Three time CFMA Young Performer of the Year nominee and Edmonton Music Award Nominee, Rebecca Lappa is a prolific songwriter, who has penned over 100 songs with more waiting to be born. She writes songs inspired by observations of life, historical events, and literary references that slide between the realms of pop and folk. Her modern folk sound with Celtic world flavours is making the folktale new again. Rebecca draws comparisons to strong female vocalists and songwriters such as, Sarah McLachlan, Joni Mitchell, Kate Bush and Tori Amos.
After two EP's, Rebecca released her first full-length CD of original music, "Not in Neverland" in June 2011. This album earned Rebecca her first CFMA nomination and a Harvard Broadcasting Exposure Travel Grant. In May 2012, Rebecca released her second CD “Myths and Monsters” produced by Alana Levandoski. This CD garnered Rebecca her second CFMA Young Performer of the Year nomination, a nominee's showcase in St. John and a nomination for an Edmonton Music Award. In June 2013, Rebecca released her 3rd CD, Advant Garden, produced by Alana Levandoski. "Avant Garden" was nominated for 2013 CFMA Young Performer of the Year and given a nominee showcase spot.
2014 is off to strong start. Rebecca has started recording her next CD, "Ode to Tennyson" with producer Barry Allen. The project is based on songs inspired by Lord Alfred Tennyson's poetry. Production of this project is being supported by a 102.3 NOW! Radio Project 10k20 recording grant. Rebecca has been nominated for the CN Youth Artist Award in the 27th Annual Mayor's Celebration of the Arts. The Affair for the Arts at the Keyano Theatre in Fort McMurray was an amazing time. Rebecca provided pre and post show entertainment for the event, headlined by William Shatner! Performing her anti-bullying song, "Nobody Likes You, But Who's Going to Tell You" Rebecca had media coverage on CBC, CTV and Global during Pink Shirt Day, and played at the YWCA "The Power of Being a Girl" Conference.
Other accomplishments in 2013: Rebecca's Folk Opera: The Earl, debuted at Nextfest in June, performed as a one woman show. Rebecca won the Sonic Youth Category of the Calgary Folkfest Songwriting Contest, and performed at the Calgary Folkfest in July as part of her prize package. Rebecca was a finalist in the Youth at The Blues Competition as part of the Beaumont Blues and Roots Music Festival on June 21. In the summer, Rebecca returned to the Winnipeg Folkfest as part of the Galaxie Young Performers Program and mentored with Melissa McClelland from the band Whitehorse. Rebecca received a grant from Victoria School Foundation for the Arts to attend the Galaxie Program. Rebecca wrote the music for 7 songs that are part of Alison Neuman's musical "Searching for Normal", which debuted at the 2013 Edmonton Fringe Festival in August. Rebecca also wrote songs for the Heritage Song Project with the Provincial Archives of Alberta which culminated in three concerts during the September Culture Days weekend. In the fall of 2013, Rebecca performed at 2 showcases as the "Young Albertan" at the Arts Touring Alliance of Alberta 2013 showcase in Red Deer and a Canadian Folk Music Awards Nominee showcase in Calgary.
2012 Highlights include: She was one of six finalists in the All-Albertan Song Contest for her song “Welcome to Wayne.” She received a Songwriting Boot Camp prize as a Sonic Youth at the Calgary Folk Festival Songwriting Competition and was mentored by Sam Baker. She was a finalist in the Here is Canada national contest for her song “We are Canadians”. She was selected to participate in The Galaxie Young Performers Program at the 2012 Winnipeg Folk Festival and was mentored by Royal Wood. Rebecca was chosen as a songwriting winner in the 2012 Canadian Wildlife Federation, "Get to Know Your Wild Neighbour Contest". Rebecca was one of 4 wild cards on YTV's The Next Star; making it to the top 16 out of 4000 contestants.
Rebecca has had her songs played on CBC, CKUA, CFBX, CJSR, CJSF, CJLY, CJUM, CHMA, CHMR, KAOS, SCOP, Women’s Radio Channel, Alberta Artists Streaming Radio, Festival Radio all on Live365, WITRR Radio Network and Edmontunes. She has been interviewed on CBC Radio’s Edpod Challenge, CBC Daybreak Alberta and CJSR Soul of the City. She has been filmed for Shaw TV, Breakfast Television, Global TV, Balcony TV and CTV news. She has had press coverage in The Edmonton Journal, Saint City News, The Edmonton Sun, The West Edmonton Local, Beaumont News, Vue Weekly, The Edmonton Examiner, Drumheller Mail and an article in the Alternative Trends magazine. She was even a featured artist in the Prairie Belles Podcast and been covered in Gigcity and New Music Michael blogs.
From her hometown of Edmonton, Rebecca is wowing audiences and building a fan base. She has performed at events such as the Winnipeg Folk Festival, Calgary Folk Festival, Beaumont Blues Festival, Homefest, Nextfest, The Works, SOS Fest, Heart of the City Festival, Big Valley Jamboree, Canadian Rockies International Rodeo Music Fest, Musicians in the Making at the Winspear, Blossom into the Blues Festival, Night of Artist Gala, Kaleido Family Arts Festival, Black Gold Rodeo, Hair Massacure, and many other charity events, libraries, coffee shops, open mikes and markets. Sharing her music with an audience is Rebecca’s true passion.
Rebecca is a classically trained singer who delivers her songs in an expressive mezzo-soprano accompanied by her keyboard. Always striving to improve, she received Honors in both the Grade 7 RCM vocal exam and the Advanced Music Rudiments Theory Exam and attended a Berklee College of Music summer program. She is an award-winning vocalist, receiving multiple awards at local competitions such as Futures Fest and E.F.C.L. talent shows and has been a finalist in the Northern Star Talent search for 6 years. She was awarded a vocal scholarship at the St. Albert Rotary Music Festival and won both St. Albert Junior Idol and East Meets West Idol performing her original songs. At the Edmonton Kiwanis Music Festival in April 2011, Rebecca received a mark of “Superior” for her original song “Forever Together”. Rebecca placed 3rd at Kalyna Idol and Top 10 in the all ages Edmonton Undiscovered Competition in 2011.
Since she was a little girl, Rebecca has loved to sing and perform. At age 2, Rebecca was exposed to music in the Music Fun Time Classes at Visionary College. Even then, her parents knew there was something special about her musicality, and so she began vocal and piano lessons. During her pre-teen years she flexed her acting muscle as she performed in musical theatre plays (Sinbad the Sailor, Annie, My Fair Lady), operas (Filumena, Pagliacci), T.V. commercials (Family Channel, Acura, Save on Foods) and as an extra in the TV series “Fear Itself” and the video “Edmonton 2030”. Rebecca is also a natrual storyteller and has had stories and poems published in the Magpie Magazine and Celebrating Words publications. Eventually at the age of 10, Rebecca combined her love of writing with her passion for music and a songwriter was born.
Songwriting opened up a whole new world for Rebecca and she began performing her original material at competitions and local venues around Edmonton. At Hulbert’s Songwriting Stage she was noticed by Rhea March and invited to join U22. As a member of U22 productions, Rebecca grew as a performer and eagerly collaborated with other young artists. Rebecca has even mentored other songwriters as a speaker at the 2010, 2012 and 2013 Highland's Junior High School Young Readers Conference, in a presentation at Victoria School of Performing Arts, and at The School of Song 2012 Songwriting and Performance Camp. In 2013, Rebecca was part of Rhea March's Songwriting presentation for the North Central Teachers Convention. She also led a songwriting workshop at the 2013 City of Edmonton Youth Art Jam and started a weekly songwriting club at her school.
