Meet Lizzy Marquis of Lizzy Marquis Music in Leominster

Today we’d like to introduce you to Lizzy Marquis.

Lizzy, please share your story with us. How did you get to where you are today?
“Wouldn’t it be nice if we were older? Then we wouldn’t have to wait so long, and wouldn’t it be nice to live together? In the kind of world where we belong.”

At the age of 4, I heard the great voice of Scott Babineau singing out those lyrics at my father’s annual Carter park concert. After that night, I began my quest to drive my brothers insane (unintentionally of course,) by singing along and playing “Wouldn’t It Be Nice” by the Beach Boys all day and everyday on my cassette player. As a little kid, all I really needed for entertainment was my cassette player, the playground swings, and my families’ music room.

My music career really sprung because of my dad. His name is Mark Marquis and he is a professional jazz musician. He’s honestly one of the brightest people you could ever meet. His knowledge of music expands far greater than one could imagine, and the way he can play his many instruments is a true work of art and inspiration. Most people recognize him because he has long white hair. It’s funny because growing up all my friends would say stuff like, “Lizzy your dad is SO cool!” You know what? It’s true… although he’s really goofy sometimes, (aren’t most dads?), my dad is the definition of cool.

Back then and even to this day, my dad and I are extremely close. We’ve always had a really strong connection because of music. When I was little, I would sit in his music room, criss cross apple sauce, and listen for hours while his band would rehearse for their next concert. He always tell me how amazing it was because most 5 year olds can’t sit still for more than 10 minutes but I could just sit and listen while they rehearsed for hours. I’m sure I drove him a little crazy though when I would scold the musicians if they accidentally said a swearword in front of me. Then again, I’m sure my dad would say that he loved it because it showed my mom’s ‘teacher’ impact she had on me. Now a days, I’ve been working on learning his creative but incredibly hard compositions and I’m lucky enough to play with his group every once in a while.

I believe that because my dad let me hang out and listen during rehearsals (even after mom said that it was time for me to go to bed,) was one of the key memories I have that has pushed me so far into my music career. As I got older, I took lessons with different instructors but I think the greatest education you can give someone is to put them right in the middle of whatever they are trying to study. I got to where I am today because I’ve always been willing to listen and watch. You can learn a lot about someone or something by just listening and watching them for a short period of time.

Lastly, I know that this may sound “cheesy” or “sentimental” or whatever, but I can honestly say that the biggest motivation and real reason I am where I am today is because of my mom and dad. They have always told me that I can do anything if I work for it and have NEVER pushed me to be or do anything unless I wanted to do it. They have always had my back, show constant support for whatever my hyperactive personality wants to do next, and just honestly are the greatest parents I could ever imagine. I’m so thankful for all they do for me, and for all the laughs they give me on a daily basis as well. So thanks mom and dad for showing up at just about every sports game I’ve had, every musical I’ve been a part of, and for still to this day, coming to just about every gig or show I play. You’re my favorite people to see and perform for.

We’re always bombarded by how great it is to pursue your passion, etc – but we’ve spoken with enough people to know that it’s not always easy. Overall, would you say things have been easy for you?
I definitely wouldn’t say it’s been a “smooth road”. I think it’s been an exciting, crazy, successful, and a fun journey; but, there’s definitely been struggles along the way. I don’t think the successes I’ve had would be worth anything if there weren’t any failures or hardships along the way.

Being a musician is a hard career to have in general. There’s so much more to being a musician then what people may see. As a musician, yes you have be able to perform and sound good… but what people don’t see is the practice sessions, band rehearsals, communication with people/audience members, publicizing, photo shoots, booking of different venues, and SO much more. Luckily for me I’ve had A LOT of connections, support, and education along the way. It took a long time though for me to really understand what goes into being a musician. I still don’t fully know nor will I ever… but hey it’s just another thing to work on! For example, some things I had to work on before being able to go out and perform solo in public was, building up a large repertoire of songs, practicing different genres of songs, scales, warm ups, etc., and most importantly trying to master the art of PATIENCE.

Patience really is key as a musician. You need to be patient with people, your instruments, and most importantly yourself. I’ll be honest, one thing I struggle with is my practicing. I know I need to be more strict with myself when it comes to really putting in more time than I do now; but, at least I’m aware of it and am working on being better about my practice schedule.

Another problem I have is that I am someone who wants to do too much all at the same time. Honestly, if I could have it any way, I would want there to be about 72 hours in a day instead of 24. You see, I have a million different interests. Yes I sing and play piano and yes I could listen to vinyl records for hours… but I’m also someone who loves to play and watch sports, hang out with my friends, teach music lessons and teach in elementary schools, I love to write, swim, and well… you get the point! Because I enjoy trying new activities and end up liking just about all of them, I struggle because then I don’t dedicate enough time into one.

Lastly, as a 22 year old, I can honestly say that in the last couple of years I’ve reached the point of thinking that I’m going to die if there’s anything even slightly wrong or different with the way my body is feeling. Sound familiar anyone? As we get older, we’re not able to scream at the top of our lungs like we used to when were 10 and taking part in the ‘Roll On America’ Halloween screaming contest, or do other things the way we used to. It’s a time of realizing that yeah… things change… but that doesn’t mean we can’t fix them or that we’re necessarily ill or something. My greatest struggle in the last 4-6 years has been muscle tightness and SERIOUS neck and shoulder pain. As a kid, I had a few singing lessons but never really took voice lessons and mainly just sang by ear. As I got older, I started noticing pain because of singing and working all the time and that’s when I realized that there was SO MUCH more that goes into it then what I thought. At 19 years old, I decided that I would go visit a dear friend of mine and my family to get some vocal coaching and advice.

Her name is Betsy Fiedler. Let me tell you, this woman is a GENIUS. I started taking lessons with her and she totally flipped a switch in me. She taught me so much about technique, the voice, but most importantly she taught me in a way that I could understand. She got rid of the crazy super smart terms that someone only knows if they’ve read every science and vocal technique book, and just talked to me and gave examples no matter how silly they were. She gave suggestions about what I should do with my neck pain, and although it has taken massages, physical therapy, vocal training work, and lots of time… the pain has slowly but surely been going away. I couldn’t be more thankful for that. Betsy, if you’re reading this, you are the best, and I hope you know how appreciative I am of your friendship, your advice, and your teaching. Because of you, I have become so much of a better and smarter singer. THANK YOU!

So, as you know, we’re impressed with Lizzy Marquis Music – tell our readers more, for example what you’re most proud of as a company and what sets you apart from others.
My business name is “Lizzy Marquis Music” and if you type that into Facebook, Google, YouTube, Instagram, etc. you will learn and hear a bit more about what I do! For now though, I’ll tell you that I am a Professional Musician. I play piano and I sing. One can usually find me performing as a solo act but I do also perform with duos, trios, and full size bands. During the week days, I teach vocal and piano lessons at my home studio and at Monument Square Music Studio in Leominster, MA.

I perform all over MA, at different bars, restaurants, and concert venues. I play private parties and weddings, and really just love performing and creating special memories and moments for everyone I’m lucky enough to see and meet.

I’d say I’m known for the songs I play and the way I put my own twist on them. I sing and play all genres hoping that I can connect to everyone in the room but my favorite genres to sing and play are blues, pop (with my own special twist of course!), and jazz. I also perform my own original tunes and find it especially cool, because now regular audience members that have followed my performances are actually starting to sing along with my songs! Totally awesome right!?

I take pride in my work and care a lot about the final product whatever that may be. I’m proud of the fact that I take risks in trying new ideas and projects whether they are successful or maybe a total fail. I’m willing to try new genres, songs, musical projects even if they are a bit out of my comfort zone. Most importantly, I’m proud of how humble I’ve been able to stay. I’ve always had the talent, but I think something that puts me a part from others is that I’m able to say that I have so much left to learn. As a musician no matter how good you are, there is always something else to learn. Whether it’s a different genre, song, technique, whatever, you truly can never learn EVERYTHING about music. I think that is part of the reason why music can be such a wild ride. It’s infuriating at times but can bring you a joy and love like no other.

Lastly, something I am proud of and believe sets me apart from others is my professional image. I take pride in my sound and avoid anything that may corrupt it. There are a lot of artists and music out there right now that are centered more about the image of sex, drugs, being “bad”, etc. rather than the actual music itself. I have nothing against those who do choose to take part in this music or look; but honestly it’s just not for me. In my opinion, the music should be about the music and the sound rather than the ‘look’ or ‘body’ of the 22 year old girl performing. Don’t get me wrong, I still care about looking nice or a certain way for my performances and other musical exposure; but, I think that there is much more importance as a musician to focus on the way I sound rather than the way I look. By caring so much about this, my hope is that the people listening to me are able to focus more on the sound and the music rather than the look of the artist.

So, what’s next? Any big plans?
I have a lot of projects and ideas I’m working on for the future! Exciting yet intimidating, I think the greatest plans I have for the next year or so include focusing on really building my social media presence, FINALLY releasing a recording of my original songs, creating and writing more music, and getting better with my practicing habits.

I’ve recently been working on seeing what I can do with newer pop music. I’ve been experimenting with ways of making top 40 songs my own by changing the feel, emotion, or style. I’ve had a lot of fun doing this and have received a lot of compliments on the way I have performed songs like Taylor Swift’s “Blank Space”, Justin Bieber’s “Love Yourself”, and Vance Joy’s “Riptide”.

Speaking of the pop scene, I’ve been working with a few of my musician and childhood friends on creating new pop music. Last year, I was featured on a song called “Share With You” that really was unlike anything I’ve ever done but MAN, was it cool! It came out unreal, and people LOVED IT! We have recently created a new song called “Waiting” and will be releasing it soon. We have a few more projects we are working on as well. It always a blast to work with friends, even more so when you create something special. (Their duo’s name is FOUNDRS, check them out!)

A big change I have been getting used to is the process of going back to school while also working and continuing my music. I began college again this past January for Elementary Education. It’s been a large change in my life because I had taken a break from school for about 3 years and had to change my working, social, and living habits drastically. I decided to go back to school because although I love music, I have also always loved the art of teaching. I was also craving classes again. So far it’s going well. I was able to transfer a whole year worth of school credits before I started, and ended my first semester back in college making Deans List with a cumulative GPA of 3.85! No matter how large this change may be, my love for music stays the same.

My next step into my music career is to really bunker down and make a recording of my original songs and to build my online music presence. The world has become way more technologically advanced than what I am capable of. If you ask any of my friends about how well I do with technology they’d probably chuckle and tell you that I’m living in another lifetime. I try my best though! Luckily for me though, I have so many friends that do know about the online world and are willing to help me out. Be on the lookout for new music, and posts!

The greatest plan I have for myself this year and every other year, is just to continue growing as a musician, friend, and person. Whether it means being nicer, kinder, paying closer attention, studying more, being healthier, becoming stricter, who knows! My only goal for myself each year is to improve. The more we work on ourselves, the happier, brighter, and better we will be.

Contact Info:

• Phone: 978-340-7753
• Email: lizzymarquis@aol.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lizzymarquismusic/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/lizzymarquismusic/

Image Credit:
Elizabeth Newton, Mary Nguyen, Catherine Lahousse, D.J. Hosley

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