- Melissa Rapp
-
Melissa Rapp Birth name Melissa Catherine Rapp Born July 15, 1978 Origin Honolulu, Hawaii, U.S. Genres Indie pop, Pop soul, Indie folk, Pop rock Occupations Singer-songwriter, musician Instruments Vocals, guitar, piano, guitarlele Years active 2002–present Labels Independent Website Official website
Twitter
YouTubeMelissa Catherine Rapp (born July 15, 1978) is a Los Angeles-based singer-songwriter. She was born and raised in Honolulu, Hawaii[1] and is a featured cast member of Bravo's first season of the songwriting competition show Platinum Hit. Her music is a blend of pop, soul, folk and rock.
Contents
Biography
Rapp is from an educated and musical family. Her father is a lawyer and also a published drummer. Her mother has an MBA and has worked as a University of Hawaii dean.
Rapp’s great grandfather was a professional drummer on Mississippi river boats. Her grandfather, Roy T. Rapp,[2] put himself through medical school by playing the trumpet in Chicago big bands. Roy Rapp also raised each of his six children to play a different instrument so Rapp grew up playing music in the basement with her musical uncles and cousins.
Rapp took up piano at age five, training privately in Honolulu. She started playing guitar at age 15. She graduated with honors from Punahou School, the same high school attended by President Barack Obama. She went on to graduate from Stanford University with a degree in History, with a Literature and the Arts focus. While at Stanford, she was a member of the Harmonics, a co-ed a cappella group, as well as a member of the collegiate alpine ski racing and triathlon teams.
Musical career
Rapp first performance of her original music was at the Stanford Coffeehouse. She started playing professionally in San Francisco immediately following her college graduation. Since that time, she has toured the United States, sharing stages with artists such as Sara Bareilles, Chuck Prophet, Josh Ritter, and ALO.
In 2008, she recorded the album The Other Side in Berkeley, California. The album was produced by Jon Evans and features drumming by Allison Miller and keyboards by Julie Wolf. The album drew critical acclaim and attention from San Francisco radio stations KFOG 104.5 and KUSF.
In 2010, she recorded her second album Just Like That in Los Angeles and San Francisco. The record featured a cast of musicians including drummer Jimmy Paxson, bassist Michael Valerio, Julie Wolf and guitarists Ray Bergstrom and Betsy Adams.
She has appeared on Today show segment with Paul Ehrlich and is one of the participants of Platinum Hit on Bravo (2011).
Platinum Hit
In 2011, she is appeared on the new songwriting competition reality show Platinum Hit on Bravo American entertainment channel as one of 12 aspiring songwriters for the title which she landed in 8th place.
Discography
- 2008: The Other Side (Self-released—CD, music download)
- 2010: Just Like That (Self-released—CD, music download)
References
- ^ "'Hit' for Hawaii - Hawaii Features". Staradvertiser.com. http://www.staradvertiser.com/features/20110530___hit__for_hawaii.html. Retrieved 2011-05-30.
- ^ "Roy Thomas Rapp Obituary: View Roy Rapp's Obituary by Quincy Herald-Whig". Legacy.com. http://www.legacy.com/obituaries/whig/obituary.aspx?n=roy-thomas-rapp&pid=143258381&fhid=7637. Retrieved 2011-05-30.
External links
Categories:- 1978 births
- Living people
- Stanford University alumni
- People from Hawaii
- Musicians from Hawaii
- American singers
- American singer-songwriters
- American pianists
- American guitarists
- American folk musicians
Wikimedia Foundation. 2010.
