Lisa Heller

The young talented singer/songwriter Lisa Heller delivers her latest single after her worldwide viral success with “Hope”. This time she dives into a topic that is more personal while still being relatable for everyone to connect with. Enjoy the beauty, the honesty and bittersweet feel of “Things you never said” and get a look into her world and the experiences she has had overcoming anxiety. While the track might feel as an ode to heartbreak, we must listen carefully for there truly we see the beauty of her words as she rises from that abyss with a new found sense about life, love and everything beyond. Enjoy this youthful yet mature soundscape and let it connect with you for it will give you a sense of fulfillment you never knew you needed.

When the sweetness tastes bitter

Life is a riddle

Spinning inside my head.

When something this little gets

Lost in the middle

of things you never said

All the things you never said.

chorus of 'Things you never said' - Wolf in a suit

Lisa Heller has a song here that should be on heavy rotation on the radio stations. ‘Things You Never Said’ is a song about her personal experiences with anxiety, and overcoming her fears. It’s a pop song and a definite earworm.

Stream it over on Spotify below - MUSIC IS MY LIFE

Lisa Heller takes on her fears and anxiety with a song “Thongs You Never Said”. She says the song is about her personal experiences with anxiety and a fight to overcome her fears.

Listen to it via Spotify. - Aipate

Get ready to feel inspired! TWIST is happy to premiere the first-ever official music video for singer-songwriter Lisa Heller, who has just dropped a beautiful new track titled "Hope."

The 20-year-old performer's video features people she randomly selected to be involved with her motivational new project. Lisa asked the participants to write messages explaining what they're hopeful for on poster board – and the results are really powerful.


To tie in with the video and the song's message, Lisa has created what she's calling the "Wall of Hope" as a place where people can share inspirational stories of brave kids who are fighting major challenges.

One of those courageous kids, Charlie Hayes (who is battling HLH) is actually going to be at her performance in Farmington, CT later today, and all of the funds she raises are going to donated to him.

The single (produced by Jim McGorman, who is known for his work with other awesome artists like Sabrina Carpenter, Avril Lavigne, Cassadee Pope, and Kate Voegele) is available for pre-order on iTunes now.

Make sure to check out Lisa's video above, and let us know your thoughts by commenting below. - Twist Magazine | Kristine Hope Kowalski

It’s no secret that marking your mark in today’s music industry is no easy task. In addition to talent, it takes hard work, determination, unrelenting drive and the ability of overcome the obstacles that come your way. Lisa Heller is a shining example of what is obtainable when you aren’t afraid to invest your heart and soul to make your dreams a reality. Her latest single, “Hope,” introduces her inspirational new song to the world. Born out of struggle, “Hope” is a spiritual transformation that allowed her to break down barriers, and move her life forward.
Several years ago, Heller had a medical condition color her world as she woke up at an emergency care center with a diagnosis of Vocal Cord Dysfunction (VCD). Fortuitously, the doctor told her that singing would help treat the VCD because the act itself would relax her vocal cords. Embracing the advice, music became a therapeutic stress reliever, a creative outlet and her saving grace. With a newfound confidence, Lisa developed her inner voice, harnessing her intuition to effectively craft 4-minute vessels of the existential. Early songs such as “Close Your Eyes” and “Life on the Run,” which featured drummer Aaron Sterling (John Mayer, Taylor Swift, The Band Perry) and special guest guitarist Steve Fekete (musical director for Avril Lavigne), were her first forays in songwriting and ones which ended up being recognized with various accolades including being chosen as a Top Five Finalist in the “Performance Category” for the American Songwriting Awards, reaching the semi-finals of the International Songwriting Contest, and receiving a “Pop High Honorable Mention” by the faculty of the Songdoor Songwriting Contest.
These achievements caught the attention of producer Jim McGorman, known for his work with Sabrina Carpenter, Avril Lavigne, Cassadee Pope and Kate Voegele, and in January 2015, Heller went into the studio with McGorman to record 4-songs; “Hope,” “Firewall,” “Midnight,” and “Things You Never Said”. Jim warmly recalls the sessions, “I work with a lot of new artists, and Lisa sees things that others don’t. She is an incredibly insightful lyricist, making her songs unique and powerful. She has so many dimensions to her voice and, as a producer, it’s exciting to see where she takes each song.”
In conjunction with the release of the single, Heller has erected a virtual “Wall of Hope”, the foundation of a social community designed to foster faith and encourage hope by sharing inspirational stories. One such story is that of 4-year old Nicholas Higham. Lisa elaborates, “I wanted to connect with a few extraordinary kids who have overcome, and continue to fight through challenges, to help spread their stories of courage and bravery. Nicholas is a cute little boy who happens to have down syndrome. He doesn’t allow this to keep him from doing much, his smile and confidence is ever-present.”
In addition to the release of the single, Lisa continues to build her fan base with emotionally-electrifying performances. Fresh off an Acoustic Cafe radio show with songstress Rachel Platten, which reprised her inclusion on a similar invitation-only American Authors event at the Hartford HOT AC station, Lisa is gearing up for a four-month songwriting journey, traveling and performing throughout Australia from July through November, before returning to the studio in the new year.
Jason Price of Icon Vs. Icon recently did a Q&A with Lisa Heller to get a glimpse inside her world, her songwriting process and what the future may hold for this star on the rise!
What are you first memories of music in your life?
My very first memories of music were listening to Dave Matthews and Five For Fighting on long family road trips.
Going all the way back to the beginning, how did you first start getting involved with the arts?
Everyone at school was required to take chorus. Singing came naturally and I fell in love with it right from the beginning.
What can you tell us about the process of finding your creative voice?
The process of finding my creative voice was a long time in the making. In high school I battled VCD (Vocal Cord Dysfunction) and it made it extremely hard to breathe while I ran track. The doctor recommended that I sing while I run because he said it would relax my airways. I started writing and was drawn towards singing sad songs; but learned that this didn’t make me feel any better and that the empowering songs were what gave me strength. By the time I wrote and recorded these new four songs for the EP this last winter, I was ready to empower others through my music.

Who were some of the performers and people behind the scenes who helped to shape the artist we see today?
One of the artists that I really looked up to is Christina Perri because her songwriting is so incredible and you can tell how carefully crafted each of her songs are. I’m also a huge fan of Demi Lovato and her extremely passionate voice and the honesty she demonstrates with her audience. I’ve also looked up to Rachel Platten and how she was able to give people strength through her “Fight Song”. It was such a thrill to get to meet and open for her.
You are clearly very driven when it comes to your career. What has kept you inspired throughout the years as an artist and fueled your creative fire?
My inspiration and strength come from the obstacles that I have had to overcome in my life such VCD, self-image issues and bullying. I have turned these negatives into positives and used the energy to fuel my creative fire.
You recently released a new single titled “Hope.” What inspired this song and what does it mean to you?
When I was writing this song with Jimmy (McGorman), I told him how I wanted to write a song that could apply to the majority of people without being too vague, and this is how we came up with “Hope”! The main line in the chorus “Hope, Hope for the best/ hope for the rest of our life/till the day that we die” came surprisingly quick and then we built the entire song around this passion of being hopeful when there seemingly might not be a lot to hope for. This really applied to my life when I was dealing with VCD and it felt like there were no solutions, so as we were writing this song, that was all I could think about.

You worked alongside producer Jim McGorman for this track. How did the two of you cross paths?
I have had a long-time mentor from CT, who actually directed my video (Kurt J Zendzian, now in Tampa) and he advised me that I work with a big-time producer and recommended Jimmy.
What did he bring out of you creatively?
Jim really help me find my “creative voice” and helped me figure out who I wanted to be as an artist. I remember standing in the recording studio after having laid down a new track, and Jim responds “You just found your voice”. It was such a defining moment. Jim is an expert in helping people define, develop and then refine their artistic voice.
In conjunction with the release of the single you created a “Wall of Hope.” What can you tell us about it and how the idea came about?
After my team and I decided that Hope would be the first single, I started hinting to my fans that “Hope” was the name of the first single off of my new EP. After seeing people’s responses on how excited they were to hear an inspirational song, especially with all of the current events going on in the world, I realized I had something more than just a song here. Then I randomly ended up on a link to Go Fund Me and started reaching out to people in CT to see if they would want to be part of this “Hope Wall” and no one turned me down!!!
LisaHeller-2016-2
It has received a tremendous response. How has that impacted you personally and in a creative sense?
It’s pretty incredible because now people are reaching out to me, asking to join the movement, and I never expected this to develop into such a community with a positive message. It’s amazing how music can bring people together. I have been able to meet some of these people- especially kids with life-threatening diseases and it has definitely touched me personally. Now when I sing in public, I think about these kids and how they might not get to live another year, or even another month. I have gotten really attached to some of the kids I have met, and I sing the song for them.
What can you tell us about the songwriting process for your music?
The songwriting process for my music definitely varies from song to song. I have had times where I’m driving on the highway and have to pull over to scribble lyrics on my iced coffee because that was all I had. There is something about writing versus typing that definitely helps a lot in the creative process because it allows me to write down my thoughts without committing to them. By contrast, sometimes I purposefully sit down at a piano and mess around with chords and riffs until I find one that feels right. Next I start humming along until I find a melody. Then I find one line that really sticks out to me–sometimes that’s the easiest part but other times is the hardest– and build the song around that.
Lisa-Heller-Hope-Single-600
Lisa Heller is truly a star on the rise!
When might we hear more music from you in the form of another single, EP or full length release?
I have three more songs I am ready to release when the time is right. I have one song in mind that could work as my next single, but I would like to see where “Hope” takes us first before planning another release!
You did a cover of Demi Lovato’s “Stone Cold,” which is fantastic. What spoke to you about the song?
Demi Lovato is such an incredible artist. Her passion is incomparable. This song in particular and the fact that it is a simple ballad with such a powerful voice really spoke to me.
You are about to embark on a four-month songwriting journey traveling and performing throughout Australia. What has you most excited and how have you gone about prepping for the adventure?
I have always wanted to travel to Australia, learn the culture and meet people. I am actually extremely excited about performing in Australia. I’ve read that the music fans out there are very passionate and can’t wait to play for them. To be honest with you I’ve been so busy with this release that I haven’t had a chance to prep for the trip.
Lisa Heller’s single, “Hope,” is available on iTunes. Be sure to roller her continuing adventures online at these locations:
www.lisaheller.com
twitter.com/lisahellermusic
lisahellermusic.tumblr.com
www.facebook.com/LisaHellerMusic
www.instagram.com/lisahellermusic
www.youtube.com/user/lisahellermusic - Icon VS Icon | Jason Price

Lisa Heller, Pop Artist

What is your favorite travel song?

"'Beautiful Day' by U2 because we always listened to this in long car rides growing up."

“Hope" springs eternal as acclaimed 20-year old singer-songwriter Lisa Heller introduces her inspirational new song to the world. Born out of struggle, “Hope” is a spiritual transformation that allowed her to break down barriers, and move her life forward. Several years ago, Heller had a medical condition color her world as she woke up at an emergency care center with a diagnosis of Vocal Cord Dysfunction (VCD). Fortuitously, the doctor told her that singing would help treat the VCD because the act itself would relax her vocal cords. Embracing the advice, music became a therapeutic stress reliever, a creative outlet and her saving grace.

With a newfound confidence, Lisa developed her inner voice, harnessing her intuition to effectively craft 4-minute vessels of the existential. Early songs such as “Close Your Eyes” and “Life on the Run,” which featured drummer Aaron Sterling (John Mayer, Taylor Swift, The Band Perry) and special guest guitarist Steve Fekete (musical director for Avril Lavigne), were her first forays in songwriting and ones which ended up being recognized with various accolades including being chosen as a Top Five Finalist in the "Performance Category” for the American Songwriting Awards, reaching the semi-finals of the International Songwriting Contest, and receiving a "Pop High Honorable Mention” by the faculty of the Songdoor Songwriting Contest.

To download "Hope" go to iTunes: https://itunes.apple.com/us/album/hope-single/id1122086392
- See more at: http://conciergequestionnaire.com/article/lisa-heller-pop-artist-qambassador#sthash.ShM0gtHd.dpuf - Concierge Questionnaire |

Pop songstress, Lisa Heller, reeled me in with her inspiring video for “Hope” – a track dedicated to anyone who has ever experienced anything painful; for those in need of a little hope. The 20 year-old CT-based singer recruited random people she met a cafe down the block from her video shoot to share what they hope for on a poster board. The rest will leave you pretty emotional, so grab those tissues! I think my favorite part of the track is the verse where Heller sings, “My father used to tell me / That nothing good is free/ But maybe that’s the difference / Between my old man and me” – something I can relate to all too well.

In conjunction with the release of “Hope,” Heller has created a virtual Wall Of Hope – a social community designed to foster faith and encourage hope by sharing inspirational stories. You can find out more here. - The Daily Listening | Tina Roumeliotis

SIMSBURY — Two years after earning a spot as one of five finalists in the American Songwriting Awards Competition, Simsbury native Lisa Heller is living her dream, she said.

Heller, 20, recently opened for Rachel Platten during a performance sponsored by 96.5 TIC FM and is preparing to release a new single on June 24.

Heller said although she released a single in 2015, her new music — all part of a four-song EP she independently recorded in January — represents who she wants to be as a singer-songwriter.

"I've grown so much," Heller said. "It's been a while. [The first single] was my practice and this is the real deal; this is my real, first release. [It's] a new chapter — a new book."

Heller started singing seriously after being diagnosed with a condition called vocal cord dysfunction, which was discovered when she was running track for Simsbury High School.

The condition would cause Heller's throat to close during running competitions, restricting air flow to her lungs and the rest of her body. On several occasions, she passed out after crossing the finish line.

A doctor advised Heller to try singing to help relax her vocal cords. The rest, Heller said, is history.

"It's kind of funny that the hardest part of my life is what made me find my favorite part of my life," she said.

Heller collaborated with Los Angeles-based producer Jim McGorman, who has worked with artists including Avril Lavigne, Bret Michaels and Miley Cyrus, to create the music, including the new single, "Hope." McGorman first met and worked with Heller two years ago.

Both McGorman and Heller said they quickly crafted "Hope" after they came up with the main part of the chorus: "Hope/Hope for the best/Hope for the rest of our life 'til the day that we die."

"If it comes out really fast and you're excited about it, that's usually a good sign," McGorman said. "It was very spontaneous. We weren't trying to go for anything — it just kind of happened. I think one of the reasons the song works is because it's very honest."

"It was a really great process to see her in the studio kind of find her voice, which is something I'm really proud to be a part of," he said. "In my opinion, this is a really, really great endeavor. I'm very proud of this EP."

Heller wants "Hope" to become an anthem for people who are struggling and to send a message "about being true to yourself and not trying to change for other people and being strong when it seems like everything is going wrong."

The song inspired Heller's virtual "Hope Wall" on Instagram, as well as the hashtag #HopeWall, which highlights stories of triumph in the face of adversity.

"I think that people need songs like that," Heller said. "Music is so moving and so important and I wanted to help people through a song. When we were writing it, I was like, 'Yes! We finally found a song that can do that'."

"There really needs to be that type of music that you just listen to and you're completely moved by," she continued. "I always try to write songs that have a deep, deep meaning, both to me and to, hopefully, my fans and audience, because otherwise I'm like, 'Well, what's the point?' I feel like that's the point of music — to make people feel something."

Heller, who is studying psychology at Colgate University, will spend the fall semester abroad in Australia. She said she will attend class during the week and play gigs across the country on weekends. Her goal is to build a fan base there, to entice record labels.

"Hopefully people will relate to it," she said. "We're just going to see where it goes, but I think that 'Hope' is really going to decide where my career is going."

"Hope" is available for pre-order on iTunes and the Google Play store June 15. For more information, go to LisaHeller.com. - The Hartford Courant | Jordan Otero Sisson

Last January, singer/songwriter Lisa Heller recorded her most recent EP in Los Angeles. She was finally able to transfer all of her fears, excitement, thoughts and struggles into some new songs. Produced by Jim McGorman (Avril Lavigne, Sabrina Carpenter), they both co-wrote a 4-song EP that captures these struggles, triumphs and dreams. Jim said afterwards, “I work with a lot of new artists, and Lisa sees things that others don’t. She is an incredibly insightful lyricist, making her songs unique and powerful. She has so many dimensions to her voice and, as a producer, it’s exciting to see where she takes each song”. Be sure to check out Lisa Heller on iTunes.

— — —

Mike O’Keefe: You were born and raised in Connecticut, describe your hometown’s atmosphere a bit.

Lisa Heller: Yeah, I was born in Hartford and raised in Simsbury. I’ve been there through high school and I’m going to college in upstate New York. It definitely has a small-town vibe with a lot of farms. It’s not a very big town.

MO: I can relate to that, I’m actually like an hour north of New York City so some people call it upstate. Not to me, but yeah it definitely has a small-town vibe as well. What would you suggest a first-time visitor to see? Maybe in nearby Hartford?

LH: Definitely the Xfinity Theatre in Connecticut. I think it was the first concert I ever went to. It’s really cool because a lot of big artists touring start there. Sometimes it’s their first show on tour. So, I would definitely recommend going there.

MO: Fantastic. Was being involved in music an evolutionary process? Or was it something you always wanted to be involved with?

LH: It’s definitely an evolutionary process. I’m a runner and I don’t know if you’ve seen my bio, but from running I developed a breathing problem called VCD (Vocal Cord Dysfunction) and it caused a lot of problems. I would pass out over the finish line because my throat would close up. The doctor said that one possible cure, not for everyone, but some can find that singing helps when yearning. I already liked singing, I have always loved singing, but after that the singing started helping the vocal cord disruption.

Then the passion for singing became a lot stronger and I also got really into songwriting. There’s a piano that was passed down from my ancestors that I was able to get. It’s a Steinway, so I taught myself how to play a few songs. Well, actually I taught myself some cords and then I started writing my own songs, before learning other songs. I was like wow, maybe I should pursue a career in this and it started to become everything for me.

MO: That’s awesome. That’s a really interesting story, like it’s meant to be.

LH: Yeah, that’s how I think of it. Kind of like the vocal cord infection was the hardest part of my life and singing led to finding my passion and my career. I sometimes believe that everything happens for a reason and I feel like this is one of those examples.

MO: Fantastic. I heard that you’re going to be traveling to Australia soon. Tell us about the excitement leading up to the trip and the preparation going into it.

LH: It’s been pretty exciting, because I’ve been to Europe and a few other places in the America’s, but I’ve never been anywhere this far away. Exactly the opposite side of the world, I’ve been preparing for this for a very long time. I’m also going to be doing some classes there for school at the same time, but on the weekend. I’m planning on doing shows in Sydney and also traveling to other cities in Australia. I’ve done a lot of preparing and I’m pretty excited for it.

MO: That’s awesome. You’ll get to see a lot out there. I heard the energy is something really special. When visiting a new destination, what is the first thing you try and do?

LH: First, I try to get my bearings straight, because my family is very bad at directions, so I definitely have to figure it out. After that I definitely try to find some venues. I love watching local artists or bigger acts so I definitely try to find the artists. Another thing is I said I love running, so if there’s a cool path or something I will look to run there. I also really like big open views so I travel around and see the views and the landscape, just stuff like that.

MO: That’s awesome. So, if you were traveling on a personal getaway, are you looking for more adventure as opposed to relaxing on the beach?

LH: Yeah, definitely. I actually, a couple of years ago after my vocal cord infection got under control, missed my trip that I was going to camp so instead I went to Europe. When I went there I hiked [all] through Europe. Through seven different countries over three Alps. Just looking over the Alps and seeing the view was probably the most amazing thing. I actually told people on the trip that I was a singer. We were having a really tough day, because of an accident that happened the day before, a person had to go home. But, people were like, “Wait you have to sing now!” Even with my breathing problem I was able to sing and help people get to the top. It was a 19% grade too, which is really steep. That was probably the coolest experience.

MO: That’s cool, definitely made the best experience out of it and another example of how music and travel fit together. If you were to perform or record in any destination where would you choose?

LH: Wow, I don’t know. Got to think about that, I love the producer Max Martin and I think he’s based in Sweden. So, if I were able to go over to Sweden and produce with him and record there. That would be probably be my dream.

MO: Nice, that’s cool. What does experiencing a new culture mean to you?

LH: Experiencing a new culture and learning about the people and their experiences is everything, because I think that the people say it all. I did a service trip to Costa Rica, learning about [people’s] experiences, even with a language barrier you learn a lot about life. That’s what makes each place different from others.

MO: Absolutely. When you can see the difference between countries you really get a different feeling, it’s amazing. That’s my favorite part. You get to learn a new thing about each culture. Are there any destinations that you have not been to, but must see?

LH: Yeah definitely, it so cool! I haven’t been to London, and I’ve always wanted to go to there. Someday if I could go to Spain that would be cool too. I don’t know if I’m going to be able to go to New Zealand when I’m in Australia, but that would be a really cool place to check out.

MO: Awesome. I think the flight is so long, but it’s going to be well worth it. What’s next? You’re going to Australia, do you have any shows coming up or what’s next for you?

LH: Yeah, I can’t wait! I’ve been talking to different booking agents in Sydney. We are just going to try and book some shows as a headliner or opening for some local artists who are doing well there. That’s pretty much the plan and hopefully writing as much as I can based on my experience there.

— — —

For more on Lisa Heller visit her website - Sun City Paradise | Mike O'Keefe

Lisa Heller wants to inspire hope.

Heller, 20, of Simsbury, is a singer and songwriter. She released her single, “Hope,” June 24 at a fundraising release party for the song and music video, raising $1,600. The funds were given to the Hayes family of Wethersfield for 13-year-old Charlie Hayes who has a life-threatening immunodeficiency known as Hemophagocytic Lymphohistiocytosis.

The party took place at the Tavern at the Exchange in Farmington.

The idea for the party came after Heller opened at an Acoustic Café radio show with singer Rachel Platten, Heller said.

The fundraising efforts were part of the launch of Heller’s Hope Movement through which she hopes to inspire people in tough times.

Part of the movement is an online Hope Wall where people can tell their stories and what they hope for, such as cures for life threatening illnesses. Like the wall, the video includes shots of people holding signs stating some of those hopes.

“Pretty much I have always wanted to do something,” Heller said in a phone call July 7. “When I was little I wanted to do something to change the world.

She said when she told her family this she repeatedly made a
point that she wasn’t just saying it, that she actually meant it.

“No, really I really want to,” she would assure anyone who questioned her dedication.

She even extended that promise by collecting canned food on her birthdays for local food pantries instead of asking for presents. She also went on a service trip to Costa Rica, where she and other volunteers helped an impoverished community.

“My whole life, I always want to help people,” she said.

It wasn’t until she started writing songs that she found an outlet for her desires.

She initially wrote “Hope” for a neighborhood child, Nicholas Higham, who has Down syndrome. Heller noticed how the music distracted the boy and made him smile.

“Just seeing his reaction,” she said. “He got excited.”

She wanted to come up with a way to reach more people.

“I started thinking and I was like, ‘I’m not going to be able to meet with every single kid in the world,’” she said.

That’s when she came up with the Hope Wall, which she started with Nicholas’ story.

“It kind of grew into this bigger thing,” she said.

Heller worked with cowriter and coproducer Jim McGorman, who has worked with A-listers including Avril Lavigne, Shakira and Kate Voegele. Last year, Heller went to Los Angeles and recorded four songs with McGorman.

In writing “Hope,” Heller wanted to write a song that would help others, she said. A line in the lyrics,“Hope, hope for the best,” is meant to be an anthem to inspire people.

“I wanted it to be vague enough to relate to a lot of people, but basic enough to give that message,” she said.

The song was produced by Kurt Zendzian, who recently produced a music video with Chuck Norris.

The “Hope” video has received more than one million YouTube views and was number one in some countries, including Canada, Sweden, Finland, Denmark, Australia, Italy and Ireland, Heller said.

For more information or to see the “Hope” video or the Hope Wall, visit lisaheller.com. - The Valley Press | Sloan Brewster

On June 24, 2016, Lisa Heller posted her debut single "Hope" on YouTube. It raced to well over a million views as audiences connected with the uplifting anthem, born out of the Hope Wall project she created to tell the stories of others facing challenges.

Lisa, a 20-year-old college student, has a condition called Vocal Cord Dysfunction (VCD) that can inhibit her breathing. We all have trouble crossing the finish line sometimes, but for Lisa it's literal: a runner, she learned about her condition after collapsing at the end of a race. Certainly unpleasant, but it may have kept her out of the cubicle. "If I didn't have VCD I probably wouldn't have found this inspirational place to write music," she says.

"Hope" has gone transnational, taking off in Australia, Canada and most of Europe. She's still unsigned, holding out for the right label to launch her first EP, which is already recorded with a video produced for her next single. It's a lot to handle along with a full course load, but Lisa has a way of turning adversity into opportunity.

Carl (Songfacts): Lisa, where do you go to college?

Lisa Heller: I go to Colgate University but for this semester I'm at University of Sydney in Australia.

Songfacts: That's pretty exciting.

Lisa: Yeah, definitely. I'm so excited to be here. This semester is like their spring semester, but it's my first semester of junior year.

Songfacts: Australia is one of the places where you're doing pretty well, aren't you?

Lisa: Yeah, it's actually pretty crazy. A week or so before I left it was one of the places that trended to number one, so it was pretty cool.

Songfacts: A lot of people think, I'll just make a video, put it on YouTube, it will get a million views and I'll be a star, but the truth is that hardly ever happens. Somehow you managed to pull this off, which is pretty remarkable. I'm trying to figure out how you did it.

Lisa: I was pretty much just as surprised as you. I obviously didn't have a huge budget, like a lot of these record labels have. I think it's all based on my story and the story of the song.

With my Hope Wall I've been starting this movement where I've met with some kids going through really challenging times and I think that through meeting all these people and the story spreading up to the release of the video, it made this successful. And I'm so excited to continue to meet with more people and have the story continue to spread.

So, I think it's really the song itself, the story behind the song and the whole movement I'm trying to do in inspiring hope in people who might not have that much hope that is what has made the video become what it is.

Songfacts: It's not the first song you've written. You've been doing this for a little while, haven't you?

Lisa: Yeah, I'm 20 and I've been writing since I was 14, so it's been six years of writing a bunch of songs - a couple of hundred at this point. But this song in particular I really wanted to lead with because I think it could really inspire people. So that's why we chose this song.

Songfacts: How did you start playing music and writing songs?

Lisa: It was actually funny. I always loved music when I was little. My mom would always take me to those little like toddler instrument classes and I always loved it. I took different music classes - it was required in middle school - and I always had so much fun with it but I never thought of it as anywhere near a career option. But then I was in high school and I did a lot of running, especially because my family's really into athletics and my mom and dad both still run - my dad does triathlons and my mom went to Colgate and founded the cross-country team there.

So, I was really into running. I was doing cross-country and track, and sophomore year I was running in a race and all of a sudden my throat started closing up and it was really scary. I collapsed over the finish line and we didn't know what was wrong. We thought it was asthma for a while and it kept happening - it was only in races and not in practices. Finally we found a specialist who figured out that I had VCD, which is Vocal Cord Dysfunction, and she said that one way that could make it a lot better would be singing.

So, I actually started humming to myself quietly in races and it really did help a lot. Most people with VCD wouldn't be able to finish the races, they would have to stop halfway through, but I was able to, with my singing, cross over the finish line. Even if I passed out at the end, I'd at least make it to the end.

So, after that I started to love singing more and more and then the same year a really nice upright Steinway piano got passed down from my great aunt, and I was obsessed with it. Right away I started learning some chords and I started writing songs. My first song was about my breathing problem, and then after that I branched out to writing music about other things in my life and it kind of became a stress relief from average sophomore and junior year struggles in high school and coming home from studying for SATs and after sports practices. It made me love singing and songwriting even more. So, from there I just built this whole thing.

Songfacts: When you're running, it seems like your mind would start writing songs, getting ideas.

Lisa: Yeah, definitely. Also, when I was younger I used to do bike trips. Instead of going to camp I would go on these bike trips through this program called Apogee. The first one was from Maine to Quebec, the second one was from Oregon to San Francisco, and the last one was down all of Europe. We went through seven countries and ended up going over a couple of Alps and it was very hard and really difficult at times. Going over those Alps and stuff, I was able to come up with some song ideas. It made me realize that these hard times that I've been through, even though they don't compare to anything that the kids I've met with have, these struggles could turn into something positive and instead of them holding me back they made me find singing and it made me find songwriting and find my hopeful career.

Songfacts: The VCD sounds like a blessing in disguise. It sounds like you have a wonderful family and a lot going for you, which can be an impediment for a songwriter because you don't have this type of challenge for inspiration. And then this thing hits you and suddenly you've got your voice.

Lisa: Yeah. Honestly, if I didn't have VCD I probably wouldn't have found this inspirational place to write music. I would just have gone on with my life, gone to college, got a cubicle job or something.
There will always be people who are trying to cut you down and that is something I have always struggled to be able to accept.

This is what made me find singing and it's what made me be able to inspire others by having my own issue I've had to work through. So, it's been a pretty cyclical, cool experience, definitely with some ups and downs, but in the long run it's been a good thing.

Songfacts: Where did you go to high school?

Lisa: I went to Simsbury High School.

Songfacts: Can you talk about coming up with the verses for "Hope" and putting that song together?

Lisa: Yeah. I co-wrote "Hope" with this guy I've been writing with for a while. His name's Jim McGorman and he's worked with everyone from Avril Lavigne to Shakira to Gwen Stefani. The first time we worked together I was new to songwriting and I was really nervous to state my opinion or say my ideas because I thought, Oh, this guy would never want to hear my ideas because he's written thousands of songs and he's had so many more years of experience.

But this time it was much different. I had grown a lot as a singer-songwriter so when we sat down to write my new EP of songs we started writing "Hope." We came up with some chords on the piano. This is how I write most of my songs. Some have a little variation, but once we find a chord progression we really like I usually hum along to find a melody and then we put words to it.

So, when we got that hook, the main line was:

Hope, hope for the best
Hope for the rest of our life
Till the day that we die

We got that surprisingly super quickly. Most songs take us up to an hour to just find one good line which might just be in a verse, but we got the main line of the song in like five minutes. And after that, it was just amazing. We were building on each other's ideas. We built the whole chorus in less than half an hour, and then the verses were just super easy. We just went through different experiences of my life and what I wanted to say with this song.

So, it was definitely a much different experience writing this song. It was almost meant to be because it was so easy and so ready to be said.

Songfacts: How did you end up in a room with Jim to begin with?

Lisa: When I was younger, senior year of high school, I started recording in a local studio called Onyx Soundlab and the guy that used to own it, Adam [Gootkin], he really knew what he was doing and then he passed it along to another guy who was definitely a beginner at producing. So, I was brand new to recording, senior year of high school, and it was actually almost better because if I'd worked with a big-time producer from the beginning, I wouldn't have learned all the basic techniques of making sure the rhythm and the pitch and everything is correct.
Another Connecticut native with a powerful fight song is Rachel Platten. The two crossed paths when Heller opened for Platten at a radio station performance in May.
So, I learned a lot more because he was so new to it but it was hard because most studios, how they work, you write the song outside the studio and then go in for a set amount of time and record it and then they mix it separately and it's done. But this studio, because it was a lower-key studio, I had to go every day after school. It was a 45-minute drive on the highway and I was a brand new driver. I had to quit my high school sports. I'd go every day and just write and record and then go back home. That was such a learning experience.

And then, at one point, we were talking to this video producer, Max Moraga, who was nudging me to move on to bigger and better things, so he recommended his friend, Kurt Zendzian, and he has pretty much been my mentor through this whole thing. He believed in me and he was able to hook me up with this producer, Jim, who I've been working with since then. And through both of them I was able to find my manager and publicist.

So, it took going to this beginner studio and learning all the basics and proving myself to people and showing my work ethic and determination and them believing in me, and then that made it possible to work with people at a higher level.

Songfacts: So, you end up with Kurt, who does a bang-up job on this video. Where did you do that video?

Lisa: It's funny, he's actually from Connecticut as well, that's kind of how we met, but this past year, with his fiancé, he moved to Sarasota, so we did the video down there.

Songfacts: So you're at a studio in Florida doing the video.

Lisa: Yes.

Songfacts: Tell me about the video: who is in it, who came up with the idea, what it was like wearing that big fancy dress.

Lisa: We went down there to do two videos because I have another song coming up pretty soon and the other video is much more planned out and I'd say has more of a storyline. The "Hope" video, we just had some ideas of what we wanted to do and it wasn't fully planned out. I knew that I wanted it to inspire people and he agreed. We were kind of stuck on how to do that because these kids that I met that have been going through really challenging times, they wouldn't be able to fly down to Florida and be in the video, and if they sent in pictures or videos it would look unfinished.

We were trying to figure out how to make it as inspirational for people around the world without having those specific kids there, so pretty much the day of the shoot we asked some random people if they wanted to be in the video and people were so excited to write down what they hoped for and people were lining up writing signs of their biggest hopes and dreams, some because their family members had cancer or others just their dreams for the future. It was a pretty cool experience. It was extremely organic.

I was actually going to wear a much more casual outfit. We switched outfits for the two videos and it was a very last-minute thing. I was so surprised how amazing it was able to come together even though it was spontaneous. I was so happy that we were able to pull it off.

Songfacts: So, you wrote another song that's coming out. I have not heard that but I would love to hear about the song, the story behind it and what's coming.

Lisa: Yeah, definitely. It's called "Firewall." It's very personal to me, about the difficult times I went through in high school. "Hope" is very vague in a way - in a good way - that it can inspire everyone, where "Firewall" was probably the hardest song I've ever written because it's so personal to me. It's all about my very personal experiences.

Songfacts: What happened to you that led you to write it?

Lisa: Well, part of it was average high school experiences trying to balance between getting into a good school and the stress of my breathing problem and not being able to do as well in sports as I wanted. I wasn't physically ever bullied but in middle school I had some people who I consider my friends who were very rude to me and it definitely changed me as a person. So, the song is based on that and just working through past experiences of people who weren't very nice to me.

Songfacts: When I hear the word "Firewall," I think of how you need some kind of protection to keep you from letting this negativity get into your psyche.

Lisa: Yeah, definitely. It's so important to have a good support system. There will always be people who are rude to you or just don't like you. Even if you're the nicest person in the world just minding your own business, there will always be people who are trying to cut you down and that is something I have always struggled to be able to accept because I've always wanted everyone to like me and be happy with me. I've come to realize that that's not always going to happen and there's going to be some people that, no matter what I do, they won't like me.

It's made me realize that it's actually good to have people who don't like you because it makes you work harder. It makes you realize how amazing the people that do like you or love you are, and it makes me be able to connect to others who have had horrible experiences with other people. So, in the long run I've come to realize that, yeah, it's really hard in the moment when people are rude to you or competitive with you but in the long run it actually makes you stronger as a person.

Songfacts: Wow, that's very interesting. How did you play out this story in the video?

Lisa: We wanted to make it as raw and real as possible. We wanted to make it apply to as many people as possible, so we didn't get super-specific, but I was trying to be extremely emotional in the performance parts of the video. We did not have a huge budget. I couldn't hire all these actors, so it was based on how I portrayed my feelings. So, I just tried to give as much of an emotional performance in the video as possible.

Songfacts: You have, I believe, a 4-song EP that you've already recorded.

Lisa: Yes.

Songfacts: Are you signed to a record deal?

Lisa: No, I'm not.

Songfacts: Okay, so how does this play out? I would hope that if you get a million views on YouTube and have this wonderful song and have proven your talents that some record companies would come calling.

Lisa: Yeah, I guess we have to wait and see. Once you have one really successful video they want to see what you're going to do next. So, we're waiting to hear what they have to say and I just need to continue proving myself. Because even if I knew someone at a record label, which I don't, and all these favors happened and I got some sort of OK deal, I wouldn't want to do that because then the people in the label wouldn't necessarily be rooting for me. I want to wait until the labels are really ready to have me and are almost fighting over me so that I get the best deal possible and have a supportive group of people at the record label. So we're just waiting for the right time to see what happens.

Songfacts: Do you perform regularly?

Lisa: Yes.

Songfacts: So, when you perform do you do the four songs?

Lisa: Yeah. Even though three of the four songs aren't released yet, I have been performing them live with more acoustic versions of them, so that people can hear them live before they come out for real on iTunes worldwide.

Songfacts: It makes me wonder why you even need a record company when you can get your songs on iTunes and get them on YouTube, which is where most people are listening. Do you even need a record company to work with you on this?

Lisa: So far I've been OK without it but I actually interned at a record label at RCA under Sony last summer, and I learned so much from them. I learned that, yes, you can do it on your own but once you get to a certain point you don't necessarily want to do it on your own. You could potentially make the same amount of money, but you're just focusing so much on the business instead of your artist career.

I've noticed that some independent artists get lost in the business side of it. If you end up signed to a label, then you're able to focus on your music and inspiring others with your music and being yourself instead of all the logistical stuff.

So, at a certain point, it's the right move to switch to a record label but if you're okay on your own, that's OK too. I think it depends on each artist, what they find best for them.

Songfacts: Have you figured out why your song and video have done so well in other countries?

Lisa: I honestly have no idea, especially countries that don't speak English. Maybe they know what "hope" means because that's such a broad, widely used term and maybe those signs have touched them in some way. But I have yet to figure out what it is that has inspired them so much.

I am so excited to be in Australia, which is randomly one of those places where it ended up doing so well, and it also speaks English so they can understand what I'm saying. I'm excited to be here and to continue spreading the message.

Songfacts: What is life like for you now that you have had this bit of success?

Lisa: More people have emailed me or contacted my manager with different opportunities that I wouldn't have been able to have before. It's been a little bit easier to book venues and stuff like that because I've been able to prove myself already in the industry, so they know that I'll be able to put on a good show and draw a pretty good crowd.

Songfacts: How does it work going to college while you're also pursuing music?

Lisa: It's pretty crazy. I tell most people it's like I'm going to two full-time colleges at once: one a normal college and one a music career. I go to college because I know it's a smart thing to get an education, and I also want to make my parents proud of me. But it's definitely more of my passion to be in the music industry, so it's been difficult but a very good learning experience to try and balance both sides of my life.

Songfacts: What are you studying?

Lisa: In school I'm studying psychology.

Songfacts: Not music.

Lisa: No. I actually took some music classes. I took music lessons all through high school and then the past two years I've taken a lot of music courses at Colgate but they have a very strong emphasis on classical music. All the classes that I could take in theory that could apply to me I've already taken, so any other classes would pretty much be focusing on Bach or Mozart, stuff that wouldn't necessarily be as useful.

Songfacts: Yeah, it seems like learning psychology would be more helpful to you as a songwriter, rather than learning the mechanics of music and how other people have done it.

Lisa: That's very true. I have been told multiple times that even some of the best musicians never learned how to read music because they want to be able to learn on their own and be able to improv. If they learn the basics of reading music, it might limit their creativity. To a certain extent, I feel the same way about taking music classes at Colgate, especially more of the classical stuff because I learn all these rules about how to write a song, but that might limit my creativity in terms of what chord progression to use, for example.

In psychology I'm able to learn about people, which is pretty much what the music industry is about. Because if you can't relate to people with your music then I don't think there's any point in doing music at all. So, psychology is more related to my career than some of the classical music classes that Colgate has to offer.

Songfacts: Did your mother insist that you go to Colgate?

Lisa: She didn't insist that I go to Colgate. My parents were just very strong advocators for going to a good liberal arts school. They didn't care which one it was, they just wanted it to be something within my GPA range because I worked really hard in high school and they wanted it to be a school that if my music career didn't work out that I'd be able to get a "normal" job.

Songfacts: How do you deal with the pressures of social media without getting sucked into the vortex that can be your iPhone?

Lisa: Yeah, artists can definitely get sucked into that vortex of post the picture that gets the most likes or post at the right time of the day or crazy stuff like that. Where I am more about posting things that I think my fans will be inspired by. I don't really care as much about the likes or my number of followers, I more care about whether or not people are being moved by my story and my music and this "Hope" movement.

So I've just tried to stay grounded and focus on what is most important to me, which is helping people out around the world, instead of on this fake virtual world of social media. Social media is great, it can reach a bunch of people around the world, and I've tried to use that to inspire people instead of worrying about trite things like the number of likes on a picture.

August 1, 2016. Get more at lisaheller.com. - Songfacts | Carl Wiser

Simsbury Teen Places Among Top 5 In American Songwriting Awards Competition

Lisa Heller of Simsbury has recorded four songs with guitarist/songwriter Jimmy McGorman, Avril Lavigne’s former musical director. (Courtesy of Maximiliano Moraga)
By Kristin Stoller contact the reporter MusicTim McGrawGrammy Awards

SIMSBURY — It all started when Lisa Heller was 15 and rewrote the lyrics to the song "Hey, Soul Sister" to "Hey, Grandmother" to perform for her grandmother's birthday.

Since then, the 18-year-old Simsbury native has written 26 original songs — two of which were recognized at this year's American Songwriting Awards.


Heller, a 2014 graduate of Simsbury High, was one of five finalists in the American Songwriting Awards Competition, a national songwriting contest with more than 1,200 entrants. The awards ceremony was held Nov. 8 in Las Vegas.

"I was shocked; I didn't even remember entering the songs," said Heller, a freshman at Colgate University in Hamilton, N.Y. "It was really surprising, and I was so grateful someone would recognize all the hard work I put in."

Helller flew with her mother, Wendy, to Las Vegas to accept the award and give a speech. Since she was entered in the adult category, Heller said, she was the youngest one there.

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Heller said she rubbed shoulders with a Grammy Awards judge and a friend of the rock band Paramore, who promised to pass her music on to members of the group.

"It's so inspiring that people my age could be recognized in this way," she said.

Heller submitted two songs, "Apocalypse" and "Close Your Eyes," which she said were the first two songs she wrote at age 16.


"Close Your Eyes," which made it into the top five, is about overcoming obstacles and believing in oneself, Heller said. "I knew a lot of people who were very stressed out [in high school] and I was too," she said. "I thought, 'What if I took all this stress and made it into something positive?' "

"Apocalypse" was among the top 10 nominees for the award, Heller said.

Last summer, Heller co-wrote and recorded four songs with Jimmy McGorman, Avril Lavigne's former musical director and current guitarist/songwriter with country music performer Cassadee Pope on Tim McGraw's tour. Heller was introduced to McGorman by contacts at her Manchester recording studio.

McGorman flew to Connecticut to help her write the songs, Heller said, and then she flew to Los Angeles to record them.

"He actually said I am the first person he ever met that can sing for eight hours straight," Heller said. "Each song takes four to eight hours to record, depending on the difficulty of song. I was impressed that he was impressed, because he's worked with very big names."

Heller recently put the songs on her website. Students at Colgate, where Heller is double-majoring in music and business, have "started getting really into it," she said.

"People were saying, 'I knew you sang, but I didn't know you sang like that,'" she said, laughing.

Though Heller said has loved singing her entire life, Simsbury High School fostered her love of music, she said. While there, Heller participated in the choir and Simsbury Singers, an elite singing group. She was also appointed women's a cappella leader in her senior year.

Wendy Heller said she is not worried about her daughter's decision to pursue a career in music.

"If this makes her happy, I'm happy she's doing it," she said. "It's OK because she's working hard at it. She's not just assuming it will come to her. She's going for something she really loves."

To listen to the songs Heller recorded with McGorman, visit soundcloud.com/lisa-heller-music. - Hartford Courant | Kristin Stoller

When Lisa Heller entered college to study music this semester, she already had the experience of a professional recording session in Los Angeles under her belt. This past summer the 18-year-old songs with Jimmy McGorman –Avril Lavigne’s former musical director and current guitarist and songwriter for Cassadee Pope – and went to California’s Sunset Sound & Sounds Factory to record with him. “He flew out to Connecticut for a few days and we co-wrote some songs, then we recorded our favorite four in L.A.,” Heller, a freshman at Colgate University, said. McGorman brought in friend Aaron Sterling, John Mayer’s drummer, who recorded on two of the songs with her as well. “It was such an amazing, unforgettable experience to be able to work with some of the top figures in the music industry,” she said. Heller is one of five finalists for the American Songwriting Awards contest. Thousands of entrants submitted songs they’d written to the contest and Heller was named a finalist for her original, “Close Your Eyes.” She was also a nominee for a second song, “Apocalypse.” Both were in the performance category. “It’s about overcoming obstacles and believing in yourself,” she said, describing “Close Your Eyes,” which is the first song she ever wrote. “Apocalypse” is about what it would be like to live in a world without war and was a top 10 nominee in the performance category as well. Her mom, Wendy Heller, said it’s her daughter’s perseverance, hard work, drive and her ear for music that has helped her excel in the music world. Wendy said Lisa wrote the songs she entered when she was about 16 years old, but was entered in the adult category for the American Songwriting Awards now that she is 18. “I’m just so proud of her, that she’s worked so hard on her songwriting and her singing,” Wendy said. Lisa Heller started singing and performing at a very young age and said she fell in love with it, and began writing original songs when she was 15. She quickly developed her own creative process and as she wrote more and more songs, she grew to make them more intricate. In addition to the lyrics, she writes all the instrumental parts, melodies, harmonies and accompanying chords from behind the piano, and also plays guitar. “I like to write songs that are meaningful to me. I choose topics that I am passionate about, which are usually ones that are relatable to other people around my age. I attempt to be transparent and show that the words I write are real and not just made-up stories,” she said. “The main goal is that I hope to inspire other people with my music.” Besides being a leader for the Simsbury High School a cappella group and arranging songs for it, she spent her entire senior year recording and learning about the professional process of creating an album at Onyx Soundlab in Manchester. She said she learned everything in the studio, from how to use a microphone to how to record. Heller then decided to create a music video for the song “Close Your Eyes.” She shot it at the bandshell on Iron Horse Boulevard in Simsbury. The people she worked with to make the video helped establish the connection to McGorman and then brought her to Los Angeles to record. At Colgate, she’s majoring in liberal arts and will graduate in 2018. “I plan to focus on business and music while I’m at Colgate because I believe they go hand in hand in the music industry,” Heller said. She’s looking into starting a band there, and participating in music extracurriculars such as Battle of the Bands. She also plans to audition to sing the national anthem at football games, something she did at Simsbury High. Her long-term goal is to empower and influence others through her music. “Music is who I am and I would love the opportunity to share it with others,” she added, hoping to fulfill her dream of making an album and a career out of singing, songwriting and performing. She said the industry is missing the “girl version” of The Fray and Coldplay. “I’m inspired by them and I want to fill that spot,” she said. Another influence has been her voice teacher, Lisa Grant of Simsbury. Heller said Grant gave her the confidence she needed to sing and perform. “My family is a complete inspiration to me and my friends as well,” she said. “They’re always asking me, ‘When’s the next song coming?’ Those long nights of writing music were worth it because I had such a good support group.” For her high school graduation present, her family took her to Nashville where she explored the music scene and met some local talent and managers. She also went to the famous Blue Bird Café. “It’s like this little café and it’s jam packed because there’s so much talent,” Heller said. She will travel to Las Vegas for the American Songwriting Awards ceremony in October where she will be called onto the stage to receive each of her awards. She will also
have the chance to meet with the contest’s sponsors, including representatives from Sony Records. “This award justifies the hours of hard work that I have put into songwriting over the past few years. Music is my absolute passion and this award is an even further reinforcement,” Heller said. According to its website, the American Songwriting Awards is an international, elite-class songwriting competition open to unknowns and working artists who want to be heard, recognized and rewarded for their songwriting talent. It brings together industry players to discover and promote new talent in a format that focuses solely on their ability to write great songs, the website states. Top prizes include cash, executive introductions, recording opportunities, agency representation, product packages and exposure to an international audience. VL

To learn more about Heller and
her music visit www.lisahellermusic.
com. - Turley Life | Jennifer Senofonte

On June 24, “Hope” springs eternal as acclaimed 20-year old singer-songwriter Lisa Heller introduces her inspirational new song to the world.

Born out of struggle, “Hope” is a spiritual transformation that allowed her to break down barriers, and move her life forward.

Several years ago, Heller had a medical condition color her world as she woke up at an emergency care center with a diagnosis of Vocal Cord Dysfunction (VCD). Fortuitously, the doctor told her that singing would help treat the VCD because the act itself would relax her vocal cords. Embracing the advice, music became a therapeutic stress reliever, a creative outlet and her saving grace.

LisaHellerBlueFence

With a newfound confidence, Lisa developed her inner voice, harnessing her intuition to effectively craft 4-minute vessels of the existential. Early songs such as “Close Your Eyes” and “Life on the Run,” which featured drummer Aaron Sterling (John Mayer, Taylor Swift, The Band Perry) and special guest guitarist Steve Fekete (musical director for Avril Lavigne), were her first forays in songwriting and ones which ended up being recognized with various accolades including being chosen as a Top Five Finalist in the “Performance Category” for the American Songwriting Awards, reaching the semi-finals of the International Songwriting Contest, and receiving a “Pop High Honorable Mention” by the faculty of the Songdoor Songwriting Contest.

These achievements caught the attention of producer Jim McGorman, known for his work with Sabrina Carpenter, Avril Lavigne, Cassadee Pope and Kate Voegele, and in January 2015, Heller went into the studio with McGorman to record 4-songs; “Hope,” “Firewall,” “Midnight,” and “Things You Never Said”. Jim warmly recalls the sessions, “I work with a lot of new artists, and Lisa sees things that others don’t. She is an incredibly insightful lyricist, making her songs unique and powerful. She has so many dimensions to her voice and, as a producer, it’s exciting to see where she takes each song.”

In conjunction with the release of the single, Heller has erected a virtual “Wall of Hope,” the foundation of a social community designed to foster faith and encourage hope by sharing inspirational stories.

LisaHellerNicholasHighamHope

One such story is that of 4-year old Nicholas Higham. Lisa elaborates, “I wanted to connect with a few extraordinary kids who have overcome, and continue to fight through challenges, to help spread their stories of courage and bravery. Nicholas is a cute little boy who happens to have down syndrome. He doesn’t allow this to keep him from doing much, his smile and confidence is ever-present.”

In addition to the release of the single, Lisa continues to build her fan base with emotionally-electrifying performances. Fresh off an Acoustic Cafe radio show with songstress Rachel Platten, which reprised her inclusion on a similar invitation-only American Authors event at the Hartford HOT AC station, Lisa is gearing up for a four-month songwriting journey, traveling and performing throughout Australia from July through November, before returning to the studio in the new year. - 1888 Media | Rob Evanoff

Lisa Heller Live at the Acoustic Cafe opening for Rachel Platten - 96.5 TIC FM

"My throat still felt as narrow as a straw and I was gasping for air. I peeked down at my hands, and they were unintentionally curled up into fists and I couldn’t uncurl them. My legs were tingling, prickling like needles. I tried to raise my left leg and it felt like 300 pounds. I heard someone whisper “she made it over the finish line and then just… collapsed”. Will I ever run again? This can’t be happening. “Lisa, breathe. Lisa!” Nurses were prodding me with wet towels and bagged ice, repeatedly saying my name and telling me to breathe, like I couldn’t remember myself. Am I dying? I lifted my head, looking around, confused, feeling defeated. I’m not done yet. Then I passed out again.

http://lisaheller.com/bio/ #VCD #Lisahellermusic #HopeWall #GB2Kids " - Giving Back 2 Kids

On our video countdown Episode 3, we won’t just be taking a look at Lisa Heller’s music “Hope”. We will love to share a little about this Powerful and unique songwriter. Lisa Heller is a 20-year-old songwriter and singer who picked up music as a stress reliever. While struggling to compete with VCD, it helped her discover her real passion, music.

Heller described music writing as the way she used to fight going through having a non-existent self-esteem, feeling extremely self-conscious and refusing to look in the mirror.

Heller got inspired to take up her singing hobby and songwriting hobby as a career. she said; I realised that my singing could also be used to inspire other people and help them to get through tough times.

She took up music as her calling and what she wants to do with her life.

While on the quest of achieving her ultimate dream as an artist. Lisa Heller has earned herself some awards in the industry;

American Songwriting Awards Top Five Performance Category Finalist.
International Songwriting Contest, Pop Semi-Finalist: Life On The Run.
Songdoor Songwriting Contest, Pop High honourable Mention: The First Day We Met, honourable Mention: Life On The Run, Whispers, Wounded Soldier.
Being influenced by the modern pop movement, Lisa Heller is inspired a list of billboard and grammy award winning artist in the Pop/R&B World. She gives a count of those who inspire and keeps her doing music; Demi Lovato, Rachel Platten, Christina Perri, Sam Smith, Norah Jones, Ella Henderson.

About “Hope”

As well seen in several scenes in the official video for the track “Hope”. The concept portrays “Hope” for diverse people in our society. People we meet in our daily lives and those we know in our lives.

Heller describes…

“Hope, hope for the best, hope for the rest of our life ‘til the day that we die”…

According to Heller, she went on describing her most recent EP;

“I was finally able to capture the adversity I had overcome in a song called “Firewall.” All of these trials and tribulations that I had gone through and continue to go through brought me to this point and have given me the strength that I didn’t know I had before”

Lisa Heller’s music has built a strong fan base for her as she gets great appreciation with her video “Hope” getting 1.6million views on YouTube.

Heller talks about her progress so far with her career as one that all trials and tribulations she has gone through and continue to go through brought her to this point and have given her the strength that she didn’t know she possessed. - Topafric Music Video