Erika Rodger Named November “Best Vocalist Of The Month” With “Up To The Mountain”
By Dale Kawashima
Erika Rodger
Erika Rodger, a promising pop/soul singer & writer based in Chicago, IL, has won the November SingerUniverse “Best Vocalist Of The Month” Competition, for her performance of the song, “Up To The Mountain (MLK Song),” which was written by Patty Griffin. This song will be included on her upcoming album project, which she will release independently in 2010.
Rodger’s rendition of “Up To The Mountain” is in a more bluesy style with a full-band sound (with saxophone and organ), rather than Griffin’s more piano-based version. This song provides a fine showcase for Rodger’s strong, rich vocals, which starts softly, and then gradually builds in emotion and power. This recording was skillfully produced by Dan Stetzel, who also played piano on this cut.
Rodger was born and raised in Frankfort, IL, which is a suburb of Chicago. She learned to play piano at an early age, and later on she entered talent competitions (such as Chicago Idol and Star Search), and she has sung “Star Spangled Banner” at major sporting events. Rodger was inspired by listening to her favorite artists such as Whitney Houston, Aretha Franklin and Mariah Carey.
After high school, Rodger attended Northwestern University (north of Chicago), where she did voice training (including opera), and eventually graduated in June 2008 with a B.A. degree in English. Following college, Rodger decided to pursue her music career fulltime.
Erika Rodger with hit producer, David Foster.
“Early this year (2009) I recorded ‘Up To The Mountain’ and ‘Good Morning Heartache’ with producer Dan Stetzel,” recalled Rodger. “Then this past summer, I went to Los Angeles and completed a three-song demo with songwriter Lisa Mazzotte. One of the songs we recorded is called ‘Perfect Imperfections,’ which we wrote together.”
Rodger recently had a breakthrough, when superstar producer David Foster selected her to perform with him at his Chicago concert on Oct. 21, as part of his David Foster & Friends tour. “It’s been a dream of mine to perform with David Foster – I sang ‘And I’m Telling You I’m Not Going’ with his band,” she said.
Rodger hopes that her show with Foster is a sign of bigger things to come. She will be flying to New York City this month to perform at the Pure Pop showcase, which will be attended by many label execs and managers. ‘In the coming months, I want to perform more and gain the attention of people in the industry,” she said. “I’d also like to collaborate with more writers and producers, and find a manager to work with.”
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"Best Vocalist Of The Month" Winner
Song Title:
"Up To The Mountain."
By:
Performed by Erika Rodger of Chicago, IL. Written by Patty Griffin.
