Elisabeth Von Trapp

A magic happens whenever Elisabeth von Trapp walks into a room and begins to perform–something rarely seen and distinctly her own. Whether it is her ancestral connections steeped in her family name or her own experience as a conveyor of life’s experiences, both in song and words, Elisabeth’s concerts are part music/part inspiration.

One could call her a “motivational musician,” but the beauty of it is that you enter her world not knowing that something wonderful is about to happen–and you come out the other end a better person for the experience. Elisabeth’s “tools” are much deeper than possessing one of the most familiar musical family names of the 20th Century. Yes, she channels the talents of her lineage–the famous Trapp Family Singers, whose music and story were celebrated in “The Sound of Music.” But her talents are her own as well–honed by an insight into the whims and wisdom of a life living close to the earth in her home state of Vermont and the farm on which she grew up on as a youngster–always aware that music was embedded in her DNA.

Blessed with a beautiful voice and having honed the skills of self-accompaniment on guitar that stands with the best of them: she can turn a Beatles or Sting song into a new experience or celebrate the passion of Leonard Cohen’s lyrics whether she is performing in an intimate setting or large auditorium. In fact, every Elisabeth von Trapp concert is an intimate experience. Each member of the audience has the uncanny experience that she is personally singing to them alone, celebrating their individuality.

The music plays an important part here. But her stories and reflections between songs are also part of the “Elisabeth von Trapp experience.” From the story of her family’s flight from war-town Europe to a America–which is the story so many in her audience can relate to through their own family heritage–to growing up a young girl in Vermont and hearing the music of the generation that changed the landscape, it’s all wrapped up
in a night the audience will not soon forget.

Charles J. Jordan
Editor
Colebrook Chronicle
President, Great North