Daily Inspiration: Meet Elise Mas

Today we’d like to introduce you to Elise Mas.

Hi Elise, thanks for joining us today. We’d love for you to start by introducing yourself. 
I grew up in a suburb of Philadelphia and first got into music when my mom started me with classical violin lessons at 3 years old. I started making beats as a teenager when my neighbor (who happened to be a R&B music producer) leant me his music gear. I was obsessed with music production! I made mostly pop R&B beats and recorded singer and rapper friends in my parents’ basement. 

A few months after graduating high school, my parents helped me move to New York City for an exciting opportunity to be managed by an agent (which turned out to be a scam). Thankfully, before the agent and I parted ways, she introduced me to a pop R&B music production team with whom I interned, and they taught me the ropes of the music business. 

After a year, I hadn’t figured out a lucrative plan to continue as music producer, so I took it as a sign to close the chapter on my dreams for a career as a music producer. I enrolled in a local college in New York and focused on a full-time career in design. 

Fast forward to a few years after graduating, a breakup was the catalyst that evolved me into a singer-songwriter. Alongside working, I learned guitar, channeled my journal entries into songs, and decided to sing instead of staying behind the scenes. The influence of the design community unlocked a new style for me: acoustic singer-songwriter instead of my usual produced R&B genre. It was a process that took a few years, but friends helped me release my first EP in 2019. 

As I ramped up my music plans, the pandemic had other plans for me. I left New York City, moved around the country, and settled in Los Angeles in 2021. 

After a few years of gaining my footing and battling self-doubt, I’ve found my relationship with music in a place where I fight to prioritize creating and releasing because it’s the one activity in my life that gives me hope and peace. Since doors keep re-opening for music into my life, I feel like it is my life’s purpose to create and share my music in hopes of giving someone else that same hope and peace. 

Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way? Looking back, would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
Since music is not my full-time job, the hardest part for me is the ongoing fight to keep creation time sacred when other areas of life seem to take precedence. 

Another struggle is listening to myself when making creative decisions. I tend to consider others’ opinions heavily, but the downside of too much of that is ending up with a product that doesn’t feel authentic to me. I’m learning to discern and have the courage to speak up so my voice is heard and I can better lead. 

Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
I’m a singer-songwriter and producer. My style has been described as melodic acoustic pop with R&B and folk influences—earnest melodies over contemplative chords as if read from a diary. 

I’m most proud of my resilience to continue returning to music when life has steered me away many times. 

Any big plans?
I’m releasing a few singles this spring and summer and plan to more frequently share what I’ve created with the world. 

One single is an angry breakup song called 90/10. It’s about giving 90% effort in a relationship or situationship and the other person is giving 10%. 

Another single is called I’m Ready. It’s about balancing the exciting beginning stages of dating with the scary, vulnerable parts of communicating needs and goals. 

Contact Info:

• Website: Elisemas.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/elisemas
• Youtube: https://youtube.com/@elisemas3283

Image Credits
Ellen Diaz