Life & Work with Elizabeth Becker

Today we’d like to introduce you to Elizabeth Becker.

Hi Elizabeth, can you start by introducing yourself? We’d love to learn more about how you got to where you are today?
I am originally from Berkeley, California. I lived there for the first three years of my life until I moved to London for the following three years. Then, I moved back to the Bay Area when I was six years old and lived there until college. Now, I am attending the University of Southern California in Los Angeles with a major in Popular Music for songwriting. I have been singing for as long as I can remember. There are stories I hear from when I was little about myself singing in public, giving performances for family and friends at dinner parties, and memorizing soundtracks to my favorite Disney movies and movie musicals. The most distinctive musical memory I have from my childhood is turning on “The Sound of Music” for the first time and being absolutely captivated. Seeing the opening scene with Maria spinning on the hilltop was mesmerizing and still is to this day. I memorized every line in the movie and sang the songs 24/7. I always felt so centered and engaged when I was singing or listening to music, so I wanted to get as much of it as I could. I enrolled in local theatre companies around my area, participated in singing competitions, and took lessons for voice and guitar. I was so lucky to grow up in an area that valued the arts and advocated for its representation in schools and in extracurriculars. Being surrounded by a community who believed in music as much as I did pushed me to be better. At the beginning, doing music as a career wasn’t even a consideration and I was just doing it because I loved it.

However, when I picked up the guitar for the first time and started writing songs around Freshman year, I realized that I didn’t want to do anything else for the rest of my life. I began paying attention to the people behind the songs that I loved so much and how they made their success happen. It made me realize how much thought and care went into writing, producing, and releasing all of these songs. My voice had always been what I had gotten recognition for up to this point and I still loved singing, but I also wanted to be part of the creative process. This realization motivated me to start practicing guitar more, writing more, and discovering more artists who inspired me. The Thornton School of Music at USC stood out to me as soon as I started researching colleges that provided the sort of program I was looking for. When I found out that I got in, I felt so honored and lucky to know that I would be attending such an incredible institution that hosted a community of such immensely talented musicians. This past year, I released a single called “Give Me A Break” which is on my Spotify under the name “Liz Becker”. Already in under a year of attending USC, I have been so inspired by everything that the artists around me are doing. I have written more songs this year than any prior years and I can’t wait for everyone to hear what I have been working on.

We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
The most present struggle I face that comes with being a musician is trying not to compare myself to other people. It is inevitable that as an artist, there will be times that you feel like you are not meant to do the thing that you are most passionate about. Imposter syndrome is something that I experience almost daily. Whether it be on social media where I feel like everyone is producing content at a higher quality and quantity than me and that means I am not as talented as everyone else or in a live setting like a performance or jam session where it feels like everyone is more capable than me, it gets in the way sometimes. In the past, this has discouraged me and caused me to refrain from writing and singing for periods of time. I always regret letting this affect me because when I am in this state of mind, I am forgetting about the reason why I started doing music in the first place. I started playing music not because I wanted to impress other people but because I loved the feeling. It is still something I am constantly working on and improving. Some methods that I have used to help me get through these rough patches are deleting social media for a couple of days, talking to trusted friends, family or therapists, and listening to artists that I have loved from the very beginning.

Thanks – so what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
As an artist, my strengths are songwriting, singing, and playing guitar. My singing has always caught people’s attention and I believe that combined with my distinctive songwriting voice, I am on the right track to developing a unique sound that people will recognize as “Liz Becker”. People have always seemed to react to my singing in an emotional and positive way, so I am proud every time my voice seems to have an impact on my audience. Furthermore, I have accumulated an extensive list of original songs that when they are fully produced and arranged, will also have an impact on my audience. I like to believe that this portfolio of songs covers a wide range of topics. My songwriting points out nuances in romantic relationships and friendships, experiences with mental health and includes interesting storytelling and vulnerability. I try to avoid just writing “love” songs or “heartbreak” songs and instead focus on the complexities that one has to look deeper in order analyze and put into words, but that everyone can relate to.

What sort of changes are you expecting over the next 5-10 years?
Innovative technology is at a peak in the 21st century and is making music more and more accessible for listening and being a part of. The most obvious change is that with the streaming world, consumers are way more inclined to listen to all types of music because it is pretty much free with platforms like Spotify and Apple Music. Audiences are exploring a more vast range of genres and smaller artists have more opportunity for recognition now, so they are encouraged to release music. Music is not something you have to access with a “click of a button”, it is even easier now with technology like Alexa and Siri, where all you have to do is speak to hear a song. Also, with the Apple made “AirPods” which are wireless bluetooth headphones, it is even easier to bring music with you on the go. These are only a few examples of technology that makes music more accessible. The extent to which the tech industry is expanding is already so amazing and I’m sure we will see the industry making even bigger strides in the coming years. As we have seen over the past year, musicians were forced to stay inside.

While this was detrimental to the live aspect of things, at some point, we had to stop wallowing in the loss and focus our energy on other creative outlets in music. There were many creatives who learned to take advantage of this ample amount of time to write and produce content. We are already beginning to see the results in some of the big names like Taylor Swift, who released two full-length albums in the past year (all written during quarantine). However, I think there are also many small artists who no one knows about and had the opportunity to hone their craft during this time. I think it’s going to be amazing to see these artists emerge from their bedrooms and homes and what they have to offer out in the world. Overall, I think that the increased output of music by creatives accompanied by the improvement of technology and an increase in methods to distribute that music is going to result in an even brighter golden era for the music industry in the coming years.

Contact Info:

• Email: [email protected]
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/_elizabethbecker/
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/user/TheBeckerCat
• SoundCloud: https://soundcloud.com/user109964341

Image Credits:
Dylan Smith