Serenity Fisher

7-15-09
By Tom Sparough

Northside music fans have had the treat over the last two years to experience Serenity Fisher as she has grown into a rising young star.

The singer-songwriter has continued to raise the bar with her quirky, playful, introspective folk music.

Actually, the label folk doesn’t quite describe her music, because sometimes it is flavored like a pop concert, then suddenly the taste turns to jazz, then a bite of the blues.

She occasionally ties her laces and tap dances through a tune or two.

Her lyrics open metaphors in interesting ways as her fingers dance across her keyboard while she smiles out one song after another. Building off the success of her 2006 CD Watercolor Harmonies, she is preparing to release a second CD in the upcoming year.

Music has been pouring out of her. Each time she comes to the neighborhood playing at studios and coffee houses she says something like, “Oh by the way I just finished a new song this morning. Here’s how it goes.”

With titles like Porcupine Spikes, and the Caterpillar Song one could easily miss the depth of her lyrics and observations.

Consider a line in her song Rogue Strawberry, “Here I come again, octaves at either end, a rogue strawberry in the rain...one more raindrop older.”

Indeed some of her songs have a haunting quality to them whether on keyboard or acoustic guitar. The Selkie Song takes us to another land.

A natural musician, she performs without tracks. Her raw, young talent cascades its way to your ears. Her heart seems to open and songs fill the room.

Her concerts are like conversations as she says, “What would you like to hear.... how about this...I think we need a sing-a-long. How about Let’s Go Fly a Kite?”

In her song Love is a Watercolor Painting she says, “Dawn falls like a royal tapestry clothing me in delight and surprise.”

Next time she is in the neighborhood for a concert get there early and stay to the end, and you will come away delighted and surprised. - Northside News

By Brian Griffin
November 1st, 2009

If you were a mad scientist and you were trying to formulate a musical performer that mixed a singer-song writer style with a melodic Broadway sound, Serenity Fisher may be your wonderful creation.

Serenity opened up the Thursday Night of Cincinnati's Midpoint Music Festival with a unique sound like no other performer in the festival. She mixes a pop sound, introspective lyrics, and a positive tone to make sharp music that catches you off guard with its charm, while still expressing the artist's dreams.

Using mostly electric piano, Serenity delighted the strong crowd at the Coffee Emporium Stage. She held the focus of the crowd with both her stunning voice and her between song banter. It was light, funny, and showed her realness with the hint of nervousness coming through every other sentence. Her skills on the piano are very strong and she even added to the levity by offering up piano lessons, something she's actually does on the side.

Her CD Watercolor Harmonies, available for download at her MySpace page (www.myspace.com/serenityfisher), was the focus of the material for her performance, but new material peppered the set list. "The Caterpillar Song" is a highlight from the CD and has a melancholy tone but the contrasts are upbeat and have a theatrical feel. The studio version has a backing guitar and drums which creates a different sound than her solo performance, which just uses the piano. She sometimes is accompanied by a guitarist, but for this performance was all alone.

"Porcupine Spikes" is a newer song and is a delight. Fun, catchy, and I will say outright cute, but it still has sharp lyrics. It is a song that when performed live is nothing but piano and her voice, but feels fuller than if it had a full backing group behind it.

"Home" is an example of her often autobiographical inspirations, as she recently returned to her home town of Cincinnati, having been living in the San Francisco area for several years. Some of the lyrics border on the fantastical, but as metaphor and expression, not as a tool. She appears to like to have a style that never takes itself too seriously, but understands that life is not simple.

Serenity appeared Saturday night in a special Halloween show at Arnold’s Bar and Grille in downtown Cincinnati and plays again on November 13th at the Clifton Performance Theatre (404 Ludlow Ave,) from 7:30-8:30pm. Tickets are $8.00. - The Conveyor