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Senior develops talent as singer, songwriter

KELLY CULLEN ’13 | Staff Writer

 

PHOTO COURTESY OF CAROLYN SULLIVAN '12 | Along with playing the piano, Sullivan also writes music, which is available for purchase on iTunes.
PHOTO COURTESY OF CAROLYN SULLIVAN '12 | Along with playing the piano, Sullivan also writes music, which is available for purchase on iTunes.

 

Despite participating in many other extracuriculars such as cross-country and track, Carolyn Sullivan ’12 has always had a special passion for writing music.  With her songs on iTunes, she is starting to turn her love of music into something big.

“I taught myself how to play and then I figured I would try to write a song because they always say, ‘you can write a song after you learn three chords on the guitar,’” said Sullivan.

Sullivan started writing and singing songs when she learned to play the guitar at age 12, and loves the fact that writing her own songs helps her to get through hard times, Sullivan said.

“I was always inspired by singers who wrote their own songs”, said Sullivan.  “I was inspired a lot by Avril Lavigne. Embarrassingly enough, but she was my ‘idol’ growing up.”

Sullivan’s favorite artists are Cat Stevens, Bob Dylan, Michelle Branch and the Beatles.  All of these artists were inspirations for her to begin writing songs.

Although music is a huge part of her life, she says it seems unrealistic at this time to go far with her music.  Because Sullivan does not have much performing experience, she does not feel she will go to school for music.

That being said, Sullivan believes she will continue to write songs and sing, as it is an amazing experience she will hold on to forever.

Erika Bade ’12, Sullivan’s friend, can definitely see her going far with her music.

“The first time I heard Carolyn sing I was so impressed”, said Bade.  “People told me she was good, but I really had no idea!”

Whenever Bade and Sullivan are driving around in the car, Sullivan is always singing along to the music on the radio, Bade said.

“When we hang out, Carolyn almost always has a new version of a song that she sings or plays for me”, said Bade.  “It’s her passion; she does it all the time.”

What Bade enjoys the most about Sullivan’s songs is how relatable they are, Bade said.

“Besides being really catchy, they’re meaningful and mostly are based on her own life experiences, which makes them powerful to listen to,” said Bade.

Tereza Shaible, one of Sullivan’s cross-country coaches, has been very impressed by her confidence, accuracy, and all around talent, Shaible said.

PHOTO COURTESY OF CAROLYN SULLIVAN '12 | In her free time, Sullivan (left) runs cross country with her sister Natalie Sullivan '15 (right).
PHOTO COURTESY OF CAROLYN SULLIVAN '12 | In her free time, Sullivan (left) runs cross country with her sister Natalie Sullivan '15 (right).

“I have seen Carolyn grow more passionate and serious about her music as time goes on”, said Shaible.  “She is putting more and more thought and time into her songwriting and performance, and is really making the effort and commitment to grow as an artist.”

Shaible saw her performance at the Talent Show, and heard Sullivan play at her home at cross-country pasta parties.

“Carolyn’s lyrics are intelligent and honest, and her piano and voice are so cohesive”, said Shaible.  “It’s difficult enough to write music and lyrics, play piano, or sing well- but to do it all together, and do them well, is a rare skill.”

Last year, Sullivan had songs on iTunes for about two months before she sent the money to Haiti with her church’s mission group, Sullivan said.

Sullivan raised about $200 dollars last year with her songs, and hopes that this year she will put out more songs and make more money, Sullivan said.

“This year, I put up more songs and they will have been up for five months when the group returns to Haiti, so I’m hoping to make a little bit more than last year,” said Sullivan. “The money went to an orphanage last year, and it’ll most likely go to an orphanage this year too.”

Sullivan uploaded her songs through a site called tunecore, which turned out to be a simple process, Sullivan said.

On iTunes, Sullivan has two different albums.  The albums are “That’s Life,” and “Once Upon a Time,” all together Sullivan has 20 songs that are $0.99 on iTunes.

As Sullivan is very busy, her songs on iTunes are rough recordings because she recorded ten songs one after the other for a couple of hours one day and then put them up, Sullivan said.

“They are really stripped down– just me, my voice, and my piano–but it’s as much as I have time for right now. I’m just happy that people are buying them, liking what they hear, and supporting an amazing cause all at the same time,” said Sullivan.

For a list of Sullivan’s songs on iTunes, click here.

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