A  lot of people out there wish they could play a musical instrument, or sing. Still others can do both but wish they were able to write their own songs. Local 18-year-old Stephanie Joy has been able to accomplish all three, recording a recently released album featuring her rich vocals and powerful piano playing.

Stephanie Joy Inside-Out is a debut for Joy, a Christian teenaged singer/songwriter. The album’s title track, Inside-Out includes the line, “Feeling so lost/I’m feeling so tired/I know it’s time for me to surrender … who am I hiding from?” Lyrics like these exemplify the personal feel of Joy’s music, much of which is rooted in her own experiences and beliefs.

Unlike some Christian musicians, Joy’s music is not as general or potentially preachy, but instead uses her faith and musical ability to convey the more intimate and practical side of faith.

Inside-Out was recorded and produced at SoundWorks studios in Eau Claire by Mike Vlahakis. The backing musicians are all local folks, and the quality of the recordings is a testament to the fact that you don’t need an expensive, big-name recording studio to attain a professional sound. Mike has nothing but praise for the young singer.

“She was just amazing. To come in so young and be able to play and sing like she did was just great,” he said. “We didn’t have to do any pitch correction, and most of her songs were already written and arranged. We worked together on a few, but for the most part she really knew what she was doing. She was very grounded and did much of the work in one take.”

One of the musicians heard on some of the tracks is Mike Schlenker, owner of Speed of Sound in Eau Claire. Schlenker played guitar on some of the songs and is an experienced studio musician.

“Stephanie was a really cool girl with very down-to-earth kind of tunes,” he told me. “They really relate to everyone. Sometimes religious music can get sort of pigeon-holed, so to speak, but hers doesn’t. It’s much more than genre music.”

    Stephanie herself is now attending Northcentral University in Minneapolis, seeking a degree in music. She was selected for the 2007 Indy Fine Arts Festival in Indianapolis and a similar event in Charlotte earlier this year.

When asked about how she got started, Stephanie told me, “I’ve been playing piano since I was 4. I started really getting into the song writing my sophomore year in high school, when I had time each day to work in the music room. I started work on the CD in June, and it was really fun to work so closely with professional, local musicians.”

She added, “I want my music to feel real and applicable to everyday life. I really want to be able to connect with people my age through my experiences and music.”
Her music certainly makes you feel     like she is accomplishing her goals. The vocals sound rich and mature, but don’t lose the feel of a young person telling the listener about what she has been through and how she feels.

The album reminds us if you have the desire to make music, to express yourself, the avenues are there. Even in Eau Claire it is entirely viable for a teenage girl with some songs and a piano to record and produce a studio-quality album and make it work. It’s easy today for artists to feel like it’s too difficult to try and make their way doing what they love, but after listening to Stephanie Joy and her piano, you may think differently.

    For more information about Stephanie, or to listen to three tracks from her album, visit her www.myspace.com/stephaniejoymusic. To purchase the CD, visit http://cdbaby.com/cd/stephaniejoy or Living Room Coffeehouse, 2006 Cameron St., Eau Claire or by e-mailing stephaniejoymusic@yahoo.com.