Elizabeth LaPrelle

"Anyone can learn the old ballads. There are numerous collections in libraries and books that are available on-line. But, Elizabeth is interested in the feel, the sound, the ornamentation of these songs. She is, in my opinion, one of maybe a handful of young singers able to capture the rhythm, the intensity, the breaks and sighs, that make this style of singing authentic. The only problem I have while listening to Elizabeth is that I'm always listening through tears. She reminds me so much of my older relatives - the same profound feeling for the ballad, yet with such a clear voice."--Sheila Kay Adams. .....................................I grew up in Rural Retreat, VA, listening to my mother sing all kinds of music around the house, listening to a lot of tradtional music on recordings, and listening (often through a haze of sleep) to the live mountain music of Fiddler's Conventions and square dances. I love ballads. I know a lot of Appalachian ones. I try to sing them the way the old folks in field recordings sing them, or the way their ancestors 200 years ago would have sung them. In 2004 I came out with my first CD, Rain and Snow, with my mom, Sandy LaPrelle; my uncle and his wife, Jon Newlin and Amy Davis of The Hushpuppies; and the Amazing Jim Lloyd of Rural Retreat, VA. I released my second CD, Lizard in the Spring, in June 2007 with the same folks. I took the fall 2007 semester off from the College of William and Mary to go to the West coast with the NCTA's Crooked Road Tour, and will graduate May 2009. I currently perform with: Sandy LaPrelle, Jon Newlin and Amy Davis, Jim Lloyd, various combinations of the aforementioned four musicians, The William and Mary Women's Chorus, the William and Mary Appalachian Music Ensemble, and The Helltown Breakdowners/The Idumea Social Orchestrae. I'm available for concerts, workshops, classes, festivals, really any place you want a singer. MyGen Profile Generator