Alumni Spotlight: Elizabeth Anne Mall

Elizabeth Anne Mall, alternative pop recording artist, graduated from College of the Ozarks in May, 2014 with a major in Music Ministry. Elizabeth began pursuing her dreams early on in life by writing songs at the age of twelve. According to Elizabeth, “music is [her] therapy.” She states, “Writing helps me process the good and the bad in life. I have control of turning any set of circumstances into something beautiful in the form of a song.”  Through her music, Elizabeth crafts compelling and introspective messages through dynamic contrast to represent the complexity and beauty of life. 

During her time at College of the Ozarks, Elizabeth wrote and recorded many songs on MIDI (Musical Instrument Digital Interface), which culminated in her first publically released album in 2014, A Beautiful War. Later, in 2015, Elizabeth released her second album Belle Laide.     

How did attending CofO help you grow as a songwriter?

Attending C of O was a really special time in my life.  I grew so much closer to God and learned the value of having beautiful people surround me.  I received a lot of encouragement and was able to get a much better idea of my personal direction as a songwriter through studying MIDI and music, as well as solidifying my faith in Christ.

Who were some mentors that helped you both during and after your time at C of O?

Dr. Gerlach was my MIDI teacher and mentor, and was extremely helpful as I worked on a CD for my final project as a music ministry major.  Mr. Busch taught me how to better worship through music. Dr. Rapinchuk taught me so much about God through his classes and Apologetics club.  Things I learned from him influenced a lot of the underlying messages in my college CD "A Beautiful War."  Dr. Chinn and Jennifer Freeman had a way of showing a passionate love for God in class that also inspired me.

What advice would you give to other beginning songwriters?

There's a lot of songwriters out there, and you have to be relentless.  I used a service online called Taxi A&R to get my songs out there.  My songs were heard a lot and rejected a lot. But I kept at it until 9 time Grammy winning producer Rob Chiarelli noticed and reached out to me.  Now I'm signed to his new independent label StreetLamp Records and we just finished an album together.  But that came after NOT getting noticed hundreds of times.  If you look at your gifts and drive and honestly think you can make a career of your art, you have to FIGHT hard for it and not give up.  In the end, tenacity is usually what separates those who do music as a hobby and those who actually make it their career. 

What are your future plans?

Currently, I'm working on a Christmas album and we are getting ready to shoot some music videos in LA for my new album Belle Laide.  Long-term, I'm hoping to go on and get my masters in theology.  That's my other passion besides music, and I miss studying God in an academic setting.  I think it will also add a lot of fresh insight for my song writing!

Connect with Elizabeth:

http://elizabethannemall.com/
https://www.facebook.com/eamsongs/
https://twitter.com/elizabethamall
https://www.instagram.com/elizabethannemall