Sunday October 8, 2023

We all know the live music scene remains in a steady state of uncertainty; people are still cautious about gathering and those pesky Covid numbers are back in the news. Two and one-half post-pandemic seasons later, I’m still trying to determine what live music lovers like and want. A fellow presenter wisely reminded me, “Book what YOU like.” I like music discovery, presenting new (mostly young) artists to my gourmet audience, and I’m looking forward to introducing our music family to Sofia Compoamor and Lyla DiPaul. Washington, DC native Sofia landed on my radar through one of our guests. She started songwriting to make school projects more fun, and that songwriting led to music study at Yale University, where she composed everything from a capella arrangements to podcast theme songs and performed around the globe as the first female member of the Yale Whiffenpoofs, the oldest a capella singing group in the US. Her debut album "if you knew, i couldn't tell" blends dreamy acoustic soundscapes with biting vulnerability in tales of love, longing, and friendship. Sofia currently records and performs original indie folk in Brooklyn, and sings as a cantor and Soprano II with the Oratory Choir of St. Boniface. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lInlNy87K8c https://www.sofiacampoamor.com/ Lyla spent her formative years in Takoma Park, Maryland and is currently based in New Orleans. She’s been playing guitar and writing songs since age 10 and draws musical inspiration from songwriters like Joni Mitchell, Phoebe Bridgers and Taylor Swift. Her debut EP, Sleepless Nights, was released in 2022, and she and her band have been working on writing and recording new music. At our most recent show, nearly all in the audience heard the opening act and headliner for the first time, and they were very glad they did. Longtime members of our music family will remember Kirsten Maxwell, Jean Rohe, Emily Elbert and other beautiful female vocalists echoing in the living room, and I’m optimistic that more music lovers will take a leap of faith and support these two deserving young women. https://youtu.be/8Wi_x2qDQfU https://www.lyladipaulmusic.com/