"...sensible crooning." -Robert Trudeau__________________________
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From the age of ten, Moni Elizabeth Bolton was classically trained as a pianist. Simultaneously, she began writing poems and songs that stirred people's emotions. In high school she was playing keyboard and writing in the youth band at her church. At that time (Caddo Magnet High) and in college, her writing style was often compared by her English instructors to Emily Dickinson and Sylvia Plath. While doing urban mission work in 1993 with homeless kids in New Orleans, she started singing with other street musicians in the French Quarter. She next taught herself to play guitar so that she could jam with the local musicians and "portably" back herself up. When getting alot of support from the locals and tourists, she decided to further pursue this passion with more songwriting, recording, and coffeehouse, college, club, school, church, and festival performances. She has had the privilege of performing all over Louisiana, in Oklahoma, Georgia, and abroad in Italy and Greece. She has played festivals such as Downtown Neon Saturday Nights, Arts on the Edge, and Mass Acoustication in Shreveport, LA., and Tulsa, OK's Mayfest. She prefers, and has played many coffeehouses, such as Shreveport's late, lamented Karma Cup.
Born in Memphis, Tennessee, and growing up in Louisiana, Moni was exposed to a lot of blues, soul, country, cajun, zydeco, gospel, and jazz music. She also grew up with the birth of MTV and its early new wave/modern rock. Her father liked old country music and Creedence Clearwater Revival, while her older brother opened her mind to psychedelic and classic rock. She grew to appreciate these styles. In adolescence, she also discovered an affinity for punk, post-punk, college/alternative rock, and black gospel, and developed her love of the arts. Armed with a quirky, quick-on-her-feet wit and a deeply spiritual philosophy, it permeates her writing. Together, this plethora of influences yields an interesting, diverse repertoire of sounds when communicated in original songs. From sad-and-bluesy ballads to comedic punk and/or bluegrass novelties, she has wide-ranging influences which produce memorable songs from many genres. She has been sought after to perform or be aired on local radio stations such as Public Radio and KRMD, and television stations in Georgia and South Carolina. Moni was also was selected to be included in various regional "Best of the Best" songwriter compilation cd's - noteably Red River Radio's Best of No Cover, and Shreveport Regional Arts Council's Louisiana Singer/Songwriter Compilation 2001 and 2002. Moni's pursuit and love of the arts also allowed her to be selected for the Congressional Art Award, which was juried out of approximately 500,000 submissions in Louisiana. For a moving performance, catch Moni performing solo or with many of her musician friends at local venues when you can!!
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