Calley Bliss

"Oh boy. Are you ready for a can of worms? I have this theory..." Hearing singer/songwriter Calley Bliss say these words is endearingly par for her course. She's the kind of person who's always thinking, always drawing from what's around her, always gleaming a positive lesson from any situation. The struggles with writing original music, putting a band together, practicing, performing and self-promoting can definitely take their toll, but Calley barrels through with style and grace. "The stumbles that knock me down for a day or two, week or two, or even months make me run all the faster on the straight-aways."

Her story began in a typical Minnesotan home complete with hotdish, annual trips to the State Fair, and caring parents who readily taught her how to be "Minnesota Nice." She knew as early as seven-years-old that she wanted to "be a singer" - her Whitney Houston backyard cover show easily won the hearts of her earliest fans. Soon after, she landed a spot in the Minneapolis Bel Canto Voices three years in a row, including a role in the children's chorus for Puccini's opera "La Boheme" at the Minnesota Opera. After a handful of awards, including "Excellence in Jazz Performance" at the International Music Camp in the Peace Gardens, Lakeville High School's "Outstanding Performer" and a spot in the Minnesota All-State Choir for two years, Calley moved onward to the University of North Texas where she earned a Bachelor of Music in Jazz Studies along with two minors, all funded by a Vocal Jazz Scholarship. Her wild, western years sharpened her crowd-pleasing and in-studio skills; as a lead and background singer for a number of pop/rock bands, and a poplar call singer for gigs ranging from jazz duos to big bands, to top 40 party bands, Calley learned the ins and outs of professional vocal work as both a sideman, and leader.

Since then, Calley moved to the Big Apple and dove into her writing, finding a different kind of intense joy from the conception portion of the creative process. She was invited to a concert series in San Miguel D'Allende, Mexico, in 2008 with local Spanish guitar duo Jack and Frances and had the opportunity to perform in 2009 at Whelan's Live in Dublin, one of the city's premier venues for established and up-and-coming artists. She continued to freelance as a professional vocalist, working with various East Coast artists and bands, including six artists signed under the Maryland-based blues label Severn Records. Her 2010 debut solo album, Pigeonholed, featured nine original tunes, written, arranged, and co-produced by Calley herself, with the help of engineer Johnathon Jacobi. From heartfelt ballads to funky dance grooves to pretty pop, Calley combines a multitude of sounds and influences into her collection. The title ironically captures its genre-bending sound and Calley's overall message: don't try to pigeonhole me, I can't be labeled. She is currently working on material for a new folk / pop EP, in collaboration with Brooklyn guitarist and composer Cameron Mizell, under a TBD moniker. She and Cameron also co-own a music production company CalCam Music Productions, to foster their shared love for writing and producing music and voice-overs for TV, film, and radio advertisements.

Calley is stoked to the core to be joining the ArtsWest team and it’s talented faculty, staff, and students, and she’s excited to learn as much as she can from the experience of it all!

For a full discography, visit www.calleybliss.com.