Marissa
Bronxville, New York, United States
Music
Press
5 out of 5 stars Awesome!
Reviewer: Marta A.
This CD is awesome and very uplifting! My favorite songs are Cherish which moves to tears and Cards on the Table which is so upbeat and makes you want to
dance. Also, I love the cute spoken message at the end. Whee hee!
5 out of 5 stars inspiring and uplifting collection!
Reviewer: Adrian
Colors of the Sky not only achieve's the artist's goal of bringing comfort and peace through her songs, it's also inspiring and uplifting. Marissa Manzino
radiates great positivism and joy in existence and that's communicated through her music ~ it's truly from the heart. - Taken from the CDbaby website
MARISSA
THE ACOUSTIC EXPERIENCE
Marissa Manzino isn’t one to shy away from the bold achievement. Striking out as the first blind student to earn a New York Regents Diploma in a quarter century, she found herself studying psychology and music at Marymount Women’s College when an encounter with the songs of Sarah McLachlan led her to the conclusion “I can do that too!”
So she did. Expanding on her background in choral music, she began studying guitar and piano and writing songs. When she had no more than a couple dozen compositions to her credit, she booked some studio time and produced The Acoustic Experience. In all honesty, this is a vanity recording. In all fairness, it’s much better than that designation implies.
Although her catalog is brief, Marissa has clearly paid attention to the rudiments of songcraft, and while she hasn’t mastered the knack of the strong pop hook, her tunes are thoughtfully structured. Lyrically, she writes straight from the heart, which allows her to invest her performances with passion, although she falls prey to the typical novice tendency to operate at the edge of her vocal range. At least, though, she does have a range, and a comfort zone within it that shows promise for strong performance. While her guitar work is generally uncomplicated, she’s an effective self-accompanist.
Creating a listenable album, though, from a third of your first couple dozen songwriting efforts, is quite an achievement – bold, even. She’s in grad school at Fordham now, studying social work, looking forward to a doctorate and the chance to use her music as, she says “…a tool of healing.” That’s a bold ambition, but given the quality of her achievements thus far, including this recording debut, an ambition that sounds quite plausible.
- Shaun Dale
- Reviewyou.com
Discography
The Acoustic Experience, Colors of the Sky.
Photos
Bio
Marissa - Singer/songwriter
Marissa - Singer, Songwriter, Guitarist!
Born in May 1981, I grew up in a small town with a loving family and a multitude of pets. From an early age, music has always been a big part of my life.
My parents always had an eclectic mix of music playing albeit from archaic devices such as eight track tapes and even vinyl! I enjoyed singing to songs
on the radio. After I had expressed a genuine interest in music, my parents enrolled me in the Westchester Conservatory of Music. This was an incredibly
exciting time for me, as I received vocal training and met some very talented musicians. Additionally, I immersed myself in music in the Yonkers Public
Schools where I was always involved in music programs and was fortunate enough to be a featured soloist with the Yonkers All City Choir.
I am proud to say that I graduated from Gorton High School in 1999. While this is a mundane accomplishment for many, it was significant for me. You see,
I am totally blind in both eyes and was the first student in New York State in over twenty-four years to earn the coveted Regents Diploma without the benefit
of eyesight. The tenacity that my loving parents instilled in me helped me to earn a scholarship to Marymount Women’s College at Fordham University in
Tarrytown, N.Y. There, I majored in psychology with a minor concentration in music. After hearing singer/songwriter Sarah McLachlan, I thought that maybe
I could be a songwriter too. In emulating Sarah’s melodic musical style, I enrolled in piano and guitar lessons at college, while continuing to train with
other accomplished teachers on the weekends. During this time, I also discovered Shawn Colvin and started to experiment with the open tunings Shawn uses to create her dynamic sound. Shawn has influenced my singing as well as guitar stylings, as I began to write more finger picked type arrangements. Later, I discovered Joni Mitchell, who is an influence on my vocal ability as well as guitar playing with her unique open tunings allowing me to create musically rich soundscapes on guitar. After taking guitar for a year, I composed my first song “Rest” and performed it at our college talent show.
The enthusiastic response from the audience gave me confidence. I went on to write 23 more original songs.
After hearing several of my compositions, my family suggested I make a CD. In January of 2002, I went into the studio and put eight of my hand-crafted songs
onto disc. It was one of the most rewarding experiences I’ve ever had. The eight songs on this CD entitled “The Acoustic Experience,” are deeply personal
and speak of comfort, loss, and wisdom we all experience as we journey through life. The response from family, friends, and my old choral director has
filled me with joy, and I hope that everyone who listens to my music finds solace and peace. In the spring of 2006, I earned my MSW Master of Social Work
diploma from the Fordham Graduate School of Social Service. This was a proud moment for both myself and my family. I hope to pursue a career either working
with children or the elderly. There would be no greater reward than to use my social work training and my music as
a tool of healing and to give back to society.
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