all ages, with current students from ages 5 to 62! Her advice to new and aspiring musicians at any age is to never give up hope.
“People will want to hear you. As long as you have joy in what you do, people will want to experience you and your music. I know it can be scary, but learning to work around being scared is so crucial. Always keep learning trying to better yourself.”
As a dedicated music educator and active musician in her community, she encourages all musicians to be open to learning, regardless of skill level or expertise.
“Don’t be afraid to take lessons, even if you’ve played the instrument or sung for years,” Andie says. “Take all the advice you can from others who are in the business. You can do it.”
Connect with Andie Phillips
Website: www.andieelizabeth.com
Graceful Melodies Music Lessons on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/GracefulMelodiesMusicLessons
Little City Sunshine on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/LittleCitySunshine
