Whiz Kids: Liza and Olivia Sweitzer (ellenrosemusic)

Name:    ellenrosemusic

               Liza and Olivia Sweitzer

School:   Daniel Hand High School Juniors

Accomplishments:  Since they were eight years old Liza and Olivia Sweitzer have been making beautiful music together play guitar and singing. The duo, professional known as ellenrosemusic, started playing for family and friends and moved on to perform on stage at The Kate.

By the time they were 14 years old they were a regular, returning act at the Sunset Music Series in Newport, Rhode Island.  “I don’t think we ever necessarily realized that we were good together, I think we just realized that we both loved our passion we had for music,” said Liza.  “We both realized that when we played together it just felt right.”

Key To Awesomeness:  “It’s incredibly important to stay true to yourself and believe in who you are.  There are so many people in this world who want to bring you down and tell you that you
can’t do it!  But you can and I’m so proud of you. Seriously, keep going.”  Kailin Garrity

These are words that ellenrosemusic lives by. The Madison duo, Liza and Olivia Sweitzer, feels extremely fortunat to not only have met fellow Madison native Singer, Song Writer Kailin Garrity, but to have had the unique opportunity to perform with her.

“Coming from someone who is so much older than us and that we really look to as an inspiration was really motivating and so we wrote it down to look at it in case we ever got discouraged,” said Olivia.

Watching these teenagers perform and listen to them talk about all they have accomplished in their very young professional career it is hard to believe they could ever get discouraged.

They describe their music as acoustic indie pop “our style is a combination of many genres slowed down into an acoustic form,” explains Liza.  In addition to Garrity, they draw inspiration from such legends as Colbie Caillat, Rascal Flatts, John Mayer, Jack Jackson, Dave Mathews and Coldplay, just to name a few.

Watching them perform recently in front of friends, family and strangers recently at Pasta Cosi in Branford it was obvious these two teenagers were meant to be together – in the limelight, making music.

Sitting atop tall stools, tapping their toes to the rhythm they sang from an eclectic play sheet, constantly interacting with each other via smiles and nods.

“We tend to look at each other at the same time. I feel like are just so in touch with each other,” said Liza.  “We have this really good connection that it would be really hard to force or try to get with someone else.” 

No matter how many performances ellenrosemusic does, each one is as exciting as the next.

“I always get this really good rush right before I’m about to perform,” said Olivia.  “It’s kind of one of those things where it goes by in a blink of an eye but you just have to cherish it while you’re up there!”