STEPHENI ELLI grew up along the San Joaquin River in Antioch, California just outside of San Francisco, where she remembers walking with her dog, Sassy, before school at dawn each morning. With her feet balancing on the metal rails watching the wide river twinkle with golden California sunrise, her voice released fresh new songs that came to her mind. Though Stepheni loved the California sun and the songs she wrote along the San Joaquin River, she knew she had to move to Nashville to delve into the music industry and make the connections she needed to make her music her true-life destiny.
Upon arrival in Nashville, TN, Stepheni started her Bachelor’s degree studies at Belmont University where she studied the complete business of the music industry, songwriting and performing; taking lessons from hit songwriters and top vocal coaches, and interning at prestigious music industry companies such as Carnival Music and Blacktop Music Group. These one-on-one interactions with some of the most successful Nashville producers, publishers, writers and recording artists provided Stepheni with a real insight into the way people make things happen in the music industry, and gave her the knowledge and confidence to know she could do the same. During her Belmont years, Stepheni played shows in Music City, making friends with the songwriting community; now Stepheni and her friends share in one another’s successes along their musical journeys.
After her recent Belmont graduation, Stepheni continues mixing her music industry experience with both the creative side and the business side, playing live shows, making her CD, making her CD with renowned producer Wayne Baird, writing new songs, and working with some of the most well known music companies on Music Row.
Along with the talent of music, Stepheni practices compassion to all living things. Stepheni chooses a vegan lifestyle, and is active in all kinds of charities including her most beloved work of protecting the welfare of animals. An active volunteer, event coordinator and radio spokesperson for various animal charities in the US, she plans to continue to do so as her music career progresses.
Stepheni has opened shows for major label artists Mark Wills, Buddy Jewell, Chris Young, Trent Willmon, Wade Hayes, Erica Jo, and recently for Trey Gray’s (drummer for Brooks and Dunn) music event, raising money for the cure of Huntington’s Disease. She has trained and run for the Country Music Half Marathon with country superstars Diamond Rio for their children’s charity Big Brothers, Big Sisters, and she has worked with the Country Music Association for the annual big bash, CMA Music Festival. When in Nashville, she enjoys hanging with the girls of the Women’s Music Business Association, working for music industry companies on Music Row, and pitching songs as a songplugger for songwriters.
