Published by Starry Constellation Magazine
Jan. 23, 2014
Q) How would you describe your sound?
A) I would describe my sound as country with a little bit of pop in there. My music is wholesome and a lot of fun! I have a range of different kinds of songs.
Q) Who are some of your musical influences?
A) Ever since I was little, I’ve been listening along with my parents to artists like Frank Sinatra, Patsy Kline, Loretta Lynn and even further down the line The Monkeys or Foreigner. Some of my current inspirations are Kelly Clarkson, Eva Cassidy, Hillary Duff, Taylor Swift and Carrie Underwood. Not only do I look up to an artist based on their voice or their performance, but also the kind of person that they are.
Q) You are currently on a tour of schools with an anti-bullying message. How did you get involved with this message?
A) When I was in elementary school, I got teased by the other kids in my grade and it was a very hard time to get through. I would come home every night crying. They would call me names and exclude me. One day before I came home from school, my dad told me, “Nobody has the power to ruin your day.” That became the theme of this anti-bullying tour. This is my first year being home schooled and I thought with the extra time I had what better way to spend it than going into schools and talking to kids about something so important to me. It’s also a topic that is so important now and always. I wanted to talk to them about not only anti-bullying, but self esteem and positivity and sing a few songs. I wanted to have it be interactive and put some songs in there rather than just being listening to a speech about being nice to each other. I threw in some question and answers and the kids just love it! In October and November I did an over eighty school tour throughout California and it was so successful and fun that now I’m doing an over one hundred school tour through the state of Florida. It’s just so much fun! I love getting out there and hugging the kids. We all sing together and clap our hands. It’s a lot of fun and we all learn a lot.
Q) Your song “Butterfly” has really connected with fans. What do you think it is about the song that really resonates with listeners?
A) I wrote “Butterfly” with country singer Jamie O’Neal and we wrote it about my experiences in elementary school. The truth is, what I think makes “Butterfly” so relatable is it is a really fun song and we’re all butterflies, all we need to do is spread our wings and fly. I love when people come up to me and say, “You inspired me” or “Butterfly inspired me!” Someone even got a tattoo of a butterfly after hearing my song! So, the impact that “Butterfly” has had has been absolutely amazing.
Q) What can fans do to help promote your music?
A) For fans who like and support my music, keep enjoying it! That’s really all I want! Just listen and keep enjoying it. One of the things about my music (and it is the same for other artists as well) is I write my songs based off of personal experiences. What I am going through, other people are going through, too. I wrote a song called “I Saw Him First” about when my best friend and I liked the same guy. Of course, it was a very tricky situation, but we laugh about it now! There is also a song about summer love. I just want people to listen to my music and hopefully it can make them smile or brighten their day.
Q) What can fans expect from a live Lizzie Sider concert?
A) A live Lizzie Sider concert is a lot of fun! There is some singing, there is some dancing and some interaction. Even when I’m not doing an assembly, I try to include some talking with the audience and definitely some interaction. I love to connect with the audience!
Q) You are a part of social networking sites like Twitter. Why is that such an important way for you to connect with fans?
A) I like social networking sites because I can keep in touch with my fans. If one of my fans writes me saying even just, “Hi!” I make sure to write them back. I like that I get messages and tweets that I can connect with people from all over the world. It is just so cool to meet all of those people and hear that like my music is really cool.
Q) What would you like to say to everyone who is a fan and supporter of you and your music?
A) To all the fans and supporters of my work and my music, I just want to thank them for all of their support. They make all that I do all the worth while and it’s just so much fun. I’m doing what I love and to know that others like what I am doing means a lot.