CLARISSA profile picture

CLARISSA

NEXT SHOW AT BRASS MONKEY - SAT., July 19th

About Me


Power! Range! Versatility!
The Voice of
CLARISSA
Singer / Songwriter
Indie ~ Alterna ~ Rock ~ Pop ~ Folk

BIO
Clarissa Campbell began singing as a child everything from gospel to country to blues to rock n roll. Shes a POWER singer! Her voice is unique, distinctive, versatile. And although she is technically a Mezzo Soprano (aka Dramatic Soprano), the voice packs an over three-octave range. Power, Range and Versatility are the words that best embrace her voice. She is originally from Knoxville, TN, grew up in VA and now resides in Baltimore, MD. Clarissa still studies voice and piano from various independent instructors from the Peabody Conservatory of Music in Baltimore. Additional background includes 10 years of classical training in jazz and modern dance and choreography, five years of ballet and three years of professional modeling in New York and Baltimore. She continues to study dance privately.
Her live touring experience is vast and includes shows, festivals and events in Baltimore and up and down the East Coast. Plans are to widen the touring scope and to continue integrating classical instruments into the live rock band's performances. Clarissa states that she has always been drawn to the sound of mixing it up with classical and rock instrumentation. Her musics core genre is Rock n Roll. BUT some of her songs have crossed over into other categories such as Pop, Folk and Alternative, obvious and further evidence of the Singer / Songwriter's versatility. Music Monthly Magazine said, "...and the singer seems quite at home mixing it up with the louder stuff. Whether its the balladry of Crimes or the sonic sting of the aforementioned Fall From Grace, on "Free To Be", CLARISSA seems to be at home in any musical setting.
The Singer has many awards and accreditations to her name including awards from VH1, Billboard Magazine, Song Prize, WOMDA, SPA Records and Music Monthly Magazine.
The Passion of Singing!
Clarissa is a natural born live performer, whose voice is frequently described as haunting and unique. Her high-energy shows are a spontaneous blend of her dance background, clear and powerful vocals and a sincere, emotional delivery of the message that is being conveyed through her lyrics. These are the reasons that her second album was recorded live. Music Monthly Magazine wrote, "...The lyrics are raw, kind of edgy, and so is her voice. Its freaky how her voice and the music go together--its like they become one. Very interesting record, "Free To Be" is. If you like women who rock, and CLARISSA does, thought provoking lyrics, and pounding rhythms, you should check out CLARISSA." CD Street said, CLARISSA Rocks! This band fronted by Clarissa Campbell has a rockin' groove, tight and edgy... Clarissa has a unique voice and combined with her band, they ROCK!" Clarissas live performance is frequently compared to Gwen Stefanis of No Doubt by those in the know.
Her voice is sometimes described as a cross between Debra Harry of Blondie, Melissa Etheridge and a female version of Kevin Martin of Candlebox. When asked what drives her to continue performing, writing and recording, her response is a matter of fact, I cant NOT do it. Music is not a choice for me, the drive for it is unrelenting. She is the Co-Songwriter for both albums and is currently responsible for all of the bands bookings, its management and promotional efforts. She Co-Produced Free To Be with former guitarist and songwriting partner, Mike Berger, and she Produced the CLARISSA Live! album.
The third album is expected to be released sometime in 2008 and will feature the performances of CLARISSAs current band.
THE BAND
A Time Line

CLARISSA is a four member original rock band based out of Baltimore, MD. Clarissa Campbell, lead singer/songwriter, and Mike Berger, her former guitarist/songwriting partner, originally joined forces and established a cover band in early 1999. Their band, Yellow ..5, consistently toured the Maryland, Virginia and Washington, D.C. circuit from early 1999 through the Spring of 2001. Clarissa and Mike, although continuing to play cover music in some venues, redirected their focus to concentrate on their original music.
The debut CD, Free To Be was released in September 2001. The music of this CD is a diverse blend of the melodic to the somewhat edgy. The overall theme of the music is change....... in life, love and the human experience. The lyrical content is honest and direct and the music written for it was designed to keep its integrity and support the message it sends. 2002 was spent touring the East Coast on Free To Be, increasing the musics exposure and diversifying its audience. Come See About Me, Before and Free To Be, the debut CDs title track, have secured considerable airplay on both regular radio stations and web radio. Local Music Warehouse wrote, "...You must see this band live to fully appreciate their music... Clarissa sings from the heart and its apparent in every track on Free To Be. As a former Yellow ..5 fan Free To Be is a must have CD..........
.. -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- CDBABY LINK for CLARISSA: Free To Be --

Again, in late 2002 and 2003, Campbell and Berger wrote and arranged the songs for their second album, CLARISSA Live!, which was recorded live in front of a studio audience on January 16, 2004 at NP Productions in Towson, MD. Music Monthly Magazine released in late 2002, Clarissa is busy working on her next CD.... Shes a very smart lady, with a very good voice. And, she was born to do music, which is what she does. Thank God, if she didnt what a waste it would be."
CLARISSA Live! was released in October 2004, and will be followed by the CLARISSA Live! music video in 2005, which was recorded simultaneously with the CD. CLARISSA Live! consists of eight new songs and five from the Free To Be album. The entire CD features additional classical instrumentation, violin and flute, and some new arrangements on the re-recorded tracks. CLARISSA Live! contains the same diversity of Free To Be, with increased and intensified emotionalism, beautiful melody and dynamic, yet driving music.
.. -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- CDBABY LINK for CLARISSA: Clarissa Live! --
Click On This:
CLARISSA The Official Web Site
CLARISSA Electronic Press Kit on Sonicbids
CLARISSA on My Space Music
Indie Artist Radio
[email protected]
Get MySpace Layouts from nUCLEArcENTURy .COM OR create your own using MySpace profile editor !!!
MySpace Layouts

My Interests

Music:

Member Since: 3/9/2005
Band Website: clarissamusic.com
Band Members: Clarissa Campbell - Vocals

Eric Armstrong - Bass / Vocals
Ted Koch - Guitar
Jen Buchman - Drums

View CLARISSA's EPK




Influences:
SIGN UP FOR THE OFFICIAL CLARISSA NEWSLETTER:

BOOKING INFORMATION for CLARISSA:

Full Band Bookings through CLARISSA at
[email protected]
410-935-0364
CLARISSA The Official Web Site
Awards:

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

13th Annual Billboard World Song Contest ~ 2005

announces CLARISSA Honorable Mention in Songwriting excellence for "Away"

"This Honor demonstrates the talent and dedication it takes to write a "Hit Song"

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

VH1s SAVE THE MUSIC SONG OF THE YEAR ~ International ~ 2005
Away ~ January 2005
www.songoftheyear.com/winners/2005/012005.htm

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The H.M.D. Music Resource Guide:
CLARISSA voted by H.M.D.'s "Best Of 2005"
* No. 1 for "Best Live Album or Track"
* Finalist for "Best Single or Track" for the single "Away"
* No. 1 for "Best Press Kit / EPK"
www.TheHMD.com

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

New Artist Radio:
Voted CLARISSA for one of their "Best of 2005" radio show.
Aired Jan. 2006
www.NewArtistRadio.com

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

WOMDA ~ Artist of the Year Nomination
CLARISSA, has been nominated as "Artist of the Year" for the International Music Awards "2006"

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Sounds Like:

Record Label: Independent
Type of Label: None

My Blog

Today

I was sitting in the house working and suddenly all I could think of was my son, Micah. The feeling inside of me wasn't good either. I was up on my feet and hit the door running immediately, my brai...
Posted by CLARISSA on Tue, 22 Apr 2008 09:41:00 PST

What He Said II

I was sitting here trying to finish out song lyrics and feeling frustrated. It wouldn't come. My house is it's usual weekend wreck and I cannot think amongst chaos and mess.I wanted to throw the pen...
Posted by CLARISSA on Sun, 13 Apr 2008 01:41:00 PST

The Men of My Music

This slideshow features the men that have impacted my music greatly over the last 9 years. The number of pictures of them and the order in which they appear on the slide is meaningless and not an ind...
Posted by CLARISSA on Sat, 02 Jun 2007 08:35:00 PST

What He Said

My son somehow managed to get into my music pictures in iPhoto tonight. This is not good. His getting near my MacBook is strictly forbidden, yet it happened. I was in the kitchen and he yelped, "Mo...
Posted by CLARISSA on Sun, 30 Dec 2007 05:31:00 PST

CLARISSA Music: 2007 In Review

2007 in review for my music has been an interesting year, albeit somewhat behind the "scene(s)". Many opportunities for publishing and the like have shown themselves, both U.S. and overseas. These c...
Posted by CLARISSA on Sun, 23 Dec 2007 03:10:00 PST

Radio Interview w/ John Anderson on "OTH"

Today at 12:30pm EST, my interview with John Anderson aired and can be heard on demand anytime thereafter at the following link. CLARISSA "On The Horizon" Radio Interview with John AndersonHe is THE ...
Posted by CLARISSA on Sun, 14 Oct 2007 10:08:00 PST

"Predator" Press Again

The purpose of this particular blog is, in part, to deal w/ a piece of press I recently received. I won't dignify it by sighting it but the word "predator" and CLARISSA came up AGAIN in the same sente...
Posted by CLARISSA on Thu, 31 May 2007 07:41:00 PST

Valentines Day = 8 years

Today marks the 8 year Anniversary of this band, this music.On February 14, 1999, Clarissa Campbell and Mike Berger met and formed Yellow #5, which later became CLARISSA.What I am happy / proud to say...
Posted by CLARISSA on Thu, 15 Feb 2007 04:23:00 PST

Quarterbacks and Singers

Tonight I watched some of the Superbowl Sunday hype.  I was taken aback when I heard Peyton Manning say about Quarterbacks the exact same thing, exact same words, I've been saying about Singers f...
Posted by CLARISSA on Mon, 05 Feb 2007 09:12:00 PST

Rant

I'm in a mood, so I'll likely be deleting this entry within a day or two BUT for the moment, I need to get this off of my chest...........I've got TWO items on my mind.#1:  To Bands that think it...
Posted by CLARISSA on Wed, 31 Jan 2007 02:02:00 PST